China Construction Bank Corp said third-quarter net profit was up 11.6 percent year-on-year at 176.9 billion yuan ($29 billion), but the growth rate slowed by 1.07 percentage points compared with the first half.

CCB released its figures on Sunday, making it the first of the top five banks to report.

"The increase in net profits falls within expectations," said Hu Jiye, a finance professor at the China University of Political Science and Law. "However, a lot of off-balance sheet businesses weren't included in the statement.