Annual Report • Apr 2, 2015
Annual Report
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KBC is an integrated bank-insurance group, catering mainly for retail, private banking, SME and mid-cap clients. We focus on our core markets of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria. We are also present in Ireland and, to a limited extent, in several other countries to support corporate clients from our core markets.
| Clients (estimate) | 10 million |
|---|---|
| Number of staff (in FTEs) | 36 187 |
| Bank branches | 1 601 |
| Insurance network | 459 agencies in Belgium, various distribution |
| channels in Central and Eastern Europe |
| Fitch | Moody's | Standard & Poor's | |
|---|---|---|---|
| KBC Bank NV | A- | A2 | A |
| KBC Insurance NV | A- | – | A |
| KBC Group NV | A- | A3 | A |
| KBC Ancora | 18.6% |
|---|---|
| Cera | 2.7% |
| MRBB | 11.5% |
| Other core shareholders | 7.7% |
| Website | www.kbc.com | |
|---|---|---|
| KBC Telecenter | [email protected] |
Data relates to year-end 2014, unless otherwise indicated. For definitions and comments, please see the detailed tables and analyses in this report.
1 Client estimates for the five core markets and Ireland. Bank branches in the same geographical areas, plus the
group's international corporate branches.
2 Where appropriate, outlook/watch/review data for these ratings is given elsewhere in this report.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated balance sheet and assets under management, end of period (in millions of EUR) | |||||
| Total assets | 320 823 | 285 382 | 256 928 | 238 686 | 245 174 |
| Loans and advances to customers | 150 666 | 138 284 | 128 492 | 120 371 | 124 551 |
| Securities | 89 395 | 65 036 | 67 295 | 64 904 | 70 359 |
| Deposits from customers and debt securities | 197 870 | 165 226 | 159 632 | 161 135 | 161 783 |
| Technical provisions and liabilities under investment contracts, insurance | 29 948 | 26 928 | 30 058 | 30 488 | 31 487 |
| Total equity | 18 674 | 16 772 | 15 879 | 14 514 | 16 521 |
| Risk-weighted assets (Basel II to 2012, Basel III from 2013) | 132 034 | 126 333 | 102 148 | 91 216 | 91 236 |
| Assets under management | 208 813 | 192 795 | 155 216 | 162 977 | 185 704 |
| Consolidated income statement (in millions of EUR) | |||||
| Total income | 8 378 | 7 310 | 7 733 | 7 448 | 6 720 |
| Operating expenses | -4 436 | -4 344 | -4 248 | -3 843 | -3 818 |
| Impairment | -1 656 | -2 123 | -2 511 | -1 927 | -506 |
| Net result, group share | 1 860 | 13 | 612 | 1 015 | 1 762 |
| Basic earnings per share (in EUR) | 3.72 | -1.93 | -1.09 | 1.03 | 3.32 |
| Diluted earnings per share (in EUR) | 3.72 | -1.93 | -1.09 | 1.03 | 3.32 |
| Adjusted net result, group share | – | – | 1 496 | 960 | 1 629 |
| Belgium | – | – | 1 360 | 1 570 | 1 516 |
| Czech Republic | – | – | 581 | 554 | 528 |
| International Markets (Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Ireland) | – | – | -260 | -853 | -182 |
| Group Centre | – | – | -185 | -311 | -234 |
| Gender diversity | |||||
| Gender diversity in the workforce (percentage of women) | 60% | 59% | 58% | 57% | 57% |
| Gender diversity in the Board of Directors (percentage of women) | 4% | 4% | 10% | 15% | 22% |
| Environmental efficiency data for the KBC group in Belgium (per FTE) | |||||
| Electricity consumption (in GJ) | 24.3 | 21.3 | 20.8 | 21.3 | 21.2 |
| Gas and heating oil consumption (in GJ) | 15.0 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 16.0 | 12.7 |
| Distances travelled (in km; commuter and business travel) | 14 836 | 14 563 | 14 440 | 13 646 | 13 524 |
| Paper consumption (in tonnes) | 0.17 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.11 |
| Water consumption (in m3 ) |
9.3 | 8.2 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 9.1 |
| Greenhouse gas emissions (in tonnes) | 2.4 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 2.2 |
| KBC share | |||||
| Number of shares outstanding, end of period ('000) | 357 938 | 357 980 | 416 967 | 417 364 | 417 781 |
| Parent shareholders' equity per share, end of period (in EUR) | 32.8 | 28.7 | 29.0 | 28.3 | 31.4 |
| Average share price for the financial year (in EUR) | 32.6 | 22.3 | 17.3 | 32.8 | 43.1 |
| Share price at year-end (in EUR) | 25.5 | 9.7 | 26.2 | 41.3 | 46.5 |
| Gross dividend per share (in EUR) | 0.75 | 0.01 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 2.00 |
| Equity market capitalisation, end of period (in billions of EUR) | 9.1 | 3.5 | 10.9 | 17.2 | 19.4 |
| Financial ratios | |||||
| Return on equity | 12% | -6% | 1% | 9% | 14% |
| Return on equity (based on adjusted result*) | 11% | 5% | 9% | 9% | 13% |
| Cost/income ratio, banking (based on adjusted result*) | 56% | 60% | 57% | 52% | 57% |
| Combined ratio, non-life insurance | 100% | 92% | 95% | 94% | 94% |
| Credit cost ratio, banking | 0.91% | 0.82% | 0.71% | 1.21% | 0.42% |
| Common equity ratio, group (CET1; Basel III, fully loaded – Danish compromise method) | – | – | 10.5% | 12.8% | 14.3% |
| Net stable funding ratio (NSFR) | – | – | 105% | 111% | 110% |
| Liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) | – | – | 107% | 131% | 120% |
For definitions and comments, please see the detailed tables, analyses and glossary in this report. The adjusted results are described in the 'Consolidated results in 2014' section. The proposed dividend for 2014 is subject to the approval of the General Meeting of Shareholders. Certain figures for 2013 have been restated to take account of the retroactive application of IFRS 11 (see below).
* Up until year-end 2011, this ratio was based on the underlying result (defined in the 2012 Annual Report).
| Brief presentation of our group |
|---|
| Statement by the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer |
| Our business model and strategy |
| Consolidated results in 2014 |
| Information for shareholders and bondholders |
| Overview of our business units |
| Belgium |
| Czech Republic |
| International Markets |
| Group Centre |
| Risk management |
| Capital adequacy |
| Corporate governance statement |
To the reader
Company name: 'KBC', 'we', 'the group' or 'the KBC group' as used in this annual report refer to the consolidated entity, i.e. KBC Group NV plus all the group companies included in the scope of consolidation. 'KBC Group NV' refers solely to the parent company.
Translation: This annual report is available in Dutch, French and English. The Dutch version is the original; the other language versions are unofficial translations. KBC warrants that every reasonable effort has been made to avoid any discrepancies between the different language versions. However, should such discrepancies exist, the Dutch version will take precedence.
Disclaimer: The expectations, forecasts and statements regarding future developments that are contained in this annual report are based on assumptions and assessments made when drawing up this report. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve uncertainty. Various factors could cause actual results and developments to differ from the initial statements.
Among other things, Articles 96 and 119 of the Belgian Companies Code specify the minimum content of company and consolidated financial statements required by law. This information has been incorporated into the different sections of the 'Report of the Board of Directors', which also contains additional, non-compulsory information. To avoid repetition, reference is sometimes made to information presented in other sections of this report. Pursuant to Article 119, KBC Group NV has combined the reports for its company and consolidated financial statements. The Risk Report, the CSR Report and the websites referred to in certain sections do not form part of the annual report.
| 174 | Statutory auditor's report |
|---|---|
| 176 | Consolidated income statement |
| 177 | Consolidated statement of comprehensive income |
| 178 | Consolidated balance sheet |
| 179 | Consolidated statement of changes in equity |
| 180 | Consolidated cashflow statement |
| 182 | Notes on the accounting policies |
| 182 | Note 1 a: Statement of compliance |
| 183 | Note 1 b: Summary of significant accounting policies |
| 189 | Notes on segment reporting |
| 189 | Note 2: Segment reporting based on the management structure |
| 194 | Notes to the income statement |
| 194 | Note 3: Net interest income |
| 194 | Note 4: Dividend income |
| 195 | Note 5: Net result from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss |
| 196 | Note 6: Net realised result from available-for-sale assets |
| 196 | Note 7: Net fee and commission income |
| 197 | Note 8: Other net income |
| 198 | Note 9: Insurance results |
| 199 | Note 10: Earned premiums, life insurance |
| 200 | Note 11: Non-life insurance per class of business |
| 201 | Note 12: Operating expenses |
| 201 | Note 13: Personnel |
| 202 | Note 14: Impairment (income statement) |
| 203 | Note 15: Share in results of associated companies and joint ventures |
| 203 | Note 16: Income tax expense |
| 204 | Note 17: Earnings per share |
| 205 | Notes on the financial assets and liabilities on the balance sheet |
| 206 | Note 18: Financial assets and liabilities, breakdown by portfolio and product |
| 208 | Note 19: Financial assets and liabilities, breakdown by portfolio and geographic location |
| 209 | Note 20: Financial assets and liabilities, breakdown by portfolio and remaining term to maturity |
| 209 | Note 21: Financial assets, breakdown by portfolio and quality |
| 211 | Note 22: Maximum credit exposure and offsetting |
| 213 | Note 23: Fair value of financial assets and liabilities – general |
| 215 | Note 24: Financial assets and liabilities measured at fair |
value – fair value hierarchy
| 255 | Balance sheet, income statement and profit |
|---|---|
| appropriation | |
| 257 | Notes to the company annual accounts |
| 262 | Capital transactions and guarantee agreements with the government in 2008 and 2009 |
|---|---|
| 263 | Glossary of ratios |
People are not solitary creatures. We prefer instead to live together in family units, to make friends and to develop networks. In a globalising world, our networks can help us go far, or bring us surprisingly close together.
Throughout this report, we follow two KBC members of staff, Stefan Garaleas and Katka Hamersky. He has Greek roots and she is from the Czech Republic. Love blossomed in Brussels, where Katka was following a training course at KBC. After deciding to set up home in Belgium, they married and had two kids, Alexander and Sofia. Stefan and Katka are keen basketball players, have many interests and a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. Their international relationships take us from the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia to Ireland and back.
.
| 217 | Note 25: Financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value – transfers between levels 1 and 2 |
|---|---|
| 218 | Note 26: Financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value – focus on level 3 |
| 220 | Note 27: Changes in own credit risk |
| 221 | Note 28: Reclassification of financial assets and liabilities |
| 222 | Note 29: Derivatives |
| 225 | Notes on other balance sheet items |
| 225 | Note 30: Other assets |
| 225 | Note 31: Tax assets and tax liabilities |
| 226 | Note 32: Investments in associated companies and joint ventures |
| 227 | Note 33: Property and equipment and investment property |
| 228 | Note 34: Goodwill and other intangible assets |
| 230 | Note 35: Technical provisions, insurance |
| 232 | Note 36: Provisions for risks and charges |
| 234 | Note 37: Other liabilities |
| 234 | Note 38: Retirement benefit obligations |
| 238 | Note 39: Parent shareholders' equity, non-voting core-capital securities and additional tier-1 instruments |
| 239 | Other notes |
| 239 | Note 40: Commitments and guarantees granted and received |
| 240 | Note 41: Leasing |
| 241 | Note 42: Related-party transactions |
| 242 | Note 43: Statutory auditor's remuneration |
| 242 | Note 44: Subsidiaries, joint ventures and associated companies at year-end 2014 |
| 249 | Note 45: Main changes in the scope of consolidation |
| 249 | Note 46: Non-current assets held for sale and discontinued operations (IFRS 5) |
| 250 | Note 47: Risk management |
251 Note 49: General information on the company
Our music revolves around teamwork Orsi Horvath
Orsi Horvath, neighbour of Stefan's parents and violinist from Hungary.
Creation: formed in 1998 after the merger of two large Belgian banks (the Kredietbank and CERA Bank) and a large Belgian insurance company (ABB Insurance).
Core markets: Belgium, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria. Elsewhere in the world, a presence in Ireland and, to a limited extent, in several other countries.
integrated bank-insurance.
approximately 10 million clients worldwide.
Our vision and strategy
Our vision: to be the reference for bank-insurance in all our core markets.
Our strategy: to be one of the bestperforming, retail-oriented financial institutions in Europe, by:
Network: approximately 1 600 bank branches worldwide, insurance sales via own agents and other channels, together with various electronic channels. Total assets: 245 billion euros; total equity: 16.5 billion euros.
Data relates to year-end 2014. For definitions and comments, please see the detailed tables and analyses in this report.
• Repayment of 0.33 billion euros in state aid (plus 50% penalty) to the Flemish Regional Government.
• Placement of a CRD IV-compliant additional tier-1 instrument for 1.4 billion euros.
• Announcement that a series of classic tier-1 securities would be called.
• KBC launches the 'Room for improvement' campaign to encourage entrepreneurship in Belgium.
• Announcement during an Investor Day of the updated strategy and introduction of new financial targets for the group and each business unit.
• Publication of second-quarter results for 2014: consolidated net profit of 317 million euros, adjusted net profit of 287 million euros. New Hungarian legislation on retail loans negatively impacts the figures.
collapsed.
November
11
• Issue of 750 million euros in tier-2 instruments.
• February 2015: Publication of fourth-quarter results for 2014: consolidated net profit of 457 million euros, adjusted net profit of 477 million euros. For 2014 as a whole, profit came to 1 762 million euros, or 1 629 million euros on an adjusted basis.
• March 2015: Publication of the new ECB capital and liquidity requirements, which KBC comfortably exceeds.
More detailed information on the events summarised above can be found in the relevant sections.
KBC turned a fresh page in its history in 2014. We have learned lessons from the worst financial crisis in recent decades. We completed our divestment programme and reduced our CDO portfolio to zero. With our capital position, liquidity and profitability all at robust levels, we can now fully devote ourselves to the future and aim to become the reference for bank-insurance in all our core markets.
Thomas Leysen, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Johan Thijs, CEO, reflect below on the main events of the past year.
Thomas Leysen: The time had come to turn a new page. We've slimmed our group down and made it fighting fit; we've rigorously implemented our divestment plan and have already repaid most of the state aid we received; and we've also scaled back our CDO exposure – the most significant legacy of the past – to zero. What's more, a great deal of uncertainty about Basel III, the European banking union and other regulatory matters has gradually dissipated.
Johan Thijs: Our key message is that we want to become one of the best-performing, retail-oriented financial institutions in Europe. Nothing more, nothing less. We aim to achieve that by continuing to focus on our successful bank-insurance model in our core markets, in a cost-effective manner. We will concentrate on sustainable and profitable growth within a framework of strong risk, capital and liquidity management, and we aim to create outstanding client satisfaction through a seamless, multichannel and client-centric distribution approach. This approach is designed to meet our clients' preferences in terms of contact opportunities. Our extensive network of bank branches and insurance agencies obviously remains crucial to us as a bank-insurer, as those are the places where we can engage with our clients directly. But we have also fully committed ourselves to digital systems in our new strategy.
Thomas Leysen: Our net result for 2014 is indeed a solid one, which also reflects the persistent strength of our business model. Moreover, we combine our solid levels of profitability and efficiency with robust solvency and liquidity, which we will return to later. It all fits perfectly into our strategy of profitable growth, set firmly in a framework of strong risk, capital and liquidity management.
Johan Thijs: Our net result rose by 747 million euros compared to last year and came to
▲ Thomas Leysen and Johan Thijs
1 762 million euros. Leaving aside non-operating items, such as the valuation of CDOs and results relating to divestments, our adjusted result amounted to 1 629 million euros, an impressive increase on the 960 million euros posted in 2013. And this was achieved despite a number of negative items, such as the provision of 183 million euros (after tax) we set aside in response to stringent new Hungarian legislation on retail loans and the negative (after tax) marked-to-market valuation of 135 million euros for derivatives used for asset/liability management purposes. We owe the good final result to our strong commercial performance, especially in Belgium and the Czech Republic, our two most important markets, as well as to the less negative result in Ireland after significant additional loan loss provisions had been set aside at the end of 2013.
Thomas Leysen: It goes without saying that profitability is important for any business. Sustainable profitability, however, means that we focus primarily on our performance in the long term. Corporate sustainability also means that we put our clients' interests at the heart of everything we do; that we place our operations within a framework of stringent risk management; and, lastly, that we take account of society's expectations and engage in dialogue with our stakeholders. We realise all too well that our reputation is something fragile and that it is built on the totality of our actions.
Johan Thijs: Corporate sustainability also means transparent reporting, with an eye to all our stakeholders. It's broader, therefore, than pure financial reporting. That's why we began to move towards consistent and integrated reporting of financial and non-financial information in 2014. We believe that good communication in general is extremely important. We were delighted, therefore, to follow up the 'Best Financial Information' award we received in 2013 from the Belgian Association of Financial Analysts with IR Magazine's 2014 award for 'Best Investor Relations in Belgium'.
Johan Thijs: We did indeed complete the divestment phase in 2014 by finalising the agreement on the sale of KBC Bank Deutschland, which had been signed some time previously. The originally planned sale of Antwerp Diamond Bank did not go ahead, so we decided to run down its loan portfolio and operations in a gradual and orderly manner. We also closed the CDO chapter in 2014 by collapsing the final two CDOs in our portfolio at the beginning of October. We're now slimmed down and fighting fit: our focus and area of operation have been clearly marked out, our objectives set and our structure optimised.
Thomas Leysen: We are not planning to broaden our geographical focus or to alter it significantly. Our sole aim is to optimise our current geographical presence and become a reference in bank-insurance in our core countries of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria. If necessary or opportune, therefore, we will consolidate our presence in these core countries by means of organic growth or attractive add-on acquisitions, but only if this fits in with our strategy and is in line with clear and strict financial criteria.
Thomas Leysen: The situation at year-end 2014 is this: we have already repaid the entire 3.5 billion euros in aid from the Belgian Federal Government and 1.5 billion of the 3.5 billion euros in aid from the Flemish Regional Government, plus a penalty in both cases. That now leaves a further 2 billion euros in state aid to be repaid, together with a 50% penalty. As a
result of that penalty and the interest we have paid, the government has earned a good return on the aid it provided. We intend to repay this aid in full by no later than the end of 2017. That's considerably earlier, by the way, than originally agreed with the European Commission.
Johan Thijs: Our solvency position strengthened further even after the repayment of state aid. Our fully loaded Common Equity Tier-1 Ratio under Basel III, according to the Danish compromise method, stood at 14.3% at the end of 2014. That means the ratio is well above our own target of 10.5%, which we further tightened in 2014. Our liquidity position remains as solid as ever, as demonstrated by our LCR and NSFR ratios, which stood at 120% and 110% respectively at year-end 2014. The result of the ECB's comprehensive assessment in October also shows our ability to meet strict solvency requirements, even in negative scenarios.
Johan Thijs: If we focus on our most important region – the euro area – we saw limited real growth of 0.8% in 2014, with factors like a more growth-friendly budget policy, a weaker euro and a gradual improvement in the labour market supporting that growth. On the other hand, geopolitical tensions weighed on sentiment until the summer. Growth in the euro area started to improve again slightly from the third quarter on. A striking feature, incidentally, was the relatively good economic performance in 2014 of Central European economies like the Czech Republic, Hungary and Bulgaria, compared with the euro area average. Like other energy-importing economies, the euro area has benefited from the sharp fall in the price of oil since mid-2014, which should also provide an additional boost to growth in 2015, not least in Belgium. The prospects for our Central European core markets likewise remain above the euro area average. As in the second half of 2014, lower energy prices will ensure that inflation and interest rates remain at low levels for a while to come.
Thomas Leysen: So, we are looking ahead with a sense of confidence at KBC. We have tightened up our strategy, set our long-term
goals and are now fully focused on the further development of our bank-insurance group. Paramount in this regard is putting the client firmly centre stage.
We would also like to express our gratitude once again to the Belgian and the Flemish governments, which have helped us through a difficult period in recent years. The fact that we are now back in shape is equally due, however, to the unflagging support and trust of all our stakeholders, most notably our clients, our staff and our shareholders. We remain totally committed to retaining that confidence.
Johan Thijs Thomas Leysen
Chief Executive Officer Chairman of the Board of Directors
Part 1: Our business model
How do we create value for all our stakeholders?
We announced our group's updated strategy and targets at an Investor Day in June 2014. Our aim is to be one of the best-performing, retail-oriented financial institutions in Europe. To achieve this, we will concentrate on sustainable, cost-effective and profitable growth, set in a framework of robust risk, capital and liquidity management. Client satisfaction is central to our model, which we will pursue through a seamless, multi-channel, client-centric distribution approach. In the following section, we provide a concise and integrated account of our group's current business model and strategy. To find out more about a particular aspect, please refer to the other sections of this annual report and to our other group publications.
As a major player in our core markets, we make a crucial contribution to the economic and social system of the countries concerned. We create value in a variety of ways for a range of different parties through our banking and insurance activities.
In our capacity as a bank, we ensure that our clients can use our savings accounts to put their money away safely. We also offer a wide and varied range of other savings and investment products, including ones with capital protection. In this way, savers and investors of every kind can grow their assets in keeping with their personal risk profile. They can also rely on the expertise and advice provided by our staff through our different distribution channels.
We use money acquired through deposits to provide loans to private individuals and businesses, so that the money is put to work to the benefit of society.
Our loan portfolio contains loans not only to individuals and businesses, but also to specific sectors and target groups, such as the social profit sector (hospitals, retirement and nursing homes, educational institutions, local authorities and the like). We also provide funding to infrastructure projects that have a major impact on economic development in Belgium (Public Private Partnerships to fund sports halls in Flanders, funding of road schemes, etc.) and to the development of green energy projects (for instance, by funding various onshore wind projects).
An overview of our loan portfolio and deposit base in each individual country is provided in 'Our position in the main markets'.
In addition to deposit, investment and loan products, we offer our clients a variety of other banking services, including payments, money and capital market operations, brokerage and corporate finance, trade finance, cash management and leasing. In this way too, we contribute to the economic system.
In other words, we bring together investors, individuals and businesses and offer them a wide range of financial products and services that meet their requirements and needs, making us a driver of the real local economies in our core markets.
As a large-scale insurer in Belgium and most of our core markets in Central and Eastern Europe, we give our clients the opportunity to operate free of worry and to limit their risks. The relevance of insurance for the economy and for society as a whole speaks for itself. It is the ideal means of covering the risks associated with activities that are essential in our day-to-day lives. For instance, without car insurance, goods and people would not be transported; without public liability insurance, businesses could not be run; without fire insurance, property would not be protected; without industrial accident insurance, people would not be protected at work; and without income and health insurance, health care would become unaffordable. In this regard, we have a tradition going back many years of working closely with numerous organisations that are involved in road safety, welfare and victim assistance. We are therefore totally committed as an insurer to 'prevention', and would even go as far to say that 'prevention' is in our genes. Preventing human suffering and focusing on values such as safety, security, health and concern for victims are just some of the social objectives we have given ourselves, which is reflected in our awareness-raising campaigns (such as the 'Mums Know Best Safety Shop') among other initiatives.
To put it briefly, clients can turn to us for deposit products and asset management services to grow their assets; for loans to realise their dreams and projects; and for insurance to protect those dreams and projects. In this way, we create added value in various fields for our stakeholders and for society as a whole.
We are a major employer too in all our core markets, which likewise enables us to contribute to local prosperity.
| Group focus | What differentiates us from our peers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Geographical | Clients | Activity | |
| • Core countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria • Presence in Ireland • Elsewhere in the world: limited presence to support activities in our core markets |
• Private individuals • SMEs • Mid-cap enterprises |
• Integrated bank insurance |
• Integrated bank-insurance model Why? Optimised one-stop offering for clients, integrated group management, enhanced diversification and spreading of risk. • Local responsiveness Why? Product and service offering tailored to local clients in each market, focus on sustainable development of the group and the communities in which we operate, affinity with local clients. • Geographical focus Why? Mix of mature and growth markets, growth and catch-up potential for financial services in Central and Eastern Europe. • Core shareholder syndicate Why? Contributes to our group's stability, continuity and long-term thinking. |
| 10 | 36 000 | 5 | 245 |
| million | employees | core | billion euros in |
| clients | (FTEs) | countries | total assets |
Our basic activities are banking and insurance, including asset management. However, we are more than just a bank and an insurance company: we are a bank-insurer, and as such we want to respond in a proactive and holistic way to all our clients' financial needs, in the broadest sense. We position ourselves as an integrated bank-insurer in our organisation too. This means that, apart from the pure banking and insurance product factories, virtually all our services operate at group level and that the group is also managed in an integrated style.
Our bank-insurance concept offers clients a number of benefits, including a comprehensive one-stop financial service that meets all their banking, asset management and insurance needs. Clients can select from a wider, complementary and optimum range of products and services, enabling them to choose the best product mix for them individually. Moreover, working together in the area of bank-insurance offers major benefits to the group in terms of diversifying income, enhanced risk diversification, additional sales potential through the leveraging of our extensive bank and insurance distribution channels, and significant cost-savings and synergies.
Geographically, we concentrate on a strict selection of core markets in Belgium and Central and Eastern Europe. These core markets are those in which we have a banking and insurance presence, namely Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria. These countries were chosen over time, beginning with Belgium as the country of origin. We gradually strengthened our presence in specific Central and Eastern European markets where the companies in question were strongly embedded at the local level.
In this way, we operate within a mix of mature and growth markets, while also taking advantage of the additional growth and catch-up potential for financial services in Central and Eastern Europe. All other activities that do not contribute to supporting client relationships in these core markets will, in principle, be discontinued. Ireland remains an exception. In the years ahead, our operations in that country will focus on raising profitability by developing the retail business.
In the core countries where we have a presence, we want to build and deepen sustainable local relationships with private individuals, SMEs and mid-caps. Local responsiveness is very important to us in that regard. It implies that we understand these local clients better, that we pick up signals effectively and respond to them proactively, and that we offer products and services tailored to these local needs. It also means that we focus on the sustainable development of the markets and communities in which we operate.
▲ KBC employees, Stefan Garaleas and Katka Hamersky
More information on each business unit and country can be found in the 'Our business units' section.
Our business culture is focused on a sustainable, long-term bank-insurance relationship with our clients.
We use the acronym 'PEARL' to define that culture.
These letters stand for 'Performance' (we are dedicated to delivering outstanding results in everything we do and strive to continuously improve the quality of our products and services), 'Empowerment' (we give our employees the room and opportunity to develop their professional skills), 'Accountability' (we accept our individual responsibilities and disclose our results in a transparent manner), 'Responsiveness' (we anticipate and respond readily to the questions and suggestions of our clients and employees) and 'Local Embeddedness' (we embrace and respond to the diversity of our clients in our core markets).
We also champion three values for our employees, i.e. those of being 'Respectful' (showing respect for our internal and external clients), 'Responsive' (listening to clients and colleagues, and endeavouring to find a solution to their needs) and 'Results-driven' (delivering what we promise).
We have aligned the governance of our group with our strategic choices and our business model, and have ensured that this structure supports effective decision-making and individual accountability.
A simplified overview of the management structure is shown in the diagram below. Our group is essentially structured around three business units, which focus on the local business and are expected to contribute to sustainable earnings and growth. The business units are Belgium, the Czech Republic and International Markets (encompassing the activities in the other core countries in Central and Eastern Europe, namely Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria, and operations in Ireland).
The graphs below illustrate the importance of the different business units and countries.
More information on the Group Centre can be found in the 'Our business units' section.
Want to know more? More detailed information on the business units can be found in the 'Our business units' section.
The Board of Directors is responsible for defining general strategy and policy within our group. It decides on matters such as the overall risk appetite. The Executive Committee is responsible for the operational management of the group within the confines of the general strategy approved by the Board. To assume its specific responsibility towards financial policy and risk management, the Executive Committee appoints
Composition of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee (year-end 2014)
a chief financial officer (CFO) and a chief risk officer (CRO) from among its ranks.
The table contains details of the composition and diversity of our Board of Directors and our Executive Committee.
* Based on all qualifications (certain people have more than one degree).
The most important matters discussed by the Board of Directors in 2014 are listed in the 'Corporate governance statement' section.
Detailed information on our remuneration policy for senior management can also be found in that section, under 'Remuneration report'. The principle underpinning our remuneration policy for senior management – and indeed for all our staff – is that good performance deserves to be rewarded. It is only fair that every employee who works hard deserves to be properly rewarded for their efforts, including our senior management. What KBC pays its top managers certainly does not exceed the average paid at other European financial institutions. Indeed, our CEO's pay is clearly below that average, which is also the case when a comparison is made with the CEOs of other
BEL-20 companies. After the total remuneration package of the CEO and members of the Executive Committee was restructured in 2013, the variable component amounted to a maximum of 30% of total remuneration. On the advice of the Remuneration Committee, the Board of Directors determines the size of this component following an assessment of a number of quantitative and qualitative objectives, both per individual and as a group. In addition, the payment of 50% of the variable remuneration is spread over three years.
See the 'Corporate governance statement' section in this report and the group's Corporate Governance Charter at www.kbc.com.
The direct impact on the environment is often the first thing we associate with corporate sustainability and responsibility (CSR). This is certainly something we work at hard, making a continuous effort to reduce our ecological footprint and concentrating on both our direct and indirect impact on the environment. Ecology has an influence on our activities too. To give just one example, climate change (more extreme weather) can have a direct negative impact on our insurance results due to higher claim levels. KBC works in Belgium with the non-profit organisation ARGUS on various aspects of our environmental strategy.
Social impact is the other aspect of CSR that immediately comes to mind. We naturally remain sensitive to the social impact we have on the communities in which we operate, especially the urban areas where our business is focused, and we play an active role in patronage. Each of the group's business units engages in local community projects, the precise focus of which depends on local priorities and culture.
A brief idea of the ecological and social impact of our group is given in the table below.
| Selection of non-financial data | Scope | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity consumption | Belgium and the Czech Republic | 480 774 GJ | 480 382 GJ |
| Water consumption | Belgium and the Czech Republic | 302 708 m3 | 302 173 m3 |
| CO2 emissions |
Belgium and the Czech Republic | 56 244 tonnes | 56 107 tonnes |
| Charity sponsorship budget | Group as a whole | 4.1 million euros | 4.2 million euros |
We take a much broader view of sustainability, however, than environmental or social impact alone. What CSR means to us above all is that the client's interests are at the centre of everything we do, that we focus on our long-term performance, that we are responsive to the expectations of society, and that we surround all this with stringent risk management.
All these elements are embedded in our strategy for the future, which is discussed at length in the 'Our strategy' section.
Since CSR constitutes an integral part of our group's strategy, we have decided to switch to integrated reporting. The 'Our business model' and 'Our strategy' sections mark our first steps in that direction. We have consciously opted not to include a separate CSR section any longer, but to incorporate this information into the description of our model and our strategy. We also focus in this regard on a selection of what we consider the most relevant financial and non-financial data. We keep this deliberately concise, so that you are not overwhelmed by masses of information. For more details on a particular topic, please refer to the other sections of this annual report, to our other group reports, and to www.kbc.com.
| Want to |
|---|
| know more? |
A variety of tables containing environmental efficiency data can be found elsewhere in this annual report.
