KBC Groupe NV

Major Shareholding Notification • Jul 18, 2017

Press release

Outside trading hours – Regulated information*

Brussels, 18 July 2017, 18 h

Publication of a transparency notification received by KBC Group NV

(art. 14, 1st section of the Act of 2 May 2007 concerning the disclosure of significant participations)

Summary of the notification

KBC Group NV has received a transparency notification dated 13 July 2017, which states that BlackRock Inc., as a result of a net purchase of shares, now has crossed the reporting threshold of 5%.

Content of the notification

The notification contains following information:

• Reason for the notification: acquisition or disposal of voting securities or voting rights
• Notification by: BlackRock Inc.
• Persons subject to the notification requirement: see annex 1
• Date on which the threshold is crossed: 11 July 2017
• Threshold that is crossed: 5% (KBC Group's Articles of Association set a notification threshold of 3% of the total number of voting rights. In addition, the legal thresholds of 5% or any multiple thereof also apply)
• Denominator (number of shares KBC Group NV): 418 372 082
• Notified details: see annex 1
• Chain of controlled undertakings through which the holding is effectively held: "BlackRock inc is the ultimate controller, but the legal entities detailed in annex 1 are the discretionary Investment Managers who holds the shares and exercise the voting rights."
• The relevant notification is available at www.kbc.com > Investor relations > Shareholder information > Shareholder structure.

For more information, please contact:

Wim Allegaert, General Manager, Investor Relations, KBC Group Tel + 32 2 429 50 51 – E-mail: wim.allegaert@kbc.be

Viviane Huybrecht, General Manager, Corporate Communication/Spokesperson, KBC Group Tel + 32 2 429 85 45 – E-mail: pressofficekbc@kbc.be

* This press release contains information provided in compliance with European transparency legislation for listed companies. KBC Group NV is listed at NYSE Brussels.

KBC Group NV Havenlaan 2 – 1080 Brussels Viviane Huybrecht General Manager, Corporate Communication/ Spokesperson Tel. + 32 2 429 85 45

Press Office Tel. + 32 2 429 65 01 Tel. + 32 2 429 29 15 Fax + 32 2 429 81 60 E-mail:pressofficekbc@kbc.be

KBC press releases are available at www.kbc.com or can be obtained by sending an e-mail to pressofficekbc@kbc.be

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Annex 1:

A) Voting rights	Previous notification	After the transaction
	# of voting rights		# of voting rights	% of voting rights
Holders of voting rights		Linked to securities	Not linked to the securities	Linked to securities	Not linked to the securities
BlackRock, Inc.	0	0		0,00%
BlackRock (Netherlands) B.V.	35.940	35.940		0,01%
BlackRock (Singapore) Limited	11.328	11.328		0,00%
BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited	1.882.584	2.059.771		0,49%
BlackRock Advisors, LLC	277.183	284.408		0,07%
BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited	114.748	114.748		0,03%
BlackRock Asset Management Deutschland AG	1.484.512	1.487.642		0,36%
BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited	2.091	2.116		0,00%
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.	81.314	81.324		0,02%
BlackRock Fund Advisors	3.650.872	3.651.151		0,87%
BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, National Association	3.658.340	3.652.520		0,87%
BlackRock International Limited	143.157	143.157		0,03%
BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited	76.311	76.311		0,02%
BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited	8.196.682	8.185.838		1,96%
BlackRock Investment Management, LLC	548.427	548.427		0,13%
BlackRock Japan Co., Ltd.	408.069	407.375		0,10%
Subtotal	20.571.558	20.742.056		4,96%
	TOTAL	20.742.056	0	4,96%	0,00%

B) Equivalent financial instruments	After the transaction
Holders of equivalent financial instruments	Type of financial instrument		Expiration date Exercise period or date	# of voting rights that may be acquired if the instrument is exercised	% of voting rights	Settlement
BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited	Securities Lent			3.305	0,00%	physical
BlackRock Japan Co., Ltd.	Securities Lent			31.977	0,01%	physical
BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited	Contract For Difference			1.206	0,00%	cash
BlackRock Advisors, LLC	Contract For Difference			162	0,00%	cash
BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, National Association	Contract For Difference			114.222	0,03%	cash
BlackRock International Limited	Contract For Difference			3.492	0,00%	cash
BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited	Contract For Difference			74.659	0,02%	cash
BlackRock Investment Management, LLC	Contract For Difference			6.030	0,00%	cash
BlackRock Investment Management, LLC	Depository Receipt			1.809	0,00%
	TOTAL			236.862	0,06%

	# of voting	% of voting
TOTAL (A & B)	rights	rights
	20.978.918	5,01%

Name	Address (for legal entities)
BlackRock, Inc.	55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY, 10055, U.S.A.
BlackRock (Netherlands) B.V.	Rembrandt Tower, 17th floor, Amstelplein, Amsterdam, Netherlands
BlackRock (Singapore) Limited	20 Anson Road #18-01, Singapore, 79912, Singapore
BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited	12 Throgmorton Avenue, London, EC2N 2DL, U.K.
BlackRock Advisors, LLC	100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, DE, 19809, U.S.A.
BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited	161 Bay Street, Suite 2500, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2S1, Canada
BlackRock Asset Management Deutschland AG	Max-Joseph-Straße 6, Munich, 80333, Germany
BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited	15/F, 16/F, 17/F Citibank Tower & 17/F ICBC Tower, 3 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.	55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY, 10055, U.S.A.
BlackRock Fund Advisors	400 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA, 94105, U.S.A.
BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, National Association	400 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA, 94105, U.S.A.
BlackRock International Limited	Exchange Place One, 1 Semple Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8BL, U.K.
BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited	Level 37, Chifley Tower, 2 Chifley Square, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia
BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited	12 Throgmorton Avenue, London, EC2N 2DL, U.K.
BlackRock Investment Management, LLC	1 University Square Drive, Princeton, NJ, 8540, U.S.A.
BlackRock Japan Co., Ltd.	1-8-3 Marunouchi Chiyoda-ku, Trust Tower Main, Tokyo, 100-8217, Japan