Over 300 million zloty in net profit in 2007
2008.02.08
Assets increased by
12.5% to 17.3 billion zloty; Loans increased by 24%; their volume approaching 13 billion zloty; The
highest net profit in our history - 300.6 million zloty - an increase of 21%; A low percentage of
irregular loans: 2.7%; 1st place on the factoring market and 2nd place in leasing;
In
2007 Raiffeisen Bank Polska S.A. continued its rapid rate of growth, once more reporting record results.
Net profit, after the increase of 21%, was the highest in our history, reaching 300.6 million zloty.
Gross profit with the Raiffeisen Group in Poland surpassed 400 million zloty. Lending increased at a
rapid rate (+24%), thanks to which the volume of loans granted exceeded 12.7 billion zloty at the end of
the year. The value of deposits, taking into account the sale of investment fund units, was higher
compared with the previous year by almost 18%, and the bank has secured a safe and healthy financing
structure. Assets exceed 17.3 billion zloty, i.e. 12.5% more than the previous year.
Our
results for last year reflect both the positive trends in the economy and the emerging changes in the
bank's position on the market. Rapid economic growth, impressive growth in the investments of Polish
enterprises and household consumption, have enabled the bank to maintain its high rate of growth in
lending operations. The bank maintained a strong position on the corporate and medium-sized companies
market, and by introducing attractive products for the smallest sized companies strengthened its position
in servicing the micro segment. The private banking department also noted a significant increase in the
number of customers and assets, and in the retail sector there was a rapid increase in the number of
people using the internet service and services via R-Mobile - said Piotr Czarnecki, President of the
Management Board of Raiffeisen Bank Polska S.A.
The increasing investments of the bank in
human capital, caused partially by the situation on the labour market, as well as investments in IT
infrastructure and the branch network, had an effect on the slight weakening in the very high efficiency
rates. The pre-tax ROE amounted to 28.3%, and net ROE stayed at a level similar to last year's, achieving
24.7%. The return on assets (ROA) increased to 1.7%. The costs to income ratio did not exceed 56%. The
interest on irregular loans at the end of 2007 constituted just 2.7%, and was therefore much below
average for the banking sector. The capital adequacy ratio was at a safe level of 10.2%.
In
2007 Raiffeisen Bank Polska S.A. strengthened its position as leader on the factoring market, increasing
its market share to 25%. The growth in value of purchased invoices of 91% to over 7.5 billion zloty means
a rate of growth almost two-fold faster than the market average. The results achieved are the consequence
of effective customer acquisition, which was possible, among others, thanks to the introduction of modern
and user-friendly procedures and the development of the Internet Faktor program, that enables customers
to contact the bank on-line. Apart from the financing aspect, companies are increasingly willing to take
advantage of other elements in the bank's range of factoring products and services, including:
monitoring, administration and insurance of claims.
The huge success of the previous year was
also repeated by the bank's subsidiary company - Raiffeisen-Leasing Polska S.A., which decreased the
distance to the market leader placing it in 2nd place in the country in 2007 with respect to the value of
leased assets. The result of 3.3 billion zloty means an increase of 50% compared with the previous
year.
---
Legal merger of Raiffeisenbank and eBanka launched
Raiffeisenbank and eBanka have initiated their legal merger at the beginning of the year. The
process is the next milestone in integrating the two banks, which will result in merging them under one
legal entity.
At the beginning of the year, Raiffeisenbank a.s. and eBanka, a.s. have
launched the process of merging the two banks as to what concerns legal issues. „We have thus
started the next part of the integration. The process should end by the third quarter of the year,
resulting in merging the two banks under one brand,“ said the CEO of Raiffeisenbank, Lubor
Žalman. Within the process of the legal merger, a merger agreement has to be concluded, with a
granted approval from the market regulator.
Therefore, the two banks are supposed to be
merged by the third quarter of this year, when they start to present themselves under one name -
Raiffeisenbank. „By that time, all products and services offered by the two banks will be
consistent and we will start to present ourselves under one logo and one brand. The process of the legal
merger will not affect the quality of offered services in any manner; on the contrary, it will allow us
to render services to clients more efficiently,“ Lubor Žalman added.
Raiffeisenbank has started the integration with eBanka in 2006. The two banks have had the same
organization structure since the beginning of 2007. The clients had the chance to see the first changes
as well - cross-selling of products allows for acquiring services of one bank at branch offices of the
other. Clients also have the opportunity to get common products created for the new bank, including the
leading product, the eKonto account.
Tomáš Kofroň
Raiffeisenbank a.s.
Basic information about Raiffeisenbank a.s. and eBanka, a.s.
Raiffeisenbank
a.s. (RBCZ) has been providing a wide range of banking services in the Czech Republic to individual as
well as corporate clients since 1993. eBanka started its operations in the Czech market in 1998, focusing
on quality services with the use of direct banking. The two banks initiated their integration in 2006.
From this year, clients can acquire selected products from the sales networks of both banks, totalling
more than 100 branch offices and client centres.
In this year, both banks confirm their trend of
dynamic development and growing profits. Over the first nine months, Raiffeisenbank increased its net
profits in annual comparison by nearly 20 percent to CZK 591.8 million; total assets reached the amount
of CZK 114 billion. eBanka’s net profit rose by 173 percent to CZK 169.46 million, total assets of
eBanka have reached CZK 23.2 billion.