More information on corporate sustainability and responsibility can be found at www.kbc.com, under 'social responsibility'.
The table below contains an overview of major achievements realised by the group in the area of CSR in recent years. Our sustainable way of thinking has, moreover, been enshrined in our codes of conduct and policies, the most
important of which are listed. The full texts of these codes of conduct can be found at www.kbc.com, under 'social responsibility'.
| Stakeholder interaction programme | We organised the first structured survey of our stakeholders in Belgium in 2013. This was extended to our Czech Republic Business Unit in 2014. We also held a comprehensive stakeholder debate in May, during which we presented our third 'Report to Society'. |
|---|---|
| Creation of an External Advisory Board for Sustainability Analysis and a CSR Board |
In 2004, we set up an External Advisory Board to support our asset manager in the development of SRI funds. We established the CSR Board in 2014 as an international group of experts that supports and advises the management of the KBC group. |
| Separate CSR department and CSR committees in each country |
We took the decision in 2012 to set up a separate CSR department reporting directly to the CEO, with responsibility for drawing up and implementing a group-wide sustainability strategy. We set up CSR committees in our core countries and Ireland in 2014, tasked with reporting on this matter and implementing local and group-wide CSR policy guidelines. |
| Range of sustainable products | We have offered a range of SRI funds for some time now, including our Eco Funds and our Impact Investing Funds (in which clients invest with a measurable social and ecological impact, while simultaneously generating a financial return). The group also offers a variety of other sustainable products, including IBRD Green Bonds, green loans in Hungary (to fund ecologically efficient building improvements), the KBC Environmental Policy in Belgium (soil decontamination insurance for SMEs), and microfinance and microinsurance for projects in the Global South (via BRS). |
| Ongoing ecological efforts | We have launched a number of initiatives in recent years to reduce our ecological footprint. Examples include: • Efforts focused on our branch network and head offices: creating various energy-efficient branches in Belgium (so-called Bamboo branches); construction of ecologically efficient head offices in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Belgium (Ghent); etc. • Attaching ecological targets to the non-recurrent variable component of employees' pay in Belgium. • Active participation in various environmental initiatives, such as Leuven Klimaatneutraal 2030 in Leuven and Stadslab 2050 in Antwerp (initiatives to make urban areas climate-neutral) and the establishment of a Green Team in Ireland to raise environmental awareness and reduce our ecological footprint. • Various initiatives in all core countries to help cut down the use of water, energy and paper. • Various environmental certificates and prizes, including EMAS certification for our Belgian head office, ISO 14001 certification for support services in Belgium, application for ISO 14001 certification for KBC Ireland, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for our head offices in the Czech Republic and Hungary, etc. |
|---|---|
| Drawing up of codes of conduct for society-related themes |
We have drafted codes of conduct for key themes, including: • Ethics & Fraud Policy • Whistleblower Protection Policy • Anti-Money Laundering Policy • Anti-Corruption Policy • Anti-Corruption Policy Statement • Controversial Weapons Policy (includes blacklist) • General Investment Policy • Soft Commodity Policy • Community Involvement Policy • Human Rights Statement • Environmental Policy • Investor Relations Policy • Customer Policy • Supplier Policy • Employee Policy • Responsible Tax Strategy • Employee Code of Conduct |
A summary of our market position and the economic context of our most important countries are given below. Definitions and a more detailed explanation of the information presented are given in the sections devoted to each of the business units in this annual report.
Market environment in Belgium in 2014
Market environment in the Czech Republic in 2014
Market environment in Hungary in 2014
Forecast real GDP growth of 2.4% in 2015.
Bulgaria • Main brands: CIBANK and DZI Insurance
Market environment in Bulgaria in 2014
Market environment in Ireland in 2014
We included an overview of our most important financial data (balance sheet figures, results, share data, financial ratios) and their development over the past five years under 'Key figures' at the beginning of this annual report. We carried out an onerous divestment programme during that period, as reflected in the steady decline in our total assets. That programme has now been completed. Our business model remained profitable and efficient in the years in question, despite the difficult market conditions. This was demonstrated in part by the change in our adjusted net
profit (to put it simply, net profit corrected for the influence of divestments and CDOs) and our cost/income ratio. During that time, we also maintained a strong capital base. We take a closer look at the financial results in the 'Consolidated results in 2014' section.
Net profit (adjusted, in millions of EUR)
| Selection of financial data* | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (KBC group as a whole) | 2013 | 2014 | change | |
| Total assets | millions of EUR | 238 686 | 245 174 | +3% |
| Loans and advances to customers | millions of EUR | 120 371 | 124 551 | +3% |
| Deposits from customers and debt securities | millions of EUR | 161 135 | 161 783 | +0% |
| Technical reserves, insurance (incl. unit-linked) | millions of EUR | 30 488 | 31 487 | +3% |
| Total equity | millions of EUR | 14 514 | 16 521 | +14% |
| Risk-weighted assets (fully loaded Basel III, Danish compromise method) |
millions of EUR | 91 216 | 91 236 | +0% |
| Net result | millions of EUR | 1 015 | 1 762 | +74% |
| Adjusted net result | millions of EUR | 960 | 1 629 | +70% |
| Total income (adjusted result) | millions of EUR | 7 127 | 6 647 | -7% |
| KBC share price (closing price, in EUR) | EUR | 41.3 | 46.5 | +13% |
| Gross dividend per share (proposal, in EUR) | EUR | 0.00 | 2.00 | – |
| Net interest margin | % | 1.90% | 2.08% | +0.18 percentage points |
| Cost/income ratio, banking (based on adjusted result) | % | 52% | 57% | +5 percentage points |
| Combined ratio, non-life insurance | % | 94% | 94% | +0.8 percentage points |
| Credit cost ratio | % | 1.21% | 0.42% | -0.79 percentage points |
| LCR | % | 131% | 120% | -11 percentage points |
| NSFR | % | 111% | 110% | -1 percentage point |
| Common equity ratio (fully loaded Basel III, Danish compromise method) |
% | 12.8% | 14.3% | +1.5 percentage points |
* The change in the different figures and ratios has been affected by various one-off factors. For more information, definitions and explanations, see the 'Consolidated results in 2014' section.
Cost/income ratio (based on adjusted results)
and a solid capital base
Common equity ratio
Detailed information on our financial performance can be found in our presentations and reports at www.kbc.com.
Recent years have been extremely turbulent and challenging ones for the world economy and for the financial sector in particular. Like many of our sector peers, we too were adversely affected by the financial crisis and had to adjust to the changed world.
A substantial proportion of our efforts therefore were focused on measures relating to repayment of the state aid we received and the associated divestment plan. At the same time, however, we redefined our strategy, thought about sustainability and developed numerous new products and services. An overview of what we achieved in those years, and which brought us to where we are today, is provided below.
| recent years | Explanation | this report |
|---|---|---|
| Stronger positioning of CSR within the organisation |
We refer in this regard to the 'Major CSR achievements in recent years' table in this section. |
'Our business model' section |
| Formulation and roll-out of an updated strategy |
We redefined our business model and strategy. With our focus on bank-insurance in five core countries, we aim to be one of Europe's best-performing retail oriented financial institutions. |
'Our strategy' section |
| Roll-out of a business-driven management structure and adjustment of highest management bodies |
We introduced a management structure based on three business units (Belgium, the Czech Republic and International Markets), which focus on the local business and are expected to contribute to sustainable earnings and growth. Over the past five years, we have reduced the number of members of our Board of Directors and our Executive Committee, and have introduced measures to enhance diversity (gender, background, nationality, etc.). |
'Our business model' section and 'Corporate governance statement' section |
| Major achievements in recent years |
Explanation | More information in this report |
|---|---|---|
| Key product renewals | We developed a variety of new products and services, including numerous innovative investment funds in different countries, the Bolero crowdfunding platform, and innovative funeral insurance and long-term care insurance in Belgium. We made enormous strides in the field of electronic and mobile banking and insurance, including the launch of various mobile apps in different countries, KBC Touch in Belgium, electronic power of attorney management, Start it @kbc (a platform for business start-ups) and various new websites. |
'Our business units' section |
| Advanced repayment of state aid and full implementation of the divestment plan imposed by Europe |
We received 7 billion euros in aid from the Belgian Federal and Flemish Regional governments in 2008 and 2009. By the end of 2014, 5 billion euros had already been repaid, and we intend to repay the full amount by the end of 2017. The provision of state aid was accompanied by the requirement to divest a number of group companies and activities. By the end of 2014, the divestment plan had been fully implemented. A list of group companies that have been sold can be found in the 'Group Centre' section. |
'Additional information' and the 'Our business units' section ('Group Centre') |
| Complete run-down of CDO portfolio and significant decline in GIIPS government bonds; implementation of various capital strengthening measures |
The main initiatives to help reduce our risk profile included the complete run-down of our CDO exposure (from 25 billion euros originally) and the sharp contraction in our portfolio of government paper from GIIPS countries (from 16 million euros to less than 5 billion euros). We strengthened our capital base, apart from the reserved profit, by measures including a capital increase in 2012, the sale of treasury shares in 2013 and the issue of loss-absorbing AT1 instruments in 2014. |
'Risk management' section and 'Capital adequacy' section |
Our strategy Part 2:
We want to be the reference for bank-insurance in all our core markets.
We want to build further on the strong foundations of our business model and to be one of Europe's best-performing retailorientated financial institutions, by:
We have integrated all this into a sustainable approach, while paying attention in everything we do, to:
putting the client's interests at the centre
being responsive to the expectations of society focusing on long-term performance
ensuring stringent risk management
We want to create added value for our clients by accurately meeting their needs in terms of financial products. Therefore, everything at KBC is based on the client's needs and not on our banking or insurance products and services. To ensure this happens, we analyse a raft of information in our databases. We want to allow clients to decide for themselves whether they want a more personalised approach and the resultant offering. Clients who so wish can then change their privacy requirements at any time. It is also the client who chooses how and when these products and services are provided and through which distribution channel. That's why
the different channels are accorded equal status at KBC and need to seamlessly complement and reinforce each other.
With this in mind, we intend to invest around 0.5 billion euros between 2014 and 2020.
Given that each of our core markets has its own local needs and focuses, each country will make the necessary changes and investments at its own pace to create a dynamic and client-centric distribution model. This will enable the optimum deployment of staff and efficient targeting of investments to where the client most needs it.
We want not only to respond to our clients' needs, but also to shield them from certain risks. As a bank, we are working in each of our core markets, for instance, on solutions for clients who need to get through a difficult financial period (by postponing repayment, adjusting credit terms, setting up debt repayment plans, etc.). As an insurer, our focus is firmly on prevention, health and safety, with a variety of prevention campaigns being launched throughout the year.
Since putting the interests of our clients at the centre of all we do is the cornerstone of our strategy, we want to be able to keep a close eye on the situation. That is why we are collecting their experiences in the various markets in which we are active and using that information to improve our services and products.
In 2014, we commissioned an external party to conduct a reputation study in all our core countries. Our company's reputation is influenced by a variety of factors (see diagram on page 33). Our group-wide reputation study gives us an idea of how our company is perceived as a bank-insurer and the opportunity to define actions in response. The general findings from the study indicated that confidence in the economic situation and in the financial sector in our core countries remains fairly low. Based on the individual scores, we will take initiatives in each country to improve the results.
This in itself is not enough for us, however: we also monitor and measure the client experience. This means reviewing responses to statements such as: 'Offers quality products and services', 'Offers transparent products and services', 'Is easy to interact with', 'Offers good value for money', 'Understands client needs'. Mystery shoppers are also deployed in order to ascertain whether our clients are being given top-quality advice that matches their profile.
We have also been using net promoter scores since 2014 to discover the attitude of clients in our core markets towards KBC, based on questions like 'How likely are you to recommend KBC to a friend or colleague?'. The net promoter score is calculated by subtracting the percentage of respondents with a score of 6 or less from the percentage with a score of 9 or 10. Monitoring these scores will be further refined in 2015.
The targets we set ourselves are naturally intended to raise the general level of client satisfaction, but we also want them to make everyone at our group aware of our client approach. Putting the client at the centre of all we do has to be in our DNA and must be part of our everyday routine.
The most important Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) relating to reputation and client satisfaction are set out in the table below.
| KPI | What | Target | 2014 result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reputation index | This tool gives a general idea of how 'being the reference' is perceived among key stakeholder groups, particularly, among the general public. The index reflects the overall public attitude towards the company and is influenced by the performance of seven manageable reputation drivers, which are also measured in this annual strategic study. The survey is performed and followed up by the external firm Ipsos. |
To be among the top performers in the financial benchmarks* in each country |
Belgium: progress Czech Rep.: achieved Slovakia: progress Hungary: achieved Bulgaria: achieved Ireland: progress |
| Client experience | Client experience is measured on the basis of responses to statements such as: 'Offers quality products and services', 'Offers transparent products and services', 'Is easy to interact with', 'Offers good value for money' and 'Understands client needs'. The survey is performed and followed up by the external firm Ipsos. |
To be among the top performers in the financial benchmarks* in each country |
Belgium: progress Czech Rep.: progress Slovakia: progress Hungary: achieved Bulgaria: achieved Ireland: progress |
* In Belgium: BNP Paribas Fortis, ING, Argenta, AXA, Ethias; in the Czech Republic: Air Bank, GE Money Bank, Cˇeská sporˇitelna, Komercˇní banka, Kooperativa pojišt'ovna , Cˇeská pojišt'ovna; in Hungary: OTP Bank, Erste Bank Hungary, Budapest Bank, CIB Bank, Raiffeisen Bank Hungary, UniCredit Bank Hungary; in Slovakia: Slovenská sporitel'nˇa , VUB Banka, Tatra banka, Prima banka, Sberbank Slovensko; in Bulgaria: CCB Bank, Allianz Bank Bulgaria, Piraeus Bank Bulgaria, Alpha Bank Bulgaria, Bulstrad, Armeec; in Ireland: Credit Union, Zurich Ireland, Permanent TSB, Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank, AIB. In the first instance, the scores relate solely to Flanders for Belgium, to CˇSOB Bank for the Czech Republic and to CIBANK for Bulgaria.
putting the client's interests at the centre
being responsive to the expectations of society
Our financial performance is important, but must above all be sustainable. This means not fixating on short-term returns, but focusing on long-term performance that contributes to sustainable growth.
We have deliberately opted, therefore, not to set a target for return on equity (ROE), because we want to be profitable on a sustainable basis and avoid getting caught up in the kind of shortterm thinking that means pursuing the highest possible ROE every quarter. At the same time, we have set a time horizon to 2017 for most of our financial targets and have embedded them in a stringent risk management framework, which will be discussed in more detail below.
Sustainable and long-term thinking also means focusing on the real local economies of the core markets in which we operate and that we do not invest, in principle, in exotic projects far beyond these markets. Speculative trading activities are likewise limited. Even though the new Banking Act of 25 April 2014 concerning speculative trading activities only came into force in 2015, we were already well below the specified limits at year-end 2014.
We view our presence in all our core countries (Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria) as a long-term commitment. We are not planning, moreover, to increase our geographical footprint or to alter it significantly. We want to further optimise our current geographical presence in order to become a reference in bank-insurance in each core country. We will consolidate our presence in these core countries by means of organic growth or attractive acquisitions, in line with clear and strict strategic and financial criteria, and will seek to be a market leader (top three for banking activities, top four for insurance activities) by 2020. The target for Ireland is to return to profitability from 2016, after which all options will be considered (growing organically into a profitable bank; building an attractive bankinsurance group; or selling a profitable bank).
A few of the most important strategic initiatives in the years ahead are set out per country in the table below.
| Belgium | • Seamless integration of the branch network via new, accessible and client-centric technologies. • More efficient utilisation of the potential of Brussels by launching a separate KBC Brussels brand. • Growth in Wallonia in selected market segments. • Further optimisation of the bank-insurance model by applying digital solutions and specific initiatives. |
|---|---|
| Czech Republic | • Switch from channel-centric to more client-centric approach. • Extension of offering to include non-financial products. • Ongoing simplification of processes. • Increasing bank-insurance activities. • Growth in selected areas, such as lending to SMEs and consumer finance. |
| Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Ireland |
• Transition from branch-oriented to hybrid distribution model, focus on growth in key segments, progress on efficiency, and growth in bank-insurance activities in Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria. • Switch from digitally led monoliner to fully fledged retail bank in Ireland. |
We intend to gradually strengthen our bankinsurance model in a cost-effective manner in all our core markets.
The roll-out of this model will occur in several phases in the various core markets. The bank-insurance business is already operating as a single company in Belgium, enabling it to achieve both commercial and non-commercial
the linked insurer plus insurance income for insurance products sold through bank branches.
synergies. In our other core countries (the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria), we want to create an integrated distribution model by no later than 2017, which will facilitate commercial synergies.
Uniting the banking and insurance activities in a single group generates added value for both clients and KBC (see 'Our business model'). Cross-selling of banking and insurance products in 2014 accounted for approximately 0.4 billion euros in revenue.
Sustainable and long-term thinking also means that we go beyond pure financial operations and deliver initiatives that offer genuine, long-term support for the local economies in which we operate.
The 'Start it' project in Belgium is an excellent example in this regard. We launched Start it @kbc in 2013 in response to the fact that the cost and other difficulties of creating a new business has been one of the main reasons for the decline in the number of start-ups in Flanders. The aim here is for KBC, together with
a number of partners, to help start-ups with various aspects of doing business, such as making contacts and developing a network. We have also made office space available to start-ups at the KBC Tower in Antwerp. The project is targeted primarily at businesses with an innovative approach that are capable of contributing to a sustainable local economy. The 'Start it' project has been extended in the
meantime to Hasselt, Ghent and Leuven. A total of 118 companies took part in the initiative in 2014.
We monitor our long-term performance and our focus on the real economy and sustainability via a number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the most important of which are listed in the table.
| KPI | What | Target | 2014 result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GROWTH AND EFFICIENCY | |||||
| CAGR of total income |
Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of total income. The calculation is based on the adjusted results, excluding fluctuations in value of the ALM derivatives used for asset/liability management purposes. |
2013–2017 Group: Belgium: Czech Rep.: ≥ 3% Slovakia: |
≥ 2.25% ≥ 2% ≥ 3% |
2013–2014 Group: Belgium: Czech Rep.: +3%1 Slovakia: |
0% +5% +1% |
| Hungary: Bulgaria: Ireland: |
≥ 4% ≥ 3% ≥ 25% |
Hungary: Bulgaria: Ireland: |
-40%1 / +3%1, 2 +4% +20% |
||
| CAGR of | Compound annual growth rate of: [fee and commission income received by the bank from the linked insurer] + [insurance income for |
2013–2017 Group: |
≥ 5% | 2013–2014 Group: |
-2% |
| gross bank insurance income |
insurance products sold by the bank]. | Belgium: Czech Rep.: ≥ 15% Slovakia: Hungary: Bulgaria: |
≥ 5% ≥ 10% ≥ 20% ≥ 5% |
Belgium: Czech Rep.: +12%1 Slovakia: Hungary: Bulgaria: |
-3% -5% +12%1 -14% |
| Cost/ income ratio |
[operating expenses of the banking activities] / [total income of the banking activities]. The calculation is based on the adjusted results. |
By 2017 Group: Belgium: Czech Rep.: ≤ 45% Slovakia: Hungary: Bulgaria: Ireland: |
≤ 53% ≤ 50% ≤ 58% ≤ 62% ≤ 67% ≤ 50% |
2014 Group: Belgium: Czech Rep.: 48% Slovakia: Hungary: Bulgaria: Ireland: |
57% 50% 62% 125% / 69%2 63% 96% |
| Combined ratio |
[technical insurance charges, including the internal cost of settling claims / earned insurance premiums] + [operating expenses / written insurance premiums] (for non-life insurance, and data after reinsurance). |
By 2017 Group: Belgium: Czech Rep.: ≤ 94% Slovakia: Hungary: Bulgaria: |
≤ 94% ≤ 94% ≤ 94% ≤ 96% ≤ 96% |
2014 Group: Belgium: Czech Rep.: 94% Slovakia: Hungary: Bulgaria: |
94% 94% 83% 96% 101% |
| KPI | What | Target | 2014 result |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY | |||
| Innovation | Innovation relates to: 'Launches innovative products/services faster than competitors', 'Continuously innovates to improve client experience', 'Exceeds client expectations', 'Uses advanced technologies'. The survey is performed and followed up by the external firm Ipsos. |
To be among the top performers in the financial benchmarks3 in each country |
Belgium: progress Czech Rep.: progress Slovakia: achieved Hungary: achieved Bulgaria: achieved Ireland: achieved |
| Position in sustainable funds |
Market share in SRI funds (based on KBC's own calculations) |
Market leadership in Belgium |
Yes (49% market share at end-September 2014) |
1 CAGR ratios calculated in local currency for the Czech Republic and Hungary.
2 Excluding the impact of provisioning related to new legislation on retail loans in Hungary.
3 See list of benchmarks in the KPI table under 'Our goal: to put the client at the centre of our business culture'.
Want to learn more? More information on strategy by business unit and country can be found in the 'Our business units' section.
financial sector is changing. Consumers are increasingly rewarding those brands that listen to them, rating them on relevant aspects such as delivering good quality, launching innovative products at fair prices, focusing on things which make their lives happier, easier and healthier, and which are beneficial to the economy, environment and community. Value is no longer measured purely in terms of money, but also based on emotional parameters like trust and pride.
financial sector certainly – has never been greater, and companies are also being held to account on issues like fair trade, their impact on the environment and responsible behaviour, even at the local level. The bar for the financial world has been set at a high level, especially after the crisis, and 'trust' is now the licence to operate. Being a responsible and respected player in this new world therefore means primarily working to create or restore trust.
Consequently, we are keen to know what our stakeholders consider important. To this end, we launched an extensive survey of our stakeholders in 2013, further developing it in 2014. We invited five stakeholder groups in Belgium (employees, clients, suppliers, the Board of Directors and government representatives) to take part in our online survey, so we could find out what they thought we should be focusing on. We also surveyed our stakeholders in the Czech Republic. A similar range of stakeholder groups took part in the same online survey there to enable us to compare the results. These are set out in the matrix below.
We invited them not only to rate a number of themes by importance, but also to evaluate KBC's performance in those areas. The findings of the survey are presented in a matrix and the different themes divided up into four groups:
When the findings are examined in their entirety, we can conclude that our new strategy and our risk policy have been instrumental in convincing our stakeholders of the merits of our approach.
The items considered as important and for which we scored well ('Foster') were:
However, we are well aware that we need to work on certain areas ('Improve' items). For instance, 'value for money' and the 'transparency of the products and services offered' are two of the main areas requiring our attention.
Moreover, the things that the stakeholders regard as important largely correspond with what we ourselves consider important. In other words, it is clear that we are on the same wavelength as our stakeholders, which means that we can work with them to build a sustainable future.
In various other sections of this report, we cover our relationship with our clients, who are at the centre of everything we do. In the next part of this section, however, we discuss our relationship with two stakeholder groups that have not yet been dealt with specifically, namely our employees and the government.
Being responsible in our dealings with our employees is, of course, another tenet of corporate sustainability and responsibility. We are fully aware that it is chiefly due to their commitment and efforts that we are able to achieve strong underlying results and to fulfil our strategy.
In our HR policy, recruitment and promotion policy or in our remuneration systems, we do not make any distinction on the grounds of gender, religion, ethnic background or sexual orientation. Equal treatment of employees is also enshrined in the KBC Code of Conduct and in the various manifestos and charters KBC has endorsed. As an employer, KBC wants to give a clear signal to society: we treat our employees in
A comparison of the results of the five groups of stakeholders yields the following results.
25 Funding and insurance of the (local) economy
Monitor:
poverty Pay policy Bonus policy Support for charities International presence
20 Measures taken relating to the rise in the ageing population 27 Support for combating
These are the items that our stakeholders consider important but on which KBC scores less well.
These are the items our stakeholders consider important and on which KBC was scored well.
These are the items that our stakeholders consider less important and on which KBC did not score highly.
These are the items on which KBC scores well, but which our stakeholders consider less important.
Level of satisfaction with KBC
a socially responsible manner and that relationship is grounded in mutual trust and respect.
In the Czech Republic, for example, diversity is one of the main areas of focus. Cˇ SOB has launched initiatives for three specific groups of employees, viz. female staff members, people with disabilities and people aged 55 and over. Among these initiatives are the provision of child care facilities, support for female senior management and flexible working arrangements.
As noted earlier, we have summed up our business culture in the acronym 'PEARL' (performance, empowerment, accountability, responsiveness, and local embeddedness). We have opted for a bottom-up approach to promoting these values among our employees, which means building on the initiatives and strengths of our staff themselves. At the same time, we want our management to play an inspiring role, and so we emphasise coaching, effective communication and leading by example. We closely monitor how the new PEARL business culture is understood in each of our core countries, and the extent to which the PEARL values have been absorbed.
Our HR policy sets out to stimulate talent. One of the ways used to achieve this is by aligning our group HR systems and processes with our core values. This is illustrated by examples like our Reward4Work system (a motivational remuneration package consisting of fixed and variable components, including the Cafeteria Plan), the new competence model (with a clear focus on employee autonomy, result-orientation and initiative) and a constant focus on the training of our employees, which contributes in turn to employee satisfaction and involvement.
We pay particular attention to the lifelong employability of our staff by offering them more training and development opportunities. With the roll-out of Minerva (our programme for older employees in Belgium), we have taken a radical step by shifting from a standard to a more individualised approach that is geared to their needs. We are responding in this way to demographic developments, while also preparing people to work for longer.
We have taken a number of initiatives to stimulate the creativity of our employees to enable us to respond even more effectively to our clients' needs and to make optimum use of that creativity. One such initiative is 'The Pitch' – a competition that offers employees in different countries the opportunity to work together in groups to develop innovative ideas that can be put into practice. The best ideas receive a material reward from the Group Executive Committee. In the 2013–2014 competition, for instance, the Bulgarian team won the 'Country Challenge' prize with their 'smart card' idea and the 'Global Challenge' prize was awarded to a multinational team of employees from Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Hungary for their 'gamification' idea of showcasing online banking in a fun way. The table below provides an overview of the total workforce and a breakdown into various categories.
Number of staff, KBC group
(excluding entities that fell under the scope of IFRS 5 on the respective
| reporting dates) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| In FTEs | 36 177 | 36 187 |
| In % | ||
| Belgium | 45% | 45% |
| Central and Eastern Europe | 51% | 51% |
| Rest of the world | 4% | 4% |
| Belgium Business Unit | 35% | 35% |
| Czech Republic Business Unit | 23% | 23% |
| International Markets Business Unit* | 30% | 29% |
| Group Functions and Group Centre | 12% | 13% |
| Men | 43% | 43% |
| Women | 57% | 57% |
| Full-time | 81% | 81% |
| Part-time | 19% | 19% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Average seniority | 13.6 | 13.6 |
| Average number of sick days/FTE | 2.7 | 2.8 |
| Number of training days/FTE | 10 | 9 |
* Includes the International Product Factories Business Unit for 2013.
In 2014, we conducted surveys of our employees in the various core countries to gauge satisfaction levels. The results were generally positive and in most cases bore out the positive and rising trend of satisfaction and involvement that staff have in the group. In Belgium, staff satisfaction in 2014 even reached its highest level since surveying began. Compared with the market, the engagement index in the Czech Republic confirmed the high level of appreciation among staff at Cˇ SOB. In Slovakia too, satisfaction was up on its 2013 level, while the engagement index in Hungary maintained its traditionally high level above the benchmark. Staff satisfaction in Bulgaria and Ireland remained at a comparable level to the other players on their respective markets. Broadly speaking, therefore, our workforce continued to
have a positive impression of the group in 2014, which bears testament to the efforts that KBC has made in its HR policy. Employee engagement will also remain one of KBC's top priorities in the years ahead.
Taking account of the government's priorities is even more important to us, given that we received direct aid from the Belgian Federal and Flemish Regional governments – and hence from the taxpayer – in 2008 and 2009. This state aid stood at an initial 7 billion euros, of which we have already repaid 5 billion euros (plus penalties) in recent years. We intend to speed up the repayment of the remaining 2 billion euros (plus 50% penalty) in state aid to the Flemish Regional Government and to have paid back the last instalment by no later than the end of 2017.
In 2009, we also signed an agreement with the Belgian State regarding a guarantee for a substantial part of our structured credit portfolio (CDOs). The plan comprised a notional amount that initially totalled 20 billion euros. However, thanks to the scaling back of the CDO exposure to zero, the guarantee agreement has since been terminated.
Of course, our relationship with government is not confined solely to state aid. Like any other profitable business, we pay the tax owed on our profit and we are subject in several countries to additional bank taxes, which are not related to profit. The aggregate amount of all these taxes was 949 million euros in 2014, compared with 892 million euros in 2013.
Besides lending to private individuals and companies, we also pump money into the economy by lending directly and indirectly to government. At the end of 2014, for instance, we invested approximately 25 billion euros in Belgian government paper. We have also been involved for years in providing insurance to various institutions of the Flemish Regional Government and in Public Private Partnerships for major social projects.
▲ Andrea Blomme and her husband, Hans, got to know Stefan and Katka at KBC, and the colleagues ended up as friends.
'Hans and I were working for the same company in Ireland, and it was there that Cupid struck. Our careers took us around Europe, more specifically to Poland, Slovakia and Sweden. Then Hans decided to apply for a job at KBC. His experience in Central and Eastern Europe gave him the ideal profile for the position. And mine too when I applied for a vacancy, especially because I also speak Slovak and Czech. So now we're colleagues once again.'
As previously stated, we intend to repay the outstanding state aid by year-end 2017 at the latest. We will use an estimated one-third of the capital surplus that will be available between mid-2014 and 2017 for this purpose. We also want to use roughly another one-third of this surplus for organic growth and/or acquisitions, as well as to address situations of regulatory or other uncertainty. We will use the remaining one-third to enable us to pay a dividend of at least 50% of our annual profit (including the
coupon on the state aid and the outstanding additional tier-1 instruments) from 2016 on to our shareholders, the government and the investors in additional tier-1 instruments.
We will also follow up our focus on socially relevant themes and on our performance in terms of meeting stakeholder expectations via a number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the most important of which are listed in the table below.
| KPI | What | Target | 2014 result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formal stakeholder process |
Does the entity have a formal process to interact with its stakeholders? (materiality index, GRI methodology) |
Existence of formal process, in each country |
Belgium: yes Czech Rep.: yes Slovakia: partial Hungary: partial Bulgaria: partial Ireland: partial |
| Governance | 'Governance' refers to the statements: 'Behaves ethically', 'Is open and transparent ', 'Acts as an accountable company', 'Is a responsive company', 'Complies with laws, regulations and industry policies'. The survey is performed and followed up by the external firm Ipsos. |
To be among the top performers in the financial benchmarks* in each country |
Belgium: progress Czech Rep.: progress Slovakia: progress Hungary: achieved Bulgaria: progress Ireland: progress |
| Repayment of remaining state aid |
7 billion euros in non-voting core-capital securities was originally sold to the Belgian Federal and Flemish Regional governments in 2008 and 2009. Reduced via a series of repayments to 2 billion euros (owing to the Flemish Regional Government) at year-end 2014. |
Repayment in full by no later than year-end 2017 |
5 billion of 7 billion euros already repaid |
| Dividend payout ratio |
[(gross dividend x number of shares entitled to dividend) + (any coupon on remaining state aid and on outstanding AT1 securities)] / [consolidated net result] |
≥ 50% from financial year 2016 |
– |
* See list in the KPI table under 'Our goal: to put the client at the centre of our business culture'.
share.
