OP Mortgage Bank
Interim Report
Stock Exchange Release 3 May 2023 at 10.00 EET
OP Mortgage Bank: Interim Report for 1 January–31 March 2023
OP Mortgage Bank (OP MB) is part of OP Financial Group. Together with OP Corporate Bank plc, its role is to raise funding for OP from money and capital markets. OP MB is responsible for the Group’s funding with regard to covered bond issuance.
Financial standing
The intermediary loans and loan portfolio of OP MB totalled EUR 19,544 million (19,639)* on 31 March 2023. Bonds issued by OP MB totalled EUR 18,165 million (18,165) at the end of March 2023.
In January, OP MB issued a covered bond under the Act on Mortgage Credit Banks and Covered Bonds (Laki kiinnitysluottopankeista ja katetuista joukkolainoista 151/2022) in the international capital market. The bond forms part of the new Euro Medium Term Covered Bond (Premium) Programme. The fixed-rate covered bond is worth EUR 1 billion and has a maturity of seven years. All proceeds of the bond were intermediated to 55 OP cooperative banks in the form of intermediary loans. The terms of issue are available at the op.fi website, under Debt investors: https://www.op.fi/op-ryhma/velkasijoittajat/issuers/op-mortgage-bank/emtcb-debt-programme-documentation.
On 31 March 2023, 104 OP cooperative banks had a total of EUR 16,919 million (16,833) in intermediary loans from OP MB.
Impairment loss on receivables related to loans in OP MB’s balance sheet totalled EUR 0.0 million (0.0). Loss allowance was EUR 2.4 million (2.4).
Operating profit amounted to EUR 3.1 million (1.9). The company’s financial standing remained stable throughout the financial year.
*) The comparatives for 2022 are given in brackets. For income statement and other aggregated figures, January–March 2022 figures serve as comparatives. For balance-sheet and other cross-sectional figures, figures at the end of the previous financial year (31 December 2022) serve as comparatives.
Collateralisation of bonds issued to the public
On 31 March 2023, loans as collateral in security of the covered bonds issued under the Euro Medium Term Covered Bond (Premium) Programme worth EUR 25 billion established on 11 October 2022 under the Act on Mortgage Credit Banks and Covered Bonds (Laki kiinnitysluottopankeista ja katetuista joukkolainoista 151/2022) totalled EUR 2,480 million.
On 31 March 2023, loans as collateral in security of the covered bonds issued under the Euro Medium Term Covered Note programme worth EUR 20 billion established on 12 November 2010 under the Act on Mortgage Credit Banks (Laki kiinnitysluottopankkitoiminnasta 688/2010) totalled EUR 14,987 million. On the same date, loans as collateral in security for the covered bonds issued under the Euro Medium Term Retained Covered Note programme worth EUR 10 billion established on 15 June 2020 totalled EUR 3,530 million.
Capital adequacy
OP MB’s Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio stood at 35.4% (32.5) on 31 March 2023. The ratio was improved by the decrease in home loans on OP MB's balance sheet and the resulting reduction in capital requirement for credit risk. The minimum CET1 capital requirement is 4.5% and the requirement for the capital conservation buffer is 2.5%. The minimum total capital requirement is 8% and 10.5% with increased capital conservation buffer. OP MB covers the capital requirements in their entirety with CET1 capital, so the CET1 capital requirement is 10.5%. Profit for the period was not included in CET1 capital.
OP MB uses the Standardised Approach (SA) to measure its capital adequacy requirement for credit risk. A year ago, OP MB used the Internal Ratings Based Approach (IRBA) to obtain its capital adequacy requirement and increased it by the risk-weighted assets (RWA) floor based on the Standardised Approach. The Standardised Approach is used to measure the capital requirement for operational risks.
OP MB belongs to OP Financial Group. As part of the Group, OP MB is supervised by the ECB. OP Financial Group presents capital adequacy information in its financial statements bulletins and interim and half-year financial reports in accordance with the Act on the Amalgamation of Deposit Banks. OP Financial Group also publishes Pillar III disclosures.
| Capital base and capital adequacy, TEUR | 31 Mar 2023 | 31 Dec 2022 |
| Equity capital | 367,187 | 371,311 |
| Excess funding of pension liability | -24 | -24 |
| Share of unaudited profits | -2,506 | -6,631 |
| Impairment loss – shortfall of expected losses | -1,822 | |
| Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) | 364,657 | 362,835 |
| Tier 1 capital (T1) | 364,657 | 362,835 |
| Total capital base | 364,657 | 362,835 |
| Total risk exposure amount | ||
| Credit and counterparty risk | 972,013 | 241,732 |
| Operational risk | 25,140 | 26,908 |
| Other risks * | 34,398 | 848,865 |
| Total | 1,031,551 | 1,117,505 |
| Key ratios, % | ||
| CET1 capital ratio | 35.4 | 32.5 |
| Tier 1 capital ratio | 35.4 | 32.5 |
| Capital adequacy ratio | 35.4 | 32.5 |
| Capital requirement | ||
| Capital base | 364,657 | 362,835 |
| Capital requirement | 108,346 | 117,364 |
| Buffer for capital requirements | 256,311 | 245,471 |
*Risks not otherwise covered. A year ago, the risk-weighted assets (RWA) floor based on the Standardised Approach.
