Crédit Agricole said that it expected the financial crisis to last until the second half of 2010, as it reported a worse-than-expected fourth-quarter loss, because of writedowns in its Greek retail banking business and higher provisions for Calyon, its investment bank.

Rounding off the results season for France’s four major quoted banks, Georges Pauget, chief executive, said that 2009 had started well but struck a bearish note saying, “we expect that the crisis won’t end until the second part of 2010” .