Fourth quarter
Comments from the Managing Director
”The year 2011 has been a turbulent year on the stock market. Trading activity as well as net inflows in the savings market has been weaker than normal, which is expected to depend on the poor performance of the stock market as well as the increase in interest rates during the first half of the year. As a result, more people are choosing to save by amortize their mortgage loans. In spite of the stock market falling 17 per cent during the year, we managed to increase profits in 2011.
Avanza Bank continues to win market shares, which is especially visible for savings accounts and pension- and insurance savings, where the number of new accounts grew by 79 per cent respective 23 per cent during 2011. Still, we did not manage to achieve our growth targets for 2011. We are not satisfied with that and have conducted a thorough cost review going into 2012. We expect to reduce costs significantly during 2012 compared to the fourth quarter of 2011”, says Martin Tivéus, Managing Director of Avanza Bank.
”In early January, the new investment savings account (ISK) was launched in the market. The ISK has been well received and for the first two weeks we have received 2 300 accounts and SEK 580 million in net inflows in ISK. As Avanza Bank offers the lowest fees for ISK in the market and also able to provide credit associated with the account, we expect a continued strong growth in ISK in 2012. Net inflows in ISK and the endowment insurance is expected to be far less volatile this year due to new tax rules. We expect continued strong growth in Sparkonto+ which during the last quarter of the year grew by SEK 1 100 million and our ambition is to expand the number of partners to enhance both the capacity and the customer offering during 2012.”
”Although the savings capital at the beginning of 2012 is lower than at the beginning of 2011 due to a negative stock market trend during the year, we believe, given unchanged key interest rates, that we have a opportunity to increase profits in 2012. Early this summer, the so-called Transfer Right Committee is expected to present a proposal regarding extended transfer rights for pension savings. The pensions and insurance market is 90 per cent bigger than the market for direct equity and investment fund-based saving. Avanza Bank has the market’s lowest fees for pension saving and an extended transfer right would enable the customers to move all or part of this savings to Avanza Bank. This is expected to strengthen Avanza Bank’s long-term growth potential and, over time, good ability to reach its long-term profit growth to total between 15 and 20 per cent per annum.”
”Finally, I would like to highlight the 2011 result of the Swedish Quality Index survey of customer satisfaction among Swedish savers. It showed not only that Avanza Bank still has the by far most satisfied savers in the market, they have become even more satisfied during the year, which is unique among Swedish banks during 2011.”
For additional information:
Martin Tivéus, Managing Director of Avanza Bank, tel: +46 (0)70 861 80 04
Birgitta Hagenfeldt, CFO of Avanza Bank, tel: +46 (0)73 661 80 04
The information contained in this report comprises information both that Avanza Bank Holding AB (publ.) is obliged to provide and that it has chosen to provide in accordance with the provisions of the Swedish Securities Market Act and the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information has been released to the market for publication at 08.15 (CET) on 19th January 2012.
