KUALA LUMPUR (May 28): Hong Leong Financial Group Bhd (HLFG)'s net profit for the third quarter ended March 31, 2019 fell 7.8% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM463.42 million from RM502.56 million, due to lower contribution across all operating divisions.

In a filing to the stock exchange today, HLFG said revenue for the quarter slipped to RM1.31 billion from RM1.39 billion previously.

Earnings per share was 40.5 sen versus 43.9 sen a year earlier.

HLFG declared a second interim dividend of 29 sen per share, to be paid on June 26.

For the nine months ended March 31, HLFG said its net profit remained flat RM1.45 billion. Revenue stood at RM3.94 billion, slightly lower than RM4.03 billion in the previous year's corresponding period.

In a separate statement, HLFG president and chief executive officer Tan Kong Khoon said despite the challenging business environment, the group continued to show steady results across all its core businesses.

"We remain committed to diligently execute our business and digital strategies to build long-term sustainable value for our shareholders," he said.

At the midday break, HLFG fell 0.11% or 2 sen to RM18.92 with 20,300 shares traded.