OTP Bank

History

The oldest antecedent of OTP Bank was the First National Savings Bank of Pest, established in 1839–1840 and nationalized in 1948. In 1949, the latter's operations were transferred to the newly established Hungarian National Savings Bank Company (Hungarian: Országos Takarékpénztár Nemzeti Vállalat), one of the country's four main financial institutions alongside the Hungarian National Bank, the Hungarian Investment Bank (renamed the State Bank for Development in 1972 and liquidated in 1987), and the Hungarian Foreign Trade Bank. Until 1987 the National Savings Bank was the only retail bank in Hungary. Since 1989 the bank operated as a multi-functional commercial bank with the authorization to provide commercial loans and banking services for banks and import-export transactions.

In 1990, the National Savings Bank became a state-owned joint-stock company with a share capital of HUF 23 billion. Its name was changed to the National Savings and Commercial Bank. Subsequently, non-banking activities were separated from the bank, along with their supporting organisational units. The state lottery was reorganized into a separate state-owned company and OTP Real Estate was established as a subsidiary of the bank.

OTP Bank's privatization began in the year 1995. As a result of 3 public offers along with the introduction of the bank's shares into the Budapest Stock Exchange the state's ownership in the bank decreased to 25 percent by 1995, then to a single voting preference (golden) share by 1999 (maintained until 2007).

In 1995, OTP purchased Merkantil Bank, created in 1988 mostly as a vehicle finance provider, from its parent K&H Bank. OTP then started an international expansion targeting countries in Central and Eastern Europe, namely in Slovakia (2002), Bulgaria (2003), Romania (2004), Croatia (2005), Ukraine, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro (2006).

In 2008, the French insurance company Groupama acquired OTP's insurance business. As part of the transaction, they resolved to collaborate in strategic points and cross sell their financial and insurance products. Groupama S.A. thus acquired 8% of shares of OTP Group. This transaction allowed OTP to avoid the need of state recapitalization during the 2008 financial crisis; OTP only took liquidity support from the state, entailing temporary government interference in its governance, and was able to repay it fully by 2010.