Erste Group

Ljubljana – Banka Sparkasse, the Slovenian subsidiary of the Austrian banking group Erste Group, increased its total assets by more than a fifth to EUR 1.6 billion last year, which compares to 8% growth in the country’s baking system.

Ljubljana – The Slovenian branch of Sparkasse bank has acquired Erste Card, which has exclusive rights for issuing Diners Club cards in Slovenia, from the Croatian Erste Card Club. The contract was signed on Friday and still needs regulatory approval.

Sparkasse and Erste Card have been cooperating for years in offering personal and business Diners Club cards to Sparkasse clients.

Ljubljana – Slovenian banks generated a cumulative after-tax profit of EUR 226.4 million in the first half of the year, an increase of 84% compared with the same period last year that the central bank says is the product of a release of impairments and provisions.

Ljubljana – The Hungarian OTP Bank Group announced on Monday it had signed a contract to acquire the outright stake in NKBM, Slovenia’s second largest bank. The deal is expected to be finalised in the second quarter of next year as the acquirer is waiting approval from relevant regulatory authorities.

Ljubljana – Having completed the takeover of Serbian bank Komercijalna Banka, Slovenia’s largest bank, NLB, will start eyeing potential new acquisition opportunities next year with CEO Blaž Brodnjak offering Albania as one potential new market.

The bank announced it was investing 542 million dinar (RSD) (4.6 million equivalent) in a RSD 3.87 billion (33 million equivalent) local currency bond issued by Erste Bank Serbia. This is the EBRD's first investment in a local currency bond in the country.

Erste Group has announced that it officially opened Sirius Offices business complex in Belgrade for tenants who are expected to enter the building soon.

Erste Bank Serbia is the first tenant to move into the new business complex, which will become its main business center in Belgrade, the group announced.

Austria's Erste Bank on Friday announced that Croatia's biggest private company Agrokor - currently embroiled in a deep financial crisis - and its creditors had reached a deal on a "standstill agreement" whereby the company will remain financially liquid while its debts are placed on "standby".

BELGRADE - The biggest innovation and investment forum in the Balkans, the Belgrade Venture Forum, will begin in Belgrade on Wednesday, after being declared open by Minister of Economy Zeljko Sertic and Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport.

BELGRADE - Erste Bank has the highest unauthorized overdraft interest rate, 81.56 percent, of all the Banks in Serbia, while Dunav banka has the lowest, 16.34 percent, the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) has said.