a blockbuster result from macquarie group ltd’s commodities trading business helped offset a downturn in dealmaking to deliver the bank a 10 jump in annual profit net income rose to a518 billion 347 billion in the year to march 31 according to a statement friday that topped the a499 billion forecast from analysts surveyed by bloomberg the australian investment bank will pay a final dividend of a450 a share “against a less certain market and economic backdrop the diversity of macquarie’s activities and the expertise of our teams ensured we maintained strong performance during the year” chief executive officer shemara wikramanayake said in the statement ructions in commodities markets drove a 54 surge in profit from its commodities and global markets unit to a6 billion as hedging and trading activity rose that made the head of that business nick o’kane the highestpaid executive at the bank for the year o’kane took home almost five times more than his ceo as his compensation rose 23 to a157 million for the year wikramanayake’s pay for the year rose 21 to a35 million according to the company’s annual report released friday profit from macquarie’s investment banking advisory business almost halved compared with a year ago falling to a801 million mergers and acquisitions activity is down more than 40 this year according to data compiled by bloomberg as economic uncertainty and tighter lending markets give companies pause the sydneybased bank’s return on equity slipped to 169 from 187 a year ago