Various local and international awards confirm the quality of
offered services of the two banks. In this year, Raiffeisenbank was awarded the Most Dynamic Bank in the
prestigious MasterCard Bank of the Year contest for the second consecutive time. It has also won the
third place in the main category of the Bank of the Year. eBanka regularly achieves awards for the best
account and ranked third in this category in 2007. In this year’s Zlatá koruna competition, eBanka
has won the first place in the category of payment cards for the payment card locking service and
eBanka’s internet banking has won in its category as well.
The majority shareholder of the two
banks is the Austrian financial institution Raiffeisen International Bank Holding AG. In 16 markets of
Central and Eastern Europe, Raiffeisen International serves over 13 million clients at 3,000 sales
points. Since 2005, the group’s shares have been quoted at the Vienna Stock Exchange. The majority
shareholder is RZB Group with 68.5 percent; the remaining part is traded freely on the stock exchange.
In July 2007, Raiffeisen International received Euromoney’s Best Bank in Central and Eastern
Europe award for the third consecutive time. In addition, the network’s banks received awards for
the best banks in five countries of the region. The company also received the Best Bank in Central and
Eastern Europe awards from the Global Finance and The Banker magazines.
---------------------
Raiffeisenbank sold mortgages worth more than 21 billion czk in the
last year, achieving a record volume
Raiffeisenbank has achieved another year of records
in the field of mortgages. Total volume of granted mortgage loans more than doubled in annual comparison.
The average loan amount grew to CZK 1.7 million. The increase was supported by launching new products and
opening mortgage centres.
In the last year, Raiffeisenbank has granted 12,715 mortgage loans
worth 21.4 billion koruna. Compared to the year 2006, the increase of the volume of provided loans is 107
%; the number of mortgage loans is 67 % up. „Introducing new products and opening special mortgage
centres largely contributed to the more than double growth,“ said the product manager of
Raiffeisenbank, Jan Bureš.
The average amount of mortgage loans also rose by nearly one
quarter over the year, reaching CZK 1.68 million. 16 % of the total number of loans consisted of
non-purpose loans, the so-called American mortgages. Their average amount is lower than in the case of
home loans and reaches approximately 900 thousand koruna.
The average maturity term of the
loan grew as well, reaching 23 years in the last year. The most popular fixation term is three years; 43
% of clients chose this term in the last year. The second most popular term is the five-year term with 27
%; the one-year and two-term was the most suitable for 12 % of clients each.
More than a half
of all provided loans are intended for purchase of a real estate; approximately 40 % was used for
construction and refurbishments. „Every tenth client took advantage of one of the last year’s
new services and agreed on a rate with free possible premature repayment of the loan,“ Jan
Bureš added.
The demand for mortgage loans is evenly distributed over the Czech Republic.
More than 37 percent of the loans were provided in Prague; 40 percent in other parts of Bohemia and 23
percent in Moravia. The interest of foreigners in loans is on the rise as well; approximately every
twentieth loan was granted to foreign citizens, mostly citizens of the European Union.
The
bank has launched various new products and services in the last year, including the possibility of free
extra instalments, the unique Variable mortgage that allows the client to actively affect the amount of
paid interest, or the combined special-purpose and non-purpose mortgage loan, the so-called 2in1
alternative. The bank has also introduced new fixation terms of interest rates, extended the maturity
term of mortgage loans to 40 years, or enabled deferred instalments for up to six months. The new
products and services let the client have an influence on the amount of monthly instalment, thus making
mortgage loans even more available.
In addition to launching new products, the bank has also
extended the method of client services. It has opened new specialized mortgage centres, where the client
can find all services related to a mortgage loan at one place.
Tomáš Kofroň
Raiffeisenbank a.s.
------------------
Another new sub-branch of Raiffeisen
Bank in Pristina
Pristina, 29 January 2008 – Raiffeisen Bank opened another new
sub-branch in Dardania district in Pristina. This is the 39th branch of Raiffeisen Bank in Kosovo. The
newly opened branch will offer all banking products and services to the citizens every working day from
08:00 -17:00, as well as on Saturday from 10:00 - 14:00. In addition, this branch has a lobby area with a
Cash Point and a telephone that will enable the customers to contact directly Raiffeisen Direct. This
service is available 24/7.
“Raiffeisen Bank pays a special attention to the extension
of the network of distribution channels since in this way we will be able to be closer to our customers
and offer them services whenever they are” said Oliver Whittle, the CEO of Raiffeisen Bank Kosovo.
In addition to the 39 branches and sub-branches which are connected online, Raiffeisen Bank
currently has a network of 58 Cash Points and more than 1000 points of sale for card purchases. In
addition, customers can contact the 24 hour Call Centre on 038 222 222 to obtain information about
Raiffeisen Bank products and services. Another channel that Raiffeisen Bank is offering for customers to
do their business is e-banking (www.raiffeisen-kosovo.com).
(Anmerk:Laut CEO Whittle-Interview wird
man über Plan (vorges.40) auf 45 Filialen aufstocken.Hängt vielleicht mit der Unabhängigkeit
zusammen...)
Ab ins Wochenende.. 
P.S:Hoffentlich schreiben ein paar Senior
Members bald wieder 