We have installed independent chief risk officers with a time-out right in all relevant levels of our organisation.
Our risk management is based on a 'Three Lines of Defence' model, to shield us against risks that might threaten the achievement of our goals (see table below).
| 1 The business itself |
The business operations side has to be aware of the risks in its area of activity and have effective controls in place. This responsibility extends to all types of risk, including fraud and compliance with regulatory or legal requirements. The business side can call upon the services of its own support departments and seek advice from independent second-line functions. |
|---|---|
| 2 The risk function, Compliance, and – for certain matters – Accounting, Legal, Tax, and Information Risk Security |
Independent of the business side, second-line control functions are tasked with drawing up a group-wide framework for all relevant types of risk. They support the implementation of this framework and monitor how it is used. They also assist business side management in the use of risk and capital management instruments and techniques. Compliance is an independent function that aims to prevent KBC from exposure to compliance risk or suffering harm through non-compliance with the prevailing laws, regulations or internal rules. It pays particular attention in this regard to compliance with the integrity policy. |
| 3 Internal audit |
As the independent third line of defence, Internal Audit provides support to the Executive Committee, the Audit Committee and the Risk & Compliance Committee in monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of the internal control and risk management system. Internal Audit checks whether risks are managed adequately and, where necessary, whether they are being restricted or eliminated. It also ensures that business processes run efficiently and effectively, and that the continuity of operations is guaranteed. |
Although the activities of a large financial group are inherently exposed to various risks that only become apparent in retrospect, we can currently identify a number of major challenges and priorities for our group, which are set out below.
In general terms, the world economy, the situation on the financial markets and macroeconomic developments can strongly influence our results. In our case, this applies primarily to Belgium, Ireland and Central and Eastern Europe. We offer further analysis of the economic context and expectations per country elsewhere in this report. It is useful to add that our long-term planning also takes account of the risk of a deteriorating macroeconomic environment. Therefore, in addition to a neutral scenario, we also have an adverse scenario.
You can find several examples of recent product developments in the 'Our business units' section of this report.
We carry out most of our activities, moreover in a highly competitive environment. Besides the traditional players in each of our core countries, there is also intensifying competition from smaller banking entities and e-commerce in general. It goes without saying that our competitors are also being affected by technological change. Innovation is exceptionally important, therefore, if we are to maintain or further strengthen our market position. We have a specific process (the New and Active Product Process) to support the development of new products by ensuring that the business side receives approval in an efficient manner for new product launches. A thorough analysis is also performed into all relevant risks and actions initiated to manage those risks. We also regularly review all our existing products, so that they can be adapted – where necessary – to take account of evolving client needs and/or changing market conditions.
The diagram shows the specific priorities we have set ourselves for the coming years with regard to risk management.
In addition to these general risks, we are inherently exposed as a bank-insurer to sectorspecific risks such as credit risk, country risk, interest rate risk, foreign exchange risk, insurance underwriting risk and operational risk. A summary of the most important banking and insurance-specific risks can be found on the next page.
▲ Joaquin Heye, godparent to Alexander, Katka and Stefan's young son.
'I'm in my final year studying economics and modern languages, so I've lots of options open to me. Outside of school, my main interests are music, rugby, football and the scouts. I want to become a leader in the scouts next year and to take part in a group camp abroad. Is there still enough on my savings account?'
| Sector-specific risks* |
Explanation | Management |
|---|---|---|
| Credit risk | The potential negative deviation from the expected value of a financial instrument caused by default on the part of a party to a contract, due to the inability or unwillingness of that party to pay or perform, or due to particular situations or measures on the part of political or monetary authorities in a particular country. |
• Existence of a robust management framework • Recording impairment charges, taking risk-mitigating measures, optimising the overall credit risk profile, etc. |
| Market risk in non-trading activities |
Structural market risks, such as interest rate risk, equity risk, real estate risk, foreign exchange risk and inflation risk. Structural risks are risks inherent to the commercial activity or long-term positions. |
• Existence of a robust management framework • ALM VaR limits at group level, for each risk type and entity; supplemented by other risk-measuring methods, such as Basis Point Value (BPV), nominal amounts, limit tracking for crucial indicators, etc. |
| Liquidity risk | The risk that KBC will be unable to meet its payment obligations as they come due, without incurring unacceptable losses. |
• Existence of a robust management framework • Liquidity stress tests, management of funding structure, etc. |
| Market risk in trading activities |
The potential negative deviation from the expected value of a financial instrument caused by fluctuations in interest rates, exchange rates, and share or commodity prices. |
• Existence of a robust management framework • Historical VaR method, duration, 'greeks' for products with options, stress tests, etc. |
| Technical insurance risks |
Risks stemming from uncertainty as to how often insured events will occur and how extensive they will be. |
• Existence of a robust management framework • Underwriting, pricing, claims reserving, reinsurance and claims handling policies, etc. |
| Operational and other non-financial risks |
The risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes and systems, human error or sudden external events, whether man-made or natural. |
• Existence of a robust management framework • Group key controls, Loss Event Databases, Risk Scans (bottom-up and top-down), Case Study Assessments, Key Risk Indicators (KRI), etc. |
| Solvency risk | Risk that the capital base will fall below an acceptable level. |
• Existence of a robust management framework • Statutory and in-house minimum solvency ratios, active capital management, etc. |
* Detailed information can be found in the 'Risk management' section.
In addition to the comprehensive monitoring of various risk indicators (see the 'Risk management' section), we monitor our solvency and liquidity performance via a number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the most important of which are listed in the table below.
| KPI | What | Target | 2014 result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common equity ratio |
[common equity tier-1 capital] / [total weighted risks]. The calculation includes in the numerator the core-capital securities sold to the government that are grandfathered by the regulator. The calculation shown here is on a fully-loaded basis and according to the Danish compromise method. |
≥ 10.5% in 2014, at group level |
14.3% |
| Total capital ratio | [total regulatory capital] / [total risk-weighted assets]. The calculation includes in the numerator the core-capital securities sold to the government that are grandfathered by the regulator. The calculation shown here is on a fully-loaded basis and according to the Danish compromise method. |
≥ 17% in 2017, at group level |
18.3% |
| Net stable funding ratio (NSFR) |
[available amount of stable funding] / [required amount of stable funding]. |
≥ 105% in 2014, at group level |
110% |
| Liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) |
[stock of high-quality liquid assets] / [total net cash outflows over the next 30 calendar days]. |
≥ 105% in 2014, at group level |
120% |
Want to learn more? Detailed information can be found in the 'Risk management' and 'Capital adequacy' sections in this report.
| Consolidated income statement, KBC group (in millions of EUR)1 | IFRS | Adjusted result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2014 | 2013 | 2014 | |
| Net interest income | 4 077 | 4 308 | 3 990 | 4 268 |
| Interest income | 8 343 | 7 893 | –³ | –³ |
| Interest expense | -4 266 | -3 586 | –³ | –³ |
| Non-life insurance (before reinsurance) | 536 | 512 | 536 | 512 |
| Earned premiums | 1 259 | 1 266 | 1 259 | 1 266 |
| Technical charges | -723 | -754 | -723 | -754 |
| Life insurance (before reinsurance)2 | -242 | -216 | -242 | -216 |
| Earned premiums | 1 132 | 1 247 | 1 132 | 1 247 |
| Technical charges | -1 373 | -1 463 | -1 373 | -1 463 |
| Ceded reinsurance result | -5 | 16 | -5 | 16 |
| Dividend income | 47 | 56 | 41 | 47 |
| Net result from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss | 1 191 | 227 | 779 | 233 |
| Net realised result from available-for-sale assets | 252 | 150 | 213 | 144 |
| Net fee and commission income | 1 469 | 1 573 | 1 473 | 1 580 |
| Fee and commission income | 2 268 | 2 245 | –³ | –³ |
| Fee and commission expense | -798 | -672 | –³ | –³ |
| Other net income | 122 | 94 | 343 | 62 |
| Total income | 7 448 | 6 720 | 7 127 | 6 647 |
| Operating expenses | -3 843 | -3 818 | -3 798 | -3 775 |
| Impairment | -1 927 | -506 | -1 723 | -615 |
| on loans and receivables | -1 714 | -587 | -1 632 | -554 |
| on available-for-sale assets | -34 | -29 | -20 | -29 |
| on goodwill | -7 | 0 | -7 | 0 |
| other | -173 | 109 | -64 | -33 |
| Share in results of associated companies | 30 | 25 | 30 | 25 |
| Result before tax | 1 708 | 2 420 | 1 636 | 2 281 |
| Income tax expense | -678 | -657 | -662 | -652 |
| Net post-tax result from discontinued operations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Result after tax | 1 029 | 1 763 | 974 | 1 629 |
| Result after tax, attributable to minority interests | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Result after tax, attributable to equity holders of the parent | ||||
| (net result) | 1 015 | 1 762 | 960 | 1 629 |
| Adjusted net result by business unit | ||||
| Belgium | 1 570 | 1 516 | ||
| Czech Republic 554 |
528 | |||
| International Markets -853 |
-182 | |||
| Group Centre | -311 | -234 | ||
| Return on equity | 9% | 13% | ||
| Cost/income ratio, banking | 52% | 57% | ||
| Combined ratio, non-life insurance | 94% | 94% | ||
| Credit cost ratio, banking | 1.21% | 0.42% |
1 For a definition of the ratios, see 'Glossary of ratios'. The adjusted results are defined in this section of the report. Note that the 2013 reference figures have been adjusted slightly following the application of the new IFRS 11 standard (see 'Additional information').
2 Figures for earned premiums (and technical charges) do not include investment contracts without DPF, which roughly correspond to unit-linked life insurance contracts (0.9 billion euros in premiums in 2013, 0.8 billion euros in 2014).
3 Not available, as the analysis of these result components is performed on a net basis within the group.
We discuss the consolidated results in this section of the annual report. A review of the nonconsolidated results and balance sheet is provided in the 'Company annual accounts' section.
To provide an even clearer insight into the operating results, we have provided – in addition to the income statement according to IFRS – an adjusted presentation of the income statement (the 'Adjusted result' columns in the table on the previous page), in which we exclude a limited number of non-operating items under the usual headings.
These items, and their impact in 2014, are:
Reconciliation Adjusted net result – net result under IFRS (2014, in millions of EUR)
result under IFRS of own credit risk divestments CDO business net result
• Valuation of own credit risk: comprises the impact of changes in the fair value of own debt instruments due to own credit risk. This had a negligible effect of 2 million euros in 2014.
We have also moved the trading results, which are included under different headings in the IFRS-based overview, to 'Net result from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss' in the overview of adjusted results. For reasons of materiality, this has only been done for KBC Bank Belgium (Belgium Business Unit). The overall impact of this reclassification on the net result is, of course, neutral.
We refer to the net result, excluding the three items referred to above and after the aforementioned reclassification, as the 'adjusted net result'.
The result information by segment (business unit) is based on the adjusted overview, and the excluded items (the legacy business relating to CDOs and divestment companies, and the valuation of own credit risk) are allocated in their entirety to the Group Centre.
The overview of adjusted results is also presented as segment reporting in the consolidated financial statements and thus complies with IFRS 8. This standard specifies that IFRS principles should be deviated from if such deviation reflects the management view. That is indeed the case, as the relevant results are an important element in assessing and managing the business units. The statutory auditor has audited the segment reporting presentation as part of the consolidated financial statements.
| Selected balance-sheet and solvency items, KBC group (in millions of EUR) | 2013* | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | 238 696 | 245 174 |
| Loans and advances to customers | 120 371 | 124 551 |
| Securities (equity and debt instruments) | 64 904 | 70 359 |
| Deposits from customers and debt securities | 161 135 | 161 783 |
| Technical provisions (before reinsurance) and liabilities under investment contracts, | ||
| insurance | 30 488 | 31 487 |
| Risk-weighted assets | 91 216 | 91 236 |
| Total equity | 14 514 | 16 521 |
| Common equity ratio (fully loaded Basel III, Danish compromise method) | 12.8% | 14.3% |
| Liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) | 131% | 120% |
| Net stable funding ratio (NSFR) | 111% | 110% |
* A number of figures have been adjusted (with retroactive effect); see 'Additional information'.
▲ Ann Wauters, top sportswoman who knows Stefan from her basketball background.
'At the same time as I started playing professionally in France as an 18 year-old, I became a client at KBC. I was given guidance and advice on financial planning and management. That was a great thing, because I was too young at the time to realise the importance of it. Thanks to my international career, I've seen a lot of the world with my family and had the opportunity to experience and appreciate many different cultures.'
The information and graphs that follow refer to the adjusted results, i.e. after the impact of the legacy business and the valuation of own credit risk has been excluded. We have already discussed these items in a separate section.
Net interest income came to 4 268 million euros in 2014, up 7% year-on-year. On a comparable basis (i.e. excluding changes in the scope of consolidation), the figure was 9% higher than its year-earlier level, despite generally lower reinvestment yields. This growth was attributable in part to healthy commercial margins, lower rates of interest being paid on savings deposits, lower wholesale funding costs, the positive effect of early-repayment penalties due to a high level of home loan refinancing in Belgium, and higher loan and deposit volumes.
On a comparable basis, loans and advances to customers (excluding reverse repos) – which stood at 123 billion euros at year-end 2014 – rose on balance by 3% in 2014, increasing by 4% at the Belgium Business Unit and by 5% at the Czech Republic Business Unit, and contracting by 1% at the International Markets Business Unit (growth in Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria, but a decline in Ireland). On a comparable basis, the total volume of deposits (154 billion euros in deposits from customers and debt securities (excluding repos) at year-end 2014) rose by 3% in 2014, with the Belgium Business Unit recording an increase of 9%, the Czech Republic Business Unit 8%, the International Markets Business Unit 5% (with Ireland posting substantial growth, thanks to the success of the retail deposit campaign in that country), and the Group Centre recording a decline.
Consequently, the net interest margin for the banking activities came to 2.08% in 2014 (2.01% in the Belgium Business Unit, 3.18% in the Czech Republic Business Unit, 2.41% in the International Markets Business Unit), 18 basis points higher than in 2013.
Earned premiums in non-life insurance came to 1 266 million euros in 2014, up 1% on the year-earlier figure (on a comparable basis). They grew by 1% in Belgium, but fell by 3% in the Czech Republic (+3% excluding the effect of exchange rates) and by 1% in the three other Central and Eastern European markets combined. On a comparable basis, the technical insurance charges rose by 4% in 2014, mainly on account of Belgium (hailstorms in the second quarter) and Bulgaria (largely offset by reinsurance in both cases). The combined ratio at group level remained virtually unchanged at a good 94%.
Earned premiums in life insurance amounted to 1 247 million euros in 2014. However, in compliance with IFRS, certain types of life insurance (i.e. unit-linked products) have been excluded from this figure. If the premium income from such products is included, premium income from the life insurance business totalled around 1.9 billion euros, roughly 3% up on its 2013 level. There was an increase of 7% in the main market of Belgium, thanks to rate-guaranteed products. Overall, products offering guaranteed rates accounted for about 59% of premium income from the life insurance business, and unit-linked products for 41%. On 31 December 2014, the group's life reserves came to 26.5 billion euros for the Belgium Business Unit, 1 billion euros for the Czech Republic and 0.5 billion euros for the three other Central and Eastern European core markets combined.
Net fee and commission income came to 1 580 million euros in 2014, up 7% on the year-earlier figure or as much as 8% on a comparable basis. Most of the increase was accounted for by Belgium and related primarily to growth in entry charges and management fees for investment funds and high creditrelated fee and commission income.
At the end of 2014, the group's total assets under management (investment funds and assets managed for private and institutional investors) amounted to approximately 186 billion euros, 14% more than the year-earlier figure, due to positive price and volume effects (8% and 6%, respectively). Most of these assets were managed at the Belgium Business Unit (172 billion euros, up 14%) and the Czech Republic Business Unit (7 billion euros, up 20%).
The net result from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss (trading and fair value income) came to 233 million euros in 2014, as opposed to 779 million euros in 2013. We reiterate that several items have been excluded from this trading and fair value income (i.e. the impact of the legacy CDO portfolio and of the valuation of own credit risk) and that the trading-related income of the Belgium Business Unit recorded under IFRS in various other income items has been included. On balance, this results component still chiefly reflects the performance in the dealing rooms, but also the result of the marked-to-market valuation of certain derivatives used for asset/liability management purposes. The latter was extremely negative in 2014 (-201 million euros), but very favourable in 2013 (+279 million euros), which therefore largely accounts for the difference in this particular item.
Other income (dividends, realised gains and other net income) came to an aggregate 253 million euros in 2014, as opposed to 597 million euros a year earlier. The negative difference is attributable in part to the lower level of other net income, as it was severely impacted in 2014 by provisioning related to new legislation on retail loans in Hungary (an impact of -231 million euros before tax; see 'International Markets Business Unit' for more information).
Operating expenses amounted to 3 775 million euros in 2014, down slightly (by 1%) on their year-earlier level. On a comparable basis, they remained virtually unchanged due to the impact of various factors, including higher costs in Ireland (for more staff in the arrears department, for instance, and in relation to the retail campaign) and in Belgium (slightly higher staff expenses, marketing and communication costs, higher special bank tax, but lower pension expenses, ICT costs and facility services costs), a positive exchange rate effect and lower expenses in the Group Centre.
The cost/income ratio for the group's banking activities was approximately 57% in 2014, compared with 52% a year earlier. The ratio was adversely affected by a number of non-operating items, such as the severely negative marked-to-market valuations for ALM derivatives and the impact of the Hungarian act on foreign currencydenominated consumer loans. Adjusted for these specific items, the ratio came to a good 54% in 2014, compared to the year-earlier figure of 55%. It was 50% for the Belgium Business Unit (49%, excluding specific items), 48% for the Czech Republic Business Unit and 92% for the International Markets Business Unit (69%, excluding specific items).
Impairment on loans and receivables (loan loss provisions) amounted to 554 million euros in 2014, compared with 1 632 million euros in 2013. Much of the improvement of 1 078 million euros is attributable to Ireland, where there was considerable extra loan loss provisioning in the fourth quarter of 2013, bringing the loan loss provisions for that country to 1 059 million euros for full-year 2013. That figure declined to 198 million euros in 2014. Loan loss provisions for the other countries in 2014 came to 205 million euros in Belgium (123 million euros less than in 2013), 47 million euros in Hungary (28 million euros less than in 2013, when additional provisions were set aside at year-end for structured loans), 34 million euros in the Czech Republic (13 million euros less than in 2013) and 69 million euros for other countries. Overall, the group's credit cost ratio subsequently improved from 121 basis points in 2013 to 42 basis points in 2014 (23 basis points at the Belgium Business Unit, 18 basis points at the Czech Republic Business Unit and 106 basis points at the International Markets Business Unit (Ireland: 133 basis points; Slovakia: 36 basis points; Hungary: 94 basis points; and Bulgaria: 130 basis points)). The proportion of impaired loans (see 'Glossary of ratios' for definition) in the total loan portfolio was 9.9% at year-end 2014, compared with 10.2% in 2013. This breaks down into 4.3% at the Belgium Business Unit, 3.8% at the Czech Republic Business Unit, and 34.1% at the International Markets Business Unit (due primarily to Ireland, which had an impaired loans ratio of 52%). The proportion of impaired loans more than 90 days past due (referred to in previous reports as 'non-performing loans') came to 5.5% in 2014, compared to the year-earlier figure of 6.0%. At year-end 2014, 42% of the impaired loans were covered by specific impairment charges. More information on the composition of the loan portfolio is provided in the 'Risk management' section.
Other impairment charges totalled 62 million euros in 2014 and related inter alia to available-for-sale securities (shares) and to tangible and intangible fixed assets.
The group's adjusted net result in 2014 breaks down by business unit as follows: Belgium 1 516 million euros (down 54 million euros on the figure for 2013, due primarily to the strongly negative marked-to-market valuation of certain derivatives used for asset/ liability management purposes, which completely cancelled out the positive impact of higher net interest income and net fee and commission income and lower loan loss impairment charges), Czech Republic 528 million euros (down 26 million euros on the figure for 2013, owing entirely to the lower exchange rate of the Czech koruna; it was even up 7 million euros when the effect of exchange rates is eliminated), International Markets -182 million euros (an improvement of 671 million euros on the figure for 2013, on account of significantly lower loan loss provisioning in Ireland, but partially offset by the posting of a 183-million-euro provision after taxes related to the new Hungarian act on consumer loans) and Group Centre -234 million euros (an improvement of 77 million euros on the figure for 2013, attributable in part to the lower costs in respect of subordinated loans and the decline in the funding cost of participating interests).
A more detailed analysis of the results for each business unit can be found in the relevant sections of this annual report.
At the end of 2014, the group's consolidated total assets came to 245 billion euros, up 3% year-on-year. At 91 billion euros, risk-weighted assets (Basel III) remained virtually unchanged, despite a number of methodological adjustments (primarily the scrapping of the zero weighting for domestic government bonds).
Loans and advances to customers (123 billion euros in loans at the end of 2014, not including reverse repos) continued to be the main products on the assets side of the balance sheet. On a comparable basis, total loans and advances to customers rose by 3% (up 4% at the Belgium Business Unit and 5% at the Czech Republic Business Unit, but down 1% at the International Markets Business Unit on account of Ireland). The main credit products (including reverse repos) were again term loans (57 billion euros) and mortgage loans (53 billion euros). Securities amounted to 70 billion euros at year-end 2014. Of these securities, 3% were shares and 97% bonds (on a comparable basis, bonds grew by 6 billion euros in 2014). Other important items on the assets side of the balance sheet were loans and advances to credit institutions and investment firms (13 billion euros, down year-on-year because of lower reverse repos), derivatives (positive marked-to-market valuation of 10 billion euros, up year-on-year) and investment-linked life insurance contracts (13 billion euros, up year-on-year).
On a comparable basis, the group's total customer deposits (deposits from customers and debt securities, excluding repos) grew by 3% to 154 billion euros. Deposits increased by 9% at the Belgium Business Unit, by 8% at the Czech Republic Business Unit and by 5% at the International Markets Business Unit (thanks primarily to the retail deposit campaign in Ireland), but fell by 35% in the Group Centre. As in 2013, the main products (including repos) were time deposits (50 billion euros), demand deposits (47 billion euros) and savings deposits (37 billion euros, up 6% on their level at the end of 2013).
Other significant items on the liabilities side of the balance sheet were the technical provisions and liabilities under the insurer's investment contracts (an aggregate 31 billion euros, up year-on-year), derivatives (negative marked-to-market value of 11 billion euros, up year-on-year) and deposits from credit institutions and investment firms (18 billion euros, up year-on-year).
On 31 December 2014, the group's total equity came to 16.5 billion euros. This figure included 13.1 billion euros in parent shareholders' equity, 1.4 billion euros in additional tier-1 instruments and the remaining 2 billion euros in non-voting core-capital securities underwritten by the Flemish Regional Government. On balance, total equity grew by 2 billion euros in 2014. The most important components in this regard were the inclusion of the 1.4 billion euros in additional tier-1 instruments issued in March 2014, the further partial repayment of aid provided by the Flemish Regional Government (-0.5 billion euros plus the 50% penalty), the inclusion of the annual profit (+1.8 billion euros), changes in the available-for-sale reserve and cashflow hedge reserve (-0.2 billion euros in total), and the repurchase of Funding Trust securities (-0.4 billion euros in minority interests).
The fully loaded common equity ratio under Basel III (Danish compromise method) – including the outstanding state aid and the availablefor-sale reserve – amounted to 14.3% at year-end 2014, comfortably above the internal target of 10.5%.
The group's liquidity position remained excellent, as reflected in an LCR ratio of 120% and an NSFR ratio of 110% at year-end 2014.
The price of our share rose by almost 13% in 2014, bringing our equity market capitalisation to 19.4 billion euros at year-end. Our long-term credit ratings were upgraded by Standard & Poor's in March and by Moody's in May 2014. We launched an additional tier-1 instrument, issued tier-2 instruments and called a number of classic tier-1 securities. We again issued several series of covered bonds. We propose paying a gross dividend for 2014 of 2 euros per share entitled to dividend.
▲ Alekos Garaleas – Stefan's father – came to Belgium through his work at the Greek embassy and ended up meeting his wife, Denise, here. Alekos followed his heart and opted for a permanent job in Belgium. Katka's parents, Eva Hamerska and Jaroslav Hamersky, who live in the Czech Republic, are also in the photograph.
The closing price of our share at year-end 2014 was 46.5 euros, up almost 13% on the yearearlier figure (having risen 58% in 2013). As a result, our equity market capitalisation amounted to 19.4 billion euros at year-end 2014.
There was a small increase of 416 300 shares due to the capital increase reserved for staff in December 2014. This brought the total number of shares outstanding at year-end to
417 780 658. More information in this regard can be found in the 'Company annual accounts' section.
In view of the insignificant volume of trading in the share on the Luxembourg stock exchange, the decision was taken to cease listing on that market. The KBC share has been listed solely on Euronext Brussels since the end of September 2014.
| KBC share | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of shares outstanding at year-end (in millions) | 417.4 | 417.8 |
| Share price* | ||
| Highest share price for the financial year (in EUR) | 42.0 | 46.9 |
| Lowest share price for the financial year (in EUR) | 25.8 | 38.0 |
| Average share price for the financial year (in EUR) | 32.8 | 43.1 |
| Closing share price for the financial year (in EUR) | 41.3 | 46.5 |
| Difference between closing share price at financial year-end and previous financial year-end |
+58% | +13% |
| Equity market capitalisation at year-end (in billions of EUR) | 17.2 | 19.4 |
| Average daily volume traded on NYSE Euronext Brussels (source: Bloomberg) | ||
| Number of shares (in millions) | 1.14 | 1.03 |
| In millions of EUR | 36.1 | 44.2 |
| Equity per share (in EUR) | 28.3 | 31.4 |
* Based on closing prices and rounded to one decimal place.
The shareholder structure shown in the table below is based on the most recent notifications made under the transparency rules or (if they are more recent) on disclosures made under the Act on public takeover bids or other available information.
| Shareholder structure of KBC Group NV (based on notifications) | Number of shares at the time of disclosure |
% of the current number of shares |
|---|---|---|
| KBC Ancora (December 2014) | 77 516 380 | 18.6% |
| Cera (December 2014) | 11 127 166 | 2.7% |
| MRBB (December 2014) | 47 889 864 | 11.5% |
| Other core shareholders (December 2014) | 32 020 498 | 7.7% |
| Subtotal for core shareholders | 168 553 908 | 40.3% |
| Free float* | 249 226 750 | 59.7% |
| Total | 417 780 658 | 100.0% |
* Details of notifications from shareholders under this heading can be found in the 'Company annual accounts' section.
Notifications received under the transparency rules and information on treasury shares held by group companies are listed in the 'Corporate governance statement' and 'Company annual accounts'.
MRBB, Cera, Ancora and the other core shareholders signed a syndicate agreement in 2004, with an initial term of 10 years. This agreement was updated in 2014 and extended for another 10-year period. In that context, Cera, KBC Ancora, MRBB and the other core shareholders adhered to the agreement by putting in all their shares.
| For financial year 2014 | Gross dividend of 2 euros per share (hence also payment of a coupon on the outstanding state aid – 171 million euros in total) |
|---|---|
| For financial year 2015 | No dividend (hence no payment either of a coupon on the outstanding state aid) |
| For financial year 2016 and beyond | Payment of at least 50% of the consolidated profit available for distribution (in the form of dividends, coupons on state aid and AT1 instruments combined) plus the coupon on the outstanding balance of state aid |
* Subject at all times to the approval of the relevant General Meeting of Shareholders and the supervisory authorities (dividend proposal for 2014 already approved by the ECB).
The KBC group is a regular issuer of debt instruments and issues ordinary and subordinated bonds in various currencies in a number of ways, including through issues as part of the wholesale and retail programmes of KBC IFIMA.
In November 2012, we announced a programme for the issue of 10 billion euros' worth of Belgian bonds, covered by Belgian mortgage loans (i.e. covered bonds), with a view to widening our investor base and diversifying our funding mix and sources in the long term by means of such bonds. In December 2012, we launched a first, highly successful issue of covered bonds, for an amount of 1.25 billion euros and with a maturity of five years. A number of new issues with various maturities followed in 2013 and 2014
The table shows the long-term and short-term credit ratings of KBC Group NV, KBC Bank NV and KBC Insurance NV. The ratings were
(a total of 2.7 billion euros was raised in 2013 and 0.9 billion euros in 2014).
In addition, the group recently launched several other special issues, including:
More information on group funding is provided under 'Liquidity risk' in the 'Risk management' section.
upgraded by Standard & Poor's in March 2014 and by Moody's in May 2014.
| Outlook/watch/ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit ratings* on 19-03-2015 | Long-term rating | review | Short-term rating | |
| Fitch | ||||
| KBC Bank NV | A- | (Stable outlook) | F1 | |
| KBC Insurance NV | A- | (Stable outlook) | – | |
| KBC Group NV | A- | (Stable outlook) | F1 | |
| Moody's | ||||
| KBC Bank NV | A2 | (Under review for possible upgrade) |
P-1 | |
| KBC Group NV | A3 | (Under review for possible downgrade) |
P-2 | |
| Standard & Poor's | ||||
| KBC Bank NV | A | (Negative outlook) | A-1 | |
| KBC Insurance NV | A | (Negative outlook) | – | |
| KBC Group NV | A- | (Negative outlook) | A-2 |
See www.kbc.com, under 'investor relations', 'credit ratings'.
* Please refer to the respective credit rating agencies for definitions of the different ratings.
Our group's management structure centres on three business units, each of which focuses on local business in its country or countries and is expected to contribute to sustainable profit and growth. The three business units are Belgium, the Czech Republic and International Markets. The latter is responsible for activities in the other core countries in Central and Eastern Europe (Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria) and in Ireland.
The management structure forms the basis for our financial reporting. Added to that are the results of our Group Centre, which contains the results of the group's holding-company activities, a number of items not allocated to the business units, the results of the remaining companies scheduled for divestment and the impact of legacy business and own credit risk.
The Belgium Business Unit comprises the activities of KBC Bank NV and KBC Insurance NV, and their Belgian subsidiaries, the most important of which are CBC Banque, KBC Asset Management, KBC Lease Group (Belgium), KBC Securities and KBC Group Re.
The economic recovery that began in Belgium in the spring of 2013 continued in the year under review, albeit with occasional setbacks. Having got off to a strong start, growth virtually stagnated in the spring, before picking up once more in the summer. Belgian real GDP growth came to 1% on balance, which was slightly higher than the euro area average.
