During the first half-year of 2009 BIGBANK AS earned 69.6 million kroons of profit; the Group's total assets increased in the second quarter by 18.7 million kroons and amounted to 2.8 billion kroons.
According to preliminary BIGBANK's unaudited results the Group's loan portfolio decreased in the second quarter by 18.2 million kroons amounting to 2.1 billion kroons at the end of the first half-year. BIGBANK's interest income in the first half-year amounted to 299.3 million kroons, interest expense during the same period amounted to 106.4 million kroons. As of the end of the second quarter equity totalled 637.5 million kroons.
BIGBANK's profit in the first half-year amounted to 69.6 million kroons, which is 19.6 million kroons less than in the same period of the previous year. BIGBANK's profit in Estonia amounted 35.1 million kroons, in Latvia 24.4 million kroons and in Lithuania 10.2 million kroons.
BIGBANK's profit was influenced by formation of reserves for probable loan losses and restructuring of sales network, as a result the number of employees in the Baltic states decreased by 107 employees. In company's opinion the positive effect of these changes to salaries and operating costs occur starting from the third quarter of 2009.
In the second quarter the volume of impairment allowances amounted to 54.4 million kroons (82.6 million kroos in the first quarter). As of 30 June 2009 the total amount of impairment allowances amounted to 329.4 million kroons, including impairment allowances for loans 278.4 million kroons, impairment allowances for interests 40.5 million kroons and impairment allowances for other assets 10.5 million kroons.
The volume of loans with payment delays over 90 days has decreased in the second quarter of 2009 by 34.4 million kroons to 924.0 million kroons.
Targo Raus, BIGBANK's Chairman of the Management Board said that BIGBANK was able to accomplish goals set in the second quarter and to retain a decent profitability despite of the complicated economic environment. „We do not see significant changes in the economic environment of the Baltic states in the second half-year of 2009 and we will continue to implement conservative credit policy," said Raus.
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BIGBANK is an international financial group, which is focussed on issuing consumer loans to natural persons. The bank, which was founded in 1992 in Estonia, has opened branches in both Latvia and Lithuania.
BIGBANK has an extensive network of branches in the Baltic States, also it is possible to use all services via electronic channels - the Internet bank and telephone service. In Estonia and Latvia it is possible to use the services of the bank in post offices all over the countries.
The debentures of BIGBANK are listed on the Stockholm stock market. Therefore BIGBANK uses the transparency rules established for the stock companies of both Tallinn and Stockholm by regularly publishing reports regarding the economic results and the more important economic events of the enterprise on the stock markets.
The activities of BIGBANK are monitored by the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority and the auditor of the bank is KPMG Baltics.
