ZURICH (Reuters) - The Swiss National Bank posted a profit of 5.67 billion Swiss francs ($6.55 billion) during the third quarter, it said on Thursday, as the central bank benefited from valuation gains on its gold, bond and equity holdings.

The SNB made a profit of 3.08 billion francs from its foreign currency holdings, helped by buoyant stock markets which increased the value of its shares in companies like Apple and AI chip maker Nvidia Corp.

The SNB also made a profit of 4.41 billion francs from its gold holdings, as price increases increased the value of the 1,040 tonnes of the precious metal it holds.

($1 = 0.8652 Swiss francs)

(Reporting by John Revill, editing by Kirsti Knolle)