The biggest Dutch bank said it now expected profit in the second half at least in line with the first six months of the year, excluding exceptional items. ABN had previously predicted a weaker result in the second half after net profit of 1.88 billion euros ($2.28 billion) in the first six months.
The bank said third-quarter net profit rose to 1.21 billion euros - the first time it has reported a quarterly profit of more than 1 billion euros.
"The group's performance in the first nine months of the year was good and was underpinned by strong organic growth of our consumer and commercial client revenues in our mid-market franchises in Brazil, North America, the Netherlands and Asia," Chief Executive Rijkman Groenink said in a statement.
The results were supported by large one-off items including a 196 million euros net gain the bank saw on the sale of Brazilian business Real Seguros.
A Reuters poll of 17 analysts had forecast on average that ABN would report net profit of 820 million euros, down from 892 million a year ago.
Chief Financial Officer Tom de Swaan said all divisions contributed to the bullish results, as did cost savings, which he said continued to develop as forecast.
De Swaan, speaking on CNBC television, noted the bank had benefited in the quarter from lower-than-expected loan-loss charges, which rose to just 200 million euros from 138 million.
The bank had flagged an increase in loan losses when announcing second-quarter results, citing in part sluggish growth in its home market in the Netherlands.