Household consumption remained robust, despite the negative pattern of consumer confidence, which was once again far below its long-term average level at year-end. This probably reflected the spending cuts and reforms announced by the government. On the other hand, the falling price of oil created additional scope for consumer spending, while the job market continued to improve. The annualised rate of unemployment stopped going up from late autumn, due in part to the fall in the number of business failures. Investment contributed even more than consumer spending towards growth in 2014. Positive real growth returned to investment in homes, following the sharp decline seen in recent years. Business investment also bounced back strongly, and the international economic recovery and cheaper euro boosted exports.
Inflation continued to cool sharply in 2014, due in part to a sharp decline in commodity prices. Belgian ten-year government bond yields fell to 0.8% at year-end 2014 compared with the year-earlier figure of 2.5%. The gap with the equivalent German Bund narrowed from 60 to approximately 30 basis points over the same period. The public finances closed 2014 with a deficit that is expected to equal 3.2% of GDP and a debt ratio of 106.6% of GDP. The announced spending cuts are intended to eliminate the budget deficit by 2018. Economic growth is forecast to gather pace, which ought also to contribute to this in the years ahead.
Lending to businesses by banks based in Belgium fell slightly throughout most of the year, despite low interest rates, the easing of the banks' credit terms and the expansion (albeit hesitant) of the economy. Credit demand remained weak, owing partly to high liquidity buffers that are enabling businesses to provide a significant proportion of their own funding needs. Somewhat fewer mortgage loans were granted in the first months of the year, too. However, demand revived in the second half of the year due to low interest rates and the prospect of a reduction in tax relief on mortgage payments as of 2015.
Substantial liquidity buffers fuelled growth in corporate savings deposits at the banks, but growth in household savings at the banks slowed down. Time deposits were scaled down against a backdrop of extremely low interest rates, while growth in the – much larger – market for regulated savings accounts dropped off. The slackening of growth in the deposit market chiefly benefited the market for investment funds, which saw a fresh influx of savings.
We anticipate real GDP growth of 1.3% in 2015. Wage restraint, the cheap euro and falling commodity prices are giving businesses a tailwind.
This outlook is based on forecasts made at the start of 2015, and so the actual situation could differ (considerably).
| Macroeconomic indicators for Belgium | 2013 | 2014* |
|---|---|---|
| GDP growth (real) | 0.3% | 1.0% |
| Inflation (average annual increase in consumer prices (%)) | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Unemployment (% of the labour force at year-end; Eurostat definition) | 8.4% | 8.4% |
| Government budget balance (% of GDP) | -2.9% | -3.2% |
| Public debt (% of GDP) | 104.5% | 106.6% |
* Estimates made at the start of 2015.
• Products and services: wide range of loan, deposit, asset management, insurance and other financial products for private individuals, local businesses, wealthy individuals and larger companies. Services for corporate clients additionally include cash management, payments, trade finance, lease, money market activities, capital market products, stockbroking and corporate finance.
* Market shares and client numbers: based on own estimates. Share for traditional bank products: average estimated market share for loans and deposits. Market share for life insurance: guaranteed-interest and unit-linked products (combined). Loan portfolio: see 'Risk management'. Deposits and debt securities: deposits from customers and debt securities (excluding repos). The Belgium Business Unit also includes the small network of ten KBC Bank branches abroad, which focus on activities and clients with links to KBC's core markets.
▲ Daniel Falque, CEO of the Belgium Business Unit
An important feature of our position in Belgium is the unique cooperation between our bank branches and insurance agencies in micro markets. The branches focus on bank and standard insurance products, and refer clients to the insurance agency in the same micro market for other insurance products. The insurance agencies sell the full range of insurance products and handle all claims, including those relating to policies taken out at a bank branch. Working together like this enables us to deliver a comprehensive product offering to our clients that is aligned with their needs. A few figures help illustrate the success of our model. At year-end 2014, almost 50% of households that are clients of KBC Bank held at least one banking and one insurance product from KBC. In another example, we sold a KBC Home Insurance policy to go with approximately
We want to be close to our clients, through our bricks-and-mortar network, an expanded help centre, a smart and simplified website, mobile apps and ATMs. Technology is one means, but putting our clients centre stage is our ultimate goal. It was with that philosophy in mind that we launched the new KBC and CBC Touch apps in 2014. Touch is the successor to KBC-Online and is available on tablets as well as traditional PCs. We added a number of services for mobile
85% of home loans granted.
users, such as the ability to make payments, pay bills using Zoomit and read and send messages on smartphones.
We screen our traditional banking and insurance products regularly and adjust them where necessary. For instance, we launched the KBC Care Plan, which is the first of its kind in Europe and essentially an investment-type insurance policy offering life-long payments to offset the cost of severe long-term care needs. Bolero, KBC Securities' online trading platform, launched a crowdfunding platform to bring together entrepreneurs and investors. Start-ups can use the website to seek funding and interested investors can then help them grow their business through relatively small investments.
Given its importance within a relationship bank-insurance approach, we track client satisfaction very closely. We monitor employee satisfaction closely, too. For more details on this, see 'Our business model and strategy'.
Our commitment to Belgian society extends beyond offering the right products and services. We also express it in the range of initiatives we take in the areas of the environment, health and safety, combating social deprivation and developing local markets. Here are a few examples:
Flanders), the KBC Nacht van de Atletiek (an athletics event) and a number of summer festivals.
| Environmental efficiency data for the KBC group in Belgium (per FTE) | 2013* | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy consumption (in GJ)* | Electricity | 21.3 | 21.2 |
| Provided by renewable energy sources | 100% | 100% | |
| Fossil fuels (gas and heating oil) | 16.0 | 12.7 | |
| Distances travelled (in km) | Commuting | 8 288 | 8 068 |
| Business travel | 5 358 | 5 456 | |
| Paper and water consumption, waste | Paper (in tonnes) | 0.12 | 0.11 |
| Water (in m3 ) |
9.0 | 9.1 | |
| Waste (in tonnes) | 0.19 | 0.15 | |
| Greenhouse gas emissions (in tonnes)* | 2.5 | 2.2 |
* The relatively high figures in 2013 relate in part to weather conditions (the harsh winter) and partly to reduced occupation of our buildings and refinement of the methodology used.
As in previous years, we received a number of awards in Belgium that not only recognised our financial performance, but also rewarded our social engagement. Here are a few examples:
As part of our drive to deliver accessible, client-centric solutions, we will make use of technological developments to seamlessly integrate our branch network with our other channels, to transform our contact centres into advisory centres, and to further develop a smart and simple website, mobile apps and ATMs. This will help us achieve our goal of being close to our clients in Belgium, always and everywhere.
We have already launched numerous initiatives in this regard. Towards the end of the year, for instance, we set up our first regional advisory
centre, whose role is to provide clients with accessible and personal service and advice. And, as already mentioned, we launched KBC Touch, a convenient new bank-insurance app for computers and tablets.
We likewise intend to focus more closely on sub-markets in Belgium in which we are not yet among the market leaders, specifically Brussels and Wallonia.
Up to now, we had built in Brussels on the strengths of KBC in Flanders and CBC in Wallonia. We decided to exploit the potential of
Brussels more efficiently in future, and announced in 2014 the launch of a separate new brand, 'KBC Brussels', that will reflect the capital's special cosmopolitan character and will meet the needs of local people there more effectively. Retail and SME clients will be offered a single integrated range of bank-insurance products and services, the existing KBC/CBC branches in Brussels will be repositioned and we will introduce innovative new branch concepts. The appointment of CEO, Damien Van Renterghem, was an important step in the launch of KBC Brussels.
CBC is interwoven into the local economy in Wallonia and has reported strong and consistent growth in its gross earnings year after year. We want to use CBC to further tap potential growth in bank-insurance in specific market segments. To help achieve this goal, we conducted a new image campaign in 2014 under the slogan 'CBC. Décider d'avancer' ('CBC. Moving forward'). As
of 2015, we intend to expand our presence in Wallonia and our accessibility and service provision there by opening eight new insurance agencies and eight bank branches and relocating 15 existing branches.
We will do all of this while continuing to optimise our bank-insurance model in Belgium. We expect our bank-insurance income to grow by more than 5% annually in the years ahead, partly through the provision of digital solutions and specific bank-insurance initiatives for specific target groups.
Based on the macroeconomic forecasts and with ongoing attention to cost-efficiency and risk management, we have translated this new strategy into a number of financial targets for the Belgium Business Unit. These are set out, together with the non-financial objectives, in 'Our strategy'.
Our operations in Belgium generated a net result of 1 516 million euros in 2014, compared with 1 570 million euros a year earlier.
Net interest income at this business unit totalled 2 877 million euros, 9% more than in 2013, due primarily to higher volumes of and higher margins on lending, lower funding costs for term deposits, higher volumes of and lower interest rates on savings accounts, the positive impact of a high level of refinancing of home loans, and a larger bond portfolio. The average net interest margin rose from 1.80% in 2013 to 2.01% in 2014.
Loans and advances to customers, excluding reverse repos (84 billion euros at year-end) went up by 4%, while deposits from customers and debt securities, excluding repos (106 billion euros at year-end) grew by 9% year-on-year.
Earned insurance premiums came to 1 968 million euros, 1 004 million euros of which related to life insurance and 964 million euros to non-life insurance.
Non-life premiums increased by roughly 1%, owing mainly to fire and other property insurance classes. The level of claims was 8% higher than in 2013, partly because of the hailstorms in the second quarter. The combined ratio nevertheless remained at a good 94% in 2014, compared with 93% in the previous year.
Sales of life insurance – including investment contracts without a discretionary participation feature (roughly equivalent to unit-linked life insurance policies), which are excluded from the IFRS figures – ended the year at 1.6 billion euros, up slightly on the 1.5 billion euros recorded a year earlier. While sales of unit-linked products
fell by 10% to 0.6 billion euros, sales of products offering guaranteed rates went up sharply (by 21%) to 1 billion euros. At year-end, the outstanding life reserves in this business unit totalled 26.5 billion euros, up 4% on the year-earlier figure.
Net fee and commission income amounted to 1 160 million euros. This was 9% more than the previous year, due mainly to asset management activities (increase in entry and management fees for investment funds) and, to a lesser extent, to lending-related fee and commission income, cancelled out in part by lower fee and commission income from unit-linked life insurance products (the margin on which is reported under net fee and commission income). At 172 billion euros, assets under management in this business unit were up by 14% year-onyear, owing to the combined effect of higher volumes (+5%) and higher prices (+8%).
As regards the other income items, the net realised result from available-for-sale assets came to 109 million euros (80% of which was generated by shares and 20% by bonds), dividend income amounted to 45 million euros, and the net result from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss totalled 86 million euros. The latter was considerably lower than in 2013 (544 million euros) on account of the strongly negative marked-tomarket valuation of certain derivatives used for asset/liability management purposes in 2014 (-196 million euros) compared with a positive year-earlier figure (+250 million euros). Other net income stood at 269 million euros and, besides the usual items such as the results from KBC Autolease, VAB, etc., included the positive outcome of a court case involving the London subsidiary, whereas the 2013 figure benefited from moratorium interest related to the successful settlement of disputes and capital gains on the sale of real estate.
Operating expenses totalled 2 282 million euros, 1% higher than the year-earlier figure, with various factors, such as slightly higher staff expenses, lower pension costs, somewhat lower costs for ICT and facility services, higher marketing and communication costs and higher special bank taxes all playing a role. Consequently, the cost/income ratio for the banking activities remained at a good 50%, although it was slightly less favourable than in 2013 (47%). However, the relative deterioration was attributable for the most part to the negative valuation of the ALM derivatives. Adjusted for that item (and several other smaller exceptional items), the ratio came to just under 49%, compared with 51% for the previous year.
Impairment on loans and receivables stood at 205 million euros at year-end, down 123 million euros on its year-earlier level, with the decline related mainly to corporate lending. This resulted in a favourable credit cost ratio of 23 basis points in 2014, compared with 37 basis points in
The 46 million euros in other impairment charges related primarily to available-for-sale securities (shares) and other assets.
| Belgium Business Unit results* (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Net interest income | 2 648 | 2 877 |
| Non-life insurance (before reinsurance) | 409 | 374 |
| Earned premiums | 955 | 964 |
| Technical charges | -546 | -590 |
| Life insurance (before reinsurance) | -274 | -252 |
| Earned premiums | 831 | 1 004 |
| Technical charges | -1 105 | -1 256 |
| Ceded reinsurance result | -6 | 19 |
| Dividend income | 40 | 45 |
| Net result from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss | 544 | 86 |
| Net realised result from available-for-sale assets | 171 | 109 |
| Net fee and commission income | 1 061 | 1 160 |
| Other net income | 292 | 269 |
| Total income | 4 885 | 4 688 |
| Operating expenses | -2 249 | -2 282 |
| Impairment | -363 | -251 |
| on loans and receivables | -328 | -205 |
| on available-for-sale assets | -7 | -27 |
| on goodwill | 0 | 0 |
| other | -28 | -19 |
| Share in results of associated companies | 0 | -1 |
| Result before tax | 2 273 | 2 154 |
| Income tax expense | -703 | -638 |
| Net post-tax result from discontinued operations | 0 | 0 |
| Result after tax | 1 570 | 1 517 |
| attributable to minority interests | 0 | 0 |
| attributable to equity holders of the parent (net result) | 1 570 | 1 516 |
| Banking | 1 255 | 1 205 |
| Insurance | 315 | 311 |
| Risk-weighted assets, banking (Basel III; period-end) | 40 307 | 42 919 |
| Solvency, insurance (Solvency I; period-end) | 850 | 868 |
| Allocated capital (period-end) | 5 518 | 6 026 |
| Return on allocated capital | 28% | 26% |
| Cost/income ratio, banking | 47% | 50% |
| Combined ratio, non-life insurance | 93% | 94% |
* Some reference figures for 2013 have been restated (see 'Consolidated results in 2014').
The Czech Republic Business Unit comprises all KBC's activities in the Czech Republic. These consist primarily of the activities of the CˇSOB group (under the CˇSOB Bank, Era, Postal Savings Bank, Hypotecˇní banka and CˇMSS brands), the insurer CˇSOB Pojišt'ovna, CˇSOB Asset Management and Patria.
The Czech economy continued to recover in 2014, owing mainly to investment and consumer spending, but also in part to net exports and government spending. The recovery was all the more remarkable, given that it occurred against a backdrop of weak euro area growth and escalating geopolitical conflict in Ukraine.
Growth in consumer spending was supported in 2014 by an increase in real disposable household income, attributable to a number of factors such as low inflation and an improvement in the Czech labour market, which saw unemployment falling. The recovery in the investment cycle that began in the middle of 2013 continued, due primarily to improving domestic demand, an increase in foreign industrial orders and a rise in construction sector activity. Public-sector investments also contributed to economic growth. Net exports likewise contributed positively, supported by factors like the weak Czech koruna as a consequence of an exchange rate policy designed to combat low inflation. The Czech central bank's policy rate stands at 0.05%, making any further cuts unlikely.
Budgetary policy weighed less on domestic demand in 2014 than it did in the previous year. The slight increase in the budget deficit to an estimated 1.3% of GDP chiefly reflected a rise in public consumption and a resumption in public-sector spending.
Business lending went up only a little, all in all, despite the vigorous economic recovery. Lending growth was very volatile. Increasing use of capital market funding and the availability of internal funds dampened demand for bank loans, despite the fact that the banks eased their lending conditions. Home loans continued to grow at a decent rate. Uncertainty regarding legal issues following the introduction of a new civil code generated a certain amount of hesitation at the beginning of the year, but the upturn in home-building and the favourable outlook for the residential real estate market underpinned robust growth in home loans throughout the year. Growth in deposits accelerated in line with the economic recovery, with deposits remaining the most important savings instrument for households.
Despite risks such as further economic developments in the euro area and the conflict in nearby Ukraine, we expect the economic recovery to continue in 2015, owing mainly to domestic demand. The central bank is likely to continue its present monetary policy in 2015. This, combined with a further decline in the rate of unemployment, will probably cause inflation to rise gradually from its current low level. We also expect a growth-friendly budgetary policy in 2015. The budget deficit might increase a little, but will remain well below the 3% level.
This outlook is based on forecasts made at the start of 2015, and so the actual situation could differ (considerably).
| Macroeconomic indicators for the Czech Republic | 2013 | 2014* |
|---|---|---|
| GDP growth (real) | -0.7% | 2.0% |
| Inflation (average annual increase in consumer prices (%)) | 1.4% | 0.4% |
| Unemployment (% of the labour force at year-end; Eurostat definition) | 6.7% | 5.8% |
| Government budget balance (% of GDP) | -1.3% | -1.3% |
| Public debt (% of GDP) | 45.7% | 44.1% |
| * Estimates made at the start of 2015. |
Our activities in the Czech Republic
2 Cˇ SOB Bank and Era.
1 Market shares and client numbers: based on own estimates; when calculating the figure for client numbers, account was taken of the overlap (roughly estimated) between the various companies in the group. Share for traditional bank products: average estimated market share for loans and deposits. Market share for life insurance: guaranteed-interest and unit-linked products (combined). Loan portfolio: see 'Risk management'. Deposits and debt securities: deposits from customers and debt securities (excluding repos).
As in Belgium, KBC owns both a bank and an insurance company in the Czech Republic, which work together closely. On the banking side, we operate through the bank branches of Cˇ SOB and Era, the branches belonging to other subsidiaries (CˇMSS, Hypotecˇní banka, Cˇ SOB Leasing) and the PSB branches in the Czech postal network. We sell insurance through various distribution channels, including a network of tied Cˇ SOB insurance agents, Cˇ SOB Pojišt'ovna agencies, Cˇ SOB bank branches and multi-agents and individual brokers.
Just like in Belgium, we offer a wide range of banking, insurance and asset management products in the Czech Republic, and we constantly adapt this offering to the changing needs of clients, new legislation and trends in society. In 2014, for instance, we took further major steps in the field of electronic and online bank-insurance, including the launch of contactless payment cards, a banking app for smartphones and tablets with a growing number of features (the ability to make payments to mobile operators, take out travel insurance, etc.), the possibility of applying for loans through our website or a call centre, and the ability to make payments using QR codes. We also launched numerous new products, including various funds and an innovative cash
loan, for which a zero interest rate applies during the second half of the repayment period.
One of the main objectives of our strategy is to put the client at the centre of everything we do in all our core markets. For that reason, we track the satisfaction of our clients very closely in the Czech Republic, too. We do this through regular surveys, which we use as the basis to take the necessary action. We supplement the general measurement of client satisfaction with our brand and product offering by specific, active and direct client surveys, including ones performed immediately after a branch visit.
In addition, as a large employer in the Czech Republic, we pay a great deal of attention to employee satisfaction and involvement. We have taken a number of initiatives, for instance, to improve our employees' work-life balance, by offering flexible working hours, home working and so on. Employee satisfaction at Cˇ SOB is high and even rose slightly in 2014. The net promoter score – employees' readiness to recommend Cˇ SOB as an employer – also rose further in 2014.
For more information on client and employee satisfaction, see 'Our business model and strategy'.
Our social commitment in the Czech Republic is also expressed in the initiatives our group companies take in this area. The focus is on socially responsible enterprise, education, diversity and the environment (see logo).
Cˇ SOB promotes education and financial literacy, for example, through its Cˇ SOB Education Programme and Education Fund, and supports the training and development of NGOs and social entrepreneurship. The group also focuses particular attention on combating exclusion, which includes providing branches with wheelchair access, ATMs adapted to blind and partially sighted people, and the eScribe transcription service for people with hearing difficulties. In recognition of this, Cˇ SOB was awarded second place in 2014 in 'Bank without Barriers', which investigated how accessible bank branches are to people with a physical handicap.
In addition, Cˇ SOB launched the Cˇ SOB Private Banking Good Will Card, where 0.6% of every payment made with the card is donated to a good cause.
Furthermore, Cˇ SOB has strategic partnerships with various NGOs that focus on supporting the socially deprived, older people, children and people with a handicap.
KBC-group companies are conscious about their ecological footprint and are taking various initiatives to reduce it. The head office in the Czech Republic, for instance, is a model of ecological and sustainable construction.
A selection of environmental efficiency data for Cˇ SOB in the Czech Republic is shown in the table.
| in the Czech Republic (per FTE) | 2013 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy consumption (in GJ) | Electricity | 16.0 | 15.4 |
| Fossil fuels (gas and heating oil) | 6.3 | 5.3 | |
| Paper and water consumption, waste | Paper (in tonnes) | 0.14 | 0.13 |
| Water (in m3 ) |
15.7 | 14.8 | |
| Waste (in tonnes) | 0.25 | 0.22 |
As in previous years, we were awarded a number of prizes in the Czech Republic in 2014, rewarding not only our financial performance, but our social engagement too. Here are a few examples:
environment field for its 'Era Helps the Regions' pilot programme, which sets out to assist a number of non-profit and aid organisations in nine regions. Following the success of the pilot, 'Era Helps the Regions' was rolled out country-wide in 2014.
• Cˇ SOB was also shortlisted in the 'Ashoka Changemakers – Ashoka Social and Business Co-Creation Competition' for the Era eScribe online speech transcription service which is
available at all Era Financial Centres for clients with hearing difficulties. The eScribe service was recently extended to all specialised counters of the Czech postal service in South Bohemia.
• Cˇ SOB was awarded the 'Best Private Bank in the Czech Republic' prize by Professional Wealth Management and The Banker, while Patria won Acquisition International's 'Investment Bank of the Year' award.
Our ambition in the Czech Republic is to create added value for our clients by moving from largely channel-centric solutions to ones that are more client-centric, based on an integrated model that brings together clients, third parties and our bank-insurer.
We will also offer new non-financial products and services, such as document management, to add value for our clients and to further enhance client satisfaction.
Our Czech group companies will, moreover, concentrate even more on simplifying their products, IT, organisation, bank distribution network, head office and branding, to become more cost efficient. KBC wants to expand and accelerate its bank-insurance business in the Czech Republic through steps like introducing a progressive and flexible pricing model, developing combined banking and insurance products and strengthening our insurance sales teams.
We are also seeking, lastly, to maintain growth in the fields in which we have traditionally been strong in the Czech Republic, such as lending to business and providing home loans. We want to move forward in fields in which we have yet to tap our full potential, such as the attractive market for lending to SMEs and consumer finance.
Based on the macroeconomic forecasts and with ongoing attention to cost-efficiency and risk management, we have translated this new strategy into a number of financial targets for the Czech Republic Business Unit. These are set out, together with the non-financial objectives, in 'Our strategy'.
In 2014, the Czech Republic Business Unit generated a net profit of 528 million euros, compared with 554 million euros in 2013. On a comparable basis (i.e. disregarding movements in exchange rates – the Czech koruna depreciated by an average 6% over the year – and a few minor adjustments in the scope of consolidation), the increase was just over 1%.
Net interest income came to 860 million euros, down 5% on its level in 2013. However, on the comparable basis, there was a small increase of 2%, with the negative impact of the low reinvestment climate being offset by higher interest income from lending (owing primarily to an increase in volumes) and a decline in external interest rates on savings accounts. Loans and advances to customers, excluding reverse repos (16 billion euros at year-end), rose by 5% on a comparable basis in 2014, due in part to persistently strong growth in home loans. Deposits from customers and debt securities, excluding repos (22 billion euros at year-end), went up by 8%. The average net interest margin amounted to 3.18% in the period under review, as opposed to 3.25% in 2013.
Earned insurance premiums stood at 325 million euros, 160 million euros of which related to life insurance and 165 million euros to non-life insurance.
Excluding the effects of currency exchange, non-life insurance premiums were up 3% and technical charges were down 12% year-on-year (the figure for 2013 was impacted by the floods in the Czech Republic). Consequently, the combined ratio improved from 96% in 2013 to 94% in 2014.
Excluding the effects of currency exchange, at 0.2 billion euros, earned premiums in life insurance were 14% below the year-earlier figure, with the decline related to both unitlinked products (from Maximal Invest) and interest-guaranteed products. Overall, unitlinked products accounted for two-thirds of total sales of life insurance and products offering guaranteed rates for one-third. At year-end, the outstanding life reserves stood at approximately 1 billion euros.
Net fee and commission income came to 194 million euros, an increase of 5% year-onyear (6% on a comparable basis), attributable in part to a rise in the fees charged for investment funds. Assets under management in the business unit stood at around 7 billion euros, some 20% higher than the year-earlier figure (14% accounted for by growth in volumes and 5% by the price effect).
As regards the other income items, the net realised result from available-for-sale assets totalled 9 million euros (16 million euros in
▲ John Hollows, CEO of the Czech Business Unit
2013), the net result from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss stood at 62 million euros (25% below the 2013 figure, as a result primarily of the negative marked-tomarket valuation of certain derivatives used for asset/liability management purposes in 2014) and other net income came to 18 million euros.
Operating expenses amounted to 594 million euros, 5% less than the year-earlier figure, but an increase of 1% on a comparable basis. Various factors played a role in this, including higher ICT and staff expenses and lower costs for marketing and facility services. The cost/ income ratio for the Czech banking activities stood at a very good 48%, in line with the previous year's 47%.
Impairment on loans and receivables came to 34 million euros, a further reduction on the very low figure of 46 million euros recorded for 2013 that was attributable chiefly to the retail loan portfolio. Consequently, the business unit's credit cost ratio amounted to an exceptionally favourable 18 basis points in 2014, compared with 26 basis points in 2013. Approximately 3.8% of the Czech loan portfolio was impaired (see 'Glossary of ratios' for definition) at year-end 2014, compared with 4.3% a year earlier. Impaired loans more than 90 days past due accounted for 2.9% of this figure (3.1% in 2013). Other impairment charges totalled 3 million euros.
| Czech Republic Business Unit results* (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Net interest income | 906 | 860 |
| Non-life insurance (before reinsurance) | 62 | 75 |
| Earned premiums | 170 | 165 |
| Technical charges | -108 | -89 |
| Life insurance (before reinsurance) | 25 | 24 |
| Earned premiums | 199 | 160 |
| Technical charges | -173 | -136 |
| Ceded reinsurance result | 4 | -7 |
| Dividend income | 0 | 0 |
| Net result from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss | 82 | 62 |
| Net realised result from available-for-sale assets | 16 | 9 |
| Net fee and commission income | 185 | 194 |
| Other net income | 9 | 18 |
| Total income | 1 290 | 1 235 |
| Operating expenses | -622 | -594 |
| Impairment | -50 | -36 |
| on loans and receivables | -46 | -34 |
| on available-for-sale assets | 0 | 0 |
| on goodwill | 0 | 0 |
| other | -3 | -3 |
| Share in results of associated companies | 29 | 23 |
| Result before tax | 648 | 628 |
| Income tax expense | -93 | -100 |
| Net post-tax result from discontinued operations | 0 | 0 |
| Result after tax | 554 | 528 |
| attributable to minority interests | 0 | 0 |
| attributable to equity holders of the parent (net result) | 554 | 528 |
| Banking | 529 | 501 |
| Insurance | 26 | 27 |
| Risk-weighted assets, banking (Basel III; period-end) | 12 563 | 12 345 |
| Solvency, insurance (Solvency I; period-end) | 69 | 67 |
| Allocated capital (period-end) | 1 378 | 1 414 |
| Return on allocated capital | 40% | 37% |
| Cost/income ratio, banking | 47% | 48% |
| Combined ratio, non-life insurance | 96% | 94% |
* The reference figures for 2013 have been restated (see 'Consolidated results in 2014').
The International Markets Business Unit comprises the activities conducted by entities in the other Central and Eastern European core countries, namely CˇSOB Bank and CˇSOB Poist'ovnˇa in Slovakia, K&H Bank and K&H Insurance in Hungary and CIBANK and DZI Insurance in Bulgaria, plus KBC Bank Ireland's operations.
The Slovakian economy experienced a robust recovery in 2014, expanding at a rate well above the euro area average, and driven chiefly by investment and consumer spending. The unemployment rate fell gradually during the period, but it remains high. Lending growth benefited initially from the economic upturn, with a recovery in business lending in the first six months in particular following on from the slide in 2013, but slipped back again at the end of the year. Growth in home loans and consumer credit strengthened further. The combination of high unemployment and falling energy prices meant that inflation fluctuated around zero or was even slightly negative in 2014. Budgetary policy was loosened a little for a while in 2014, pushing up the budget deficit to around 3%. However, we expect further budgetary consolidation to be pursued in 2015. We also assume that the decline in unemployment will support growth in consumer spending and that net exports will begin to positively contribute to growth once more. We anticipate real GDP growth of about 2.4% in 2015.
The Hungarian economy expanded significantly in the first two quarters of 2014, before subsequently easing back a little. At the same time, it remained in the grip of debt reduction, resulting in a prolonged contraction in bank lending. The central bank's Funding for Growth programme got lending to businesses back on track. Generally speaking, however, the robust economic growth was driven mainly by (public-sector) investment. Consumer spending also contributed significantly to growth in the year under review. Available household income received an additional boost from the compensation
banks have to pay to families to wind up outstanding loans denominated in foreign currencies. Robust growth also pushed down the jobless rate. Inflation declined over the year, due primarily to intervention in regulated prices and to falling energy prices, and even turned negative at the end of the year. The budget deficit remained below 3%. We anticipate real GDP growth of about 2.4% in 2015.
The Bulgarian economy and public finances were also healthy in 2014. The country suffered, however, from political and institutional instability. Growth gradually gained pace in the course of the year, and lending to businesses gathered speed. This acceleration in growth combined with a shrinking labour force to push down the unemployment rate, although this remains high. Factors such as falling energy prices and reductions in regulated prices resulted in negative inflation in 2014. Household lending remained weak and deposit growth slowed down, owing in part to deflation. On the other hand, deflation boosted real growth in household income, thereby contributing positively to consumer spending. Government spending also contributed to the economic expansion. The budget deficit was significantly higher than 3%. Confidence in the banking sector was tested in June 2014 by a run on two Bulgarian banks. When it emerged that irregularities had been detected at these banks, the Bulgarian central bank requested that it be placed under the umbrella of the ECB as regulator. None of this hindered strong economic growth in the third quarter. We anticipate real GDP growth of about 1.5% in 2015.
▲ Luc Gijsens, CEO of the International Markets Business Unit
Ireland was the strongest-growing economy in the euro area, benefiting in equal measure from domestic demand and net exports. Unemployment fell in response to this robust expansion, which in turn kick-started growth in consumer spending. There was a positive impact, moreover, on public finances, as a result of which the deficit fell by 1.7 percentage points over the year. The vigorous economic growth was not wholly matched by increased lending, but the firming of deposit growth contributed to a more favourable funding profile for the
banking sector. The sharp improvement in the Irish economy was also expressed in the figures for the financial markets, which saw a substantial decline in ten-year bond yields and the raising of the country's credit rating by S&P in December. We anticipate real GDP growth of about 3.5% in 2015.
This outlook is based on forecasts made at the start of 2015, and so the actual situation could differ (considerably).
| Macroeconomic indicators | Hungary Slovakia Bulgaria |
Ireland | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2014* | 2013 | 2014* | 2013 | 2014* | 2013 | 2014* | |
| GDP growth (real) | 1.5% | 3.3% | 1.4% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 0.2% | 5.0% |
| Inflation (average annual increase in consumer prices (%)) |
1.7% | 0.0% | 1.5% | -0.1% | 0.4% | -1.6% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Unemployment (% of the labour force at year end; Eurostat definition) |
8.7% | 7.3% | 14.0% | 12.5% | 12.8% | 10.8% | 12.1% | 10.5% |
| Government budget balance (% of GDP) |
-2.4% | -2.6% | -2.6% | -3.0% | -1.2% | -3.4% | -5.7% | -4.0% |
| Public debt (% of GDP) | 77.3% | 77.7% | 54.6% | 53.6% | 18.3% | 27.0% | 123.3% | 110.8% |
* Estimates made at the start of 2015.
