Top 15 banking and insurance groups in Adria regionAdria FSI Top 15 |
The 2011 ranking list is headed by UniCredit, with total assets of almost 20.8 billion euros. The remaining five banking leaders comprise Intesa Sanpaolo, which, thanks to its assets of 16 billion euros, overtook the third-ranked NLB Group (15.9 billion euros). They are followed by the Hypo Group (10.57 billion euros) and the RBA Group (10.53 billion euros).
Lack of economic recovery in the Adria Region gave rise to further increase in non-performing loans on banks' balance sheets in 2011. It is exactly the growing portfolio of non-performing loans that impelled banks to maintain their focus on activities aimed at recovering their loans.
The insurance industry sees its largest players still focused on the region. This year again, the Slovenian Triglav Group topped Deloitte's ranking list, with a total premium written of almost 921 million euros, double the premium figure reported by the Croatian Croatia Group for 2011 which amounted to 427 million euros. The insurers – like banks – also saw a change on the top of the ranking list, with the Adriatic Slovenica Group (333 million euros) taking the third place from the Agram Group. With Croatia as the only exception, other countries in the region saw a reversal of the total gross premium drop prevailing in the prior periods and signs of a slow-paced recovery.
One of the hot topics on the EU insurance market is the so-called unisex pricing resulting from the invalidation of Article 5(2) of the EU Gender Directive from 2004. Despite the implementation of the principle of equal treatment between men and women, the clause currently allows insurers to use gender as an actuarial factor. The article is invalid with the effect from December 21st, 2012. In practice, this decision means for the insurers in the Adria region, primarily Slovenia, as an EU member, and Croatia, to soon join the EU, the need to redefine prices, that is, implement the so-called unisex pricing.
