Société Générale on Wednesday said fourth-quarter net profit almost quadrupled from a year earlier as the French lender continued its recovery from the financial crisis, helped by strong retail banking, a rebound at its corporate investment bank and smaller bad loan provisions.

Net profit in the three months to December 31 rose to €874m from €221m in the same period a year earlier, when charges against risky assets ate into earnings. Revenue in the quarter rose 34% to €6.85bn from €5.13bn a year earlier, as corporate investment banking revenue doubled despite concerns of a fresh European sovereign-debt crisis in November.