Dutch financial services major ING today reported a net loss of euro 712 million ($980.4 million) in the October to December quarter of 2009 after repaying a part of the bailout fund to the state government.
In the year-ago period, the company had a net loss of euro 3.71 billion, ING said in a statement.
"Although asset impairments and revaluations continued to have a substantial impact on ING's results, market conditions improved gradually through the course of 2009, and the negative impact of market volatility was substantially lower in the fourth quarter than a year ago," ING Group chief Executive Officer Jan Hommen said.
ING's fourth quarter result includes a repayment of euro 930 million to the Dutch government.
The company said its loss includes "euro 930 million related to an accrual of additional future payments to the Dutch State for the Alt-A facility".
In December, ING had said it would repay euro 5 billion this month.
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ING has reportedly received about euro 10 billion from the government at the height of financial crisis in 2008.
ING's banking businesses posted an underlying profit before tax of euro 132 million in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared to a loss of euro 1.84 billion in the same quarter last fiscal. The profit was mainly on account of good performance from retail and commercial banking segments.
In the insurance segment also ING has improved as underlying loss before tax narrowed to euro 47 million from euro 2.5 billion. These segments in Europe and America have also returned into profit, while Asia Pacific region posted underlying loss before tax of euro 29 million as compared to euro 240 million in the year-ago period.
For the full year of 2009, ING posted underlying net profit of euro 748 million against a loss of euro 304 million in 2008.
"2009 was a tumultuous year for financial markets, and for ING. Yet even in this challenging environment, we made great strides to improve our operating performance, cut expenses and return to profit on an underlying basis," Hommen said.