Santander Profit Rises to $1.7 Billion, Beating Estimates

Banco Santander SA said fourth-quarter profit rose to 1.6 billion euros on lower provisions for bad loans and higher income from fees and from its business in Brazil. Net income at Spain’s biggest bank compared with 25 million euros a year earlier when profit was hit by charges, including provisions for the wrongful sale in the U.K. of payment protection insurance.