1 Market shares and client numbers: based on own estimates; when calculating the figure for client numbers, account was taken of the overlap (roughly estimated) between the various group companies in each country. For traditional bank products: average estimated market share for loans and deposits. For life insurance: guaranteed-interest and unit-linked products (combined). Loan portfolio: see 'Risk management'. Deposits and debt securities: deposits from customers and debt securities (excluding repos).
2 Retail market share: 10% for mortgage loans and 5% for deposits.
Products and services: our companies in each of the Central and Eastern European core markets offer a wide range of loans, deposits and various specialised financial services, insurance products (life and non-life) and asset management products (the latter are not sold in Bulgaria). We offer a wide and general range of products in and have strong shares of most markets, although in some markets we focus on specific sub-markets and/or products. In Ireland, we have only a banking subsidiary.
The International Markets Business Unit comprises KBC's activities in Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Ireland. In each of the Central and Eastern European core countries, we own a bank and an insurance company that work together closely. In Ireland, we have only a bank, which began recently to sell insurance products, too.
As in Belgium and the Czech Republic, KBC also pursues a socially responsible approach in Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Ireland. This is illustrated in our policy towards staff and clients and in our involvement with society as a whole.
Given its importance within a relationship bank-insurance approach, we track client satisfaction very closely, and we monitor employee satisfaction closely, too. For more information, see 'Our business model and strategy'.
As an important financial player in all these countries, we also set great store by our role in local society.
• Our broader social engagement is illustrated in Hungary, for example, through the 'K&H MediMagic' programme, which provides financial and material help for sick children. K&H organised the seventh edition of 'ART for a better and more meaningful world' in 2014, which gives young artists the opportunity to win a scholarship. Through its 'K&H for the Underprivileged' programme, K&H furthermore supports the 47 most disadvantaged micro-regions in the areas of children's healthcare, performing arts, education for young adults and sports. K&H promotes financial education, meanwhile, by organising the national 'K&H Ready, Steady, Money' contest, in which students' financial knowledge is tested.
The companies belonging to this business unit again picked up various awards in 2014. Here are a few examples:
The International Markets Business Unit wants to transform K&H in Hungary and Cˇ SOB in Slovakia from branch-centric distribution models to hybrid ones.
The intention is for K&H to continue using its surplus liquidity to support the local economy, to grow its market share in all main segments, and to go on improving its efficiency and profitability. Client acquisition and share-ofwallet campaigns among retail clients, SMEs and other companies will remain the top priority for the Hungarian banking operations. Cost containment is important, too, but costs will naturally remain subject to the negative impact of the high taxes imposed by the Hungarian government. Growth in our Hungarian insurance activities will have to come primarily from sales through the bank branches.
We expect our income in Slovakia to increase considerably more than the market is expecting, especially in the retail asset classes (home loans, consumer finance, SME funding and leasing), which, combined with cost containment, ought to ensure a positive trend in the cost/income ratio.
We assume that CIBANK and DZI in Bulgaria will develop in a similar direction to K&H and Cˇ SOB, albeit at a slower pace, given the less developed market. CIBANK has grown appreciably since 2012. It is concentrating on specific client segments within a controlled and robust risk framework. DZI is focused on operational efficiency, simplification and excellent service provision to its clients. Collaboration in the field of bank-insurance between DZI and CIBANK has grown significantly in recent years, and we want to extend that collaboration by further
developing products and setting up distribution channels.
The principal strategic objective of our subsidiary in Ireland is to move from being a primarily digital monoliner (home loans and deposits) to becoming a fully-fledged retail bank with a complete retail product offering provided through a small number of branches. The intention is for distribution to occur through various channels, but primarily online and mobile channels and via a contact centre, supported by a flexible physical presence (hubs, mobile banks and advisers) in the main urban areas. Our ambition is to grow strongly in new retail mortgage loans and we want to expand the
range of retail products, while simultaneously continuing to scale down the existing portfolio of loans to large companies and SMEs. Cost containment is crucial, given the significant investment required in staff, IT and marketing to allow implementation of the retail strategy. We expect our Irish activities to return to profit in 2016.
Based on the macroeconomic forecasts and with ongoing attention to cost-efficiency and risk management, we have translated this new strategy into a number of financial targets for each country. These are set out, together with the non-financial objectives, in 'Our strategy'.
In 2014, the net result at the International Markets Business Unit amounted to -182 million euros, compared with -853 million euros a year earlier. This was attributable almost entirely to the significantly lower loan loss provisions set aside for Ireland, partially offset by the negative impact of new legislation in Hungary (see elsewhere in this report).
The net result broken down by country stood at -94 million euros for Hungary (66 million euros in 2013), 75 million euros for Slovakia (70 million euros in 2013), 15 million euros for Bulgaria (2 million euros in 2013) and -179 million euros for Ireland (-992 million euros in 2013).
Net interest income at the business unit totalled 677 million euros, a year-on-year increase of 7% and figures up in all countries. The biggest rise was in Ireland (with various factors playing a part, including lower funding costs).
At 21 billion euros, loans and advances to customers (excluding reverse repos) fell by 1%, with the increases in Slovakia (+8%), Hungary (+5%) and Bulgaria (+9%) being cancelled out by a decline in Ireland (-6%). Deposits from customers and debt securities, excluding repos (15 billion euros at year-end), went up by 5%, attributable largely to the successful retail deposit campaign in Ireland (+21%). Deposit volumes increased in Slovakia (+6%) and Bulgaria (+10%), too, but fell in Hungary (-7%). The average net interest margin rose from 2.10% at year-end 2013 to 2.41% at the end of the period under review.
Earned insurance premiums relate only to Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria (we have no insurance activities in Ireland, although we do sell third-party products there) and amounted to 237 million euros, 84 million euros of which came from life insurance and 153 million euros from non-life insurance. Non-life insurance premiums fell by roughly 1% (attributable to Hungary), and the claims level rose by 14% (owing to the weather conditions and natural disasters in Bulgaria and Slovakia). The combined ratio for the three Central and Eastern European countries as a whole deteriorated slightly from 95% in 2013 to 96% in 2014. Sales of life insurance – including investment contracts without a discretionary participation feature, which are excluded from the IFRS figure – came to 0.1 billion euros, some 5% above the year-earlier figure. Products offering guaranteed rates accounted for 44% of life insurance sales, and unit-linked products for 56%. At year-end, the outstanding life reserves stood at 0.5 billion euros.
The net result from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss came to 73 million euros. This was roughly 20% less than in 2013, owing to factors such as the negative markedto-market valuation of certain derivatives used for asset/liability management in 2014. Net fee and commission income amounted to 208 million euros, up 2% year-on-year, attributable chiefly to growth in Slovakia (among other things, in credit-related commissions). The net realised result from available-for-sale assets totalled 16 million euros. Other net income stood at a negative 227 million euros (compared with a positive 20 million euros a year earlier), due primarily to the new Hungarian law on consumer loans (act on the 'Resolution of certain issues related to the Supreme Court's (Curia) uniformity decision on consumer loan agreements concluded by financial institutions'). The act prohibits use of exchange rate margins and requires the retroactive correction of the bid/offer spreads applied to the relevant loans. It also revokes all unilateral changes to interest rates and fees executed by the banks with respect to all consumer loans. As a consequence of the new law, KBC set aside a provision of 231 million euros to cover the correction of bid/ offer spreads and unilateral changes to interest rates.
Operating expenses came to 740 million euros, an increase of 4% on the year-earlier figure that was attributable chiefly to Ireland (owing to factors such as higher costs linked to the increased workforce and to the retail campaign). The cost/income ratio of this business unit therefore ended the year at a high 92%, although the numerator in this ratio was naturally affected by the provisions set aside on account of the new Hungarian law with regard to consumer loans. Adjusted for that item (and several other small exceptional items), the ratio amounted to 69%, compared with 68% in 2013.
▲ Close the Gap collects used computers from companies and makes them available for re-use in developing countries. KBC has been a strategic partner of this NGO for many years and will continue to support it in the years ahead.
Impairment on loans and receivables (loan loss provisions) came to 273 million euros, significantly below the 1 171 million euros recorded for the previous year. The decline was attributable mainly to Ireland where 1 059 million euros had been set aside for loan loss provisions in 2013, but only 198 million euros in the period under review. The Irish loan portfolio still stood at about 14.5 billion euros at the end of the year, approximately four-fifths of which was made up of mortgage loans. Loan loss provisions totalling 74 million euros were set aside in 2014 for all three Central and Eastern European countries, compared with 112 million euros a year earlier, with decreases in Hungary and Slovakia.As a result, the credit cost ratio at business unit level came to 106 basis points, as opposed to 448 basis points in 2013. The figures per country were 133 basis points for Ireland, 94 basis points for Hungary, 36 basis points for Slovakia and 130 basis points for Bulgaria. At year-end, around 34% of the business unit's loan portfolio was impaired (see 'Glossary of ratios' for definition), compared with the year-earlier figure of 33%. Broken down by country, the figures were 52% in Ireland, 14% in Hungary, 4% in Slovakia and 28% in Bulgaria. Impaired loans more than 90 days past due amounted to 19% of the portfolio (19.2% in 2013). The figures for each country were 27% for Ireland, 11% for Hungary, 3% for Slovakia and 25% for Bulgaria.
Other impairment charges at the business unit totalled 11 million euros.
* Some reference figures for 2013 have been restated (see 'Consolidated results in 2014'). The increase in risk-weighted assets in Hungary was due primarily to the scrapping of the zero weighting for domestic government bonds.
| Hungary Slovakia Bulgaria 2013 2014 2013 2014 2013 2014 2013 269 274 200 210 40 43 123 26 27 22 20 31 21 0 59 55 26 27 70 71 0 -32 -29 -3 -7 -40 -50 0 -10 -1 10 10 3 4 0 14 15 54 53 15 16 0 -24 -16 -44 -43 -11 -12 0 -3 -2 -2 -2 -4 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 77 62 19 15 1 2 -7 7 14 3 2 3 0 1 159 160 43 46 1 1 -4 11 -225 10 0 -1 0 0 536 307 305 301 74 77 114 -379 -368 -180 -185 -52 -52 -102 -78 -49 -30 -18 -22 -10 -1 059 -76 -47 -27 -17 -9 -10 -1 059 0 0 0 0 -10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -2 -1 -3 0 -3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 81 -109 95 98 1 15 -1 047 -15 15 -25 -24 1 0 55 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 66 -94 70 75 2 15 -992 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 66 -94 70 75 2 15 -992 58 -102 60 65 10 11 -992 8 8 10 10 -8 5 0 4 434 6 996 3 776 3 815 668 671 7 357 14 14 15 15 15 15 0 469 759 404 426 93 96 736 13% -12% 17% 18% 2% 16% -134% 71% 125% 59% 62% 61% 63% 90% |
Of which | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | ||||||||
| 2014 | ||||||||
| 149 | ||||||||
| 97% | 96% | 76% | 83% | 101% | 101% | – |
The Group Centre includes the operating results of the group's holding-company activities, certain costs related to capital and liquidity management, costs related to the holding of participating interests, and the results of the remaining companies scheduled for divestment and of activities in the process of being run down.
The Group Centre also contains the results of legacy business (CDOs and divestments) and the valuation of own credit risk, items which we report separately to gain a better insight into the operating result and the non-operating result.
The restructuring plan we agreed with the European Commission in 2009 included a list of activities that had to be divested. By the end of 2014, we had implemented the plan in full.
The principal divestments we completed in recent years are KBC Peel Hunt, various specialised merchant banking activities at KBC Financial Products, Secura, KBC Asset Management's UK and Irish activities, KBC Securities Baltic Investment Company, KBC Business Capital, Centea, KBC Concord Asset Management, KBC Securities' Serbian and Romanian operations, Fidea, KBL EPB, KBC Goldstate, WARTA, Z˙agiel, Kredyt Bank, KBC Autolease Polska, KBC Lease Deutschland, participating interests held by KBC Private Equity, Absolut Bank, the minority interest in NLB, KBC Banka and KBC Bank Deutschland.
The previously announced sale of Antwerp Diamond Bank (ADB) to Yinren Group was not completed successfully and so we decided to run down ADB's loan portfolio and operations in a gradual and orderly manner. ADB will not provide any further loans or develop any new business. The run-down will occur by means of a merger, through which ADB will be absorbed by KBC Bank NV. Pursuant to the applicable IFRS accounting rules, we reversed the impairment charges on the sale of ADB recorded in 2012 and 2013, which had a positive impact of approximately 0.1 billion euros on the result. However, further loan write-downs might follow during the run-down period, as a result of which, the combined impact on the KBC group's net result could ultimately be slightly negative.
In 2014, the Group Centre generated a net result of -100 million euros, compared with -256 million euros a year earlier. Excluding the results of legacy business (divestments and CDOs) and the results relating to the valuation of own credit risk, the adjusted net result amounted to -234 million euros, compared with -311 million euros for the previous year.
The impact of the legacy business and own credit risk is explained in the 'Consolidated results in 2014' section.
Excluding these items, and as stated above, the Group Centre's adjusted net result stood at -234 million euros. This consisted of the operating expenses of the group's holdingcompany activities (-74 million euros, compared with -93 million euros in 2013), certain costs related to capital and liquidity management (to achieve liquidity and solvency targets at group level, and including the subordination charges attached to subordinated loans; -45 million euros, a sharp improvement on the -120 million euros recorded a year earlier, owing largely to lower subordination charges), costs related to
the holding of participating interests (chiefly funding costs; -99 million euros, compared with a year-earlier figure of -106 million euros), the results of the remaining companies scheduled for divestment or run-down (Antwerp Diamond
Bank, KBC Finance Ireland, etc.; -22 million euros, as opposed to -27 million euros at year-end 2013) and 7 million euros in other items.
| Group Centre results* (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Adjusted net result (i.e. excluding the impact of legacy business and valuation of own credit risk) | ||
| Net interest income | -197 | -145 |
| Non-life insurance (before reinsurance) | -15 | -6 |
| Earned premiums | -21 | -16 |
| Technical charges | 6 | 10 |
| Life insurance (before reinsurance) | 3 | -1 |
| Earned premiums | 19 | 0 |
| Technical charges | -16 | 0 |
| Ceded reinsurance result | 6 | 2 |
| Dividend income | 0 | 1 |
| Net result from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss | 62 | 12 |
| Net realised result from available-for-sale assets | 13 | 11 |
| Net fee and commission income | 23 | 19 |
| Other net income | 22 | 2 |
| Total income | -82 | -104 |
| Operating expenses | -212 | -160 |
| Impairment | -122 | -44 |
| on loans and receivables | -87 | -42 |
| on available-for-sale assets | -4 | -1 |
| on goodwill | -7 | 0 |
| other | -25 | 0 |
| Share in results of associated companies | 0 | 3 |
| Result before tax | -417 | -305 |
| Income tax expense | 120 | 71 |
| Net post-tax result from discontinued operations | 0 | 0 |
| Result after tax | -297 | -234 |
| attributable to minority interests | 14 | 0 |
| attributable to equity holders of the parent | -311 | -234 |
| Banking | -137 | -126 |
| Insurance | -21 | -9 |
| Holding | -153 | -99 |
| Risk-weighted assets, banking (Basel III; period-end) | 11 031 | 6 650 |
| Risk-weighted assets, insurance (Basel III, Danish compromise method; period-end) | 11 068 | 10 897 |
| Solvency, insurance (Solvency I; period-end) | 4 | 1 |
| Allocated capital (period-end) | 1 111 | 701 |
| Legacy business and valuation of own credit risk | ||
| Legacy – CDOs | 446 | 16 |
| Legacy – divestments | -348 | 116 |
| Valuation of own credit risk | -43 | 2 |
| Net result | ||
| Result after tax, attributable to equity holders of the parent | -256 | -100 |
* Some reference figures for 2013 have been restated (see 'Consolidated results in 2014').
Mainly active in banking, insurance and asset management, we are exposed to a number of typical industry-specific risks and uncertainties such as – but not exclusively – credit default risk, country risk, movements in interest rates and exchange rates, liquidity risk, insurance underwriting risk, operational risks, exposure to emerging markets, changes in regulations, customer litigation, as well as the economy in general.
This section of our annual report focuses on our risk governance model and the most material sector-specific risks we face, namely credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk, technical insurance risk and operational risk. The general risks (relating to the macroeconomic situation, competition, regulations, etc.) are described in the 'Our strategy' section.
▲ Christine Van Rijsseghem, Chief Risk Officer
Our statutory auditors have audited the information in this section that forms part of the IFRS financial statements, viz.:
Please note that:
Our risk governance model is characterised primarily by:
Relevant risk management bodies and control functions:
is a business committee that assists the Group Executive Committee in the domain of (integrated) balance sheet management at group level. It handles matters related to ALM and liquidity risk.
Risk committees:
Performance is assessed on a yearly basis as part of the Internal Control Statement.
A simplified schematic of our risk governance model is shown below.
Credit risk is the potential negative deviation from the expected value of a financial instrument arising from the non-payment or non-performance by a contracting party (for instance, a borrower, guarantor, insurer or re-insurer, counterparty in a professional transaction or issuer of a debt instrument), due to that party's insolvency, inability or lack of willingness to pay or perform, or to events or measures taken by the political or monetary authorities of a particular country (country risk). Credit risk thus encompasses default risk and country risk, but also includes migration risk,
which is the risk for adverse changes in credit ratings.
We manage credit risk at both transactional and portfolio level. Managing credit risk at the transactional level means that we have sound practices, processes and tools in place to identify and measure the risks before and after accepting individual credit exposures. Limits and delegations are set to determine the maximum credit exposure allowed and the level at which acceptance decisions are taken. Managing the risk at portfolio level encompasses, inter alia,
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More information on risk management can be found in our Risk Report at www.kbc.com, under 'investor relations', 'risk reports'.
periodic measuring and analysing of risk embedded in the consolidated loan and investment portfolios and reporting on it, monitoring limit discipline, conducting stress tests under different scenarios, taking risk mitigating measures and optimising the overall credit risk profile.
We have sound acceptance policies and procedures in place for all kinds of credit risk exposure. We are limiting our description below to exposures related to traditional loans to businesses and to lending to individuals, as these account for the largest part of the group's credit risk exposure.
Lending to individuals (e.g., mortgages) is subject to a standardised process, during which the output of scoring models plays an important role in the acceptance procedure. Lending to businesses is subject to a more integrated acceptance process in which relationship management, credit acceptance committees and model-generated output are taken into account.
For most types of credit risk exposure, monitoring is determined primarily by the risk class, with a distinction being made based on the Probability of Default (PD) and the Loss Given Default (LGD). The latter reflects the estimated loss that would be incurred if an obligor defaults.
In order to determine the risk class, we have developed various rating models for measuring how creditworthy borrowers are and for estimating the expected loss of various types of transactions. We use a number of uniform models throughout the group (models for governments, banks, large companies, etc.), while others have been designed for specific geographic markets (SMEs, private individuals, etc.) or types of transaction. We use the same internal rating scale throughout the group.
We use the output generated by these models to split the normal loan portfolio into internal rating classes ranging from 1 (lowest risk) to 9 (highest risk) for the PD. We assign an internal rating ranging from PD 10 to PD 12 to a defaulted obligor. PD class 12 is assigned when either one of the
obligor's credit facilities is terminated by the bank, or when a court order is passed instructing repossession of the collateral. PD class 11 groups obligors that are more than 90 days past due (in arrears or overdrawn), but that do not meet PD 12 criteria. PD class 10 is assigned to obligors for which there is reason to believe that they are unlikely to pay (on time), but that do not meet the criteria for classification as PD 11 or PD 12. Loans in PD classes 10, 11 and 12 are referred to as 'impaired loans' and are equivalent to 'non-performing loans' under the (new) definition used by the European Banking Authority (EBA).
We review loans to large corporations at least once a year, with the internal rating being updated as a minimum. If ratings are not updated in time, a capital add-on is imposed. Loans to small and medium-sized enterprises and to private individuals are reviewed periodically, with account being taken of any new information that is available (such as arrears, financial data, a significant change in the risk class). This monthly exercise can trigger a more in-depth review or may result in action being taken towards the client.
For credit linked to defaulted borrowers in PD classes 10, 11 and 12, we record impairment losses based on an estimate of the net present value of the recoverable amount. This is done on a case-by-case basis, and on a statistical basis for smaller credit facilities. In addition, for non-defaulted credit in PD classes 1 to 9, we record impairment losses on a 'portfolio basis', using a formula based on the IRB Advanced models used internally, or an alternative method if a suitable IRB Advanced model is not yet available.
We also monitor credit risk on a portfolio basis, inter alia by means of monthly and/or quarterly reports on the consolidated credit portfolio in order to ensure that lending policy and limits are being respected. In addition, we monitor the largest risk concentrations via periodic and ad hoc reports. Limits are in place at borrower/guarantor, issuer or counterparty level, at sector level and for specific activities or geographic areas. Moreover, we perform stress tests on certain types of credit (for instance, mortgages), as well as on the full scope of credit risk.
Whereas some limits are still in notional terms, we also use concepts such as 'expected loss' and 'loss given default'. Together with 'probability of default' and 'exposure at default', these concepts form the building blocks for calculating the regulatory capital requirements for credit risk, as KBC has opted to use the Internal Rating Based (IRB) approach. After receiving the approval of the regulators in 2012, the main group entities adopted the IRB Advanced approach and were joined by a number of smaller entities in 2013 and 2014. Others are scheduled to shift to the IRB Advanced or Foundation approaches in 2015. 'Non-material' entities will continue to adopt the Standardised approach.
Credit risk arises in both the banking and insurance activities of the group. In separate sections below, we take a closer look at the credit risk related to the insurance activities, KBC's investments in structured credit products, government bonds, and KBC's Irish and Hungarian portfolios.
Looking at the banking activities first, the main source of credit risk is the loan and investment portfolio. This portfolio has been built up mainly through what can be considered as pure, traditional lending activities. It includes all retail lending such as mortgage loans and consumer loans, all corporate lending such as (committed and uncommitted) working capital credit lines, investment credit, guarantee credit and credit derivatives (protection sold) and all non-government debt securities in the investment books of the group's bank entities. The table excludes other credit risks, such as trading exposure (issuer risk), counterparty risk associated with interprofessional transactions, international trade finance (documentary credit, etc.) and government bonds. We describe these items separately below.
The loan and investment portfolio as defined in this section differs significantly from 'Loans and advances to customers' in Note 18 of the 'Consolidated financial statements' section. That particular heading, for instance, does not include loans and advances to banks, guarantee credit and credit derivatives, or corporate and bank bonds, but does include repurchase transactions with non-banks and is net of specific impairment.
It should be noted that the terminology regarding bad loans in this report has changed somewhat. From now on, we will report on:
| Loan and investment portfolio, banking | 31-12-20136 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Total loan portfolio (in billions of EUR) | ||
| Amount granted | 161 | 166 |
| Amount outstanding | 135 | 139 |
| Loan portfolio breakdown by business unit (as a % of the portfolio of credit outstanding) | ||
| Belgium | 64% | 64% |
| Czech Republic | 13% | 14% |
| International Markets | 19% | 18% |
| Group Centre | 4% | 4% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
| Loan portfolio breakdown by counterparty sector (as a % of the portfolio of credit outstanding)1 | ||
| Private individuals | 42% | 42% |
| Financial and insurance services | 5% | 6% |
| Governments | 4% | 4% |
| Corporates | 49% | 49% |
| Non-financial services | 11% | 11% |
| Retail and wholesale trade | 8% | 8% |
| Real estate (risk) | 8% | 7% |
| Construction | 4% | 4% |
| Agriculture, farming, fishing | 3% | 3% |
| Automotive | 2% | 2% |
| Other2 | 14% | 14% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
| Loan portfolio breakdown by region (as a % of the portfolio of credit outstanding)1 | ||
| Western Europe | 75% | 75% |
| Central and Eastern Europe | 21% | 21% |
| North America | 2% | 1% |
| Other | 2% | 2% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
| Loan portfolio breakdown by risk class (part of the portfolio, as a % of the portfolio of credit outstanding)1, 3 | ||
| PD 1 (lowest risk, default probability ranging from 0.00% up to, but not including, 0.10%) | 29% | 30% |
| PD 2 (0.10% – 0.20%) | 11% | 11% |
| PD 3 (0.20% – 0.40%) | 12% | 13% |
| PD 4 (0.40% – 0.80%) | 16% | 15% |
| PD 5 (0.80% – 1.60%) | 14% | 11% |
| PD 6 (1.60% – 3.20%) | 8% | 10% |
| PD 7 (3.20% – 6.40%) | 5% | 5% |
| PD 8 (6.40% – 12.80%) | 2% | 2% |
| PD 9 (highest risk, ≥ 12.80%) | 3% | 2% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
| Loan and investment portfolio, banking | 31-12-20136 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Impaired loans4 (PD 10 + 11 + 12; in millions of EUR or %) | ||
| Impaired loans5 | 13 871 | 13 692 |
| Specific impairment | 5 521 | 5 709 |
| Portfolio-based impairment (i.e. based on PD 1 to 9) | 284 | 215 |
| Credit cost ratio | ||
| Belgium Business Unit | 0.37% | 0.23% |
| Czech Republic Business Unit | 0.26% | 0.18% |
| International Markets Business Unit | 4.48% | 1.06% |
| Ireland | 6.72% | 1.33% |
| Slovakia | 0.60% | 0.36% |
| Hungary | 1.50% | 0.94% |
| Bulgaria | 1.19% | 1.30% |
| Group Centre | 2.40% | 1.17% |
| Total | 1.21% | 0.41% |
| Total (including entities classified as 'disposal groups' under IFRS 5) | 1.21% | 0.42% |
| Impaired loans ratio | ||
| Belgium Business Unit | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Czech Republic Business Unit | 4.3% | 3.8% |
| International Markets Business Unit | 33.0% | 34.1% |
| Group Centre | 10.6% | 8.6% |
| Total | 10.2% | 9.9% |
| Total (including entities classified as 'disposal groups' under IFRS 5) | 10.2% | 9.9% |
| Impaired loans that are more than 90 days past due (PD 11 + 12; in millions of EUR or %) | ||
| Impaired loans that are more than 90 days past due | 8 086 | 7 676 |
| Specific impairment for impaired loans that are more than 90 days past due | 4 046 | 4 384 |
| Ratio of impaired loans that are more than 90 days past due | ||
| Belgium Business Unit | 2.5% | 2.2% |
| Czech Republic Business Unit | 3.1% | 2.9% |
| International Markets Business Unit | 19.2% | 19.0% |
| Group Centre | 8.5% | 6.3% |
| Total | 6.0% | 5.5% |
| Total (including entities classified as 'disposal groups' under IFRS 5) | 6.0% | 5.5% |
| Cover ratio [Specific loan loss impairment]/[impaired loans] | ||
| Total | 40% | 42% |
| Total (excluding mortgage loans) | 47% | 51% |
For a definition of the above ratios, see the 'Glossary of ratios'.
1 Audited figures.
2 Individual sector shares not exceeding 3%.
3 Internal rating scale.
4 Figures differ from those appearing in Note 21 of the 'Consolidated financial statements' section, due to differences in scope.
5 Impaired loans also include forborne loans (where the borrower has been assigned PD class 10 or higher). Reconciliation of year-end figures: the difference of 179 million euros between the figures for 2013 and 2014 was due to this category of loan decreasing by 246 million euros at the Belgium Business Unit, by 49 million euros at the Czech Republic Business Unit and by 23 million euros at the Group Centre, and to it increasing by 139 million euros at the International Markets Business Unit (239 million euros of which in Ireland).
6 Excluding KBC Bank Deutschland (classified as a 'disposal group' under IFRS 5 in 2013, sold in 2014). In 2013, KBC Bank Deutschland (see the relevant remark at the start of this section) accounted for 3.3 billion euros' worth of credit granted, 2.3 billion euros of which was outstanding.
We have provided the following additional information for the loan and investment portfolio in Ireland and Hungary, due to the specific situation on these markets.
| Details for Irish and Hungarian portfolios | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| KBC Bank Ireland (Ireland) – loan and investment portfolio1 | ||
| Total portfolio (outstanding, in billions of EUR) | 15 | 14 |
| Breakdown by loan type | ||
| Home loans | 79% | 82% |
| SME & corporate loans | 10% | 9% |
| Real estate investment and real estate development | 11% | 9% |
| Breakdown by risk class | ||
| Normal (PD 1-9) | 52% | 48% |
| Impaired (PD 10) | 22% | 25% |
| Impaired (PD 11+12) | 26% | 27% |
| Credit cost ratio2 | 6.72% | 1.33% |
| Cover ratio | 35% | 37% |
| K&H Bank (Hungary) – loan and investment portfolio1 | ||
| Total portfolio (outstanding, in billions of EUR) | 5 | 5 |
| Breakdown by loan type | ||
| Retail loans | 47% | 47% |
| FX mortgage loans | 28% | 25% |
| SME & corporate loans | 53% | 53% |
| Breakdown by risk class | ||
| Normal (PD 1-9) | 85% | 86% |
| Impaired (PD 10) | 3% | 3% |
| Impaired (PD 11+12) | 12% | 11% |
| Credit cost ratio2 | 1.50% | 0.94% |
| Cover ratio | 50% | 56% |
1 For a definition, see 'Overview of credit risk exposure in the banking activities' (i.e. excluding inter alia government bonds).
2 Unaudited.
In order to avoid a situation where an obligor facing financial difficulties ends up defaulting, we can decide to renegotiate its loans and grant forbearance measures in accordance with internal policy guidelines. These internal policies were updated in 2014 to take account of the new (draft) guidelines on non-performing exposures and forbearance measures laid down by the European Banking Authority (EBA).
Forbearance measures consist of concessions towards a borrower facing, or about to face, financial difficulties.
Forbearance measures may involve:
After a forbearance measure has been decided upon, the modified terms/conditions must be confirmed in writing. A forbearance tag is attached to the file in the credit systems for identification, monitoring and reporting purposes.
A client with a forborne loan will in principle be assigned a PD class that is higher than the one it had before the forbearance measure was granted, given the higher risk of the client.
If the client had not yet defaulted, and after being granted the forbearance measure – based on the bank's assessment of the borrower's revised financial projections/restructuring plans – there is a reasonable chance that the borrower will be able to meet the renegotiated terms of the loan, and the expected loss (in the broad sense) for the bank after renegotiation will be lower than it would have been without renegotiation, the PD class assigned by the model can be applied or overruled according to the existing policies. However, if the PD is overruled, the assigned PD would be higher than the PD assigned to borrowers/files with similar loans but without forbearance measures, reflecting the higher risk of default attached to the forborne facility.
