By Alice Uribe

SYDNEY--Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. said it will pay an interim dividend after initially deferring the decision in April because of uncertain economic conditions.

The lender on Wednesday said that unaudited statutory profit for its fiscal third quarter ended June 30 was 1.33 billion Australian dollars ($963.5 million), higher than an average of A$773 million for the previous two quarters.

ANZ also reported a third-quarter unaudited cash profit of A$1.50 billion, higher than the quarterly average of A$707 million.

ANZ directors also proposed a 2020 interim dividend of A$0.25 a share, fully franked, to be paid to shareholders on Sept. 30.

New Zealand imputation credits of 3 New Zealand cents per ordinary share will also be attached, said the lender.

The interim dividend represents 46% of ANZ's first-half statutory profit.

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority in July advised that banks no longer needed to pause dividends, which was a softer stance than its April request that boards "seriously consider" suspending payments because of the pandemic. 



  Write to Alice Uribe at alice.uribe@wsj.com