KBC Group
  

Exchange: Euronext (Brussels) 
Tickers: Bloomberg: KBC BB
Reuters: KBKBT BR 
Market Cap.: €29 bn (11 Feb 08) 

Corporate Profile 
KBC is a financial services group active in the fields of banking, insurance and wealth management. It is also one of the top bancassurers and asset managers in Belgium, KBC Group also has a key position in Central and Eastern Europe and an European private banking network.

Created in 2005 through the merger of KBC Bank & Insurance Holding Company and its parent company Almanij, KBC Group now serves some 11 million customers and employs around 50 000 people. 

Rating: Fitch Moody's S&P 
KBC Bank 
Long-term rating AA- Aa2 AA- 
Short-term rating F1+ P1 A1+ 

Important Events of KBC Group in the last 10 years
· 1988
Kredietbank, CERA Bank and ABB Verzekeringen announce they are joining forces to form a ‘multi-channel bancassurer’: KBC Bank & Insurance Group. KBC thus becomes the second largest bancassurer in Belgium and one of the largest financial institutions in Europe.

· 1999
Expansion starts in the second home market, Central Europe, with investments in ČSOB (Czech Republic and Slovakia) and in K&H Life (Hungary).

· 2000
The merger takes shape with the migration to a single computer platform in Belgium. At the same time, the millennium changeover is completed successfully. KBC becomes major shareholder in K&H Bank (Hungary).
Antwerp Diamond Bank starts its international expansion. In the Czech Republic, ČSOB acquires IPB, making it the market leader.

· 2001
KBC completes the successful changeover to the euro in Belgium. Acquisition of ČSOB Insurance (Czech Republic). Merger of K&H Bank and ABN-Amro Magyar, making K&H the second largest bank in Hungary.

· 2002
Majority shareholding in Kredyt Bank (Poland).

· 2003
Merger process completed: all Belgian bank branches on the same computer platform.

· 2004
Majority shareholding in WARTA Insurance (Poland).
KBC Securities starts up in Poland and immediately becomes a top player in the market.

· 2005
Mergers through takeover of Almanij, with integration of KBL (Luxemburg): KBC Group NV
KBC Asset Management crosses the 100 billion euros threshold in funds under management.

· 2006
With the Next project, KBC establishes its long-term strategy, and initiates a reorganisation whereby the Business Units: Belgium, Central Europe, Merchant Banking and European Private Banking work together with the Shared Services and Operations BU and group services.

· 2007
Customer satisfaction in Belgium reaches an all time high: 86% of insurance agent customers and 72% of bank branch customers say they are ‘satisfied’ to ‘highly satisfied’. 
Majority shareholding in Absolut Bank (Russia), DZI and EIBank (Bulgaria), A Banka (Serbia), Romstal Leasing and INK Insurance Broker (Romania).
KBC Securities makes acquisitions in several CEE countries. Central Europe now represents 50% of turnover.


For other information on KBC Group, please visit this website: www.kbc.be