PARIS, France, July 23, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - French banking giant BNP Paribas on Thursday announced almost-record profits for the second quarter this year, driven by the sale of its stake in a Belgian insurance firm.

The bank said it had made 4.3 billion euros ($4.9 billion) this quarter, hailing the performance of its asset management division, which was boosted by last year's acquisition of AXA IM.

The banking giant's net profit surged 33.4 percent year-on-year, in line with expectations from analysts surveyed by financial news agency Bloomberg and data provider FactSet.

Its profits -- approaching a record set in 2023 -- were bolstered by a gain of around 850 million euros linked to the sale of a 25 percent stake in AG Insurance through its Belgian subsidiary.

The bank is not yet reflecting a possible hit to its finances from a court case last October in the United States, where a jury found the firm liable for atrocities that took place under the rule of Sudan's Omar al-Bashir.

A jury awarded more than $20 million in damages to three plaintiffs -- a verdict the bank appealed against in May.