Santander profits boosted by UK businesses

Santander's UK banking arm, made up of Abbey, A&L, and B&B branches and deposits, made a profit of £1.16bn for the first nine months of the year. Profit across the UK brands is up 58% compared to the same time last year. Loans grew by 43% and deposits increased by 46%. Overall, profit for the first nine months at the Spanish banking giant was €6.74bn, 2.8% lower than in the same period in 2008. Santander said the rise in its bad debt levels, up 0.21% from Q2, "was the lowest in five quarters." It also said its net profit for the three months to September came to €2.2bn. Santande...