Hellenic Bank

Hellenic Bank Public Company Ltd (Greek: Ελληνική Τράπεζα Δημόσια Εταιρία Λτδ) (CSE: HB), is the second largest bank on the island of Cyprus with a 13.8% share of deposits (6.6 billion Euro) and 7.1% of the loans market (3.2 billion Euro) as of December 2014. By market capitalisation of 234 Million Euro as at 11 February 2016 it is the second largest Cypriot bank. Its shares are listed on the Cyprus Stock Exchange.

The bank was founded in 1976 with technical assistance from Bank of America and in 1996 it bought the local operations of Barclays Bank. A major shareholder (29%) was traditionally and for many years, the Church of Cyprus. Between November 2013 and December 2014, the Church's shareholding shrank to 4.2% making it the sixth largest shareholder after US based CPB FBO Third Point Hellenic Recovery Fund LP holding 26.3%, Belarus owned Wargaming Public Co Ltd holding 24.8%, Cyprus based Demetra Investments Public Ltd holding 10.6%, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development holding 5.4% and Canadian based Senvest International LLC/ Senvest Masterfund LP holding 5%. The board is composed of representatives of the top two shareholders.

Bank

A bank is a financial institution that creates credit by lending money to a borrower, thereby creating a corresponding deposit on the bank's balance sheet. Lending activities can be performed either directly or indirectly through capital markets. Due to their importance in the financial system and influence on national economies, banks are highly regulated in most countries. Most nations have institutionalized a system known as fractional reserve banking under which banks hold liquid assets equal to only a portion of their current liabilities. In addition to other regulations intended to ensure liquidity, banks are generally subject to minimum capital requirements based on an international set of capital standards, known as the Basel Accords.

Banking in its modern sense evolved in the 14th century in the rich cities of Renaissance Italy but in many ways was a continuation of ideas and concepts of credit and lending that had their roots in the ancient world. In the history of banking, a number of banking dynasties — notably, the Medicis, the Fuggers, the Welsers, the Berenbergs and the Rothschilds — have played a central role over many centuries. The oldest existing retail bank is Monte dei Paschi di Siena, while the oldest existing merchant bank is Berenberg Bank.

Hellenic

Hellenic is a synonym for Greek. It means either:

See also