SAO PAULO, Feb 4 (Reuters) – Brazil’s largest private lender Itaú Unibanco Holding SA roughly hit analysts’ consensus estimate for fourth quarter profit on Monday, as loan-loss expenses declined.

Itau’s recurring net income rose 3.1 percent to 6.478 billion reais ($1.76 billion) from the same period a year earlier, compared with a Refinitiv consensus of 6.615 billion reais. ($1 = 3.6707 reais) (Reporting by Carolina Mandl Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)