Joint and several liability of amalgamation
Under the Act on the Amalgamation of Deposit Banks, the amalgamation of cooperative banks comprises the organisation’s central cooperative (OP Cooperative), the central cooperative's member credit institutions and the companies belonging to their consolidation groups as well as credit and financial institutions and service companies in which the above together hold more than half of the total votes. This amalgamation is supervised on a consolidated basis. On 31 March 2023, OP Cooperative’s member credit institutions comprised 106 OP cooperative banks, OP Corporate Bank plc, OP Mortgage Bank and OP Retail Customers plc.
The central cooperative is responsible for issuing instructions to its member credit institutions concerning their internal control and risk management, their procedures for securing liquidity and capital adequacy as well as for compliance with harmonised accounting policies in the preparation of the amalgamation’s consolidated financial statements.
As a support measure referred to in the Act on the Amalgamation of Deposit Banks, the central cooperative is liable to pay any of its member credit institutions an amount that is necessary to prevent the credit institution from being placed in liquidation. The central cooperative is also liable for the debts of a member credit institution which cannot be paid using the member credit institution's assets.
Each member bank is liable to pay a proportion of the amount which the central cooperative has paid to either another member bank as part of support action or to a creditor of such member bank in payment of an amount overdue which the creditor has not received from the member bank. Furthermore, in the case of the central cooperative’s default, a member bank has unlimited refinancing liability for the central cooperative’s debts as referred to in the Co-operatives Act.
Each member bank’s liability for the amount the central cooperative has paid to the creditor on behalf of a member bank is divided between the member banks in proportion to their last adopted balance sheets. OP Financial Group’s insurance companies do not fall within the scope of joint and several liability.
According to section 25 of the Act on Mortgage Credit Banks (688/2010), the creditors of covered bonds issued prior to 8 July 2022 have the right to receive payment, before other claims, for the entire term of the bond, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the bond, out of the funds entered as collateral for the bond, without this being prevented by OP MB’s liquidation or bankruptcy. A similar and equal priority also applies to derivative contracts entered in the register of bonds, and to marginal lending facilities referred to in section 26, subsection 4 of the said Act. For mortgage-backed loans included in the total amount of collateral of covered bonds, the priority of payment right of the covered bond holders is limited to the amount of loan that, with respect to home loans, corresponds to 70% of the value of shares or property serving as security for the loan and entered in the bond register at the time of the issuer’s liquidation or bankruptcy declaration.
Under section 20 of the Act on Mortgage Credit Banks and Covered Bonds (151/2022), the creditors of bonds and derivative contracts issued after 8 July 2022, including the related management and clearing costs, have the right to receive payment out of the collateral included in the cover pool, before other creditors of OP MB or the OP cooperative bank which is the debtor of an intermediary loan. Interest and yield accruing on the collateral, and any substitute assets fall within the scope of the said priority. Section 44, subsection 3 of the said Act contains provisions on the creditor’s priority related to marginal lending facility of the cover pool.
Sustainability and corporate responsibility
Sustainability and corporate responsibility form an integral part of OP Financial Group’s business and strategy and responsible business is one of OP Financial Group’s strategic priorities. OP Financial Group published its new sustainability programme in August 2022. The programme and its policy priorities implement OP Financial Group’s strategy, and guide its sustainability and corporate responsibility actions. OP Financial Group’s sustainability programme is built around three themes: Climate and the environment, People and communities and Corporate governance.
At OP Financial Group, sustainability and corporate responsibility are guided by a number of principles and policies. OP Financial Group is committed to complying not only with all applicable laws and regulations, but also with a number of international initiatives and standards guiding our operations. OP Financial Group is committed to complying with the ten principles of the UN Global Compact initiative in the areas of human rights, labour rights, the environment and anti-corruption. OP Financial Group is committed to complying with the UN Principles for Responsible Investment and is a Founding Signatory of the Principles for Responsible Banking under the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI).
In March 2023, OP MB published a Green Covered Bond Report on the allocation and impacts of Finland’s first green covered bonds issued in March 2021 and April 2022. Under OP MB’s Green Covered Bond Framework, the proceeds from the bonds have been allocated to mortgages with energy-efficient residential buildings as collateral.
