BEIJING - China Construction Bank, one of the "big four" state-owned lenders, said Wednesday that its 2017 net profits climbed 4.67 percent from one year earlier to 242.26 billion yuan ($38.5 billion).

The lender's business revenue rose 2.74 percent to 621.66 billion yuan last year. Its net interest income totaled 452.46 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.3 percent, it said in the 2017 financial report delivered to Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Earnings per share stood at 0.96 yuan, up from 0.92 yuan in 2016.

By the end of 2017, the lender's total assets amounted to 22.12 trillion yuan, up 5.54 percent from one year earlier, while liabilities came in at 20.33 trillion yuan.

Its non-performing loan ratio was 1.49 percent, down from 1.52 percent at the end of 2016.

The bank's share price edged down 0.27 percent to 7.43 yuan Wednesday.