Major lenders beat expectations with strong jump in earnings

Chinese lenders remained robust in the first quarter despite forecasts that profit growth will slow this year in the face of narrowing net interest margins.

The favorable results benefited partly from a rebound in the property market and stable growth in consumer loans, according to analysts.

Bank of Communications Ltd, one of the "Big Five" banks, beat market expectations on Thursday by reporting 12 percent profit growth in the first quarter.