First bank

the first bank of the Austrian savings banks AG is the second largest bank of Austria after balance sheet total and Spitzeninstitut of the savings banks. It was created 1819 as the first Austrian savings bank after German and English model. Since 1997 those so far second large savings bank of Austria, which notices giro credit, by which AVZ/bank Austria was taken over, the first bank the guide roller in the savings bank sector, which is consistently removed since the stock exchange course in the same year. With the 61 Land of the Federal Republic savings banks the first bank AG part of the Austrian group of savings banks is common.

Over the so-called adhesion group the first bank has the reaching through right to nearly all savings banks of Austria. At some selected institutes (salt citizen savings bank, animal oiler savings bank, Steiermärki bank among other things) it is also involved. Beside the central savings bank of the municipality Vienna it was the second larger savings bank of Austria. The bank is thus one of the most important credit institutes in central and Eastern Europe.

Table of contents 1 characteristic numbers and firm's structure 2 owner structure 3 history 3,1 reconstruction after that 2. World war 3,2 fusion with the giro credit 3,3 stock exchange history 3,4 assumptions and expansion 4 Web on the left of

characteristic numbers and firm's structure

2005 had the first bank group with all its foreign participations of the majority approximately 48,000 coworkers, 2,700 branches, 17 million customer (inclusive BCR) and a balance sheet total of approximately 160 billion Euro.

By assumptions and independent expansion of the branch network the first bank could develop a large branch network owing to several capital increases in central and Eastern European countries, where it is represented in the following countries:

• Tschechien: Česká spořitelna (98%)
• Slowakei: Slovenská sporiteľňa (100%)
• Hungary: First bank Hungary (99.9%; formed from own branches, Mezöbank and Postabank)
• Romania: Banca Comerciala Romana (61.88%)
• Slovenia: no own branches, but branches of the Kärntner savings bank
• Serbia and Montenegro: First bank Serbia (83.28%; formed from the Novosadska banka)
• Croatia: First bank Croatia (62%; formed from Riječka banka, Steiermärki savings bank, Bjelovarska banka, Trgovacka banka and Cakovecka banka)

owner structure

the shares of the first bank note in the ATX at the Viennese stock exchange, principal shareholder are „the first Austrian savings bank private donation “(32.5%). For the financing of the BCR assumption, which in the middle of must be paid 2006, the first bank accomplished a capital increase , which brought in 2.918 billion euro.

After the capital increase „the first private donation will have “still approximately 30% portion of the enterprise. Private investors and coworker will hold approximately 10%, and „for the Austria association “approximately 5%. Austrian savings banks will hold likewise still approximately 5%, and institutional investors the remaining 50%.

The most important milestone in co-operation with the Austrian savings banks became to 26. September 2001 with the establishment of the adhesion group between first bank and savings banks set. Almost all domestic savings banks guarantee the inserts of their customers mutually.

history

in the economically difficult years after the end of the Napoleoni wars moved emperors Franz I. the establishment of a savings bank after German and English model on. Johann Baptist weber, minister in the today's Viennese municipality district Leopoldstadt, took up this thought. It created 1819 „the association of the first Austrian savings bank “and to 4. October 1819 opened its switches for its first Bankstelle.

Their tasks were described in such a way in the statutes of the year of the foundation: „[it has] the purpose [...] the factory hand, the land man, or otherwise an trade-industrious and economical person under age or of age to give the means to the hand from its laborious acquire occasionally a small Capital to put back, over such in later days for the reason of a better supply, to control, to would help out in illness, at the age or for the reaching of any commendable purpose to use “. This guidance motive of the savings bank - the promotion of the savings convicition and the precaution - remained unchanged by generations through up to the today's day in its core. As Signet first selected a symbol for thriftiness and diligence: the bee

already soon after the establishment developed first rapidly and reached together with it the attached „general institute for supplying “a propagation by means of the entire Danube monarchy. The 1824 created „Cassa di Risparmio depression Provincie Lombarde - Cariplo “, today the world largest savings bank, decreases/goes back statutory to first.

reconstruction after that 2. World war

the time after the connection brought also for „first “a serious acid test. It nevertheless succeeded at that time to keep despite largest Repressionen, the word „Austrian “in the firm wording.

The momentumful reconstruction after the Second World War brought a development with itself, which opened also new divisions for the first bank: the expansion of the private exchange, the promoted savings forms, the financing of investments, the promotion of new products, in the assistance in the export and the granting of credit for the private household. The development of the banks to the universal problem settler for all customer groups progressed rapidly. Clear expression of this new philosophy was the completely new appearance of the Corporate Identity of the first bank in the year 1977. Also optically thereby the break-through was inward documented to the modern bank outward as.

