February 3 (Reuters) - Italy's Banca Popolare di Sondrio BPSI.MI reported on Tuesday a 20% year-on-year rise in its fourth-quarter net profit to 135.3 million euros ($159.8 million).
The Sondrio-based lender said it had called a shareholders' meeting for March 12 to approve its planned takeover by BPER Banca EMII.MI, Italy's fourth-largest bank.
Popolare di Sondrio agreed to be acquired by BPER through a 5.4 billion euro cash-and share deal last July, and said at the end of January it expects the deal to be completed by the end of April.
($1 = 0.8466 euros)
(Reporting by Philippe Leroy Beaulieu in Gdansk)
((Philippe.LeroyBeaulieu@thomsonreuters.com;))