The NLB Group is Slovenia’s largest international financial group and continues to dominate the banking sector while producing good performances and growth. In 2006, NLB managed to increase net profits by a strong 32.4% with the bank achieving pre-tax profits of €105m and a RoE of 16.7%, up from 12.4% the previous year.
The NLB Group, which is 45% state-owned, has 58 members in 16 markets, 14 of which are banks (including NLB Tutunska in Macedonia), 11 leasing companies, 11 factoring and forfeiting companies, four insurance companies, one asset management company and 17 companies engaged in other activities. With 8160 employees and more than three million clients, the group is dominated by the bank, which achieved total assets growth of 14.1% in 2006 to reach €14.4bn and Tier 1 capital growth of 9% to €743.4m. The bank, in capital terms, is the 13th largest bank in central Europe and 417th largest in the world.
In July this year, in another expansionary move the NLB Group announced a €100m capital increase which was successfully completed in September.
“Winning the Bank of Year award is eloquent proof that NLB is a trustworthy bank with an excellent starting point for further evolution,” says NLB president Marjan Kramar. “Top quality operations and reliable financial results are confirmed by excellent international credit risk ratings. We have managed to consolidate our position as the largest Slovenian international financial group and we are becoming an important actor in a number of foreign markets.
“Further expansion of NLB Group, especially to the south-east European markets, as well as the range of universal banking and financial products offered in both domestic and foreign markets remains our key objective for the future.”
