After paying off Dutch state, ING declares dividend

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - ING Group on Wednesday beat analysts' expectations for fourth quarter pre-tax profit and said on Wednesday it will resume paying a dividend in 2015 - the first time in seven years.

(Reuters)

The company reported pre-tax profit of 783 million euros (£581 million), down from 904 million in the same period a year earlier. ING said this year's figure included 375 million euros in restructuring charges.

Analysts polled by Reuters had expected that number to come in at 864 million euros.

ING repaid the last of the 10 billion euro bailout it received from the Dutch state in November. It said on Wednesday it intends to return at least 470 million euros to shareholders this year, or 12 cents per share. The company also said it could decide to increase that number at year-end, as it will pay a minimum of 40 percent of annual net profits.

(Reporting By Toby Sterling; Editing by Sunil Nair)