Over three quarters of 2014, unaudited profit earned by AB SEB Bankas and AB SEB Bankas Group was, respectively, EUR 62.7 million and EUR 63.6 million.

Lithuania's economy, despite external geopolitical factors, was able to maintain growth, future expectations of consumers and business strengthened. The bank's current-year income has remained under the impact of the change-over to the euro and low interest rates – its income from foreign exchange and payment transactions as well as from issued loans has been decreasing, SEB said in a statement.

The country's economic development this year has been stimulated by the recent increase in household consumption and domestic investments. This has determined a rise, first time within a seven-year period, in SEB bank's total credit and leasing portfolio. Over a nine- month period, an increase in the net value amount issued in loans both to private individual and corporate customers has been 3%. At the same time, the bank's new loans have soared by 23 pe cent year-on-year, excluding one major transaction executed in 2014.

SEB continued advising small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which recently have been increasing investments in their development and other projects. An increase in new loans issued to SMEs within nine months of the current year has been as high as 36%. It is a significant growth over several recent years, indicating that business potential is getting stronger. Among the most active recent borrowers are commercial, industrial and agricultural sector SMEs.

A pickup in the real estate market and credit interest rates at historic lows has determined a 1.6% increase in gross value of the mortgage loans portfolio. Being advisory to SEB's customers on residential property purchase issues, over nine months of the current year we have issued mortgage loans worth EUR 192 million, which is an increase compared with the same period a year ago.

The total amount of deposits has increased, as compared to relevant three quarters of 2014, by nearly EUR 400 million, i.e. up to EUR 4.3 billion.

SEB's customers get increasingly accustomed to managing their simple daily financial matters on their own, via the Internet or on the screen of their smart phones. On the other hand, their need for quality professional financial advice at the bank is increasing – over nine months of the current year we have already had more than 43,000 personal financial advisory meetings with our private customers.

SEB observes further change in the population's habits managing their finances – within 9 months of 2015, payments by card have soared to reach EUR 882 million, which is an 18% increase as compared to a relevant period a year ago.

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