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Year-End Report for the Period January – December 2011 • February 16, 2012

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Year-End Report for the Period January – December 2011 • February 16, 2012 Year-end report For the period January – December 2011 • February 16, 2012 January−December 2011 Net operating profit Compared to January−December 2010 EUR M 4 • Net operating profit, excluding restructuring expenses of 5.7 million euros and an impair- ment loss of EUR 1.1 M for the Group’s shareholding in Burgundy, was EUR 1.1 M (January- 1 December 2010: EUR 1.0 M). -2 • Profit for the period attributable to shareholders amounted to EUR -6.5 M (-2.9). • Net interest income increased by 17 per cent to EUR 43.1 M (36.8). -5 • Net commission income increased by 5 per cent to EUR 38.7 M (36.8). -8 • Net loan losses were EUR 1.8 M (5.9), equivalent to a loan loss level of 0.07 (0.23) per cent. Q4 10 Q1 11 Q2 11 Q3 11 Q4 11 • The Tier 1 capital ratio amounted to 8.4 (7.3) per cent at year-end 2011. Pro forma, taking into account the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority’s grant of permission on February Deposits and lending 13, 2012 to calculate capital requirements for credit risks according to the Internal Ratings EUR M Based (IRB) approach for the Finnish household portfolio, the Tier 1 capital ratio was 10.0 3000 per cent. 2 737 2 567 2 547 2 600 2 550 • The Board of Directors proposes that no dividend be paid for 2011 (0). 2500 2 459 2 573 2 521 2 492 2 546 • The efficiency-raising measures that have been implemented and initiated during 2011 will lower the Group’s expense level by an estimated annual rate of EUR 8 M when they 2000 achieve their full effect. As a consequence of these measures, the Group’s expenses will be lower in 2012 than in 2011, and based on our assessment of external factors we expect 1500 the Group to report a positive net operating profit in 2012. Q4 10 Q1 11 Q2 11 Q3 11 Q4 11 The fourth quarter of 2011 • Deposits • Lending Compared to the third quarter of 2011 Tier 1 capital ratio Per cent • Net operating profit, excluding restructuring expenses of EUR 2.8 M and an impairment 10 loss of EUR 1.1 M for the Group’s shareholding in Burgundy, was EUR -3.2 M (0.1). 8 • A change in the timing of income accrual lowered net operating profit for the quarter by 6 EUR 1.6 M. This income will instead be recognised during future years. 4 • Profit for the period attributable to shareholders was EUR -4.7 M (-0.6). • Net interest income increased by 5 per cent to EUR 12.1 M (11.4). 2 0 Q4 10 Q1 11 Q2 11 Q3 11 Q4 11 “In 2011 our focus was on restructuring and efficiency-raising. With a completed new share Managed assets issue of EUR 30 M, an approved IRB approach to calculate the capital requirement for credit EUR M risks in our Finnish household portfolio, permission to issue covered bonds as well as efficiency- 5000 raising measures – implemented and approved – that will lower our expense level by an annual 4000 rate of around EUR 8 M, we stand well equipped for the future. We continue to have very 3000 satisfied customers, with nearly 90 per cent of our Private Banking customers replying in our latest survey that they would recommend the Bank of Åland to their friends. The Bank of Åland 2000 in Sweden and Finland is continuously welcoming new customers. Taken together, these things 1000 make us feel confident about 2012.” 0 Peter Wiklöf, Managing Director Q4 10 Q1 11 Q2 11 Q3 11 Q4 11 The Bank of Åland is a bank with strong customer relationships and personal service. The Bank has extensive financial investment expertise and at the same time can offer good financing services. The commercial bank was founded in 1919 and has been listed on the Nasdaq OMX Helsinki Oy (Helsinki Stock Exchange) since 1942. The Bank of Åland’s Head Office is in Mariehamn. The Bank has 17 offices in the Åland Islands and eight offices elsewhere in Finland. The Bank has three offices in Sweden. A total of 9 subsidiaries, whose operations are connected in various ways to banking, belong to the Bank of Åland Group. Bank of Åland Plc. Registered office: Mariehamn Address: Nygatan 2, FI-22100 Mariehamn, Åland, Finland Business Identity Code: 0145019-3. Telephone: +358 204 29 011. Website: www.alandsbanken.fi Earnings and profitability MARKET OVERVIEW at the existing exchange rate on the closing day. Because of the The latter part of 2011 represented a painful resumption of the exchange rate effect, the income statement of the Bank’s Swedish global financial crisis that began in 2007-2008. The world economy operations increased