UniCredit SpA (UCG.MI) said Tuesday that its second-quarter net profit rose, supported by lower operating costs and net write-downs on loans and provisions. Net profit for the period was 1.02 billion euros ($1.18 billion), compared with EUR945 million a year earlier. Operating income fell roughly 4.3% on year to EUR4.95 billion, as net interest income and trading income decreased. Operating expenses stood at EUR2.66 billion compared with EUR2.86 billion a year earlier. Net write-downs on loans and provisions declined almost 24% to EUR504 million in the quarter. "The UniCredit team has delivered another very solid set of results in the first half of 2018 despite a more challenging market and geopolitical context. We remain confident in the European and Italian economy and their strong underlying fundamentals," Chief Executive Jean Pierre Mustier said.via