State Bank of India (SBI), the country's largest lender by assets, posted a 52% rise in second-quarter profit on Wednesday, helped by higher income from its treasury operations and a drop in bad loan provisions. The results come as consumer demand picks up during India's festive season, although regulatory measures aimed at helping borrowers - including a one-time loan restructuring - are likely to slow the banking sector's recovery. Net profit at SBI rose to Rs 4,574 crore ($611.75 million) for the three months ended September 30, from Rs 3,012 crore a year earlier. Analysts expected Mumbai-based SBI to report a profit of Rs 3,333 crore, according to Refinitiv data. Gross bad loans as a percentage of total loans, a measure of asset quality, eased to 5.28% from 5.44% in the June quarter, after a top court directive that banks should not recognize non-performing assets until it passes orders on a case involving interest on loans under moratorium. Income from its treasury operations jumped 22% to Rs 22,839 crore, while provisions for bad loans slid 50%. SBI's shares, which have fallen nearly 40% so far this year, were trading down 1.4% after the results in a weak Mumbai market.