TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's third-largest lender by assets, Mizuho Financial Group ( MFG ), reported 17.9% growth in first-quarter profit on Wednesday as the long-awaited end of negative interest rates lifted profit margins on lending.

For the April-June quarter, Mizuho reported group net profit of 289 billion yen ($1.89 billion), compared with 245 billion yen in the same period a year earlier.

($1 = 152.8200 yen)