March 20 (SeeNews) - Serbia's AIK Banka has increased its stake in Slovenian peer Gorenjska Banka to 90.11% as part of plans to expand its business in Southeastern Europe (SEE), CEO Jelena Galic said on Wednesday.
On February 14, AIK Banka, which held 77.7% of Gorenjska Banka at the time, launched a takeover bid, offering to pay 298 euro ($338.5) for each of the 86,611 shares it did not control in the Slovenian lender. Last week Slovenian media reported that 292 shareholders who owned among themselves a stake of 12.43% of the capital of Gorenjska Banka, accepted AIK Banka's offer within the March 13 deadline.
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"AIK Banka has become a majority shareholder in Gorenjska Banka with a stake of 90.11% as a result of thorough business analysis and successful negotiations with all stakeholders in Slovenia," Galic said in a video file posted on the website of news agency Tanjug.
AIK Banka's strategy is based on organic and non-organic growth in SEE where it aims to gain a leadership position, Galic said during a news conference in Ljubljana.
"Gorenjska Banka gets a strategic partner who has expressed support for the future development of the lender. With this, we are establishing a new banking group which will have an important role in Slovenia and the region in the future," the president of the bank, Mario Henjak, said in the video file.
In June, AIK Banka signed an agreement to acquire 111,773 shares of Gorenjska Banka from business group Sava and 15,719 shares from insurer Zavarovalnica Triglav [LJE:ZVTG]. The Serbian bank also agreed on the purchase of 5,331 shares in Gorenjska Banka from Slovenian electric motor manufacturer Domel in July.
($ = 0.88039 euro)
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