London: Lloyds Banking Group on Wednesday reported third-quarter profits largely unchanged from a year ago, confounding initial expectations of a sharp squeeze on earnings caused by Britain’s surprise vote to quit the European Union (EU). Underlying pretax profits were £1.9 billion ($2.31 billion, Dh8.5 billion), slightly under the £1.97 billion booked in the corresponding period a year ago. Rescued in a £20.5 billion taxpayer bailout during the financial crisis, Lloyds is the first major British bank to report results that fully capture the period after the referendum results.