If the forborne facility was non-defaulted prior to the forbearance measures, but becomes defaulted due to these measures, PD class 10 has to be assigned. If the facility had already been classified as 'defaulted' prior to the forbearance measure, the facility/client has to be assigned at least PD class 10 ('unlikely to pay') or worse (PD class 11 if other facilities are more than 90 days past due and default status is assigned at client level) after forbearance has been granted.
Only after at least one year and on the condition that, following the forbearance measures, no amount is past due or there are no concerns regarding full repayment of the exposure according to the post-forbearance conditions, can the client be reclassified as 'non-defaulted'. However, the forbearance tag will stay in place for at least two years after the forbearance measure has been granted, or after the client becomes non-defaulted, and can only be removed when strict extra criteria have been met (non-defaulted, regular payments, etc.). If the conditions are not met at the end of the probation period, the facility will continue to be identified as 'forborne
under probation' (i.e. forbearance tag) until the conditions are met. The conditions will be assessed on at least a quarterly basis.
If a client has been granted a forbearance measure, and remains non-defaulted, a default status will be assigned as soon as this forborne loan becomes more than 30 days past due or if an additional forbearance measure (from the second restructuring on) is granted during the probation period.
As forbearance measures constitute an objective indicator (i.e. impairment trigger) that requires assessing whether impairment is needed, all forbearance measures are subject to an impairment test. This means that, when a forbearance measure is granted, an evaluation should always be made as to whether this loss event has an impact on the estimated future cashflows of the financial assets, and if accordingly an impairment loss should be recognised.
From the moment an obligor needs to be classified as 'defaulted' according to KBC's rules, the need for provisioning has to be assessed. It is highly likely that an impairment charge will be recorded.
At the end of 2014, forborne loans accounted for some 6% of the total loan portfolio. A breakdown is provided below. The fluctuation in exposure to forborne loans was caused mainly by the implementation in 2014 of the new EBA-based policy on forbearance measures. Additionally:
| Forborne loans (in millions of EUR) |
Total out standing portfolio1 |
Forborne loans | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | (% of outstan ding portfolio) |
Breakdown by PD class | ||||||
| PD 1-8 | PD 9 | PD 10 (impaired, less than 90 days past due) |
PD 11-12 (impaired, 90 days and more past due) |
Specific impair ment |
||||
| 31-12-2013 | ||||||||
| Total | 135 364 | 7 429 | 5% | 581 | 830 | 4 307 | 1 711 | 1 744 |
| By business unit | ||||||||
| Belgium Business Unit | 86 913 | 2 207 | 3% | 377 | 446 | 1 074 | 311 | 381 |
| Czech Republic Business Unit | 17 716 | 359 | 2% | 129 | 25 | 126 | 79 | 77 |
| International Markets Business Unit | 25 894 | 4 845 | 19% | 75 | 360 | 3 108 | 1 303 | 1 280 |
| Ireland | 15 280 | 3 999 | 26% | 28 | 281 | 2 903 | 787 | 1 000 |
| Slovakia | 4 635 | 105 | 2% | 23 | 9 | 23 | 49 | 30 |
| Hungary | 5 080 | 507 | 10% | 9 | 57 | 161 | 281 | 164 |
| Bulgaria | 747 | 234 | 31% | 15 | 13 | 21 | 185 | 86 |
| Group Centre | 4 840 | 18 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 8 |
| By client segment | ||||||||
| Private individuals2 | 56 583 | 3 616 | 6% | 278 | 320 | 2 312 | 705 | 786 |
| SMEs | 32 029 | 474 | 1% | 107 | 166 | 102 | 100 | 78 |
| Corporations3 | 46 752 | 3 339 | 7% | 196 | 344 | 1 893 | 905 | 881 |
| 31-12-2014 | ||||||||
| Total | 138 931 | 7 928 | 6% | 470 | 551 | 4 608 | 2 299 | 2 095 |
| By business unit | ||||||||
| Belgium Business Unit | 89 060 | 1 288 | 1% | 336 | 91 | 783 | 77 | 188 |
| Czech Republic Business Unit | 18 775 | 241 | 1% | 36 | 38 | 111 | 56 | 53 |
| International Markets Business Unit | 25 446 | 6 209 | 24% | 70 | 378 | 3 635 | 2 126 | 1 817 |
| Ireland | 14 498 | 5 682 | 39% | 33 | 354 | 3 453 | 1 842 | 1 638 |
| Slovakia | 5 065 | 102 | 2% | 24 | 8 | 44 | 25 | 25 |
| Hungary | 5 089 | 209 | 4% | 3 | 10 | 115 | 81 | 73 |
| Bulgaria | 794 | 217 | 27% | 10 | 7 | 23 | 178 | 82 |
| Group Centre | 5 650 | 190 | 3% | 28 | 44 | 78 | 40 | 37 |
| By client segment | ||||||||
| Private individuals2 | 58 192 | 4 907 | 8% | 290 | 360 | 3 027 | 1 230 | 1 040 |
| SMEs | 32 089 | 349 | 1% | 73 | 57 | 138 | 82 | 69 |
| Corporations3 | 48 649 | 2 671 | 5% | 108 | 134 | 1 442 | 987 | 986 |
1 Gross amounts, before impairment (these amounts therefore differ from the accounting figures used in other sections).
2 99% of the forborne loans total relating to mortgage loans in 2013 and 99% in 2014.
3 49% of the forborne loans total relating to commercial real estate loans in 2103 and 55% in 2014.
Besides the credit risks in the loan and investment portfolio, credit risks also arise in other banking activities. The main sources of other credit risk are:
Short-term commercial transactions. This activity involves export or import finance (documentary credit, pre-export and post-import finance, etc.) and only entails exposure to financial institutions. We manage risks associated with this activity by setting limits per financial institution and per country or group of countries.
Trading book securities. These securities carry an issuer risk (potential loss on default by the issuer). We measure exposure to this type of risk on the basis of the market value of the securities. Issuer risk is curtailed through the use of limits both per issuer and per rating category. The exposure to assetbacked securities and collateralised debt obligations in the trading book is not included in the figures shown in the table, but is reported separately (see the 'Overview of outstanding structured credit exposure' section).
Interprofessional transactions (deposits with professional counterparties and derivatives trading). These transactions result in counterparty risk. The amounts shown in the table are the group's pre-settlement risks, measured as the sum of the (positive) current replacement value ('mark-to-market' value) of a transaction and the applicable add-on. Risks are curtailed by setting limits per counterparty. We also use close-out netting and collateral techniques. Financial collateral is only taken into account if the assets concerned are considered eligible risk-mitigants for regulatory capital calculations (Basel III).
| (in billions of EUR) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term commercial transactions | 4.2 | 4.4 |
| Issuer risk1 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Counterparty risk in interprofessional transactions2 | 8.2 | 10.1 |
1 Excluding a nominative list of central governments, and all exposure to EU institutions and multilateral development banks.
2 After deduction of collateral received and netting benefits.
Government securities in the investment portfolio of banking entities. We measure exposure to governments in terms of nominal value and book value. Such exposure relates mainly to EU states (particularly Belgium). We have put in place limiting
caps for both non-core and core country sovereign bond exposure. Details on the exposure of the combined banking and insurance activities to government bonds are provided in a separate section below.
For the insurance activities, credit exposure exists primarily in the investment portfolio (towards issuers of debt instruments) and towards reinsurance companies. We have guidelines in
place for the purpose of controlling credit risk within the investment portfolio with regard to, for instance, portfolio composition and ratings.
| (in millions of EUR, market value)1 | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Per balance sheet item | ||
| Securities | 19 284 | 21 282 |
| Bonds and other fixed-income securities | 18 003 | 19 935 |
| Held to maturity | 6 731 | 6 982 |
| Available for sale | 11 266 | 12 952 |
| At fair value through profit or loss and held for trading | 1 | 1 |
| As loans and receivables | 5 | 0 |
| Shares and other variable-yield securities | 1 262 | 1 345 |
| Available for sale | 1 260 | 1 340 |
| At fair value through profit or loss and held for trading | 3 | 5 |
| Other | 19 | 3 |
| Property and equipment and investment property | 354 | 373 |
| Investment contracts, unit-linked2 | 12 745 | 13 425 |
| Other | 701 | 1 074 |
| Total | 33 084 | 36 155 |
| Details for bonds and other fixed-income securities | ||
| By rating3, 4 | ||
| Investment grade | 96% | 96% |
| Non-investment grade | 3% | 2% |
| Unrated | 1% | 2% |
| By sector3 | ||
| Governments | 64% | 65% |
| Financial5 | 21% | 13% |
| Other | 15% | 22% |
| By currency3 | ||
| Euro | 94% | 95% |
| Other European currencies | 6% | 5% |
| US dollar | 0% | 0% |
| By remaining term to maturity3 | ||
| Not more than 1 year | 15% | 12% |
| Between 1 and 3 years | 20% | 18% |
| Between 3 and 5 years | 19% | 20% |
| Between 5 and 10 years | 29% | 30% |
| More than 10 years | 18% | 20% |
1 The total carrying value amounted to 32 576 million euros at year-end 2013 and to 34 716 million euros at year-end 2014.
2 Representing the assets side of unit-linked (class 23) products and completely balanced on the liabilities side. No credit risk involved for KBC Insurance.
3 Excluding investments for unit-linked life insurance. In certain cases, based on extrapolations and estimates.
4 External rating scale.
5 Including covered bonds and non-bank financial companies.
We are also exposed to a credit risk in respect of (re)insurance companies, since they could default on their commitments under (re)insurance contracts concluded with us. We measure this particular type of credit risk by means of a nominal approach (the maximum loss) and expected loss, among other techniques. Name concentration limits apply. PD – and by extension – expected loss is calculated using internal or external ratings. We determine the exposure at default by adding up the net loss reserves and the premiums, and the loss given default percentage is fixed at 50%.
| Credit exposure to (re)insurance companies by risk class1 : |
EAD | EL | EAD | EL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exposure at Default (EAD) and Expected Loss (EL)2 (in millions of EUR) |
2013 | 2013 | 2014 | 2014 |
| AAA up to and including A- | 141 | 0.05 | 190 | 0.06 |
| BBB+ up to and including BB- | 147 | 0.13 | 123 | 0.12 |
| Below BB- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unrated | 3 | 0.07 | 6 | 0.65 |
| Total | 291 | 0.24 | 341 | 0.83 |
1 Based on internal ratings.
2 EAD figures are audited, whereas EL figures are unaudited.
We hold a significant portfolio of government bonds, primarily as a result of our considerable excess liquidity position and for
the reinvestment of insurance reserves into fixed instruments. A breakdown per country is provided in the table below.
| For compari | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designated | son purposes: | Economic | ||||||
| at fair value | total | impact of | ||||||
| Available | Held | through profit | Loans and | Held | at year-end | +100 basis | ||
| for sale | to maturity | or loss | receivables | for trading | Total | 2013 | points3 | |
| Southern Europe and Ireland | ||||||||
| Greece | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Portugal | 46 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 83 | 77 | -6 |
| Spain | 1 606 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 609 | 348 | -92 |
| Italy | 2 018 | 93 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 123 | 865 | -123 |
| Ireland | 465 | 308 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 775 | 462 | -42 |
| KBC core countries | ||||||||
| Belgium | 7 123 | 16 535 | 93 | 0 | 794 | 24 545 | 24 586 | -1 343 |
| Czech Republic |
1 390 | 5 305 | 0 | 23 | 869 | 7 587 | 8 970 | -455 |
| Hungary | 464 | 1 431 | 0 | 8 | 171 | 2 073 | 2 267 | -68 |
| Slovakia | 1 448 | 1 274 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 2 792 | 2 395 | -163 |
| Bulgaria | 263 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 279 | 16 | -9 |
| Other countries | ||||||||
| France | 1 634 | 2 460 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 4 214 | 3 312 | -342 |
| Poland | 522 | 55 | 12 | 0 | 36 | 624 | 398 | -29 |
| Germany | 356 | 482 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 861 | 942 | -57 |
| Austria | 407 | 396 | 379 | 0 | 0 | 1 182 | 894 | -67 |
| Netherlands | 182 | 422 | 265 | 0 | 36 | 905 | 797 | -38 |
| Rest2 | 1 543 | 1 528 | 315 | 0 | 257 | 3 643 | 4 400 | -221 |
| Total carrying value |
19 469 | 30 342 | 1 063 | 31 | 2 391 | 53 298 | 50 876 | – |
| Total nominal value |
16 807 | 28 562 | 933 | 31 | 2 314 | 48 646 | 47 978 | – |
1 Including entities classified as 'disposal groups' under IFRS 5 (accounted for an aggregate 0.2 billion euros at year-end 2013 and 0.0 billion euros at year-end 2014). Excluding exposure to supranational entities of selected countries. No material impairment on the government bonds in portfolio.
2 Sum of countries whose individual exposure is less than 0.5 billion euros at year-end 2014.
3 Theoretical economic impact in fair value terms of a parallel 100-basis-point upward shift in the spread over the entire maturity structure (in millions of euros). Only a portion of this impact is reflected in profit or loss and/or equity. Figures relate to banking book exposure only (impact on trading book exposure was very limited and amounted to -36 million euros at year-end 2014).
Main changes in 2014:
• The carrying value of the total sovereign bond exposure increased slightly by 2.4 billion euros, due primarily to the higher exposure to Spanish, Italian and French government bonds (+1.3 billion euros, +1.3 billion euros, +0.9 billion euros, respectively), but partly offset by a decrease in exposure to Czech government bonds (-1.4 billion euros).
Revaluation reserve for available-for-sale assets at year-end 2014:
KBC sees no major sources of estimation uncertainty that would significantly increase the risk of a material adjustment to the carrying value of sovereign debt over financial year 2015.
Portfolio of Belgian government bonds:
Belgium. For more ratings information, updates and outlooks, please refer to the rating agencies' websites.
KBC has gradually been running down its CDO portfolio over the past few years. In September 2014, we collapsed the last two CDOs in our portfolio. Collapsing these CDOs also released us from the CDO guarantee agreement with the Belgian Federal Government (see 'Capital transactions and guarantee agreements with the government in 2008 and 2009' in the 'Additional information' section) and completely eliminated the group's exposure to MBIA. Standing at more than 25 billion euros in 2008, we have fully scaled down the CDO portfolio in the space of five years. It should be noted that KBC is the counterparty to and issuer of a further 0.3 billion euros' worth of CDO notes held by investors that will remain outstanding until year-end 2017. This effectively means that KBC is now a net buyer of credit risk protection, which is
valued at fair value. Consequently, negligible movements may yet be recorded in KBC's income statement in the coming quarters based on changes in the value of these notes (due primarily to credit spreads on the underlying portfolio and reducing time value).
In 2013, we decided to lift the strict moratorium on investments in ABS and to allow treasury investments (see 'Treasury ABS exposure' in the table) in liquid, high-quality, non-synthetic European ABS, which are also accepted as eligible collateral by the ECB. This allows for further diversification in the investment portfolios. The moratorium on new CDOs and synthetic securitisations is still in place.
| (in billions of EUR) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Total net exposure1 | 7.5 | 1.7 |
| Legacy CDO exposure protected with MBIA | 5.3 | 0.0 |
| Other legacy CDO exposure | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Legacy ABS exposure | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| Treasury ABS exposure | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Cumulative value markdowns for legacy investments (mid-2007 to date)2 | -0.4 | -0.1 |
| Value markdowns | -0.3 | -0.1 |
| for legacy CDO exposure | -0.2 | 0.0 |
| for legacy ABS exposure | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| Credit Value Adjustment (CVA) on MBIA cover (related to legacy CDO exposure)2 | -0.1 | 0.0 |
| Cumulative value markdowns for treasury ABS exposure | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1 CDO and ABS exposure is presented as net exposure. Consequently, all claimed and settled credit events, and all fully de-risked (i.e. riskless) positions have been excluded from the figures for CDOs
2 Value adjustments to KBC's CDOs are accounted for via profit or loss instead of directly via shareholders' equity, since the group's CDOs are mostly of a synthetic nature (meaning that the underlying assets are derivative products such as credit default swaps on corporate names). Their synthetic nature is also the reason why KBC's CDOs are not eligible for accounting reclassification under IFRS in order to neutralise their impact.
As mentioned above, KBC turned the page on KBC Financial Product's legacy CDO exposure when the two remaining CDOs were collapsed in 2014. The net legacy ABS portfolio declined by 0.5 billion euros following the transfer of 0.3
billion euros of assets to the treasury ABS portfolio and also due to redemptions. In KBC's treasury portfolio, investments to the tune of 0.7 billion euros were made in high-quality RMBS and other ABS assets.
The process of managing structural exposure to market risks (including interest rate risk, equity risk, real estate risk, foreign exchange risk and inflation risk) is also known as Asset/Liability Management (ALM).
'Structural exposure' encompasses all exposure inherent in our commercial activity or in our long-term positions (banking and insurance). Trading activities are consequently not included. Structural exposure can also be described as a combination of:
The main building blocks of KBC's ALM Risk Management Framework are:
| KBC group non-trading market risk (VaR 99.93%, 1-year time horizon) | |
|---|---|
| (in billions of EUR)* | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 3.84 | 4.89 |
* Excluding a number of small group companies. Cyclical prepayment options embedded in mortgage loans have not been captured. In 2013, KBC Bank Deutschland (see the relevant remark at the start of this section) had an impact of 0.7 million euros. VaR is measured using the VaR-CoVaR approach. The increase in 2014 was driven primarily by the higher credit spread risk after additional investments had been made in (mainly Italian, Spanish and French) sovereign bonds.
We use two main techniques to measure interest rate risks: 10 BPV and VaR (see above). The 10 BPV measures the extent to which the value of the portfolio would change if interest rates were to go up by ten basis points across the entire curve (negative figures indicate a decrease in the value of the portfolio). We set 10 BPV limits in such a way that interest rate positions combined with the other structural exposures (equity, real estate, etc.) remain within the overall VaR limits. We also use other techniques such as gap analysis, the duration approach, scenario analysis and stress testing (both from an economic value perspective and from an income perspective).
| Impact of a parallel 10-basis-point increase in the yield curve for the KBC group1 | Impact on value2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 | |
| Banking | -22 | -57 | |
| Insurance | 10 | 16 | |
| Total | -11 | -41 |
1 In 2013, KBC Bank Deutschland (see the relevant remark at the start of this section) had an impact of 0.8 million euros.
2 Full market value, regardless of accounting classification or impairment rules.
We manage the ALM interest rate positions of the banking entities via a system of market-oriented internal pricing for products with a fixed maturity date, and via a replicating portfolio technique – reviewed on a dynamic basis – for products without a fixed maturity date (e.g., current and savings accounts).
The bank takes interest rate positions mainly through government bonds, with a view to acquiring interest income, both in a bond portfolio used for reinvesting equity and in a bond portfolio financed with short-term funds. The table shows the bank's exposure to interest rate risk in terms of 10 BPV.
| (in millions of EUR) 2013 |
2014 |
|---|---|
| Average for 1Q -33 |
-55 |
| Average for 2Q -28 |
-61 |
| Average for 3Q -21 |
-71 |
| Average for 4Q -22 |
-57 |
| As at 31 December -22 |
-57 |
| Maximum in year -41 |
-71 |
| Minimum in year -21 |
-55 |
* At year-end 2013, KBC Bank Deutschland (see the relevant remark at the start of this section) had an impact of -0.1 million euros. The year-on-year difference in BPV was accounted for in part by the change in non-maturity deposit modelling. Unaudited figures, except for those 'As at 31 December'.
In line with the Basel guidelines, we conduct a 200-basis-point stress test at regular intervals. It sets off the total interest rate risk in the banking book (given a 2% parallel shift in interest rates) against total capital and reserves. For the banking book at KBC group level, this risk came to 14.9% of total capital and reserves at year-end 2014. This is well below the 20% threshold (where a bank is considered an 'outlier bank' and which can lead to a higher regulatory capital charge).
The following table shows the interest sensitivity gap of the ALM banking book. In order to determine the sensitivity gap, we break down the carrying value of assets (positive amount) and liabilities (negative amount) according to either the contractual repricing date or the maturity date, whichever is earlier, in order to obtain the length of time for which interest rates are fixed. We include derivative financial instruments, mainly to reduce exposure to interest rate movements, on the basis of their notional amount and repricing date.
| ≤ 1 month | 1–3 months | 3–12 months | 1–5 years | 5–10 years | > 10 years | Non interest bearing |
Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-12-2013 | 13 787 | 78 | -1 641 | -3 170 | 6 852 | 766 | -16 672 | 0 |
| 31-12-2014 | -13 126 | -2 961 | 5 099 | 20 560 | 9 205 | -2 172 | -16 606 | 0 |
| * In 2014, a change in the modelling of non-maturity deposits led to a different distribution of cashflows over time. At year-end 2013, KBC Bank Deutschland (see the relevant remark at the start of this section) had the following impact: |
||||||||
| 31-12-2013 | 5 | 126 | 60 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -198 | 0 |
The interest sensitivity gap shows our overall long position in interest rate risk. Generally, assets reprice over a longer term than liabilities, which means that KBC's net interest income benefits from a normal yield curve. The economic value of the KBC group is predominantly sensitive to movements at the long-term end of the yield curve.
Where the group's insurance activities are concerned, the fixed-income investments for the non-life reserves are invested with the aim of matching the projected pay-out patterns for claims, based on extensive actuarial analysis. The non-unit-linked life activities (class 21) combine a guaranteed interest rate with a discretionary participation feature (DPF) fixed by the insurer. The main risks to which the insurer is exposed as a result of such activities are a lowinterest-rate risk (the risk that return on investments will drop below the guaranteed level) and a risk that the investment return will not be sufficient to give customers a competitive profit-sharing rate. The risk of low interest rates is managed via a cashflow-matching policy, which is applied to that portion of the life insurance portfolios covered by fixed-income securities. Unit-linked life insurance investments (class 23) are not dealt with here, since this activity does not entail any market risk for KBC.
In the table below, we have summarised the exposure to interest rate risk in our life insurance activities. The life insurance assets and liabilities relating to business offering guaranteed rates are grouped according to the expected timing of cashflows.
| Expected cashflows (not discounted), life insurance activities | 0–5 | 5–10 | 10–15 | 15–20 | > 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | years | years | years | years | years | Total |
| 31-12-2013 | ||||||
| Fixed-income assets backing liabilities, guaranteed component | 10 725 | 4 098 | 2 310 | 626 | 765 | 18 525 |
| Liabilities, guaranteed component | 10 086 | 3 123 | 1 844 | 1 311 | 1 779 | 18 142 |
| Difference in expected cashflows | 640 | 975 | 466 | -685 | -1 014 | 383 |
| Mean duration of assets | 4.90 years | |||||
| Mean duration of liabilities | 6.03 years | |||||
| 31-12-2014 | ||||||
| Fixed-income assets backing liabilities, guaranteed component | 10 466 | 4 639 | 2 332 | 865 | 1 050 | 19 351 |
| Liabilities, guaranteed component | 10 282 | 3 303 | 1 994 | 1 402 | 1 986 | 18 967 |
| Difference in expected cashflows | 184 | 1 336 | 338 | -537 | -936 | 384 |
| Mean duration of assets | 5.85 years | |||||
| Mean duration of liabilities | 6.72 years |
As mentioned above, the main interest rate risk for the insurer is a downside one. We adopt a liability driven ALM approach focused on mitigating the interest rate risk in accordance with KBC's risk appetite. For the remaining interest rate risk, we
adhere to a policy that takes into account the possible negative consequences of a sustained decline in interest rates, and have built up adequate supplementary reserves.
| insurance activities 31-12-2013 |
31-12-2014 |
|---|---|
| 5.00% and higher* 3% |
3% |
| More than 4.25% up to and including 4.99% 10% |
11% |
| More than 3.50% up to and including 4.25% 4% |
5% |
| More than 3.00% up to and including 3.50% 27% |
22% |
| More than 2.50% up to and including 3.00% 22% |
22% |
| 2.50% and lower 32% |
35% |
| 0.00% 2% |
2% |
| Total 100% |
100% |
* Contracts in Central and Eastern Europe.
We manage the credit spread risk for the sovereign portfolio by monitoring the extent to which the value of the sovereign bonds would change if credit spreads were to go up by 100 basis points across the entire curve. The economic sensitivity of the main sovereign positions to changes in spreads is dealt with in the 'Credit risk' section.
The main exposure to equity is within our insurance business, where the ALM strategies are based on a risk-return evaluation, account taken of the market risk attached to open equity positions. Please note that a large part of the equity portfolio is held for the DPF of insurance liabilities (especially profit-sharing in the Belgian market). Apart from the insurance entities, smaller equity portfolios are also held by other group entities, e.g., KBC Bank and KBC Asset Management. We have provided more information on total non-trading equity exposures at KBC in the tables below.
| Equity portfolio of the KBC group | Banking activities | Insurance activities | Group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (breakdown by sector, in %) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 | |
| Financial | 60% | 68% | 20% | 18% | 25% | 23% | |
| Consumer non-cyclical | 1% | 1% | 10% | 10% | 8% | 9% | |
| Communication | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 0% | 2% | |
| Energy | 0% | 0% | 7% | 5% | 6% | 4% | |
| Industrial | 27% | 17% | 38% | 40% | 37% | 37% | |
| Utilities | 0% | 0% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 2% | |
| Consumer cyclical | 1% | 0% | 15% | 12% | 13% | 11% | |
| Basic materials | 0% | 0% | 5% | 8% | 4% | 7% | |
| Other and not specified | 12% | 13% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 5% | |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
| In billions of EUR | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5* | |
| of which unlisted | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
* The main differences between the 1.5 billion euros in this table and the 2.1 billion euros for 'Equity instruments' in the table appearing in Note 18 of the 'Consolidated financial statements' section – besides a number of minor differences in the scope of consolidation – are that:
(a) Shares in the trading book (0.3 billion euros) are excluded above, but are included in the table in Note 18.
(b) Real estate participations that are not consolidated are classified as 'investments in building' in this table, but classified as 'shares' in the table in Note 18 (as they are not consolidated). (c) Most 'investments in funds' are treated on a 'look-through' basis (according to the underlying asset mix of the fund and therefore also partially classified as 'fixed-income instruments'), whereas they are classified as 'shares' in the table in Note 18.
| Impact of a 12.5% drop in equity prices | Impact on value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 | |
| Banking activities | -21 | -20 | |
| Insurance activities | -158 | -166 | |
| Total | -179 | -186 |
| Non-trading equity exposure (in millions of EUR) |
Net realised gains (in income statement) |
Net unrealised gains on year-end exposure (in equity) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 | |||
| Banking activities | 85 | 2 | 73 | 108 | ||
| Insurance activities | 44 | 84 | 252 | 261 | ||
| Total* | 130 | 86 | 335 | 385 |
* The total figure includes gains from some equity positions directly attributable to the KBC group. Gains from joint participations involving the banking and insurance entities of the KBC group have been eliminated, since these participations are consolidated at group level.
The groups' real estate businesses hold a limited real estate investment portfolio. KBC Insurance also holds a diversified real estate portfolio, which is held as an investment for non-life reserves and long-term life activities. The real estate exposure is viewed as a long-term hedge against inflation risks and as a way of optimising the risk/return profile of these portfolios. The table provides an overview of the sensitivity of economic value to fluctuations in the property markets.
| Impact of a 12.5% drop in real estate prices* | Impact on value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 | |||
| Bank portfolios | -59 | -51 | |||
| Insurance portfolios | -28 | -30 | |||
| Total | -86 | -81 |
* The figures for 2013 have been restated. Some buildings used by KBC Insurance for its own activities were excluded from the scope of risk, which reduced the impact of a 12.5% drop in real estate prices by 12 million euros.
We pursue a prudent policy as regards our structural currency exposure, essentially seeking to avoid currency risk. Foreign exchange exposures in the ALM books of banking entities with a trading book are transferred to the trading book where they are managed within the allocated trading limits. The foreign exchange exposure of banking entities without a trading book, of the insurance entities and of other entities has to be hedged, if material. Equity holdings in non-euro currencies that are part of the investment portfolio do not need to be hedged. Participating interests in foreign currency are in principle funded by borrowing an amount in the relevant currency equal to the value of the net assets excluding goodwill.
Liquidity risk is the risk that an organisation will be unable to meet its payment obligations as they come due, without incurring unacceptable losses.
The principal objective of our liquidity management is to be able to fund the group and to enable the core business activities of the group to continue to generate revenue, even under adverse circumstances. Since the financial crisis, there has been a greater focus on liquidity risk management throughout the industry, and this has been intensified by the minimum liquidity standards defined by the Basel Committee and transposed into European law through CRD IV/CRR for the liquidity coverage ratio. We continue to incorporate these concepts into our liquidity and funding framework, as well as into our financial planning.
A group-wide 'liquidity risk management framework' is in place to define the risk playing field.
Liquidity management itself is organised within the Group Treasury function, which acts as a first line of defence and is responsible for the overall liquidity and funding management of the KBC group. The Group Treasury function monitors and steers the liquidity profile on a daily basis and sets the policies and steering mechanisms for funding management (intragroup funding, funds transfer pricing). These policies ensure that local management has an incentive to work towards a sound funding profile. It also actively monitors its collateral on a group-wide basis and is responsible for drafting the liquidity contingency plan that sets out the strategies for addressing liquidity shortfalls in emergency situations.
Our liquidity risk management framework is based on the following pillars:
• Contingency liquidity risk. This risk is assessed on the basis of liquidity stress tests, which measure how the liquidity buffer of the group's bank entities changes under extreme stressed scenarios. This buffer is based on assumptions regarding liquidity outflows (retail customer behaviour, professional client behaviour, drawing of committed credit lines, etc.) and liquidity inflows resulting from actions to increase liquidity ('repoing' the bond portfolio, reducing unsecured interbank lending, etc.). The liquidity buffer has to be sufficient to cover liquidity needs (net cash and collateral outflows) over (i) a period that is required to
restore market confidence in the group following a KBC-specific event, (ii) a period that is required for markets to stabilise after a general market event and (iii) a combined scenario, which takes a KBC-specific event and a general market event into account. The overall aim of the liquidity framework is to remain sufficiently liquid in stress situations, without resorting to liquidity-enhancing actions which would entail significant costs or which would interfere with the core banking business of the group.
• Structural liquidity risk. We manage our funding structure so as to maintain substantial diversification, to minimise funding concentrations in time buckets, and to limit the level of reliance on short-term wholesale funding. We manage the structural funding position as part of the integrated strategic planning process, where funding – in addition to capital, profits and risks – is one of the key elements. At present, our strategic aim for the next few years is to build up a sufficient buffer in terms of the Basel III LCR and NSFR requirements via a funding management framework, which sets clear funding targets for the subsidiaries (own funding, reliance on intra-group funding) and provides further incentives via a system of intra-group pricing to the extent subsidiaries run a funding mismatch.
In the table below, we have illustrated the structural liquidity risk by grouping the assets and liabilities according to the remaining term to maturity (contractual maturity date). The difference between the cash inflows and outflows is referred to as the 'net funding gap'. At year-end 2014, KBC had attracted 26 billion euros' worth of funding on a gross basis from the professional interbank and repo markets.
• Operational liquidity risk. Operational liquidity management is conducted in the treasury departments, based on estimated funding requirements. Group-wide trends in funding liquidity and funding needs are monitored on a daily basis by the Group Treasury function, ensuring that a sufficient buffer is available at all times to deal with extreme liquidity events in which no wholesale funding can be rolled over.