The environmental impacts allocated to the green covered bonds in 2022 were 62,000 MWh of energy use avoided per year and 9,300 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions avoided per year.
Personnel
On 31 March 2023, OP MB had six employees. OP MB has been digitising its operations and purchases all the most important support services from OP Cooperative and its Group members, reducing the need for its own personnel.
Management
The Board composition is as follows:
| Chair | Mikko Timonen | Chief Financial Officer, OP Cooperative |
| Members | Satu Nurmi | Head of Retail Customer Financing and Housing-related Services, OP Retail Customers plc |
| Mari Heikkilä | Head of Group Treasury and Asset and Liability Management, OP Corporate Bank plc |
OP MB’s Managing Director is Sanna Eriksson. The deputy Managing Director is Tuomas Ruotsalainen, Senior Covered Bonds Manager at OP MB.
Risk profile
When entering 2023, OP MB had a strong capital base, capital buffers and risk-bearing capacity.
Both the Finnish and the euro area economy are expected to deteriorate during 2023. The recession outlook may affect lending, liquidity maintenance and business processes. OP MB’s capital base is sufficient to secure business continuity.
OP MB’s most significant risks are related to the quality of collateral and to the structural liquidity and interest rate risks on the balance sheet for which limits have been set in the Banking Risk Policy. The key credit risk indicators in use show that OP MB’s credit risk exposure is stable. The liquidity buffer for OP Financial Group, managed by OP Corporate Bank, is exploitable by OP MB. OP MB has used interest rate swaps to hedge against its interest rate risk. Interest rate swaps have been used to swap home loan interest, intermediary loan interest and interest on issued bonds into the same basis rate. OP MB has concluded all derivative contracts for hedging purposes, with OP Corporate Bank plc being their counterparty. OP MB’s interest risk exposure is under control, and it has been within the set limit.
An analysis of OP MB's risk exposure should always take account of OP Financial Group's risk exposure which is based on the joint and several liability of all its member credit institutions. The member credit institutions are jointly liable for each other's debts. All member banks must participate in support measures, as referred to in the Act on the Amalgamation of Deposit Banks, to support each other’s capital adequacy.
OP Financial Group analyses the business environment as part of the continuous strategy process. Megatrends and future visions behind the strategy reflect driving forces that affect the daily activities, conditions and future of OP Financial Group and its customers. Such factors shaping the business environment include sustainable development and responsibility (ESG), demographic change in the population, geopolitical factors and fast technological progress.
For example, climate and environmental changes and other factors in the business environment are considered thoroughly so that their effects on the customers’ future success are understood. By means of advice and business decisions, OP Financial Group encourages its customers in bolstering their sustainable and successful business of the future. At the same time, OP Financial Group ensures that its operations are profitable and in compliance with its values in the long term.
Events after the reporting period
In April, OP MB issued a covered bond under the Act on Mortgage Credit Banks and Covered Bonds (Laki kiinnitysluottopankeista ja katetuista joukkolainoista 151/2022) in the international capital market. The bond forms part of the new Euro Medium Term Covered Bond (Premium) Programme. The fixed-rate covered bond is worth EUR 1 billion and has a maturity of five and a half years. All proceeds of the bond were intermediated to 65 OP cooperative banks in the form of intermediary loans. The terms of issue are available at the op.fi website, under Debt investors: https://www.op.fi/op-ryhma/velkasijoittajat/issuers/op-mortgage-bank/emtcb-debt-programme-documentation.
Outlook
Economic growth slowed down in the course of 2022 and economic surveys suggest that economic development is still likely to deteriorate. Last year, business profitability remained good and the employment situation was strong. High inflation eroded the purchasing power among households and higher interest rates and greater uncertainty cut down on home sales.
The economy is expected to sink into a moderate recession, inflation to decrease slowly while short-term interest rates are predicted to rise further. The economic outlook remains surrounded by an exceptional degree of uncertainty. In addition to economic factors, the price and availability of energy and developments in global markets together with the geopolitical situation may abruptly affect the economic outlook.
It is expected that OP MB’s capital adequacy will remain strong, risk exposure favourable and the overall quality of the loan portfolio good. This will make it possible to issue new covered bonds in 2023 as well.
Schedule for Interim Reports in 2023
| Half-year Financial Report 1 January–30 June 2023 | 25 July 2023 |
| Interim Report 1 January–30 September 2023 | 25 October 2023 |
Helsinki, 3 May 2023
OP Mortgage Bank
Board of Directors
For more information, please contact:
Sanna Eriksson, Managing Director, tel. +358 10 252 2517
DISTRIBUTION
LSE London Stock Exchange
Euronext Dublin (Irish Stock Exchange)
Officially Appointed Mechanism (OAM)
Major media
op.fi