by 6 per cent expressed in euros, compared is facing very big challenges, with the euro zone debt crisis among to the preceding year. the most serious problems. The European banking system has size- able holdings of sovereign bonds whose value is uncertain. This has A situation with lower share prices, lower interest rates and a caused large portions of the banking system to seem undercapi- poorer economic outlook has an adverse effect on the Bank of talised, which in turn has raised the risk premiums on banks and Åland’s income. caused the world’s money and capital markets to adopt a cautious attitude. IMPORTANT EVENTS The Bank of Åland announced on December 28 that co-determi- The renewed financial crisis means that earlier expectations of nation negotiations have begun for the purpose of improving the rising market interest rates have been replaced by expectations of efficiency of its operations. The Group estimates that it will reduce falling market rates. Long-term yields fell dramatically during the its staff by about 50 people, 30 of them in Åland, 10 on the Finnish quarter. Finnish ten-year government bond yields, which stood at mainland and 10 in Sweden. The number of offices in Åland will around 3.5 per cent at the beginning of the year, fell from 3.3 per decrease. On the Finnish mainland, institutional equities trading cent at the end of the first half to 2.5 per cent at year-end 2011. operations are being closed, similar to what occurred in Sweden Swedish ten-year government bond yields, which stood at around in June. The largest changes are occurring in the corporate units 3.5 per cent at the beginning of the year, fell from 2.9 per cent at of the Group. The efficiency-raising measures that have been the end of the first half to 1.6 per cent at year-end. The European announced will result in an annual expense reduction of about EUR Central Bank (ECB) lowered its key interest rate twice during the 4 M. Restructuring expenses will total about EUR 3 M. Including fourth quarter to 1.00 per cent. Sweden’s Riksbank lowered its measures approved earlier in 2011, gross expenses will fall by an key interest rate once during the fourth quarter to 1.75 per cent. estimated EUR 8 M annually when these measures have their full Changes in the most important benchmark interest rates in the effect. Finnish and Swedish money markets can be seen below. On December 1, the operations of the Swedish subsidiary Ålands- BENCHMARK INTEREST RATES, AVERAGES, PER CENT banken Sverige AB changed into a branch of the Bank of Åland. Q4 2011 Q3 2011 Q4 2010 Asset management operations were kept in the Swedish subsidi- ary during a transitional period, since Ålandsbanken Sverige has Euribor 3 mo 1.56 1.02 1.50 various commitments that it chooses to phase out over a somewhat Euribor 12 mo 2.05 2.11 1.52 longer period. Aside from more efficient capital utilisation, the Stibor 3 mo 2.61 2.55 1.61 changeover to branch status also means a more efficient tax situa- Stibor 12 mo 2.80 2.92 2.00 tion as well as more cost-effective corporate governance. During the period September 22 to October 14, the Bank of Åland 2011 2010 carried out a new share issue with preferential rights for existing Euribor 3 mo 1.39 0.81 shareholders, in order to meet stricter capital requirements and to finance continued growth in Finland and Sweden. The new share Euribor 12 mo 2.01 1.35 issue was oversubscribed. The share issue increased equity capital Stibor 3 mo 2.46 0.93 by EUR 30.3 M after subtracting issuing expenses. Stibor 12 mo 2.85 1.42 On July 29, the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority granted the The OMXHPI share index on the Nasdaq OMX Helsinki Oy (Helsinki Bank of Åland permission to issue covered bonds. This will provide Stock Exchange) fell by 31 per cent during the year but rose by 1 per the Bank of Åland with access to significantly more favourable cent during the fourth quarter. The OMXSPI index on the Nasdaq long-term funding terms. In light of the new share issue, followed OMX Stockholm (Stockholm Stock Exchange) fell by 17 per cent dur- by the impact of the global financial crisis on capital markets, no ing the year but rose by 7 per cent during the fourth quarter. covered bonds have been issued yet. On December 30, 2011, the euro was worth just under 1 per cent Crosskey Banking Solutions has signed a new multi-year agree- less in relation to the Swedish krona than one year earlier, but the ment with Tapiola Bank, which has been one of Crosskey’s major average exchange rate during 2011 was nearly 6 per cent lower customers for some years.
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