May 5 (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand Banking Group ANZ.AX on Wednesday said its first-half cash profit more than doubled, as it released funds it had previously set aside to cover potential loan losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The country's fourth-largest bank's cash profit from continuing operations was A$2.99 billion ($2.30 billion) for the six months ended March 31, compared with A$1.41 billion a year ago, but missed a Reuters poll estimate of A$3.19 billion.
($1 = 1.2972 Australian dollars)