Handelsbanken fourth-quarter profit beats forecast, dividend well below

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden's Handelsbanken reported fourth-quarter operating earnings just above market expectations on Wednesday as lower loan losses boosted results.

Operating profit in the quarter rose to 5.29 billion Swedish crowns (£447.8 million)from a year-ago 5.00 billion, beating a mean forecast for 5.21 billion seen in a Reuters poll of analysts.

The bank proposed a dividend of 5.50 crowns, lower than the expected payout of 6.49 per share seen by analysts.

(Reporting by Johan Ahlander; editing by Niklas Pollard)