Royal Bank of Canada quarterly profit rises on trading boost

Aug. 27 (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Canada reported a rise in third-quarter profit on Thursday, as market volatility helped boost its trading activity.

Geopolitical uncertainty driven by the war in Middle East and sustained trade tensions kept markets volatile in the reported quarter. Choppy markets help big banks rake in more from increased activity as investors rejig their portfolios to hedge risks.

Net income in the bank's capital markets unit came in at C$1.54 billion for the third quarter, up 16% from the year-ago period.

Bank of Montreal and Bank of Nova Scotia beat analysts' estimates for third-quarter profit on Tuesday, also helped by strong performance in their respective capital markets units.

Royal Bank of Canada's shares have gained about 23% so far in 2026.

The bank reported net income of C$6.02 billion ($4.34 billion), or C$4.23 per share, for the three months ended July 31, compared with C$5.41 billion, or C$3.75 per share, in the year earlier.