The 1979 effected introduction of the credit system law, the branch release 1977 as well as the notice of the credit interest agreement 1980 led to a fundamentally new situation in the Austrian credit and finance. In an atmosphere of the liberalisation of the legal basic conditions as well as the internationalization and rapidly progressing mechanization of the banking transaction it came to a race of all credit enterprises over so far primarily from other institutes cared for customer groups.

In the year 1993 the business concern of the first bank was transferred in accordance with the credit system law novella 1986 to a corporation. That was reached by the fact that „the first Austrian savings bank - bank “its entire banking transaction on „the first Austrian savings bank - transferred bank corporation “, a again created subsidiary, which became the operational bank.

„The first Austrian savings bank “remained insisting their name as the holding company for the shares at the again created subsidiary and changed at the same time with the transmission of the banking transaction on „the first Austrian savings bank portion administrative savings bank (AVS) “.

In accordance with credit system law 1979 the first bank up to 1991 500 million Schilling ( approximately 36.3 millions went Euro) participation capital. After 1993 the first bank preference stocks could go. In November 1993 the preference stocks at the Viennese stock exchange were noted, I/O-Generali and BARK, which already held Partizipationsscheine, exchanged these in preference stocks. Additionally offered the first 1993 to the public preference stocks. 1994 to 1996 Partizipationsscheine in preference stocks exchanged, with which result that nearly all Partizipationsscheine, which became to go from the first bank are exchanged.

fusion with the giro credit

to 19. First and the AVS a majority portion of „the giro credit bank corporation of the savings banks “(giro credit) acquired March 1997 with the purchase of 56,1% of the common stock the giro credit (51.1% of the entire capital stock), which was held before by the portion administrative savings bank central savings bank. Together with the 26% of the deferred share capital (24.7% of of the entire capital stock), which by group of first (first, salt citizen savings bank and savings bank Mistelbach) were already held, attained the AVS and group of first control over 82,1% of the common stock (75% of the capital stock) the giro credit.

On basis of the merger of 27. June 1997 was merged the first with the giro Credit. The contract planned among other things a conversion course for common stock the giro credit in common stock of the new first bank in the relationship 2,4:1. The fusion took place via admission the giro credit into first. Into the way of the total right follow-up all rights and obligations the giro credit changed to the first bank. The fusion became of the general meetings first and the giro credit to 21. August 1997 approves and with the entry in the firm book to 04. October 1997 legally effective. At the same time the name of the bank was changed by „the first Austrian savings bank - bank AG “into „first bank of the Austrian savings banks AG “.

Information to giro credit: The giro credit was created 1937 as “giro combination of the Austrian savings banks” of the savings banks, in order to serve as Zentralinstitut of the group of savings banks in Austria as well as clearing bank for payments between the savings banks. 1992 fused meanwhile in “Girozentrale of the Austrian savings banks corporation” renamed Institut with the ÖCI (Austrian Credit institute) to “giro credit the bank corporation of the savings banks”.

As a successor the giro credit furnishes the first bank a multiplicity of financial services for the group of savings banks. This relationship should bring both for the first bank and for the group of savings banks, in particular by a common selling rail for products, common marketing and other agreements, advantages.

stock exchange history

of 13. – 28. November 1997 ran the stock exchange course of the first bank. In at this time largest emission of Austria 11.5 Mill. became Piece of shares with an equivalent of over 500 Mill. Euro platziert.

In the autumn 2000 Mill. became in the course of a capital increase 6 Piece of shares (over 280 Mill. Euro) successfully at the Viennese stock exchange platziert. Proceeds of the capital increase served among other things the expansion to central and Eastern Europe.

With the 2. Capital increase of the first bank further 9.21 Mill. became Piece of shares (approximately 642 Mill. Euro) at the Viennese stock exchange platziert. Proceeds served primarily for the acquisition of Česká spořitelna - shares of the AVS and the Rekapitalisierung of the acquisition of the Riječka banka.

Since 1. October 2002 is acted the first banking share also at the Prager stock exchange. Thus a further important step was done to the Untermauerung of the prominent position of the first bank in Central Europe.

With 8. July 2004 accomplished the first bank a stock split in the relationship 1:4, after the first banking share had extremely successfully developed in the last years (improvement in prices around 180% on over 125 euro). An easier trade barness of the first banking share should be achieved by the stock split.

Altogether in the context of a capital increase from conditioned capital 1.740.708 young shares were spent. Thus the share number of the first bank increased to 243.183.500 shares as well as the capital stock to EUR 486.367.200,--.

