The Financial Post reports in its Thursday, June 1, edition that the National Bank of Canada beat analyst expectations and boosted its dividend in the second quarter as profit grew in its core banking businesses. The Post's Stefanie Marotta writes that profit slipped 5 per cent year-over-year to $847-million on a reported basis for the three months ending April 30, weighed down by higher loan loss provisions and expenses. The bank's adjusted earnings of $2.38 per share were also down from $2.53, but exceeded average Bloomberg estimates of $2.36 per share. National joined most other big Canadian banks this reporting season in hiking its quarterly dividend, in its case by five cents to $1.02 per share. "The bank delivered solid second-quarter results and an industry-leading (return on equity) amidst a challenging environment, underscoring its core strength, discipline and resiliency," said National Bank chief executive officer Laurent Ferreira in a news release. Profit in the bank's personal and commercial banking segment grew by 14 per cent since last year to $335-million, supported by a double-digit growth in commercial lending.