OTP Bank

History

The oldest antecedent of OTP Bank was the First National Savings Bank of Pest, established in 1839–1840 and nationalized in 1948. In 1949, the latter's operations were transferred to the newly established Hungarian National Savings Bank Company (), one of the country's four main financial institutions alongside the Hungarian National Bank, the Hungarian Investment Bank (renamed the State Bank for Development in 1972 and liquidated in 1987), and the Hungarian Foreign Trade Bank. Until 1987 the National Savings Bank was the only retail bank in Hungary. Since 1989 the bank operated as a multi-functional commercial bank with the authorization to provide commercial loans and banking services for banks and import- export transactions.

In 1990, the National Savings Bank became a state-owned joint-stock company with a share capital of HUF 23 billion. Its name was changed to the National Savings and Commercial Bank. Subsequently, non-banking activities were separated from the bank, along with their supporting organisational units. The state lottery was reorganized into a separate state-owned company and OTP Real Estate was established as a subsidiary of the bank.

OTP Bank's privatization began in the year 1995. As a result of 3 public offers along with the introduction of the bank's shares into the Budapest Stock Exchange the state's ownership in the bank decreased to 25 percent by 1995, then to a single voting preference (golden) share by 1999 (maintained until 2007).

In 1995, OTP purchased Merkantil Bank, created in 1988 mostly as a vehicle finance provider, from its parent K&H Bank. OTP then started an international expansion targeting countries in Central and Eastern Europe, namely in Slovakia (2002), Bulgaria (2003), Romania (2004), Croatia (2005), Ukraine, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro (2006).

In 2008, Paris-based Groupama acquired OTP's insurance business. As part of the transaction, they resolved to collaborate in strategic points and cross sell their financial and insurance products. Groupama S.A. thus acquired 8% of shares of OTP Group. This transaction allowed OTP to avoid the need of state recapitalization during the 2008 financial crisis; OTP only took liquidity support from the state, entailing temporary government interference in its governance, and was able to repay it fully by 2010.

In April 2014, it was announced that OTP Bank was close to a deal to acquire the Hungarian MKB Bank from German firm BayernLB, which however was not executed. French Axa Bank Europe announced in February 2016 it has entered into an agreement with OTP Bank to sell its Hungarian banking operations, which is considered as medium-sized bank in Hungary.

In 2019, OTP Bank entered into an agreement to purchase MobiasBanca of Moldova. The agreement was finalized on 25 July 2019.

In March 2022, due to international sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War, OTP Bank stopped financing its Russian branch.

On December 12, 2022, in Tashkent, OTP Bank signed an agreement on the privatization of 75% of the Joint-Stock Commercial Mortgage Bank "Mortgage bank". It is planned to close the deal in the first half of 2023, although the amount has not yet been disclosed. 73.41% of the shares in Ipoteka Bank JSCM were acquired from the Uzbekistan government in June 2023.

Controversy

On 5 May 2023, Ukrainian authorities added OTP bank onto its list of international sponsors of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which the bank refutes. The Government of Hungary backed the bank stating that it would block any further EU aid to Ukraine until the bank is withdrawn from the list. The bank was removed from the list in September 2023.

OTP Group

The Bank hosts an international organisation called the OTP group. The several parts of the group work in different areas of business.

Gallery

File:OTP Fiók - Andrássy út 83-85 szám, 2012.05.19.JPG|OTP Bank in Andrássy Avenue, Budapest, Hungary File:OTPBank Uitz Béla Street Miskolc01.jpg|OTP Bank in Miskolc, Hungary File:OTP bank, Hajdúszoboszló.JPG|OTP Bank in Hajdúszoboszló, Hungary File:OTP Moscow.JPG|OTP Bank in Moscow, Russia File:OTP banka.jpg|OTP Bank in Makarska, Croatia File:Будинок Магнера.jpg|OTP Bank in Odesa, Ukraine File:OTP Bank, Bratislava.JPG|OTP Bank in Bratislava, Slovakia File:Ipolyság037.JPG|OTP Bank in Šahy, Slovakia File:Slovenia OTPBanka.jpg|OTP building in Ljubljana, Slovenia File:West gate tower A- splitska banka d.d.jpg|OTP Splitska banka in Split, Croatia File:Pilisvörösvár, Fő utca 60, OTP Bank.jpg|OTP bank Pilisvörösvár, Hungary

References

References

1. Vera Göröntsér. ({{date). "Az egykori Ugriai-Nasici Fabank épületdíszei".
2. "Financial Statements".
3. "OTP Group".
4. "OTP Bank — Magánszemélyek".
5. "OTP Bank — Magánszemélyek".
6. "Ownership structure".
7. Imre Lengyel. (April 1994). "The Hungarian Banking System in Transition". GeoJournal.
8. "Company profile".
9. "OTP Bank - History".
10. Péter Vass. (March 2019). "Member banks of the Hungarian Banking Association". Hungarian Banking Association.
11. (8 April 2014). "Hungary's biggest bank OTP nearing deal to buy MKB". Reuters.
12. (2016). "OTP agrees to buy Axa's Hungarian banking unit". IntelliNews.
13. "Closing the financial transaction of the acquisition in Moldova". Mobiasbanca – OTP Group S.A.| Prima bancă cu capital străin din Moldova. Cele mai accesibile credite, carduri.
14. (2022-03-18). "OTP Bank прекращает финансирование подразделения в России". [[ТАСС]].
15. (2022-12-12). "Венгерский OTP Bank приобретает «Ипотека-банк»".
16. (13 June 2023). "OTP Bank officially becomes owner of Ipoteka-Bank".
17. (2023-05-13). "Hungary's OTP Bank outraged that Ukraine listed it as international sponsor of war".
18. (2023-05-17). "Hungary demands Ukraine must allow OTP Bank to operate in return for EU military support".
19. (30 September 2023). "Kyiv removes Hungary's OTP Bank from blacklist in bid to unlock EU aid".