To 25. Jänner 2006 ended the subscription period to the 3. Capital increase, with which 2.918 billion Euro were released, which are needed for the financing of the assumption of the Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR). This capital increase will be the largest in that the history of the Viennese stock exchange, and/or its share index, the ATX.

assumptions and expansion

• 1997: 100% to the Mezöbank

with the assumption of the Hungarian Mezöbank, which has the fifth-largest branch network in Hungary, secured itself the first bank a good initial position in the extended home market Central Europe. In November 1998 the Mezöbank became into the first bank Hungary blank. umfirmiert.

• 2000: 52.07% to the Česká spořitelna a.s.

At the 3. February 2000 acquired the first bank 52.07% stock majority to the Česká spořitelna, the largest private customer bank in Tschechien. The acquisition represented a further important step in the strategy of the first bank to become the prominent Retailbank in Central Europe.

• 2005: 67.2% to the Slovenská sporiteľňa for 317 millions Euro with a call option on further 19.99%.

• 2000: Fusion of Croatian daughter banks to „first & Steiermärki bank d.d. “

Since October 1997 the first bank had gradually acquired the majority at the three smaller Croatian banks Bjelovarska together with the Steiermärki bank and savings banks AG banka, Trgovacka banka and Cakovecka banka. In September 2000 the fusion of the three banks finally took place to first & Steiermärki bank d.d., which could defend their position under the eight largest banks of the country despite strong competition.

• 2001: Heightening on 87,18% to the Česká spořitelna a.s.

With beginning of the yearly 2001 the first bank with 87,18% became the majority owner of the Slovenská sporitel' ňa in the Slowaki republic. With the acquisition of the largest slowakischen institute for bank the strategy of the extended home market Central Europe was consistently further pursued. The 87.18% the first bank left itself to approximately 530 millions Euro cost.

• 2001: Heightening on 69,51% at the animal oilers savings bank

after in December 2001 the majority at the animal oilers savings bank had transferred, held the first bank it with turn of the year 51% at the savings bank. In the sense of a strategy of the market place clearing 2002 first branches Innsbruck and sea-field as well as the commerce center Innsbruck was brought in into the animal oilers savings bank. In response to it the participation of the first bank to the TiSpa to 69,51% had increased.

• 2002: 85.02% to the Riječka banka d.d.

To 29. April 2002 acquires the first bank 85.02% the Riječka banka d.d. The bank belonged to the five largest banks in Croatia and has the emphasis of its branches at the northern coast of Croatia as well as in the region Riječka.

• 2003: Fusion of the Riječka banka and first & Steiermärki, 77.3% portion

by the unification both banks of the first & Steiermärki bank come out d.d. Riječka ascends in Croatia to third biggest bankers' syndicate. The new bank has its company headquarters in Riječka, the center is in Zagreb, and cared for approximately 600,000 customers.

• 2003: 99.98% to the Postabank

after the first bank at the end of of September the addition in the privatisation procedure around the Hungarian Postabank és Takarékpénztár blank. had received, signed it to 20. October 2003 the sales contract over the 99.98% of the shares around 399 millions, held by the Hungarian state Euro. With the acquisition of the Postabank the first bank did a further important step toward Central Europe strategy.

• 2004: Fusion first bank Hungary with Postabank

with 1. September 2004 took place the fusion of the first bank Hungary with the Hungarian Postabank to first bank the Hungary, which is thereby the second largest Retailbank in Hungary.

• 2005: further heightening on 100% to the Slovenská sporiteľňa

the first bank has with 10. Jänner 2005 the call option to the acquisition exercised from 19,99% the Slovenská sporiteľňa by the European bank for development and reconstruction (EBRD). The Slovenská sporiteľňa is now hundred percent daughter of the first bank, which cost the bank altogether to approximately 425 million euro.

• 2005: 83.28% to the Novosadska banka a.d.

To 15. July 2005 has the first bank the sales contract over the acquisition of 83,28% of the shares to the Novosadska banka a.d., Novi Sad, from which republic signs Serbia. With the purchase of the bank the first bank occurs the Serbian market, which has a substantial Wachstumspotenzial.

• 2005: 61.88% to the Banca Comerciala Romana S.A. (BCR)

The first bank has to 20. December 2005 the addition for the purchase of approximately 61.88% the Banca Comerciala Romana S.A. (BCR), the largest Romanian bank with 2,8 millions Customer and 12,000 coworkers, around 3,751 billion Euro receive. This assumption represents the largest foreign direct investment of Austrian restaurant history . The comparatively high purchase price (the 5,8-fache of the book value estimated of Unternehmensanalysten) is justified in since only few large banks wait to Eastern European area in central and for the privatisation, and which was so far only meagerly represented first bank in Romania.

Web on the left of

• official homepage of the first bank