CrediaBank is entering the next phase of its development, proceeding on Monday, March 30, with a capital increase of up to €300 million, aiming to accelerate the strengthening of its position in Greece and its expansion abroad. According to CEO Eleni Vrettou, the upcoming strengthening of CrediaBank’s capital position aligns with the strategic priority to accelerate the bank’s profitable growth, both in Greece and Malta, to further diversify its shareholder base and capitalize on potential strategic opportunities through partnerships or acquisitions.
The bank’s management plans are endorsed by three cornerstone investors, who have committed in advance, individually and not jointly, to subscribe for new shares totaling approximately €110 million. These are: a) Fiera Capital (UK), British subsidiary of Fiera Capital Corporation, a leading independent asset management company with assets under management of $119.7 billion as of December 31, 2025, which had supported CrediaBank’s transformation by participating in a previous capital increase of the former Attica Bank. b) Discovery Capital Management, a global long-term hedge fund with $3.5 billion under management, founded by Rob Citrone in 1999 and investing in all asset classes in emerging and developed markets. c) Marbella Investments, investment company of the family of shipowner Ilias Gotsis, who has been active for approximately 40 years in deep-sea shipping while maintaining significant investments in real estate and Greek and international stocks.
CrediaBank’s capital increase will be conducted through a combined offering of shares in Greece and abroad with the abolition of existing shareholders’ preemptive rights. The new shares will be distributed through: (i) public offering in Greece to retail and institutional investors via the Athens Stock Exchange Electronic Order Book service, with priority allocation rights for registered shareholders, and (ii) private placements to qualified, institutional and other eligible investors outside Greece. It should be noted that CrediaBank’s major shareholders, Thrivest (50.17%) and Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations (36.16%), commit to retain their shares (after trading begins for the new shares resulting from the capital increase) for six months.
It should be reminded that CrediaBank, resulting from the merger of Attica Bank and Pancreta Bank, constitutes the fifth banking pillar in Greece based on total assets as of December 31, 2025. The bank showed 36% growth in net loans year-on-year in 2025, exceeding the Greek market growth (8%), recorded an 88% increase in recurring pre-provision income and net credit expansion of €1.1 billion, corresponding to an 11.4% market share of net credit expansion. Additionally, CrediaBank offers a comprehensive range of corporate and retail banking products, with particular emphasis and specialization in the rapidly growing and underserved sectors of small and medium enterprises. Through actions taken in the recent past, CrediaBank maintains a strong and healthy balance sheet, with a gross non-performing exposures (NPE) ratio of 2.9% as of December 31, 2025, and without final and settled deferred tax credits (DTCs) in its capital structure.
Furthermore, CrediaBank has concluded an agreement to acquire a 70% stake in HSBC Malta, the second-largest bank in Malta by total assets (with approximately 24% market share), second-largest life insurance company by gross written premiums, and second-largest asset management company by assets under management. With this acquisition, CrediaBank’s size doubles, its business profile diversifies significantly, and attractive and significant synergies can be leveraged. Finally, it should be emphasized that CrediaBank has a clear strategy for further sustainable and profitable growth, with recurring return on tangible equity expected to exceed 17% in the medium term.
Published in MoneyPro of Parapolitika
