PARIS: French bank Societe Generale posted on Thursday a better-than-expected third-quarter earnings on higher revenue in its corporate and investment banking business and lower pandemic-related provisions for bad loans.

France's third-largest listed lender, after BNP Paribas and Credit Agricole SA, said its net income has nearly doubled in the reported quarter to 1.6 billion euros ($1.85 billion) from 862 million euros a year ago, beating mean forecast for 952 million euros in a poll of analysts compiled by Refinitiv.

The lender also raised its 2021 outlook for provisions.

It now expects cost of risk - that reflects the level of provisioning against bad loans - not to exceed 20 basis points this year against a previous forecast of a cost of risk between 20 and 25 basis point.

SocGen said in a statement it was launching a share buyback programme of around 470 million euros.

Chief Financial Officer William Kadouch-Chassaing will leave the bank by this month-end and will be replaced by current deputy financial chief Claire Dumas from Dec. 1, the lender confirmed in a separate statement.