danske bank as denmark’s largest lender posted secondquarter net interest income which beat analyst estimates supported by both the bank’s lending and trading activities danske which also raised its 2023 financial forecasts said net interest income rose 47 from a year ago to 852 billion danish kroner 127 billion according to a statement analysts had projected 847 billion kroner net income also improved from a year earlier to 501 billion kroner versus an analyst estimate of 454 billion kroner danske bank is joining nordic peers such as dnb bank asa nordea bank abp and swedbank ab which also reported betterthan forecast secondquarter earnings the region’s lenders are supported by corporate sectors that are holding up better than expected as well as rising interest rates the danish bank raised its projection for this year’s annual net income to as much as 205 billion kroner against previously as much as 185 billion kroner it also decided to distribute a dividend of 7 kroner a share at the upper end of the 4060 target payout range “costs remained stable and loan impairments remained at a very low level on the back of continually strong credit quality” chief executive officer carsten egeriis said in a statement last month the copenhagenbased bank raised its key target for 2026 profitability and pledged more than 50 billion danish kroner in dividends by that year the lender is putting an end to a turbulent period defined by money laundering and debt collection scandals that has cost it more than 16 billion kroner in settlements with us authorities and clients as part of a strategy revamp danske bank earlier this week agreed to sell its personal customer business in norway with about 285000 customers to nordea the price will be determined at closing expected late this year