Poland's fourth-largest bank by loans, Bank Zachodni WBK, recorded a fall in net profit in the second quarter, due to higher provisions for non-performing loans.

BZ WBK turned a profit of zł.250 million in Q2, down 1.57 percent from the zł.254 million it made during the same period a year earlier, the bank said in its earnings report. The result was below analysts' expectations – a Reuters poll of six analysts had estimated a mean profit of zł.262 million for the bank.

The lender's results were dragged down by the costs of bad loans, with impairment losses on loans and advances amounting to zł.146 million for the quarter.

With a customer base of around 1.5 million and considered by analysts to be well-balanced between its retail and commercial operations, BZ WBK has come through the financial crisis in better shape than most banks in Poland. The lender has recently used advertising campaigns featuring foreign actors including Gerard Depardieu and Danny DeVito in an attempt to enlarge its deposit base.

BZ WBK's owner, beleaguered Allied Irish Banks, is currently in the process of selling its 70 percent stake in the bank. No bids have been officially announced, but media speculation suggests that France's BNP Paribas and Spain's Santander are likely to make offers.

Poland's largest lender, state-owned PKO Bank Polski, is also expected to make a bid, backed by those in the government who want to see a reduction of foreign control over the banking sector.

BZ WBK intends to set aside half of its 2010 earnings for a dividend, it said in a filing on its website. The bank turned a total profit of zł.484 million in H1.