PROFESSIONAL BANKING COMMUNITY OF ARMENIA DETERMINES ITS LEADERS

ArmInfo
2009-10-23 16:40:00

ArmInfo. Dignified competitors have been determined by the professional
banking community of Armenia. An interbank cross-check public opinion
poll among 60 top managers of 19 commercial banks of Armenia have
determined 8 leading banks in 12 nominations: ACBA-Credit Agricole
Bank, HSBC Bank Armenia, Ardshininvestbank, INECOBANK, Unibank,
Armeconombank, ArmSwissBank and Ameriabank.

To recall, the public opinion poll entitled "The Best Competitor"
is held by the financial-analytical service of the Agency of Rating
Marketing Information (ArmInfo) once every two years and reflects the
summarized assessment of the quality of activity of the banking market
participant-competitors by heads of the banks and their departments.

The public opinion poll has covered such spheres and segments of
banking as the level of management, corporate management, participation
in SME financing, large business crediting, activity in the market
of consumer and mortgage crediting, level of work in currency market,
activity in the sphere of card business, work in money transfer market,
as well as in the market of government securities and corporate debt;
the level of technological equipment of the competitiors was also
assessed.

The final indices of the poll, i.e. the averaged percentage points
for all nominations have demonstrated that the professional market
participants highly estimate the level of work of the top five banks,
namely: ACBA-Credit Agricole Bank (48,3% out of possible 100%),
Armeconombank (47,3%), Converse Bank (47,3%), Ardshininvestbank
(46,7%), and HSBC Bank Armenia (46,6%). The top ten also includes
Unibank, INECOBANK, ARARATBANK, VTB Bank (Armenia) and Ameriabank.

"The leaders of assumptions" by the level of management are a group
of three banks: ACBA-Credit Agricole (56,3%), Ameriabank (51,2%),
Armeconombank (51%) and HSBC Bank Armenia (50,5%).

In the nomination "the level of corporate management" HSBC Bank Armenia
(50%) is in the lead; ACBA- Credit Agricole (48,4%), Ameriabank
(45,5%), Armeconombank (43,9%) rank next.

By the level of participation in SME financing the biggest preference
has been given to ACBA-Credit Agricole (60,9%), INECOBANK (54,6%),
Armeconombank (52,3%) and Converse Bank (50,3%).

By the activity in large business crediting, Ardshininvestbank (58,8%)
is in the lead; HSBC Bank Armenia (54,8%), Ameriabank (54,7%), VTB Bank
(Armenia) (53,6%) rank next.

By the level of consumer crediting, the list is headed by INECOBANK
(60,2%), ACBA-Credit Agricole (53,2%) and Unibank (49,8%).

By the assessment of the activity level in the mortgage crediting
market, Unibank (55,1%), HSBC Bank Armenia (53,1%), Armeconombank
(47,1%), Converse Bank (46,5%) are in the lead.

By the activity in the currency market, Ardshininvestbank (53,3%),
Converse Bank (52,9%) and HSBC Bank Armenia (50,7%) are the leaders.

In the market of plastic cards the leaders are Armeconombank (57,3%),
ACBA-Credit Agricole (56,9%), Ardshininvestbank (52%), Converse Bank
(52%), and HSBC Bank Armenia (49,7%).

In the market of money transfers the traditional leader is Unibank
(60.3%); Anelik Bank (51,6%), Ardshininvestbank (49,3%) and
Armeconombank (47,3%) rank next.

The level of technological equipment of the banks is estimated by
the competitors as follows: HSBC Bank Armenia (45,5%), which has
been maintaining the first position since 2007; ACBA-Credit Agricole
(43,6%) and Converse Bank (41,8%) rank next.

By the activity in the government securities market ArmSwissBank
is in the lead (53,8%); Converse Bank (46,7%) and Ardshininvestbank
(46,7%), ARARATBANK (44,9%), HSBC Bank Armenia (43,8%) rank next.

In the new nomination "activity in the corporate debt market"
Ameriabank (42%) is in the lead; ArmSwissBank (39,8%), Converse Bank
(35,9%), Ardshininvestbank (34,8%) and ARARATBANK (34,8%) rank next.

To note, since 2005 (the moment of the first public opinion poll),
Armeconombank has maintained its leading position for plastic cards,
and INECOBANK – for consumer credits. Since 2007 HSBC Bank Armenia
has maintained its leading positions in two nominations – the level
of corporate management and technological equipment, and Unibank –
in the nomination of money transfers.

It is noteworthy that the subjective professional opinion of the
Armenian banking community reflected in the poll results, like in
the previous surveys, mostly reflects the real scene of the banks’
activity in certain spheres of banking with slight distortions.