Danske Bank
When was Danske Bank founded?
Danske Bank A/S was founded in 1871 and has since merged with many other banks. Some of them also have long histories. In 1990, the Bank merged with Handelsbanken (founded in 1873) and Provinsbanken A/S (founded in 1846). In 2000, RealDanmark A/S, the parent company of Realkredit Danmark A/S (founded in 1851) and BG Bank A/S (founded in 1857), became part of the Danske Bank Group.
Historical timeline
See the
history of the Danske Bank Group in words and pictures.
What are Danske Bank's capital targets?
The Group suspended its capital targets at the end of 2008 because of the financial crisis.
Upon the release of the Q3 2012 financial report, Danske Bank Group announced a new strategy. As a part of the strategy, the Group set new capital targets. The Group's ambition is to reach a core tier 1 ratio of at least 13% and a total capital ratio of at least 17% by the end of 2013.
What is Danske Bank's domestic market?
Danske Bank is domiciled in Denmark, where it is the largest bank, with nearly 30 pct. of the market. The Danske Bank Group considers northern Europe to be its primary market.
In recent years, the Group has acquired Danske Bank Sverige, Sweden (1997); Fokus Bank, Norway (1999); Northern Bank, Northern Ireland (2005); National Irish Bank, the Republic of Ireland (2005); and Sampo Bank, Finland and the Baltics (2007). The Group is also represented in Hamburg, Luxembourg and Warsaw. With substantial retail banking operations in these markets, the Group is one of the leading financial players in the region.
How many customers bank with Danske Bank?
In Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Finland and the Baltics combined, the Group serves some 5 million retail customers and a significant number of corporate and institutional customers.
Who arranges Danske Bank's roadshows?
Our roadshows are organised by brokerage firms that have
analyst coverage of Danske Bank. Danske Bank selects the hosts on the basis of an internal grading system that includes factors such as these:
- Analyst's knowledge and coverage of Danske Bank
- The firm's contact with investors
- The firm's planning of the roadshow
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Danske Bank share
Where are Danske Bank's shares listed?
Danske Bank shares are listed on the Nordic Exchange (OMX) and are included in the OMX Copenhagen 20 (OMXC20) index of the 20 most actively traded shares on the exchange.
When is the dividend paid out?
If you own Danske Bank shares on the date of the annual general meeting, you are entitled to a dividend payment. The dividend is paid into the cash account linked to your custody account four banking days after the general meeting. Read more about Danske Bank's
dividends.
How many Danske Bank shares are outstanding?
On 31 March 2013, Danske Bank's share capital totalled DKK 10,086,200,000 and shares numbered 1,008,620,000. The number of shares outstanding was 1,000,465,501 and the average number of shares outstanding was 1,001,120,563 at the end of March 2013. Read more about Danske Bank's
share capital.
Why does Danske Bank buy back shares and what happens to repurchased shares?
Danske Bank uses share repurchases to manage the amount of its shareholders' funds. If shareholders' funds exceed the target after the payment of dividends, the Bank considers a buyback.
Shares repurchased are cancelled. In practice, this takes place some three months after the decision is taken at the annual general meeting.
Who are Danske Bank's largest shareholders?
Three shareholders have announced that they own more than 5% of Danske Bank's share capital:
- The A.P. Møller Mærsk Group and the A.P. Møller and Chastine Mc-Kinney Møllers Foundation, Copenhagen (22.84%)
- Cevian Capital II Master Fund LP (5,07 pct.)
Read more about Danske Bank's
largest shareholders
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Business areas
What are the most important business units in the Danske Bank Group?
On 1 June 2012, we changed our organisation so that the Bank now consists of three business units – Personal Banking, Business Banking and Corporates & Institutions – that span all of the Group’s geographical markets. As part of the reorganisation, all of our banking activities has be gathered under the Danske Bank brand name. Our financial reporting was adjusted to the new organisation on 1 January 2013.
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Financial information
How do changes in interest rates affect the Bank?
Danske Bank has liquidity placed in the financial markets. When interest rates increase or fall, the return on this liquidity also increase or falls, with a positive or negative effect on the Bank's results. Retail Denmark feels this effect the most because this business area have the largest amounts of liquidity and shareholders' funds.
What accounting rules does Danske Bank follow?
The following sets of rules form the legal foundation for Danske Bank's annual and interim reports:
- The Danish Financial Business Act
- International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) issued by IASB and approved by EU with related interpretations issued by IFRIC
- The Danish FSA's Executive order on financial reports for credit institutions and investment companies etc.
- NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen's rules for issuers of listed securities
The Group's Danish subsidiaries, which are not covered by the Danish Financial Business Act, must submit annual reports in accordance with the provisions of the Danish Act on commercial enterprises' presentation of financial statements etc.
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CRD
What is the Capital Requirements Directive?
The Capital Requirements Directive (CRD) is an EU directive that sets forth the rules for credit institutions’ capital adequacy. The CRD was prepared on the basis of Basel II, which is a set of international guidelines for credit institutions’ capital adequacy. The CRD replaced the preceding set of rules in 2007. The proposal for a new directive and regulation that implement Basel 3, among other things, is expected to be adopted by the EU by the end of June 2013, with a view to implementation on 1 January 2014.
What is BIS?
The BIS is the Bank for International Settlements, an international organisation intended to advance international monetary and financial cooperation. The BIS is the central bank for the national central banks. The BIS fulfils this role by being a centre for research on economic and monetary topics and by serving as the central banks’ counterparty in their mutual financial transactions, among other things.
Basel II and Basel III are based at the BIS.
What is the purpose of Pillar I?
Pillar I contains generic rules for the calculation of credit, market, and operational risks in the determination of a bank's risk-weighted assets. The rules also stipulate the minimum capital requirement for banks: 8% of risk-weighted assets.
What is the purpose of Pillar II?
Pillar II outlines the framework for the supervisory process and the framework for banks' internal capital adequacy assessment process (ICAAP).
A bank is exposed to a number of risks, and they are not limited to the risks that are quantified under Pillar I (credit, market and operational risks). Pillar II therefore covers banks' risks in a broader sense, such as business, pension, concentration, correlation and migration risks as well as banks' situation and expectations in general. Pillar II also covers stress testing.
What is the purpose of Pillar III?
Pillar III covers a number of disclosure obligations. The purpose is to increase market discipline by letting external stakeholders gain a better understanding of banks' capital adequacy calculations and procedures.
The Group's
Risk Management report includes information about Pillar III.
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Corporate Governance
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Corporate Responsibility
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Investor service