ERSTE BANK HUNGARY NYRT. is member of the Erste Group; its mother institution is the Erste Group Bank AG - a well-known name on the Central-European banking market with a 190 years history in Austria.
History of the Bank
The Austrian Erste Group entered the Hungarian market by purchasing the state-owned Mezőbank in 1997. Since its renaming to Erste Bank Hungary Rt. on 1 October 1998, the bank has provided full-range financial services for its retail and corporate customers. During its years of operation the bank has expanded year after year at a rate that exceeded the market’s average growth, with an additional boost given by Erste Bank der oesterreichischen Sparkassen AG purchasing Postabank és Takarékpénztár Rt. from the Hungarian state and then merging its two banks in Hungary in 2004. The merged banks’ name became Erste Bank Hungary Rt.
Erste Bank Hungary has grown to be the second largest bank in the Hungarian market according to its number of clients and the fifth biggest according to its total assets, securing strong positions in the area of investment services and leasing, as well. The financial institution serves nearly 900,000 customers in its nationwide network of 196 branch offices, and owns in addition 388 ATMs and about 1700 POS terminals.
The positions held by the financial institution in the retail market are made even stronger by the strategic cooperation with Magyar Posta (Hungarian Post), a part of which there is an online system in operation in 324 post offices throughout the country. The number of sales channels is further boosted by the [origo] klikkbank service available through the Hungarian news website [origo]. [origo] klikkbank allows Erste Bank to offer innovative banking services to a new generation through the internet. In addition, the financial institution plans to bring the number of its branches to 210 by the end of 2008.
Besides the traditional banking products, Erste Bank offers a full scale of financial services in Hungary. With its market share of 12 per cent in car leasing, the leasing company of Erste Bank Hungary is considered to be the third largest player of the Hungarian leasing market. In the past five years, Erste Alapkezelő Zrt. (Erste Fund Management Ltd.) has increased its market share from one per cent to twelve percent and its managed assets have reached HUF 390 billion by now. Erste Befektetési Zrt. (Erste Investment Management Ltd.), providing investment services, is the second biggest trader company with its turnover of HUF 2,500 billion realised in the last year.
In 2008 Erste Bank Hungary will enhance its focus on mortgage lending and deposits on the retail market and on SMEs, local councils and EU funding projects on the corporate market. The bank targets to increase its market share in SME lending to 15% from the current 8% and to increase the retail lending market share from the current 11-13% to 20%.
| Main data | 2000 | 2007 |
| Number of Branches | 56 | 196 |
| Number of Commercial Centres | 7 | 25 |
| Number of employees | 934 | 2 609 |
| Number of clients | 210 000 | 900 000 |
Network of ERSTE BANK HUNGARY NYRT.
The retail branches operate
in geographical regions: Buda, Pest, Western Hungary,
North-Eastern Hungary, South-Eastern Hungary.
Corporate commercial centers
operate nationwide in all country town thus the small- and medium-size
corporate clients can reach the bank through them.
Erste Bank Hungary also provides special
financial advices specifically tailored to large corporate companies,
international businesses and municipalities. Account Managers are allocated to
each company, whose role is to advise and guide large companies through every
financial situation.
Subsidiaries of ERSTE BANK HUNGARY NYRT.
Erste Befektetési Zrt. / Erste Investment Management Ltd.
Erste Alapkezelő Zrt ./ Erste Fund Management Ltd.
Erste Leasing / Erste Leasing
ESZE Kft. / ESZE Property Management
Erste Bank Pénztárszervező Kft. / Erste Pension Fund
Erste Sparkassen Biztosító Zrt. / Erste Sparkassen Insurance Co.
Erste Kereskedelmi Kft. / Erste Trade Ltd.
Immorent Hungary LízingZrt./ Immorent Hungary Leasing Co.
Erste Ingatlan Kft./ Erste Property Ltd.
Erste Faktor Zrt. / Erste Factor
Erste Ingatlanlízing Zrt. / Erste Property Leasing Ltd.
