OREANDA-NEWS. UniCredit today announced the launch of its country office in Spain. The leading European banking group will thus reinforce its presence in the continent, where it is the second largest corporate lender. Federico Ghizzoni, CEO of UniCredit, said: "As a leading European bank, we are happy to open a new hub in Spain, one of the leading, fastest growing European economies whose ties with the rest of the continent are significant. We aim to be a leader in corporate and investment banking between Spain and our main, wellestablished markets in Europe, Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. We believe that our international footprint and cross-border capabilities will be a perfect match for Spanish companies willing to expand abroad." UniCredit Spain’s CEO Pedro Fern?ndez de Santaella said "UniCredit will offer our clients in Spain a very strong international capital market platform, the best network in some European countries like Germany, Italy and Austria, and the largest bank in Central and Eastern Europe."

Fern?ndez de Santaella said that "the bank is well positioned to benefit from traditionally strong commercial ties between Spain, Italy and Germany and the growing trade flows between Spain and the Eastern European countries. Spanish companies’ investment growth has increased in the last few years, especially in non-traditional markets, such as in the Central and Eastern European countries".

Spain’s exports to Germany, Italy, Austria and Central and Eastern Europe accounted for EUR 77 bn in 2015, which represents around 30% of total Spanish exports. Exports growth to these countries has also been significant, with two digits raise in the case of Poland (22%) and the Czech Republic (17%).

UniCredit is already supporting a number of Spanish companies and, thanks to the opening of its branch in Spain, it plans to "increase that support significantly during the next few years", according to Pedro Fern?ndez de Santaella.

60 large clients in Spain

UniCredit in Spain will focus on around 60 clients: large corporates, financial institutions and private equity firms.

According to Fern?ndez de Santaella, one of UniCredit’s strengths is its strong capital market platform – bonds issuance and syndicated loans – and its access to a broad investor network in the countries that hold the greatest pool of savings in Europe, which are Germany, Italy, Austria and the United Kingdom. UniCredit Spain has the capacity to offer these services to Spanish companies.

Within the corporate and investment banking division, UniCredit offers Spanish companies various global transaction banking services, such as cash management, payments, securities services, guarantees, and trade finance in all countries in Central and Eastern Europe due to a network of more than 500 European regional banks.

UniCredit is also strong in credit research, with a team of analysts that covers more than 200 corporate bond issuers.

UniCredit is currently, and for the first time, number one in both syndicated loans and Euro denominated bonds for corporates in its core markets of Italy, Germany and Austria. It is the leader in the Italian M&A league table, for the first time, and closed the year in the first position in Europe in acquisition financing to private equity sponsors by number of deals.

UniCredit Bank is one of the largest universal banks in Ukraine, offering a full range of top quality financial services for individuals and corporate clients.

The renovated UniCredit Bank was created in December 2013 through integration of two Ukrainian assets of UniCredit Group, which had been operating in the local market since 1997. The integrated bank combined power, solidity and wide coverage of PJSC "Ukrsotsbank" with the European expertise, quality of service and flexibility of PJSC "UniCredit Bank".

The extensive retail network of UniCredit Bank consists of 239 branches nationwide, its headcount reaching over 5,500 employees, all of them top qualified specialists.

UniCredit is a leading European commercial bank with an international network spanning over 50 markets and 17 countries, with more than 7,900 branches and over 144,000 employees.

Financial indicators of UniCredit Bank as of 01.04.2016:

  • assets – UAH 52.041 billion;
  • credit portfolio – UAH 38.12 billion;
  • funds of corporate clients – UAH 10.96 billion;
  • funds of retail clients – UAH 13.92 billion;
  • shareholder’s equity (own capital) – UAH 13.834 billion;
  • statutory capital – UAH 7.866 billion.