2012-02-16 08:00:00 CET

2012-02-16 08:00:46 CET


REGULATED INFORMATION

Ålandsbanken - Financial Statement Release

Year-end report for the period January – December 2011


Mariehamn, 2012-02-16 08:00 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bank of Åland Plc    
Financial Statement Release   16.02.2012 09.00 hrs 

 Year-end report for the period January - December 2011"In 2011 our focus was on restructuring and efficiency-raising. With a
completed new share issue of EUR 30 M, an approved IRB approach to calculate
the capital requirement for credit risks in our Finnish household portfolio,
permission to issue covered bonds as well as efficiency-raising measures -
implemented and approved - that will lower our expense level by an annual rate
of around EUR 8 M, we stand well equipped for the future. We continue to have
very satisfied customers, with nearly 90 per cent of our Private Banking
customers replying in our latest survey that they would recommend the Bank of
Åland to their friends. The Bank of Åland in Sweden and Finland is continuously
welcoming new customers. Taken together, these things make us feel confident
about 2012."

Peter Wiklöf, Managing Director

January−December 2011 compared to January−December 2010

  -- Net operating profit, excluding restructuring expenses of 5.7 million euros
     and an impairment loss of EUR 1.1 M for the Group's shareholding in
     Burgundy, was EUR 1.1 M (January-December 2010: EUR 1.0 M).
  -- Profit for the period attributable to shareholders amounted to EUR -6.5 M
     (-2.9).
  -- Net interest income increased by 17 per cent to EUR 43.1 M (36.8).
  -- Net commission income increased by 5 per cent to EUR 38.7 M (36.8).
  -- Net loan losses were EUR 1.8 M (5.9), equivalent to a loan loss level of
     0.07 (0.23) per cent.
  -- The Tier 1 capital ratio amounted to 8.4 (7.3) per cent at year-end 2011.
     Pro forma, taking into account the Finnish Financial Supervisory
     Authority's grant of permission on February 13, 2012 to calculate capital
     requirements for credit risks according to the Internal Ratings Based (IRB)
     approach for the Finnish household portfolio, the Tier 1 capital ratio was
     10.0 per cent.
  -- The Board of Directors proposes that no dividend be paid for 2011 (0).
  -- The efficiency-raising measures that have been implemented and initiated
     during 2011 will lower the Group's expense level by an estimated annual
     rate of EUR 8 M when they achieve their full effect. As a consequence of
     these measures, the Group's expenses will be lower in 2012 than in 2011,
     and based on our assessment of external factors we expect the Group to
     report a positive net operating profit in 2012.

The fourth quarter of 2011 compared to the third quarter of 2011

  -- Net operating profit, excluding restructuring expenses of EUR 2.8 M and an
     impairment loss of EUR 1.1 M for the Group's shareholding in Burgundy, was
     EUR -3.2 M (0.1).
  -- A change in the timing of income accrual lowered net operating profit for
     the quarter by EUR 1.6 M. This income will instead be recognised during
     future years.
  -- Profit for the period attributable to shareholders was EUR -4.7 M (-0.6).
  -- Net interest income increased by 5 per cent to EUR 12.1 M (11.4).

Financial summary                                                               
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- 
Bank of Åland Group             Q4      Q3    %      Q4    %    2011   2010    %
                              2011    2011         2010                         
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EUR M                                                                           
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Income                                                                          
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Net interest income           12.1    11.4    5     9.0   33    43.1   36.8   17
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Net commission income          8.3     9.7  -14    12.0  -30    38.7   36.8    5
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Other income                   2.6     2.3   17     6.8  -61    17.4   25.4  -32
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total income                  23.0    23.4   -2    27.8  -17    99.2   99.1    0
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Staff costs                  -16.7   -12.8   31   -14.9   12   -60.0  -53.7   12
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other expenses               -12.6    -9.8   28   -10.8   16   -43.1  -38.5   12
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Total expenses               -29.3   -22.6   30   -25.7   14  -103.1  -92.2   12
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Profit before loan losses     -6.3     0.8          2.0         -3.9    6.9     
 etc.                                                                           
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Impairment losses on loans    -0.8    -0.7   23    -0.4         -1.8   -5.9  -70
 and other ­commitments                                                         
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Operating income              -7.1     0.1          1.6         -5.7    1.0     
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Income taxes                   2.6    -0.6         -1.3          0.4   -3.2     
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Profit for the report         -4.5    -0.5          0.4         -5.3   -2.2     
 period                                                                         
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Attributable to:                                                            
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Non-controlling interests      0.2     0.1          0.1   53     1.2    0.6   80
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Shareholders in Bank of       -4.7    -0.6          0.3         -6.5   -2.9     
 Åland Plc                                                                      
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VOLUME                                                                          
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Lending to the public        2,737   2,639    4   2,573    6                    
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Deposits from the public     2,546   2,494    2   2,600   -2                    
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Managed assets               3,814   3,492    9   4,347  -12                    
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Equity capital                 181     158   14     154   17                    
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Balance sheet total          3,400   3,338    2   3,475   -2                    
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Risk-weighted assets         1,729   1,689    2   1,664    4                    
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FINANCIAL RATIOS                                                                
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Return on equity after       -11.4    -1.5          0.6         -3.9   -1.8     
 taxes, % (ROE)                                                                 
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Expenses/income ratio, %       127      97           92          104     92     
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Loan loss level, %            0.12    0.10         0.06         0.07   0.23     
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Gross non-performing          0.70    1.09         1.07         0.70   1.07     
 assets, %                                                                      
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Level of provisions for         71      82           85           71     85     
 doubtful receivables, %                                                        
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Core funding ratio             108     106           99          108     99     
 (Lending/deposits), %                                                          
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Equity/assets ratio, %         5.3     4.7          4.4          5.3    4.4     
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Tier 1 capital ratio, %        8.4     7.3          7.3          8.4    7.3     
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Earnings per share before    -0.34   -0.05         0.02        -0.54  -0.25     
 dilution, %                                                                    
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Equity capital per share,    12.34   13.27        13.32        12.34  13.32     
 EUR                                    
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Market price per Series A    14.15   16.00        29.50        14.15  29.50     
 share, EUR                                                                     
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Market price per Series B     8.68   10.50        19.93         8.68  19.93     
 share, EUR                                                                     
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Price per A share,           14.15   16.00        27.47        16.00  27.47     
 adjusted for share issue,                                                      
 EUR                                                                            
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Price per B share,            8.68   10.50        18.56        10.50  18.56     
 adjusted for share issue,                                                      
 EUR                                                                            
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Working hours                  697     678          676          690    679     
 re-calculated to                                                               
 full-time ­equivalent                                                          
 positions                                                                      
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Ålandsbanken follows the disclosure procedure enabled by Standard 5.2b
published by the Finnish Financial Supervision Authority and hereby publishes
its Year-end report for the period January - December 2011 enclosed to this
stock exchange release. Ålandsbanken's Year-end report for the period January -
December 2011 is attached to this release in pdf format and is also available
on the company's web site at www.alandsbanken.fi. 

 Mariehamn, February 15, 2012

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS



For more information please contact:

Managing Director, Peter Wiklöf +358 204 291 225