SINGAPORE, Nov 4 (Reuters) - United Overseas Bank Ltd reported a 40% drop in quarterly profit on Wednesday as Singapore's third-largest-listed lender bulked up loan loss provisions in pandemic-hit markets and its net interest income declined.

UOB said profit for the three months to September slumped to S$668 million ($492.1 million) from S$1.12 billion a year earlier, and versus an average estimate of S$569.7 million from three analysts, according to Refinitiv data.

"While there are early signs of recovery across the global economy, the trajectory remains uneven and unclear," UOB's CEO Wee Ee Cheong said in a statement.

UOB's impairment charges surged to S$477 million in the latest quarter from S$145 million a year earlier, while net interest income fell nearly 13%. ($1 = 1.3574 Singapore dollars) (Reporting by Anshuman Daga; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)