▲ Claire Noonan used to work with Andrea Blomme in Ireland.
'We were looking to take out a mortgage, but that was proving difficult because my husband has had cancer. However, KBC was there to provide us with a solution. Fortunately, we didn't suffer as badly as some from the crisis in Ireland and are now able to pay back what we borrowed more quickly than planned.'
| Liquidity risk | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (excluding intercompany deals)* | <= 1 | 1–3 | 3–12 | 5–10 | > 10 | On | Not | ||
| (in billions of EUR) | month | months | months | 1–5 years | years | years | demand | defined | Total |
| 31-12-2013 | |||||||||
| Total inflows | 18 | 10 | 18 | 52 | 41 | 33 | 4 | 31 | 206 |
| Total outflows | 27 | 12 | 20 | 29 | 7 | 2 | 81 | 28 | 206 |
| Professional funding | 18 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25 |
| Customer funding | 7 | 6 | 12 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 80 | 0 | 123 |
| Debt certificates | 0 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 29 |
| Liquidity gap (excl. undrawn commitments) |
-10 | -2 | -2 | 23 | 35 | 31 | -77 | 2 | 0 |
| Undrawn commitments | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | -25 | – |
| Financial guarantees | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | -10 | – |
| Net funding gap (incl. undrawn commitments) |
-10 | -2 | -2 | 23 | 35 | 31 | -77 | -33 | -35 |
| 31-12-2014 | |||||||||
| Total inflows | 16 | 8 | 16 | 55 | 45 | 33 | 3 | 35 | 211 |
| Total outflows | 35 | 9 | 15 | 31 | 8 | 1 | 84 | 27 | 211 |
| Professional funding | 15 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
| Customer funding | 17 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 84 | 0 | 130 |
| Debt certificates | 0 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
| Other | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 27 | 30 |
| Liquidity gap (excl. undrawn commitments) |
-19 | -1 | 2 | 24 | 37 | 32 | -81 | 7 | 0 |
| Undrawn commitments | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | -32 | – |
| Financial guarantees | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | -10 | – |
| Net funding gap (incl. undrawn commitments) |
-19 | -1 | 2 | 24 | 37 | 32 | -81 | -34 | -42 |
* Cashflows exclude interest rate flows consistent with internal and regulatory liquidity reporting. Inflows/outflows that arise from margin calls posted/received for MtM positions in derivatives are reported in the 'not defined' bucket. In 2013, KBC Bank Deutschland (see the relevant remark at the start of this section) had an impact of 1.9 billion euros. Professional funding' includes all deposits from credit institutions and investment firms, as well as all repos. Instruments are classified on the basis of their first callable date. Some instruments are reported at fair value (on a discounted basis), whereas others are reported on an undiscounted basis (in order to reconcile them with Note 18 of the 'Consolidated financial statements' section). Due to the uncertain nature of the maturity profile of undrawn commitments and financial guarantees, these instruments are reported in the 'Not defined' bucket. The 'Other' category under 'Total outflows' contains own equity, short positions, provisions for risks and charges, tax liabilities and other liabilities.
Typical for a banking group, funding sources generally have a shorter maturity than the assets that are funded, leading to a negative net liquidity gap in the shorter time buckets and positive net liquidity gap in the longer term buckets. This creates liquidity risk if KBC would be unable to renew maturing short-term funding. Our liquidity framework imposes a funding strategy to ensure that the liquidity risk remains within the group's risk appetite.
The KBC group has a solid liquidity position. Historically, it has always had a substantial amount of liquid assets. At year-end 2014, the KBC group had 62 billion euros' worth of unencumbered central bank eligible assets, 41 billion euros of which in the form of liquid government bonds (67%). The remaining available liquid assets were other ECB/FED eligible bonds (10%) and pledgeable credit claims (12%). Most of the liquid assets are expressed in euros, Czech koruna and Hungarian forint (all home market currencies).
Unencumbered liquid assets were more than three times the net recourse to short-term wholesale funding, while funding
Unsecured short-term funding compared to liquid assets
(in billions of EUR) 62 Available liquid assets Net short-term funding 31-12-2013 31-12-2014 14 18 57
from non-wholesale markets was accounted for by stable funding from core customer segments in our core markets. The liquid asset buffer at year-end is presented in the graph.
KBC continues to have a strong retail/mid-cap deposit base in its core markets, resulting in a stable funding mix. A significant portion of the funding is attracted from core customer segments and markets.
The KBC group's funding mix can be broken down as follows (figures relate to 31 December 2014):
Funding mix by type
euros), the additional tier-1 issue (1.4 billion euros) and tier-2 issue (0.9 billion euros).
Please note that:
More issues followed in 2013 for a total of 2.7 billion euros and in 2014 for a total of 0.9 billion euros.
Both the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) and Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) are defined in the 'Glossary of ratios'. At year-end 2014, our NSFR stood at 110% and our LCR at 120%. The LCR was calculated based on KBC's interpretation of CRD IV/CRR. This is well above the minimum regulatory requirements and KBC's internal floors of 105% for both ratios.
Market risk is defined as the potential negative deviation from the expected value of a financial instrument (or portfolio of such instruments) due to changes in the level or in the volatility of market prices, e.g., interest rates, exchange rates and equity or commodity prices. Market risk also covers the risk of price fluctuations in negotiable securities as a result of credit risk, country risk and liquidity risk. The interest rate, foreign exchange and equity risks of the non-trading positions in the banking book and of the insurer's positions are all included in ALM exposure.
The objective of market risk management is to measure, report and advise on the market risk of the aggregate trading position at group level, taking into account the main risk factors and specific risk.
We are exposed to market risk via the trading books of our dealing rooms in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, as well as via a minor presence in the UK and Asia. The traditional dealing rooms, with the dealing room in Belgium accounting for the lion's share of the limits and risks, focus on trading in interest rate instruments, while activity on the FX markets has traditionally been limited. All dealing rooms focus on providing customer service in money and capital market products and on funding the bank activities.
There is also a limited market risk in the four legacy business lines of KBC Investments Limited (formerly KBC Financial Products), namely the CDO, fund derivatives, reverse mortgages and insurance derivatives businesses.
Regarding the CDO business – and as mentioned in other parts of this report – KBC has now fully scaled down its CDO portfolio. However, the position pertaining to the remaining 0.3 billion euros of CDO notes held by investors is located in the trading books of KBC Investments Limited. Consequently, the market risk regulatory capital for this position is recorded under the re-securitisation column (19 million euros) in the 'Trading regulatory capital requirements' table.
The remaining three legacy business lines, which represent less than 2% of market risk regulatory capital charges for trading activities, continue to be monitored and wound down by dedicated teams. The most significant progress made in 2014 regarding these other legacy business lines was in the fund derivatives business, with most of the portfolio being sold in June, which left a portfolio book value of about 1 million euros.
The principal tool we use for measuring and monitoring market risk exposures in the trading book is the Historical Value-at-Risk (HVaR) method. VaR is defined as an estimate of the amount of economic value that might be lost on a given portfolio due to market risk over a defined holding period, with a given confidence level. The measurement takes account of the market risk of the current portfolio. We use the historical simulation method, observing the relevant Basel II standards (99% one-sided confidence interval, ten-day holding period, historical data going back at least 250 working days), and 500 working days of historical data. The HVaR method does not rely on assumptions regarding the distribution of price fluctuations or correlations, but is based on patterns of experience over the previous two years. The HVaR is calculated and monitored at desk and entity level, as well as at KBC group level.
As with any model, there are a certain number of uncertainties/deficiencies. However, the model is subject to regular review and improvements. During 2014, the main improvement to the model was the use of Overnight Index Swap (OIS) curves for discounting future cash flows for derivative transactions, as this is considered the market standard.
Complex and/or illiquid instruments that cannot be modelled in an HVaR context are subject to nominal and/or scenario limits.
We monitor risk concentrations via a series of secondary limits, including equity concentration limits, FX concentration limits and basis-point-value limits for interest rate risk and basis risk. The specific risk associated with a particular issuer or country is also subject to concentration limits. There are also scenario analysis limits involving multiple shifts of underlying risk factors. In addition, secondary limits are in place to monitor the risks inherent in options (the so-called 'greeks').
In addition to the daily HVaR calculations, we conduct extensive stress tests. Whereas the HVaR model captures potential losses under normal market conditions, stress tests show the impact of exceptional circumstances and events with a low degree of probability. The historical and hypothetical stress-test scenarios incorporate both market risk and the liquidity aspects of disruptions in the market.
One of the building blocks of sound risk management is prudent valuation. We perform a daily independent middleoffice valuation of front-office positions. Whenever the independent nature or the reliability of the valuation process is not guaranteed, we perform a parameter review. Where applicable, we make adjustments to the fair value to reflect close-out costs, mark-to-model-related valuation adjustments, counterparty risk, liquidity risk and operations-related costs. In addition to the parameter review, we perform periodic risk controls, including all checks that do not entail parameter or P&L testing as carried out in the parameter review, but that are necessary for sound risk management. Moreover, we set up a business case for every new product or activity in order to analyse the risks and the way in which they will be managed.
The table below shows the Historical Value-at-Risk (HVaR; 99% confidence interval, ten-day holding period, historical simulation) for the linear and non-linear exposure of all the
dealing rooms of the KBC group (including KBC Securities from April 2013 onwards). To allow a year-on-year comparison, the HVaR for KBC Investments Limited (relating to KBC's discontinued CDO business) is also shown.
| Market risk (VaR) | 10-day HVaR for the KBC group | 10-day HVaR for KBC Investments Limited | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 | 2014 | ||
| Holding period: 10 days | |||||
| Average for 1Q | 37 | 24 | 1 | – | |
| Average for 2Q | 37 | 19 | 1 | – | |
| Average for 3Q | 34 | 15 | 1 | – | |
| Average for 4Q | 29 | 15 | – | – | |
| As at 31 December | 28 | 15 | – | – | |
| Maximum in year | 50 | 29 | 5 | – | |
| Minimum in year | 26 | 11 | 0 | – |
A breakdown of the risk factors (averaged) in the KBC group's HVaR model is shown in the table below. Please note that the equity risk stems from the European equity business, and also from KBC Securities (from April 2013).
| Breakdown by risk factor of trading HVaR (in millions of EUR) | Average for 2013 | Average for 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Interest rate risk | 33.3 | 18.7 |
| FX risk | 2.9 | 2.3 |
| FX option risk | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| Equity risk | 1.9 | 1.4 |
| Diversification effect | -5.6 | -6.2 |
| Total HVaR | 34.3 | 18.1 |
We test the reliability of the VaR model daily via a back-test, which compares the one-day VaR figure with the 'no-action P&L' (i.e. positions remain unchanged, but market data changes to the next day's data). This is done both at the top level and at the level of the different entities and desks.
We have provided an overview of the derivative products under Note 29 in the 'Consolidated financial statements' section.
Both KBC Group NV and KBC Investments Limited have been authorised by the Belgian regulator to use their respective VaR models to calculate regulatory capital requirements for part of their trading activities. Cˇ SOB (Czech Republic) has also received approval from the local regulator to use its VaR model for capital requirement purposes. These models are also used for the calculation of Stressed VaR (SVaR), which is one of the CRD III Regulatory Capital charges that entered into effect at year-end 2011. The calculation of an SVaR measure is based on the normal VaR calculations and follows the same methodological assumptions, but is constructed as if the relevant market factors were experiencing a period of stress. The period of stress is based on recent history and is calibrated regularly.
The resulting capital requirements for trading risk are shown in the table below. The regulatory capital requirements for the trading risk of local KBC entities that did not receive approval from their respective regulator to use an internal model for capital calculations, as well as the business lines not included in the HVaR calculations, are measured according to the
Standardised approach. This approach sets out general and specific risk weightings per type of market risk (interest risk, equity risk, foreign exchange risk and commodity risk). Note that, as mentioned earlier in this section, the resecuritisation regulatory capital for 2014 (19 million euros) emanates from the counterposition for the 0.3 billion euros of CDO notes held by investors (the counterposition is located in the trading books of KBC Investments Limited).
| Trading regulatory capital requirements, by risk type (in millions of EUR) |
Interest rate risk |
Equity risk | FX risk | Commodity risk |
Resecur itisation |
Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-12-2013 | |||||||
| Market risks assessed by internal model | HVaR SVaR |
83 100 |
2 6 |
13 22 |
– – |
– | 226 |
| Market risks assessed by the Standardised approach |
39 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 59 | 119 | |
| Total | 222 | 15 | 47 | 2 | 59 | 345 | |
| 31-12-2014 | |||||||
| Market risks assessed by internal model | HVaR SVaR |
38 56 |
2 3 |
11 17 |
– – |
– | 126 |
| Market risks assessed by the Standardised approach |
27 | 4 | 14 | 3 | 19 | 68 | |
| Total | 120 | 9 | 43 | 3 | 19 | 194 |
Technical insurance risks stem from uncertainty regarding how often insured losses will occur and how extensive they will be. All these risks are kept under control through appropriate underwriting, pricing, claims reserving, reinsurance and claims handling policies of line management and through independent insurance risk management.
The Group risk function develops and rolls out a group-wide framework for managing insurance risks. It is responsible for providing support for local implementation and for the functional direction of the insurance risk management process of the insurance subsidiaries.
The insurance risk management framework is designed primarily around the following building blocks:
• Adequate identification and analysis of material insurance risks by, inter alia, analysing new emerging risks, concentration or accumulation risks, and developing early warning signals.
We develop models from the bottom up for all material group-wide insurance liabilities, i.e. (i) future claims that will occur over a predefined time horizon, as well as the claims settlement pattern, (ii) the future settlement of claims (whether already reported to the insurer or not) that have occurred in the past but have not yet been fully settled, and (iii) the impact of the reinsurance programme on these claims. We use these models to steer the group's insurance entities towards creating more shareholder value, by means of applications to calculate economic capital, support decisions on reinsurance, calculate the ex post profitability of specific sub-portfolios and set off economic capital requirements against the relevant return in pricing insurance policies.
The insurance portfolios are protected against the impact of serious claims or the accumulation of losses (due, for instance, to a concentration of insured risks) by means of reinsurance. We divide these reinsurance programmes into three main groups, i.e. property insurance, liability insurance and personal insurance, and we re-evaluate and renegotiate them every year.
Most of our reinsurance contracts are concluded on a non-proportional basis, which provides cover against the impact of serious claims or loss events. The independent insurance risk management function is also responsible for advising on the restructuring of the reinsurance programmes, especially with a view to creating shareholder value. This approach has resulted in optimising the retention of the KBC group particularly in respect of its exposure to natural catastrophe risk. In view of reducing P&L volatility, KBC Insurance Belgium has concluded a multi-line multi-year reinsurance agreement covering the most important non-life business lines for three years.
As part of its mission to independently monitor insurance risks, the Group risk function regularly carries out in-depth studies. These confirm that there is a high degree of probability that the non-life technical provisions at subsidiary level are adequate. Adequacy is checked per business line at subsidiary level and the overall adequacy is assessed at subsidiary level for all business lines combined.
In addition, various group companies conduct Liability Adequacy Tests (LAT) that meet local and IFRS requirements for the life technical provisions. We make calculations using prospective methods (cashflow projections that take account of lapse rates and a discount rate that is set for each insurance entity based on local macroeconomic conditions and regulations), and build in extra market-value margins to deal with the factor of uncertainty in a number of parameters. Since no deficiencies were identified by year-end 2014, there was no need for a deficiency reserve to be set aside within the KBC group.
The table shows claims settlement figures in the non-life business over the past few years and includes KBC Insurance NV, Cˇ SOB Pojišt'ovna (Czech Republic), Cˇ SOB Poist'ovnˇ a (Slovak Republic), DZI Insurance (from financial year 2008), K&H Insurance, and KBC Group Re. All provisions for claims to be paid at the close of 2014 have been included. The claimssettlement figures incorporate all amounts that can be allocated to individual claims, including the Incurred But Not Reported (IBNR) and Incurred But Not Enough Reserved (IBNER) provisions, and the external handling expenses for settling claims, but do not include internal claims settlement expenses and provisions for amounts expected to be recovered. The figures included are before reinsurance and have not been adjusted to eliminate intercompany amounts.
The first row in the table shows the total claims burden (claims paid plus provisions) for the claims that occurred during a particular year, as estimated at the end of the year of occurrence. The following rows indicate the situation at the end of the subsequent calendar years. We restated the amounts to reflect exchange rates at year-end 2014.
| Loss triangles, KBC Insurance |
Year of occur rence |
Year of occur rence |
Year of occur rence |
Year of occur rence |
Year of occur rence |
Year of occur rence |
Year of occur rence |
Year of occur rence |
Year of occur rence |
Year of occur rence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008* | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
| Estimate at the end of the year of occurrence |
578 | 631 | 686 | 793 | 824 | 871 | 806 | 849 | 917 | 996 |
| 1 year later | 506 | 537 | 621 | 757 | 724 | 773 | 714 | 743 | 770 | – |
| 2 years later | 484 | 511 | 588 | 728 | 668 | 725 | 656 | 707 | – | – |
| 3 years later | 483 | 500 | 567 | 714 | 652 | 720 | 638 | – | – | – |
| 4 years later | 474 | 486 | 561 | 710 | 635 | 715 | – | – | – | – |
| 5 years later | 461 | 478 | 557 | 702 | 627 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 6 years later | 462 | 464 | 550 | 677 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 7 years later | 458 | 458 | 550 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 8 years later | 454 | 455 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 9 years later | 446 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Current estimate | 446 | 455 | 550 | 677 | 627 | 715 | 638 | 707 | 770 | 996 |
| Cumulative payments | 382 | 403 | 470 | 596 | 524 | 601 | 511 | 511 | 507 | 420 |
| Current provisions | 64 | 52 | 79 | 80 | 103 | 114 | 127 | 196 | 263 | 576 |
* From financial year 2008, the figures for DZI Insurance (Bulgaria) have been included. If these figures had not been taken into account, the following amounts would have been arrived at for financial year 2008 (amount and year of occurrence): 475 for 2005; 501 for 2006; and 587 for 2007.
Specific information on the insurance activities of the group can be found in Notes 9, 10, 11 and 35 in the 'Consolidated financial statements' section. We have provided a breakdown by business unit of earned premiums and technical charges in the notes dealing with segment reporting.
Operational risk is the risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes and systems, human error or sudden external events, whether man-made or natural. Operational risks exclude business, strategic and reputational risks.
We have provided information on legal disputes in Note 36 of the 'Consolidated financial statements' section.
We have a single, global framework for managing operational risk across the entire group. It consists of a uniform operational risk language embedded in group-wide key controls, one methodology, one set of centrally developed ICT applications, and centralised and decentralised reporting.
The Group risk function is primarily responsible for defining the operational risk management framework for the entire group. The development and implementation of this framework is supported by an extensive operational risk governance model covering all entities of the group.
The Group risk function creates an environment where risk specialists (in various areas, including information risk management, business continuity and disaster recovery, compliance, anti-fraud, legal, tax and accounting matters) can work together (setting priorities, using the same language and tools, uniform reporting, etc.). It is assisted by the local risk management units, which are likewise independent of the business.
We use a number of building blocks for managing operational risks, which cover all aspects of operational risk management.
Between 2011 and 2015, specific attention is being given to the structured set-up of process-based Group Key Controls, which are gradually replacing the former Group Standards. These Controls are policies containing top-down basic control objectives and are used to mitigate key and killer risks inherent in the processes of KBC entities. As such, they are an essential building block of both the operational risk management framework and the internal control system.
The business and (local) control functions assess these Group Key Controls. The risk self-assessments are consolidated at the Group risk function and ensure that there is a consistent relationship between (i) processes, (ii) risks, (iii) control
activities and (iv) assessment scores. KBC created an objective management tool to evaluate its internal control environment and to benchmark the approach across its entities. Each year, we report the assessment results to the National Bank of Belgium in our Internal Control Statement.
Besides these Group Key Controls, there are a number of other building blocks:
The quality of the internal control environment and related risk exposure as identified, assessed and managed by means of these building blocks is reported to KBC's senior management via a management dashboard and to the National Bank of Belgium and the FSMA via the annual Internal Control Statement. Information on the internal control and risk management systems can be found in the 'Corporate governance statement' section.
KBC uses the Standard approach to calculate operational risk capital under Basel II. Operational risk capital for KBC Bank at the consolidated level totalled 849 million euros at the end of 2014, compared with 847 million euros at the end of 2013.
This is the risk arising from the negative perception on the part of clients, counterparties, shareholders, investors, debtholders, market analysts, other relevant parties or regulators that can adversely affect a financial institution's ability to maintain existing, or establish new business relationships and to have continued access to sources of funding (for instance, through the interbank or securitisation markets). Reputation risk is a secondary or derivative risk since it is mostly connected to and will materialise together with another risk.
We redesigned the Reputation Risk Management Framework in 2012, in line with the KBC Risk Management Framework. The pro-active and re-active management of reputation risk is the responsibility of the business, supported by many specialist units (e.g., Group Communication, Investor Relations).
Under the pillar 2 approach to capital adequacy, the impact of reputation risk on the current business is covered in the first place by the capital charge for primary risks (such as credit or operational risk, etc.). It is also covered by the capital reserved for business risk.
KBC defines business risk as the risk arising from changes in external factors (the macroeconomic environment, regulations, client behaviour, competitive landscape, socio-demographic environment, etc.) that impact the demand for and/or profitability of our products and services.
Business risk is assessed using structured risk scans, but also on an ongoing basis by reporting 'risk signals' to top management.
KBC reserves a pillar 2 capital charge specifically for business risk. Business risk capital is based on the operating expenses for the various KBC group entities. The portion of operating expenses to be set aside as economic capital for business risk depends on the level of risk attached to the activities of each entity, as determined on the basis of quantitative and qualitative assessments of activities across KBC group entities.
Capital adequacy (or solvency) risk is the risk that the capital base of the group, the bank or the insurer might fall below an acceptable level. In practice, this entails checking solvency against the minimum regulatory requirements and against in-house solvency ratios. Hence, capital adequacy is approached from both a regulatory and an internal (economic) perspective.
Our statutory auditors have audited the information in this section that forms part of the IFRS financial statements, namely 'Managing our solvency' (excluding the graph), the table under 'Solvency at group level' (audited parts are indicated in the footnote to this table), and 'Economic capital and ICAAP'.
We report the solvency of the group, the bank and the insurance company based on IFRS data and according to the rules imposed by the regulator. For the KBC group, this implies that we calculate our solvency ratios based on Basel III and the corresponding European regulation and directive (CRR/CRD IV). This regulation entered gradually into force on 1 January 2014, and will be fully implemented by 1 January 2022.
The general rule under CRR/CRD IV for insurance participations is that an insurance participation is deducted from common equity at group level, unless the competent authority grants permission to apply a risk weighting instead (Danish compromise). KBC received such permission from the supervisory authority and hence reports its solvency on the basis of a 370% risk weighting being applied to the holdings of own fund instruments of the insurance company, after having deconsolidated KBC Insurance from the group figures.
The legal minimum tier-1 ratio is 6% under CRR/ CRD IV. The common equity tier-1 ratio has to be at least 4.5%. On top of this minimum common equity, a number of additional buffers have been put in place, including a capital conservation buffer of 2.5%, a countercyclical buffer in times of credit growth (between 0% and 2.5%, to be determined by the regulator) and a systemic buffer (likewise to be determined by the regulator). The NBB has confirmed that the state aid (the non-voting core-capital securities) will
be fully grandfathered as common equity under CRR.
KBC maintains a minimum target of 10.5% for the common equity ratio under the Danish compromise method, and 17% for the total capital ratio, both on a fully loaded basis (presuming full implementation of all CRR/CRD IV rules, and including the remaining financial support provided by the Flemish Regional Government until 2018).
Moreover, the supervisory authorities (with the NBB as the consolidating supervisor) requested at the end of 2013 that a permanent minimum fully loaded common equity ratio of 9.25%, excluding latent gains, be maintained. According to the latter calculation, this ratio (under the Danish compromise method) stood at 13.6% at year-end 2014, which represented a capital buffer of 4 billion euros relative to the targeted 9.25%.
Regulatory minimum solvency targets were amply exceeded in 2014, not only at year-end, but also throughout the entire financial year.
In mid-March 2015, we received a new solvency target from the ECB, which had assumed responsibility from the NBB in November 2014 for supervising KBC under the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM). Consequently, KBC is required to maintain a minimum fully loaded common equity ratio (including latent gains on available-for-sale securities) of 10.5%. At year-end 2014, this ratio (fully loaded under the Danish compromise method) was 14.3%, which represented a capital buffer of 3.5 billion euros relative to the targeted 10.5%.
In addition to the solvency ratios under CRR/CRD IV, KBC – as a financial conglomerate – now also has to disclose its solvency position as calculated in accordance with the Financial Conglomerate Directive (FICOD; 2002/87/EC). Previously, KBC Group NV – as a financial holding company – did not fall under the scope of that directive, but reported on one solvency calculation at group level, the 'building block' method, at the request of the NBB. KBC will meet this requirement by
aligning the building block method with method 1 (the accounting consolidation method) under FICOD. This implies that available capital will be calculated on the basis of the consolidated position of the group and the eligible items recognised as such under the prevailing sectoral rules, which are CRR/CRD IV for the banking business and Solvency I for the insurance business. To date, available capital had been determined under the building block method solely on the basis of bank capital rules. Nothing will change in the calculation of risk weighted assets. In other words, the capital requirements for the insurance business based on Solvency I will be multiplied by 12.5 to obtain a risk weighted asset equivalent. At year-end 2014, the fully loaded common equity ratio (under FICOD) was 14.6%, which represented a capital buffer of 3.8 billion euros relative to the targeted 10.5%.
More details are provided in the relevant press release (available at www.kbc.com).
A detailed calculation of the KBC group's solvency ratios, calculated according to the Danish compromise method and on a fully loaded basis, is given below. Alternative calculations (based on the phased-in method) are provided in the following table.
| Solvency at group level (consolidated; under CRD IV/CRR (Basel III), Danish compromise method) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | Fully loaded | Fully loaded |
| Total regulatory capital, after profit appropriation | 16 258 | 16 688 |
| Tier-1 capital | 11 711 | 14 476 |
| Common equity1 | 11 711 | 13 076 |
| Parent shareholders' equity (after deconsolidating KBC Insurance) | 11 361 | 12 592 |
| Non-voting core-capital securities | 2 333 | 2 000 |
| Intangible fixed assets, incl. deferred tax impact (-) | -341 | -334 |
| Goodwill on consolidation, incl. deferred tax impact (-) | -950 | -769 |
| Minority interests | -3 | -3 |
| Hedging reserve, cashflow hedges (-) | 497 | 1 391 |
| Valuation differences in financial liabilities at fair value – own credit risk (-) | -6 | -21 |
| Value adjustment due to requirements for prudent valuation (-) | 0 | -92 |
| Equalisation reserve (-) | -131 | 0 |
| Dividend payout (-) | 0 | -836 |
| Coupon on government securities (-) | 0 | -171 |
| Coupon on AT1 instruments (-) | 0 | -2 |
| Deduction with regard to financing provided to shareholders (-) | -176 | -159 |
| IRB provision shortfall (-) | -225 | -225 |
| Deferred tax assets on losses carried forward (-) | -648 | -297 |
| Additional going concern capital2 | 0 | 1 400 |
| Grandfathered innovative hybrid tier-1 instruments | 0 | 0 |
| Grandfathered non-innovative hybrid tier-1 instruments | 0 | 0 |
| CRR-compliant AT1 instruments | 0 | 1 400 |
| Minority interests to be included in additional going concern capital | 0 | 0 |
| Tier-2 capital | 4 547 | 2 212 |
| IRB provision excess (+) | 342 | 375 |
| Subordinated liabilities | 4 206 | 1 837 |
| Subordinated loans non-consolidated financial sector entities (-) | 0 | 0 |
| Minority interests to be included in tier-2 capital | 0 | 0 |
| Total weighted risk volume | 91 216 | 91 236 |
| Banking | 80 189 | 80 232 |
| Insurance | 11 068 | 10 897 |
| Holding-company activities | 72 | 191 |
| Elimination of intercompany transactions | -113 | -85 |
| Solvency ratios | ||
| Common equity ratio | 12.8% | 14.3% |
| Tier-1 ratio | 12.8% | 15.9% |
| Total capital ratio | 17.8% | 18.3% |
1 Audited figures (excluding 'IRB provision shortfall' and 'Value adjustment due to requirements for prudent valuation').
2 CRR ensures that prudent valuation is reflected in the calculation of available capital. This means that the fair value of all assets measured at fair value and impacting the available capital (by means of fair value changes in P&L or equity) need to be brought back to their prudent value. The difference between the fair value and the prudent value (also called the 'additional value adjustment' or AVA) must be deducted from the CET1 ratio.
| Solvency at group level (consolidated; under CRD IV/CRR (Basel III), alternative calculation methods (in millions of EUR or %) |
31-12-2013 Fully loaded |
31-12-2013 Phased-in |
31-12-2014 Fully loaded |
31-12-2014 Phased-in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danish compromise method | ||||
| Common equity | 11 711 | 12 095 | 13 076 | 12 684 |
| Total weighted risk volume | 91 216 | 91 216 | 91 236 | 88 382 |
| Common equity ratio | 12.8% | 13.3% | 14.3% | 14.4% |
| Tier-1 ratio | 12.8% | 15.3% | 15.9% | 16.0% |
| Total capital ratio | 17.8% | 18.4% | 18.3% | 18.9% |
Additional information concerning the calculation of solvency according to Basel III (Danish compromise method, fully loaded):
are calculated according to the Standardised approach. The 2013 reference figures for total weighted risk volume have been restated to account for the different treatment of the joint venture CˇMSS in the Czech Republic Business Unit (shift from proportionate consolidation to the equity method – for more information, see Note 1a of the 'Consolidated financial statements' section). The increase in weighted risks in 2014 was largely driven by a change in methodology, where the 'carve out' of home-country sovereign bonds (risk weighting these bonds at zero percent) was no longer applied. This change increased risk weighted assets by approximately 4.4 billion euros, as calculated based on positions at the end of 2013.
At year-end 2014, the fully loaded Basel III leverage ratio – based on current CRR legislation – stood at 6.4% for the KBC group at the consolidated level. This includes the remaining state aid of 2 billion euros (as agreed with the regulator) and the requirements for prudent valuation.
More information on risk management can be found in our Risk Report at www.kbc.com, under 'investor relations', 'risk reports'.
As is the case for the KBC group, the solvency of KBC Bank is calculated based on CRR/CRD IV.
The solvency of KBC Insurance is calculated on the basis of Solvency I rules. Solvency II is the new regulatory solvency regime for all EU insurance and reinsurance companies. Whereas current insurance solvency requirements (Solvency I) are volume-based, Solvency II pursues a risk-based approach. It aims to implement solvency requirements that better reflect the risks that companies face and deliver a supervisory system that is consistent across all EU Member States. The official
entry into force of Solvency II is January 2016. Based on the most recent draft version of the Solvency II regulations, the Solvency II ratio of the KBC Insurance Group in 2014 amply exceeds the minimum requirements.
