Integration of the German BfG Bank, acquisition of the Baltic banks and a stake in the Polish Bank BOS.
Number of employees now 21,500 (13,000).
Number of e-banking customers 800,000 (390,000)
The Group's total result* increased by 34 per cent to SEK 10,080 M (SEK 7,497 M).
Operating result rose by 72 per cent to SEK 8,800 M (SEK 5,122 M). Operating result for comparable entities excluding one-off items rose by 59 per cent.
Return on equity was 16.5 per cent (17.2 per cent) based on total result* after tax and 16.9 per cent (14.6 per cent) based on the operating result for the year.
Earnings per share improved by 35 per cent to SEK 9.43 (SEK 6.96).
Assets under management amounted to SEK 910 billion (SEK 702 billion).
Income in the fourth quarter from all areas was record high; record results in Retail Distribution and Merchant Banking.
Costs in the fourth quarter were above previous quarters, partly due to increased bonuses and partly attributable to IT- and e-banking costs.
A dividend of SEK 4.00 (SEK 3.50) is proposed - an increase of 14 per cent.
* Operating result plus change in surplus values in life insurance operations and pension settlements/provisions.
Stockholm, 20 February, 2001 Lars H Thunell President and Group Chief Executive
The interim report for January-March 2001 will be published on 4 May, 2001. The printed version of the annual report will be distributed in the second half of March. Annual General Meeting will be held on 5 April 2001. SEB's reports are available on the Internet (www.seb.se; www.seb.net).
The full interim report including tables is available to download from the enclosed link.
Additional information is available from: Gunilla Wikman, Head of Group Communications, +46 8 763 81 25 Lotta Treschow, Head of Investor Relations, +46 8 763 95 59
