Feb 18 (Reuters) - Australia's Bank of Queensland (BOQ) on Monday said it expects cash earnings in the first half to be lower than a year ago, while anticipating a challenging second half of the year.
BOQ said its cash earnings in the first half are expected to be between A$165 million to A$170 million ($117.69 million-$121.26 million), lower than the A$182 million it reported a year ago.
The Brisbane-based lender that it expects regulatory costs stemming from a year-long government inquiry into the financial sector to increase in the second half.
($1 = 1.4019 Australian dollars)