PKO BP H1 net up 31 pct, beats expectations

WARSAW, Aug 19 (Reuters) - PKO BP, Poland's largest lender, reported a better-than-expected 31-percent rise in first-half net profit on Thursday, as a wider economic recovery helped to boost its revenue and held down provisions.

PKO, in which Poland controls a 51-percent stake, earned 1.50 billion zlotys ($490 million) compared to 1.47 billion seen by banks and brokerages in a Reuters poll. In the same period of last year it had a net profit of 1.15 billion zlotys.

(Reporting by Chris Borowski) ($1=3.061 Zloty) Keywords: PKOBP EARNINGS/ ([e-mail]; [phone]; Reuters Messaging: [e-mail]) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.