BNP Paribas 4Q profit falls by 50 pct Summary Box: BNP Paribas 4Q profit falls by 50 pct Feb 15 01:20 PM US/Eastern PROFIT DROPS: Paris-based bank BNP Paribas posted a 50 percent drop in its fourth-quarter profit, weighed by the European financial crisis. GREEK BOND VALUE SLASHED: The bank recorded a 567 million euro ($747 million) hit after accounting for expected losses on its Greek government bonds. SOVEREIGN DEBT REDUCED: BNP Paribas said it has reduced its holdings of sovereign debt by more than a quarter in an effort to offset the effects of the ongoing problems in Europe.