UniCredit will allocate 33% of the last year’s profit as dividends.

UniCredit reached a EUR 512 million profit for the first quarter of 2015, in accordance with the expectations of financial analysts. This was made clear today, after the Group’s Board of Directors approved and announced the quarterly financial results.

UniCredit, represented in Bulgaria by UniCredit Bulbank, is the biggest Italian bank in terms of size of market capitalization and it is one of the leading European Banking Groups. It is included in the list of the 33 systemically important financial institutions worldwide.

„After we fulfilled our goals for the past year, the results from the first quarter of this year confirm our expectations of economic recovery. The quality of assets is improving and meanwhile we are reaffirming our strong capital position. As a leading European bank, in UniCredit we have a consistent policy on the development and implementation of innovations in favour of the clients”, Federico Ghizzoni, CEO of UniCredit, commented. He also noted that UniCredit is among the most stable European Bank Groups and it is showing good results thanks to the strict observance of its Strategic Plan.

The growth of the profit of UniCredit is due both to the 2.6% quarterly revenue increase and the better cost management, as well as a reduction of the provisions for non-performing and restructured loans.

UniCredit continues to strengthen its capital indicators and they are above the regulatory requirement levels. The CET 1 capital adequacy ratio reaches 10.5%, as 25 new basis points are included in it after the deal between Pioneer Investments and Santander Asset Management. The traditionally strong performance of the business in Central and Eastern European, a strategic region for UniCredit, also contributes positively.

At the same time, the Annual General Meeting of UniCredit Bulbank Shareholders also took place today. A decision was made that 33% of the bank’s profit after the 2014 tax deduction, in the amount of BGN 241.65 million, shall be allocated to the shareholders as dividends. This means that the dividend will be in the amount of BGN 0.28 per share. The remaining part of the profit, in the amount of BGN 161.1 million, will remain in the bank as retained earnings and will be used for the financing of new projects of UniCredit Bulbank clients. UniCredit ended 2014 as the number one Bank in the country in terms of assets, capital, loans and deposits for companies, individuals and households. The Bank maintains its leading position also in the first quarter of 2015.

More information for media:

UniCredit Bulbank, Identity & Communications Department

Viktoria Blajeva, Phone: + 359 2 9264 993, wjlj/ebwjepwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Magdalena Ivanova, Phone: + 359 2 9232 528, nbhebmfob/jwbopwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch