HedgeCo.net – Yesterday evening a deal between Belgian bank KBC Group NV and Russian bank Absolut was made in which the Belgian bank and hedge fund investor acquired 92.5% of shares in the Russian bank. It was announced in a press release this morning.
The deal values the bank at 761 million euros, ($1.03 billion) and is awaiting regulatory approval by the Central Bank of Russia. Absolut, established in 1993 and based in Moscow, is the seventh largest non-state-owned mortgage lender and offers universal banking services. Absolut has more than 1600 employees and 39 branches. KBC said it intends to keep the current key management in place.
KBC Group Chief Executive Andre Bergen said in a statement, “KBC’s long-term strategic plans entail further expansion in the markets of emerging Europe. Russia is therefore an extension of our existing presence in neighboring Central and Eastern Europe.”
KBC Bank & Insurance Holding Company itself was established in 1998 following the merger of three Belgian financial institutions. The Group’s corporate history is a testament to the successful expansion into growth countries of Central and Eastern Europe which have joined the European Union in 2004, such as Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. KBC employs some 50,000 people and caters for twelve million customers.
Alex Akesson
Contributing Writer
HedgeCo.Net
Email: Editor@hedgeco.net
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