* Q3 net profit 148 million eur vs 78 million yr ago
* Loan loss provisions 277 million eur vs 397 million yr ago
* Shares up 3.8 percent, outperform European peers
(Adds details, shares)
VIENNA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Austria's newly merged Raiffeisen Bank International said on Monday a mild recovery in its main emerging European markets had helped it to lower provisions for bad loans in the third quarter.
Raiffeisen, emerging Europe's No.3 lender by assets, also reiterated its 2010 outlook, saying that it was aiming for an increase in retail customer lending in the full year.
"Overall demand for credit will probably remain subdued in 2010, but from today's perspective, we expect a slight rise of lending to customers for Raiffeisen International in the course of the year," it said.
The stock was trading 3.1 percent higher at 40.12 euros by 0927 GMT, outperforming the STOXX Europe 600 banking index, which was up 1.7 percent.
"The net income was much better than expected but the quality of the improvement was not as good as it might look," Cheuvreux analyst Alfred Reisenberger said. He said most of the improvement had come from derivatives and financials and he said that this type of income would remain volatile.
"One has to ask whether this is sustainable," he said. He added that there was still some uncertainty about what the company's combined earnings would look like after its merger. The group merged with unlisted parent RZB on Oct. 11.
The group's merger added RZB's domestic corporate business and its wholesale banking unit to Raiffeisen's franchise in 17 countries of the former Communist bloc.
Net profit in the quarter to end-September, before the merger, was 148 million euros ($196 million), up from 78 million euros a year ago.
Like Hungarian peer OTP the group was able to report falling loan loss provisions in the quarter, to 277 million euros from 397 million euros a year ago.
The Vienna-based company said revaluation of currencies in Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic and higher staff expenses had dampened the rise in profits.
Raiffeisen said it expected a slowing of growth in emerging Europe in the fourth quarter of 2010, in line with the global trend.
"This interlude should be brief, however, and the second half of 2011 will most likely show rising growth rates again." ($1=.7551 Euro) (Reporting by Sylvia Westall; Editing by Erica Billingham)