Banca Intesa signs a share purchase agreement for the acquisition of Banca Intesa Beograd

Belgrade, 14.2.2005- Today Banca Intesa and the controlling shareholders of Banca Intesa Beograd, Belgrade have signed a share purchase agreement for the acquisition of 75% plus one share or, under certain circumstances , 100% of the voting share capital of Banca Intesa Beograd. The transaction is expected to close early in the second quarter of 2005, after the regulatory authorities in Serbia and Italy have approved it and Banca Intesa has launched a take over bid.

 

The purchase price was determined by applying a 3.2 multiple to the shareholders` equity of Banca Intesa Beograd as at 31^th December 2004. Therefore, Banca Intesa will pay either € 277.5 million in cash for the 75% plus one share (with an attendant shareholders agreement regulating, amongst others, the exercise of a call option by Banca Intesa and a put option by the sellers on the remaining stake over the course of the next four years) or € 370 million cash for 100%. The outlay will be funded by the disposal of non-core assets, including the stakes in Commerzbank and HVB recently sold.

 

Banca Intesa Beograd is the second largest  in Serbia and Montenegro in terms of total assets.   As at December 2004, it registered € 691 million of assets, € 553 million of customer deposits, € 332 million customer loans, and € 114 million  of shareholders’ equity. For the twelve months ended 31^th December 2004, net profits amounted to € 22 million. Its nationwide network of 144 branches and 16 outlets serves over 400,000 clients.

 

With this acquisition, Banca Intesa reaffirms its confidence in the process of legislative, social and economic development in Serbia and adds another significant element in its strategy of growth in Central and Eastern Europe, after the establishment of Hungary’s fourth largest bank Central-International Bank (CIB) in 1979 and the purchase of two other leading financial institutions, Croatia’s second largest bank Privredna Banka Zagreb (PBZ) in 2000 and Slovakia’s second largest bank Vseobecna Uverova Banka (VUB) in 2001.

 

Banca Intesa`s network in Central-Eastern Europe will serve about 3.5 milion clients through 650 branches after the acquisition of Banca Intesa Beograd. Banca Intesa also operates in the Czech Republic through VUB, Slovenia through its Italian banking subsidiary Banca Popolare FriulAdria and Russia with ZAO Banca Intesa – the only Italian banking subsidiary licensed to operate in Russia. In addition, Banca Intesa operates three representative offices in the region, namely in Moscow, Warsaw and Belgrade.