2012-07-30 13:00:00 CEST

2012-07-30 13:00:05 CEST


REGULATED INFORMATION

Ålandsbanken - Interim report (Q1 and Q3)

Bank of Åland Plc: Interim Report for the period January – June 2012


Mariehamn, 2012-07-30 13:00 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bank of Åland Plc   
Interim Report 30.07.2012 14.00 hrs 

Interim Report for the period January - June 2012 • July 30, 2012, 2.00 pm"Right now the external conditions for conducting banking operations in the
euro zone are unusually challenging, forcing us to take further steps - both on
the income side and the expense side - to ensure profitable banking business
even in an extreme low-interest environment. During July, we received two
encouraging pieces of news. One is that a declaration of intent has been signed
on the divestment of the Bank's Swedish subsidiary, which has been emptied of
banking operations, a transaction that is expected to give us a capital gain of
about EUR 6 M in the fourth quarter. The other is that Standard & Poor's has
assigned our covered bonds a high credit rating, AA. This credit rating opens a
new, important source of funding in the form of covered bonds."

Peter Wiklöf, Managing Director

January−June 2012 compared to January−June 2011

  -- Net operating profit amounted to EUR -4.0 M (1.4).
  -- Profit for the period attributable to shareholders was EUR -3.0 M (-1.2).
  -- Net interest income increased by 8 per cent to EUR 21.0 M (19.6).
  -- Net commission income decreased by 24 per cent to EUR 15.7 M (20.8).
  -- Total expenses decreased by 8 per cent to EUR 47.2 M (51.2).
  -- Net loan losses were EUR 2.4 M (0.3), equivalent to a loan loss level of
     0.17 (0.02) per cent.
  -- The Tier 1 capital ratio increased to 9.6 per cent (8.4 per cent on
     December 31, 2011), mainly because the capital requirement for credit risks
     is now calculated according to the Internal Ratings Based (IRB) approach
     for the Finnish household portfolio.
  -- Due to macroeconomic developments in Europe, including record-low interest
     rates and uncertain stock market performance, it has become more difficult
     for the Bank to earn profits. The Group intends to further review its
     expenses, which overall are expected to be lower than in 2011. The Bank
     expects capital gains from divestments of assets and also intends to adjust
     certain interest rate terms in such a way that they better reflect
     prevailing market conditions. If loan losses remain within forecasted
     limits, these circumstances and assumptions will together lead the Group to
     report a positive net operating profit in 2012.

 The second quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2012

  -- Net operating profit amounted to EUR -3.0 M (-1.1).
  -- Profit for the period attributable to shareholders was EUR -2.2 M (-0.8).
  -- Net interest income decreased by 17 per cent to EUR 9.6 M (11.5).
  -- Net commission income decreased by 5 per cent to EUR 7.6 M (8.0).
  -- Total expenses increased by 1 per cent to EUR 23.7 M (23.5).
  -- Net loan losses were EUR 1.5 M (0.9), equivalent to a loan loss level of
     0.21 (0.12) per cent.



Financial summary                                                               
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Bank of Åland Group            Q2      Q1    %      Q1    %  1.1-30  1.1-30    %
                             2012    2011         2011           .6      .6                                                           2012    2011     
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EUR M                                                                           
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Income                                                                          
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Net interest income           9.6    11.5  -17    10.1   -5    21.0    19.6    8
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Net commission income         7.6     8.0   -5    10.7  -28    15.7    20.8  -24
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Other income                  5.1     3.8   34     5.9  -14     8.9    12.5  -29
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Total income                 22.3    23.3   -4    26.7  -16    45.6    52.8  -14
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Staff costs                 -13.0   -13.2   -2   -16.5  -21   -26.2   -30.4  -14
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Other expenses              -10.7   -10.3    4   -10.6    1   -21.0   -20.8    1
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Total expenses              -23.7   -23.5    1   -27.2  -13   -47.2   -51.2   -8
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Profit before loan losses    -1.4    -0.2         -0.5         -1.6     1.6     
 etc.                           
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Impairment losses on         -1.5    -0.9   78    -0.3         -2.4    -0.3     
 loans and other                                                                
 ­commitments                                                                   
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Net operating profit         -3.0    -1.1         -0.8         -4.0     1.4     
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Income taxes                  0.9     0.4         -0.6          1.3    -1.6     
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Profit for the report        -2.0    -0.7         -1.3   53    -2.7    -0.3     
 period                                                                         
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Attributable to:                                                                
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Non-controlling interests     0.1     0.1   59     0.9  -84     0.2     0.9  -75
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Shareholders in Bank of      -2.2    -0.8         -2.2   -1    -3.0    -1.2     
 Åland Plc                                                                      
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Volume                                                                          
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Lending to the public       2,861   2,762    4   2,567   11                     
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Deposits from the public    2,591   2,551    2   2,492    4                     
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Managed assets              3,982   4,044   -2   3,814   -1                     
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Equity capital                177     180   -1     155   14                     
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Balance sheet total         3,580   3,553    1   3,403    5                     
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Risk-weighted assets        1,445   1,374    5   1,591   -9                     
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Financial ratios                                                                
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Return on equity after       -4.5    -1.6         -3.4         -3.1    -0.4     
 taxes, % (ROE)                                                                 
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Expenses/income ratio, %      106     101          102          104      97     
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Loan loss level, %           0.21    0.12         0.04         0.17    0.02     
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Gross non-performing         0.88    0.63         1.04         0.88    1.04     
 loans, %                                                                       
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Level of provisions for        73      67           75           73      75     
 doubtful                                                                       
receivables, %                                                                  
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Core funding ratio            110     108          103          110     108     
 (Lending/deposits), %                                                          
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Equity/assets ratio, %        5.0     5.1          4.6          5.0     4.6     
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Tier 1 capital ratio, %       9.6    10.3          7.7          9.6     7.7     
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Earnings per share before   -0.15   -0.06        -0.19        -0.21   -0.10     
 dilution, %                                                                    
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Equity capital per share,   12.11   12.26        13.15        12.11   13.15     
 EUR                                                                            
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Market price per Series A   10.90   14.15        25.98        10.90   25.98     
 share, EUR                                                                     
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Market price per Series B    7.58    8.68        16.50         7.58   16.50     
 share, EUR                                                                     
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Price per A share,          10.90   14.15        24.20        10.90   24.20     
 adjusted for share                                                             
 issue,   EUR                                                                   
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Price per B share,           7.58    8.68        15.27         7.58   15.27     
 adjusted for share                                                             
 issue,  EUR                                                                    
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Working hours                 651     679          699          666     693     
 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 Interim Report for the period January - June 2012 enclosed to this stock
exchange release. Ålandsbanken's Interim Report for the period January - June
2012 is attached to this release in pdf format and is also available on the
company's web site at www.alandsbanken.fi. 

Mariehamn, July 30, 2012

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS



For more information please contact:

Managing Director, Peter Wiklöf +358 204 291255