• Strong operating business drives growth
• Equity up by 6.9%, tier 1 capital ratio at 18.3%
• Proposal to raise dividend from EUR 1.0 to EUR 1.45

Linz, 3 March 2023

Oberbank closed the financial year 2022 with the best results in its history. Net interest income was up (+17.3% to EUR 406.1 million) and net commission income also increased again (+7.8% to EUR 206.9 million). The Corporate and Business Banking segment accounted for around 80% of growth.

Profit from investments accounted for by the equity method moved into the normal range in the course of the year (from -9.5% to EUR 90.7 million) and risk provisions increased slightly from the exceptionally low levels of the preceding years (+16.2% to EUR 41.5 million). Net profit for the year before tax was EUR 295.3 million (+4.7% year on year) and net profit after tax was EUR 243.3 million (+3.7%).

"Our robust operating business made it possible for us to achieve the best result in the history of Oberbank despite the adverse environment", stated a pleased CEO Franz Gasselsberger about the excellent earnings and continued with good news for shareholders: “The Supervisory Board and Management Board will propose to the Annual General Meeting to raise the dividend from EUR 1.0 to EUR 1.45”.

Highlights of the operating business

The lending volume rose by 4.2% to EUR 19.2 billion in 2022 of which EUR 15.1 billion were commercial loans. The leasing business expanded by 21.4% to over EUR 2.6 billion.

Oberbank ranked first in investment finance with a market share of 23% and second in export finance with a volume of EUR 1.7 billion.

The strong growth in primary funds of 3.0% to EUR 17.9 billion is an expression of the trust customers place in Oberbank's creditworthiness. Oberbank is one of the best-rated banks in Austria with a high, steadily rising equity ratio.

"Deposits are the basis of our business, and branches are enormously important for attracting depositors", explained Franz Gasselsberger speaking about the growth strategy.

Private Banking & Asset Management is the area that contributed the most to the renewed rise in net fee and commission income. The difficult environment in 2022 increased demand for investment advisory services. Demand for investment funds was unbroken and 22.7% of net inflows went into sustainable investment funds. Oberbank's performance in corporate and business banking also contributed significantly to the increase in net fee and commission income.

Performance indicators improve again

Key performance ratios improved again, especially, the equity ratio: shareholders' equity increased by 6.9% to EUR 3.55 billion. The tier 1 capital ratio is 18.3%. This makes Oberbank one of the best-capitalised banks and ranks it among top European credit institutions.

Therefore, Standard & Poor's “A” rating was confirmed and the outlook raised.

The cost/income ratio of 48.75% is outstanding and well on the way to attaining the strategic targets.

Sustainability – Oberbank's prime rating for sustainability management has been confirmed.

Outlook for the current year 2023

Oberbank made a strong start into the year 2023:

• The operating business, especially lending, is doing very well. The services business developed somewhat weaker.
• Credit growth was robust across the board in commercial lending
• Credit risk remains low

Due to the high degree of uncertainty, it is not possible to provide a reliable outlook for the full year 2023.

Contact

Beatrix Putz

+43 / 732 / 7802 37247

+43 / 664 / 805565 380

beatrix.putz@oberbank.at

Press photos

Press photos are available for downloading at: www.oberbank.at/pressefotos

At today’s meeting, the Supervisory Board of Oberbank appointed Isabella Lehner as a new member to the Management Board of Oberbank AG. She will start in her new position on 1 May 2023 and succeeds Josef Weißl who is resigning from the Management Board at his own request. This opens the way for a new generation on the Management Board of Oberbank AG.

“By appointing Isabella Lehner, we are continuing the generational renewal on the Management Board of Oberbank," said Andreas König, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, commenting on the appointment. He also explained: "It was important for us to fill this position from within our own ranks, thus continuing our successful strategy of developing internal staff for positions on the Management Board from Oberbank's."

All responsibilities that were previously the remit of Management Board Florian Hagenauer including back office topics are now shared by two Board members. This is also in line with the expectations of the ECB for directly supervised banks, as became clear during the strategy project “Fit4EZB”.

Isabella Lehner will take over responsibility from Florian Hagenauer for organisational development, digitalisation & IT, and for the subsidiaries Oberbank Service GmbH and 3 Banken IT GmbH, and will also be the Board member in charge of sustainability at Oberbank.

Isabella Lehner (36) joined Oberbank in 2011 after graduating from Johannes Kepler University Linz with a degree in economics and since then has worked in a leading role on the development of Oberbank's digital services. Already in 2016, she was assigned management responsibilities for Online Marketing and Digital Services. In 2020, she was appointed Head of Personal Banking and in this position advanced the digitalisation of retail customer products and optimized internal processes. Since January 2022, she has been on the management team of the Strategic Organisational Development, Digitalisation & IT Department.

Based on the excellent performance of Martin Seiter who has responsibility for Sales, the Supervisory Board, at the request of the Nominations Committee, prolonged his mandate for another five years until 30 September 2028.

Foto credit: Sabine Kneidinger

This first successful step in generational renewal also makes the resignation of 64-year-old Josef Weißl – long-time partner of CEO Franz Gasselsberger – from the Management Board easier. Josef Weißl will gladly provide advice and support should his expertise and excellent customer contacts be needed.
Josef Weißl looks back at 40 years of successful work at Oberbank, 15 of them in a management function for the Bank's Salzburg operations, and since 2005, as a member of the Management Board.

"I cannot thank Josef Weißl enough for decades of working together productively. It is our common understanding that we are gradually making way for the next generation," said CEO Franz Gasselsberger, paying tribute to his fellow Board member.
As of 1 June 2023, the Management Board of Oberbank will consist of CEO Franz Gasselsberger, Florian Hagenauer, Martin Seiter and Isabella Lehner.

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