In the table, we have provided certain solvency information for KBC Bank and KBC Insurance, separately. More detailed information can be found in their consolidated financial statements and in KBC's Risk Report, which is available at www.kbc.com (the risk report has not been audited by the statutory auditor).
| (in millions of EUR) 31-12-2013 |
31-12-2014 |
|---|---|
| KBC Bank (consolidated, CRR/CRD IV, fully loaded) | |
| Total regulatory capital, after profit appropriation 14 400 |
14 154 |
| Tier-1 capital 9 602 |
11 132 |
| Of which common equity 9 602 |
9 727 |
| Tier-2 capital 4 797 |
3 021 |
| Total weighted risks 79 822 |
80 232 |
| Common equity ratio (fully loaded) 12.0% |
12.1% |
| Tier-1 ratio (fully loaded) 12.0% |
13.9% |
| Total capital ratio (fully loaded) 18.0% |
17.6% |
| KBC Insurance (consolidated, Solvency I) | |
| Available capital 2 721 |
3 166 |
| Required solvency margin 968 |
981 |
| Solvency ratio (%) 281% |
323% |
| Solvency surplus 1 753 |
2 185 |
In December 2014, the group announced a number of measures to further optimise its capital structure. The transactions involved KBC Insurance NV buying back 203 million euros' worth of its own shares from KBC Group NV before year-end 2014 and shareholder capital of KBC
Insurance being replaced by an intra-group tier-2 loan in the amount of 500 million euros to be subscribed by KBC Group NV in the first quarter of 2015. As a result of the transactions, the solvency/CET1 ratio of KBC Group NV will improve, whilst the solvency of KBC Insurance NV will remain exceptionally solid.
At the end of October 2014, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the National Bank of Belgium announced the results of the comprehensive assessment carried out by the ECB.
The exercise consisted of a review of the books ending on 31 December 2013 (an asset quality review or AQR) and a stress test over a threeyear horizon (2014-2016). The stress test started from the AQR-adjusted balance sheet as of year-end 2013 and hence included conservative adjustments.
The AQR was held to enhance the transparency of banks' balance sheets by reviewing the quality of their assets, including the adequacy of asset and collateral valuations and related provisions.
The stress test was performed in close cooperation with the European Banking Authority (EBA), using a common methodology. It examined the resilience of banks' balance sheets and earning power to stress scenarios. The stress test incorporated the simulated impact over a three-year period of two scenarios, namely a baseline scenario and an adverse scenario. Both scenarios were based on a number of assumptions (e.g., a stable balance sheet) and hence were of a hypothetical nature, which is inherent to any stress test.
Whereas the comprehensive assessment targeted the KBC group, only the consolidated accounts of KBC Bank were subject to the book review (AQR). The same held true for the stress test, where the impact of scenarios on the banking activities (not the insurance business) was calculated. The capital position (CET1 ratio), however, was measured at the level of the KBC group.
The impact of the pure stress test on the Common Equity Tier-1 ratio (CET1 ratio) under the adverse scenario in 2016 caused the CET1 ratio to fall by 2.6 percentage points. The impact of the asset quality review (AQR) was limited, reducing the CET1 ratio by 0.6 percentage points.
The combined impact of the repayment of state aid, as agreed with the European Commission, during the three-year stress test horizon (1.8 billion euros including penalties and coupon), the AQR and the pure stress test, resulted in a CET1 ratio of 8.3%, which represents a considerable buffer of 2.8 percentage points (2.8 billion euros) above the ECB-imposed threshold of 5.5%, thus illustrating KBC's resilience.
KBC's management considered all the AQR adjustments and recommendations where relevant for the 2014 financial statements, while taking account of KBC's IFRS accounting policies. During 2014, the main recommendations were proactively addressed and the impact recognised in the results for 2014:
• Our analysis revealed that the AQR adjustments for the sampled credit files in the selected portfolios were largely recorded during 2014 as part of the normal credit process. The additional provisions recorded in 2014 on the sampled files resulted mainly from full implementation of the new forbearance rules by the third quarter of 2014 and from new facts and/or information on specific files that became available during 2014.
More information on the comprehensive risk assessment is given in the press release of 26 October 2014 at www.kbc.com.
It should also be noted that, in 2014, KBC also participated in the EU-wide Insurance Stress Test exercise carried out by EIOPA. The purpose of this test was to assess the resilience of the insurance sector and to identify its major vulnerabilities. The core module of the EIOPA stress test contained adverse market scenarios, which were complemented by a set of independent insurance-specific shocks covering mortality, longevity, insufficient reserves and catastrophes.
We use an economic capital model to measure the overall risk KBC is exposed to through its various activities, taking the different risk factors into consideration. We report the estimates generated by this model on a quarterly basis to the Group Executive Committee, the Risk & Compliance Committee and the Board of Directors.
We define economic capital as the amount of capital required to absorb very severe losses, expressed in terms of the potential reduction in the economic value of the group (i.e. the difference between the current economic value and the worst-case economic value over a one-year time horizon and at a certain confidence level), in line with the risk appetite set by the Board of Directors. We calculate economic capital per risk category using a common denominator (the same time horizon of one year and the same confidence interval) and then aggregate them. Since it is extremely unlikely that all risks will materialise at the same time, an allowance is made for diversification benefits when aggregating the individual risks.
Economic capital is used as a major building block for Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process (ICAAP). In addition, it provides essential input for risk-adjusted performance measurement (see below).
New guidelines could lead to a review of the economic capital and ICAAP methodology.
In accordance with Basel, pillar 2 requirements, KBC has an ICAAP in place. In addition to the regulatory capital requirements, this process also uses an economic capital model to measure capital requirements based on aggregate group-wide risks, and to compare these requirements with the capital available to cover risks. The ICAAP examines both the current and future capital situation. To assess the latter situation, a three-year forecast is drawn up for required and available capital, both regulatory and economic, according to a basic scenario that takes account of anticipated internal and external growth, and according to various alternative scenarios and a recession scenario.
In 2011, KBC developed a Risk-Adjusted Performance Measurement (RAPM) policy, whereby risk-adjusted performance metrics (risk-adjusted profit, return on capital, group economic value added) were used for allocating capital and setting variable remuneration. The capital allocation track of this policy is embedded in the strategic planning process. The remuneration policy also includes risk-adjusted features based on RAPM metrics. These risk measures are calculated and reported quarterly.
Risk-adjusted measures calculate profitability using expected losses, i.e. losses that are expected given the risk profile of the portfolio. Using expected losses and hence a longer term view of the profitability of the portfolio not only guarantees that management is aware of risks when times are good, but also avoids disproportionate decisions and actions being taken during adverse economic periods.
The basic idea behind the risk adjustment of the capital base in the RAPM is that regulatory capital has limited coverage in terms of risk types and only partly reflects the specific characteristics of KBC. Economic capital covers a broader scope of risk and reflects KBC's own estimates of the risk profile.
KBC Group NV has adopted the 2009 version of the Belgian Corporate Governance Code (the 'Code') as its benchmark. This Code, which can be downloaded at www.corporategovernancecommittee.be, seeks to ensure transparency in corporate governance by requiring certain information to be disclosed in the Corporate Governance Charter (the 'Charter') and in the Corporate Governance Statement (the 'Statement') of the annual report.
▲ Thomas Leysen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of KBC Group
The Charter sets out the main aspects of a company's corporate governance, such as its governance structure, the internal rules for the Board of Directors, its committees, and the Executive Committee, together with other important topics. The Charter is published at www.kbc.com. The Statement is published in the annual report and contains more factual information regarding the company's corporate governance, including the composition and activities of the Board of Directors, any relevant events during the year under review, the reasons for any non-compliance with the Code, the remuneration report, and a description of the main features of the internal control and risk management systems.
Unless otherwise indicated, the period dealt with runs from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2014.
The Statement also contains certain other information required by law.
A number of terms have been abbreviated as follows in this section of the annual report:
The following table shows the members of the Board and its committees on 31 December 2014. A list of the external offices held by all members of the Board is provided at www.kbc.com, as is a brief CV for each director. The number of meetings attended is shown in the columns relating to the committees.
| 3 (c) 3 3 3 2 AC 5 (c) 5 5 5 5 5 5 ARCC n (c) EC n n directors n t-appointed Governmen Independen t directors n n n n representati ves n n n n n n n n n n olders' Core shareh ve directors Non-executi n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n ngs attende 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 d Board meeti 6 9 6 8 2015 2016 2015 2016 2018 2015 2015 2015 2018 2016 2016 2015 2016 2016 2018 2018 2018 2017 ce term of offi Expiry date of current Full year Full year Full year 1 Jan – 1 May 12 Nov – 31 Dec Full year Full year Full year Full year Full year Full year Full year Full year Full year Full year Full year From 1 May Full year Full year 4 Board in 201 d on the Period serve Mayor of Lo-Reninge and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cera Beheersmaatschappij NV, Chairman of the Day-to-Day Management Beheersmaatschappij NV, member of the Day-to-Day Management Managing Director, Cera Beheersmaatschappij NV and Almancora Managing Director, Cera Beheersmaatschappij NV and Almancora Head of Department, International Business School of Budapest Lawyer and Deputy Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Cera Professor, Accounting and Finance Department, University of Chairman of the Boerenbond and MRBB CVBA Senior Partner, Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP President of the EC and Executive Director Managing Director, MRBB CVBA Deputy Chairman of the Board Managing Director, 3D NV Beheersmaatschappij NV CEO, Ravago Plastics NV CEO, Christeyns Group Chairman of the Board Committee, Cera CVBA Beheersmaatschappij NV Committee, Cera CVBA CEO, Vlerick Group Executive Director Executive Director CEO, NMBS Antwerp Number of meetings in 2014 ponsibility Primary res Christine Van Rijsseghem Ghislaine Van Kerckhove |
Committee Nomination RCC |
6 3 |
6 (c) | 4 | 5 | 3 | 6 3 (c) |
2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composition of the Board on 31 December 2014* |
* Alain Tytgadt was a member of the Board until 19 August 2014 (attended 6 meetings). Tom Dechaene was a member of the Board until 23 December 2014 (attended 9 meetings); he also sat on the ARCC, AC and Nomination Committee in his capacity as a governmentappointed director.
The corporate governance charter can be found under 'corporate governance' at www.kbc.com.
Koen Algoed was born in Kortrijk (Belgium) in 1965. After gaining a Master's Degree in Economics from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven, 1988) and a MSc in Econometrics & Mathematical Economics from the London School of Economics (1991), he obtained a Ph.D in Economics from the KU Leuven with his thesis entitled 'Essays on insurance: a view from a dynamic perspective' (1995). He is Professor of Economics at the KU Leuven, where he was director of the VIVES Research Centre for Regional Economics in the period 2008–2009. He is a member of the Centre for Research on Economic Markets and their Environments (KU Leuven, Brussels Campus).
The agenda for the General Meeting is available at www.kbc.com.
* 'Joined company in ...' refers to KBC Group NV, group companies or pre-merger entities (Kredietbank, Cera, ABB, etc.).
On 1 May 2014, the organisational structure of KBC was simplified and adjusted to take account of the reduced size of the group. The International Markets and International Product Factories business units merged to become the International Markets Business Unit, while Corporate Change & Support ceased to exist and its departments were integrated into the existing organisation.
As a result, the composition of the EC also changed on that date, and now comprises six members instead of eight (see diagram).
More information – including CVs – is provided at www.kbc.com.
| Composition, meetings, attendance figures |
See the table at the start of this section. |
|---|---|
| Board | Besides carrying out the activities required under the Companies Code, reviewing the quarterly results and the activities of the ARCC (until June), AC, RCC, Nomination Committee and Remuneration Committee, and handling and taking decisions on the dossiers submitted by these committees, the Board also dealt with the following matters: • the strategy pursued by the KBC group; • the strategy pursued by KBC in Wallonia and Brussels; • the activities of KBC in Ireland and Slovakia; • Antwerp Diamond Bank; • the repayment of 500 million euros to the Flemish Regional Government; • Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility (CSR); • Consumer Finance; • the Integrated Risk Report (monthly); • the Asset Quality Review and ECB stress test; • the report on effective management with regard to the assessment of internal control systems; • the Risk Appetite Statement; • the Recovery Plan; • cyber security; • the investment policy; • the Compliance Annual Report; • the HR policy; • the remuneration policy. The EC also reported monthly on the trend in the results and the general course of business at the group's various business units. It also paid regular attention to the strategy and specific challenges for the different |
| ARCC until June | areas of activity. Until June 2014: ARCC |
| 2014 AC and RCC from June 2014 |
The ARCC met in the presence of the President of the EC, the Group CRO, the Group CFO, the internal auditor and the compliance officer. The statutory auditors also attended the meetings. The report of the internal auditor, the report of the compliance officer and the report of the risk function were fixed agenda items. The periodic reports from the risk function primarily covered developments regarding the ALM, liquidity, market, credit, operational and insurance risks of the KBC group, and the group's capital requirements. The internal auditor's report provided an overview of recent audit reports, including the most important audit reports for the underlying group entities. The ARCC also reviewed the progress made in implementing the 2014 audit plan. Furthermore, it was regularly informed of the progress made with regard to the implementation of audit recommendations. The periodic reports from the compliance function provided the members of the ARCC with information on, among other things, the main developments on the legal and regulatory fronts, as well as the most important findings and projects in the area of compliance. The ARCC also reviewed the progress made in implementing the 2014 compliance plan, as well as the report on conflicts of interest. |
Report on the activities of the Board and its committees in 2014
On 12 February 2014, the ARCC reviewed the consolidated and non-consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2013, and approved the press release. The auditor explained the key audit findings. On 14 May, the auditors explained their key findings following their review of the accounts for the quarter ending 31 March. The ARCC also approved the relevant press release.
The main special reports dealt with were:
From June 2014: split up into the AC and the RCC
In accordance with Article 29 of the Act of 25 April 2014 on the status and supervision of credit institutions (the 'Banking Act'), the ARCC was split up into an Audit Committee (AC) and a Risk & Compliance Committee (RCC).
The AC is tasked with advising the Board on the integrity of financial reporting and the effectiveness of the internal control process and risk management. It provides guidance to the internal audit function and oversees the external auditor.
The RCC advises the Board on current and future risk tolerance and on risk strategy. It assists the statutory management body in supervising how the EC implements this strategy. It ensures that the prices of assets and liabilities and of categories of off-balance-sheet products that are offered to clients, factor in the risks run by the institution, with due account taken of its business model and risk strategy, viz. risks – especially reputation risks – that might arise from the types of product offered to clients. The RCC oversees the risk and compliance functions.
The AC met three times in its new format in the presence of the President of the EC, the Group CRO, the Group CFO, the internal auditor, the compliance officer and the statutory auditors. It approved its charter on 6 August 2014. Besides reviewing the half-year and quarterly figures, approving the relevant press releases and discussing the auditor's findings, it also discussed the quarterly reports (see above) drawn up by the internal auditor.
The RCC met three times in its new format in the presence of the President of the EC, the Group CRO, the Group CFO, the internal auditor, the compliance officer and the statutory auditors. It approved its charter on 6 August 2014. Besides discussing the periodic reports from the risk function and the compliance officer, it also examined the reports drawn up by the legal, tax and branch inspection departments. In addition to these regular reports, the following special reports were dealt with:
| Nomination Committee |
Please note that the Nomination Committee of KBC Group NV acts in the same capacity for KBC Insurance and KBC Bank. The main matters dealt with were: • the composition of the Executive Committees of KBC Group NV, KBC Bank and KBC Insurance; • appointments and re-appointments to the Board; • the composition of the Board of KBC Bank and of the advisory committees of KBC Group NV, KBC Bank and KBC Insurance, due in particular to the entry into effect of the new banking act; • the implementation of the National Bank of Belgium Circular on standards relating to expertise and professional reliability of executive committee members, directors, persons in charge of individual control functions and senior managers of financial institutions. |
|---|---|
| Remuneration Committee |
The Remuneration Committee usually met in the presence of the Chairman of the Board, the President of the EC and the representative of the Flemish Regional Government. Please note that the Remuneration Committee of KBC Group NV acts in the same capacity for KBC Insurance and KBC Bank. The main matters dealt with were: • the changes to the remuneration policy; • the remuneration package for the new member of the EC; • the severance package for Danny De Raymaeker; • the assessment of the criteria for evaluating the EC in 2013; • the criteria for evaluating the EC in 2014; • the annual remuneration review; • the remuneration paid to the chairmen of the AC and RCC and to non-Belgian directors; • KBC pension plans and pension funds. |
| More information | For a general description of how the Board and its committees function, see sections 5 and 6 of the Charter of KBC Group NV (at www.kbc.com). |
On 31 December 2014, the AC had two independent directors within the meaning of and in line with the criteria set out in Article 526ter of the Companies Code and in the Corporate Governance Code.
On the basis of the preceding information, it can be concluded that these directors – as members of the AC – meet the criteria set out in Article 526ter of the Companies Code relating to independence and to expertise in the area of accounting and auditing.
The other members of the AC are:
Tom Dechaene sat on the AC up to and including 22 December 2014. A former non-executive director and representative of the Flemish Regional Government, he holds a Master's Degree in Law (Central Exam Commission), a Master's Degree in Applied Sciences (University of Antwerp) and an MBA (INSEAD, France). He also studied Bank Risk Management at INSEAD. Mr Dechaene has held directorships (including the office of independent director) in a number of different companies.
It can be concluded on the basis of the profiles and competences of the members of the AC that the committee as a whole has the requisite skills and experience.
On 31 December 2014, the RCC of KBC Group NV had one independent director within the meaning of and in line with the criteria set out in Article 526ter of the Companies Code and in the Corporate Governance Code (see below).
The RCC comprises:
Marc Wittemans (see CV above).
Vladimira Papirnik, independent director (see CV above).
It can be concluded on the basis of the profiles and competences of the members of the RCC that each individual member and the committee as a whole possess the requisite skills and experience.
The Board worked out an arrangement regarding transactions and other contractual ties between the company (including its affiliated companies) and its directors, not covered by the
conflict of interest rule set out in Articles 523 or 524ter of the Companies Code. It has been incorporated into the Charter of KBC Group NV.
The Board of KBC Group NV has drawn up a Dealing Code which, among other things, requires a list of key employees to be drawn up, annual blocking periods to be set, and transactions by persons with managerial responsibility and with persons connected with them to be reported to the
Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA). The principles of this code have been appended to the Charter of KBC Group NV. The code entered into effect on 10 May 2006 and an updated version was approved by the Board on 8 August 2011.
With a view to constantly improving its own effectiveness, the Board – led by its Chairman – evaluates a number of elements each year, including the composition of the Board, the selection, appointment and training of its members, practical operations (relating to the agenda, meetings, chairmanship, secretariat), reporting to the Board, the type of culture within the Board, the performance of its duties, remuneration, the working relationship with the EC, the shareholders and other stakeholders, the Board's committees, proposed agenda items and training proposals.
On the initiative of the Chairman of the Board, directors who are nominated for re-appointment are subject to an individual evaluation that focuses on their efforts and effectiveness within the Board and – where appropriate – their performance as chairman or member of a committee of the Board. This evaluation is performed by the Chairman. The Board evaluates
the Chairman who must not be present when the evaluation is being performed.
Once a year, non-executive directors assess how they interact with the executive management. To that end, they meet at least once a year without the executive directors.
Each Board committee regularly carries out an evaluation of its own composition and workings, before reporting its findings and, where necessary, making proposals to the Board.
On the initiative of the President of the EC, the full EC discusses its objectives and assesses its performance once a year. Each year, the President of the EC evaluates each member of the EC individually. The individual evaluation of the President is performed by the Chairman of the Board.
General: The remuneration policy for the Board and EC is based on prevailing legislation, the Corporate Governance Code and market data. It is monitored and regularly checked by the Remuneration Committee – with the assistance of specialist members of staff – to see whether it complies with changes in the law, the Corporate Governance Code, and prevailing market practices and trends. The Chairman of the Remuneration Committee informs the Board of the committee's activities and advises it of any changes to the remuneration policy and its practical implementation. The Board may also act on its own initiative, or on a proposal from the EC, and instruct the Remuneration Committee to examine
potential changes to the remuneration policy and to advise it accordingly. If required by law, the Board will submit any policy changes to the General Meeting for approval.
Board: On the basis of advice obtained from the Remuneration Committee, the Board decides on the remuneration package for its members. If required, it may also submit proposals in this regard to the General Meeting for decision.
EC: On the basis of advice obtained from the Remuneration Committee and taking account of the established remuneration policy, the Board determines the remuneration to be granted to members of the EC, and assesses this amount at regular intervals. The amount in question is split into a fixed component and a profit-related/performance-related component.
Declaration regarding the remuneration policy used for members of the Board and the EC during the financial year dealt with in the annual report
The Remuneration Committee declares the following:
The basic principle applying to non-executive directors, executive directors and other members of the EC is that they are entitled to a fair remuneration that is commensurate with the contribution they have made to the policy and growth of the group.
The following applies to non-executive directors:
additional remuneration (attendance fees) is paid to them for each meeting attended (starting in 2014).
• KBC Group NV does not grant loans or guarantees to directors. Such loans or guarantees may, however, be granted by KBC Group NV banking subsidiaries pursuant to Article 72 of the Banking Act of 25 April 2014, meaning that loans may be granted at terms applying to clients and approved by the Board.
The following applies to executive directors and other members of the EC:
implementing the financial plans (including profitability, capital and liquidity planning);
strengthening the risk control environment (including risk limits and audit and compliance recommendations);
The Remuneration Committee evaluates the extent to which these criteria have been met and, on the basis of its findings and within the limits of the contractually agreed system, makes a proposal regarding the size of the performancerelated variable remuneration and duly advises the Board, which takes the final decision. It also advises the Board on the size of the individual variable emolument after assessing the individual performance of each member of the EC and taking due account of the evaluation performed by the President of the EC.
• Members also benefit from a retirement and survivor's pension scheme, which comprises a supplementary retirement pension or – if the insured dies while still in employment and leaves a spouse – a survivor's pension, and also provides cover in the event of disability.
In 2013, the Board decided to revise the remuneration package for the President and members of the EC by increasing the fixed component in two phases and reducing the relative size of the variable component. The variable component was split into a performance-related variable emolument and an individual variable emolument. The performance-related variable component for the President of the EC is set between 0 and 300 000 euros and the individual variable component between 0 and 100 000 euros. The limits for these components are 200 000 euros and 70 000 euros, respectively, for the other members of the EC. The final amount is set by the Board on the advice of the Remuneration Committee, based on an assessment of the individual and collective achievements during the previous financial year, with the main emphasis being placed on implementation of the restructuring plan agreed with the European Commission. Consequently, the variable component accounts for less than 30% of the total remuneration package.
The total amount of annual variable remuneration (i.e. both the performance-related and individual components) for members of the EC is paid over four years, with 50% being paid in the first year and the rest spread equally over the next three years.
Furthermore, 50% of the total variable remuneration is awarded in the form of equity-related instruments called phantom stocks (though not in the Czech Republic where virtual investment certificates are used), whose value is linked to the price of the KBC Group NV share. These stocks must be retained for one year after being allocated. Like the cash component of variable remuneration, they are also allocated over a four-year period. The average price of the KBC share during the first three months of the year is used to calculate the number of phantom stocks to which each member of the EC is entitled. These stocks are then converted into cash a year later on the basis of the average price of the KBC share during the first three months of that year. They are subject to the allocation and acquisition conditions described under 'Clawback provisions' below.
It is not the intention to make any changes to the remuneration awarded to non-executive directors. As regards the remuneration paid to members of the EC, a comparative study is currently being carried out on the size of their supplementary pension. Depending on the findings of this study, there may be a proposal to modify the relevant supplementary pension plan.
The policy for remunerating members of senior management is published in the Remuneration Policy. It contains a number of group-wide principles relating primarily to the variable remuneration component. The main principles stipulate that:
not be paid straightaway but its payment is to be spread over a period of three years;
Besides the risk gateway, a 'Risk-Adjusted Performance Measurement Framework' has also been introduced to set results-based variable remuneration for performances as from financial year 2012. The basic idea behind this policy used for capital allocation is that neither economic capital nor regulatory capital is suitable as a single driver for capital allocation. Regulatory capital is limited in terms of risk types and only partially reflects the specific characteristics of KBC. Although economic capital comprises more types of risk and reflects KBC's estimation of its own risk profile, it is not available at the same detailed level at the moment. Given these limitations, the decision was taken to allocate capital on the basis of a risk-weighted asset (RWA) coefficient that reflects the aspects of economic capital.
This policy introduces the concept of risk-adjusted profit (RAP) as the (absolute) measure of company profitability, but with an inherent adjustment for capital and risk-related factors. For certain categories of key identified staff for whom the competent control function has assessed that the RAP is an inadequate risk-adjustment mechanism, this framework will be supplemented by additional performance indicators that are better designed to measure risk.
As already explained above, payment of the total annual variable remuneration is not only spread over time, half of it is also awarded in the form of phantom stocks that are to be retained for a period of one year.
The variable remuneration component, including the deferred part, is only acquired when this can be reconciled with the financial situation of the entire institution and justified by the performances of the KBC group and the EC.
Action can be taken regarding payment of deferred amounts that have still to be acquired (malus arrangement), when:
In this regard, the Board takes a decision on the advice of the Remuneration Committee.
Variable remuneration already acquired will exceptionally be clawed back when there is:
In accordance with the remuneration system in force, non-executive directors received a fixed emolument and attendance fees in proportion to the number of meetings they attended of the Board of KBC Group NV and, where relevant, of the other companies of the KBC group in Belgium or abroad. As mentioned above, the Chairman of the Board received solely a special fixed emolument and the chairmen of the AC and RCC an additional fixed emolument. The Deputy Chairman of the Board also received an additional fixed emolument.
| Remuneration (for FY 2014) |
Remuneration for AC and RCC members (for FY 2014) |
Attendance fees (for FY 2014) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Leysen | 500 000 | 0 | 0 |
| Alain Bostoen | 20 000 | 0 | 55 000 |
| Jo Cornu | 20 000 | 0 | 55 000 |
| Marc De Ceuster | 20 000 | 40 000 | 55 000 |
| Tom Dechaene | 20 000 | 40 000 | 55 000 |
| Franky Depickere | 65 000 | 140 000 | 62 500 |
| Luc Discry | 40 000 | 0 | 55 000 |
| Frank Donck | 40 000 | 35 000 | 55 000 |
| Júlia Király | 20 000 | 40 000 | 82 500 |
| Lode Morlion | 40 000 | 0 | 55 000 |
| Vladimira Papirnik | 20 000 | 40 000 | 82 500 |
| Theodoros Roussis | 40 000 | 0 | 55 000 |
| Alain Tytgadt | 25 315 | 0 | 35 000 |
| Ghislaine Van Kerckhove | 40 000 | 0 | 50 000 |
| Piet Vanthemsche | 40 000 | 0 | 45 000 |
| Philippe Vlerick | 70 000 | 0 | 55 000 |
| Marc Wittemans | 40 000 | 52 500 | 55 000 |
The members of the EC who also sit on the Board as executive directors did not receive either a fixed remuneration or any attendance fees.
For members of the EC, the individual component is set on the basis of an assessment of the performance of the member in question, while the performance-related component is set on the basis of an assessment of a number of pre-agreed criteria relating to the performances of the EC and the company. These assessments generate a percentage between 0% and 100% that is applied to the maximum variable remuneration. Based on the advice of the Remuneration Committee, the Board decided that the members of the EC should be awarded performance-related variable remuneration for 2014 that equalled 93.75%.
In 2014, the Board decided to award the members of the EC performance-related variable remuneration of 83%, but not to pay it to them for as long as KBC fitted the banking bill's description of an institution that receives exceptional state aid. The Board is of the opinion that KBC no longer fits that specific description and, therefore, agreed to pay the variable remuneration for 2013 pursuant to the terms and conditions set out in the remuneration policy.
The EC of KBC Group NV is a collective body, whose president is the first among equals and not a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who is the sole executive and accountable representative of the company. Nevertheless, in implementation of company law and the Corporate Governance Code, the remuneration paid to the President of the EC is shown separately in the following table.
The aggregate remuneration paid by KBC Group NV and its direct and indirect subsidiaries to members of the EC of KBC Group NV other than the President for the 2014 financial year is also shown in the table. The EC has comprised six members (including the President) since 1 May 2014. It had comprised eight members until 1 March 2014 and seven members from 1 March 2014 to 1 May 2014.
| President: Johan Thijs |
Other members of the EC (combined)1 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remuneration paid to the EC of KBC Group NV (in EUR) | 2013 | 2014 | 2013 | 2014 |
| Employment status | Self-employed | Self-employed | Self-employed | Self-employed |
| Base remuneration (fixed) | 879 005 | 1 040 000 | 4 403 393 | 3 936 202 |
| Individual remuneration for the financial year1 (variable) |
0 | 21 667 | 0 | 75 526 |
| Performance-related remuneration for the financial year1 (variable) |
0 | 70 312 | 0 | 264 965 |
| Results-based remuneration for previous financial years2 (variable) |
28 800 | 72 447 | 118 258 | 341 189 |
| Performance-related remuneration for previous financial years2 (variable) |
19 676 | 35 743 | 82 286 | 140 183 |
| Total | 927 481 | 1 240 169 | 4 603 937 | 4 758 065 |
| Pension3 | ||||
| Supplementary defined benefit pension plan (service cost) | 94 106 | 116 343 | 651 468 | 820 318 |
| Supplementary defined contribution pension plan (contribution transferred to pension fund) |
25 373 | 44 060 | 98 935 | 88 120 |
| Other benefits4 | 16 218 | 14 853 | 201 955 | 122 248 |
1 Half of the variable remuneration component is awarded in the form of phantom stocks, and variable remuneration is paid over four years (50% in the first year and the rest spread equally over the next three years). Consequently, the amount stated here is solely the portion of total variable remuneration payable in cash in 2015 (25% of the total amount awarded).
2 Given that no variable remuneration at all was awarded for 2011, these items relate to a deferred portion of the variable component for 2012 and 2013 (for 2012, 16.66% of the cash component of the total remuneration package). The variable remuneration for 2013 relates to the first payment (i.e. half of the cash component of the total remuneration package), because the Board decided in March 2014 to award variable remuneration for financial year 2013 after all, but to defer payment until January 2015 at the earliest.
3 The pension scheme for members of the EC (except John Hollows) comprises a small defined contribution pension plan and the main defined benefit pension plan. The defined contribution plan applies to all members of the EC as from the year following the year in which the member in question has sat on the EC for three years. It is funded by KBC via an annual contribution (to the KBC pension fund), the size of which is expressed as a percentage of KBC's consolidated net profit. This percentage depends on the trend in earnings per share. The defined benefit plan applies to members of the EC as soon as they take a seat on the committee. Entitlement to a full supplementary retirement pension is acquired after 25 years' service in the KBC group, at least six of which as a member of the EC. Each supplementary pension (unless built up through personal contributions) – the right to which has been acquired elsewhere in the group in whatever capacity (self-employed or employee) – is taken into account when calculating this retirement pension, i.e. no accumulation is possible. John Hollows participates in a defined contribution pension plan in the Czech Republic.
4 Each member of the EC receives a representation allowance of 400 euros per month. As this is a flat-rate reimbursement of expenses, the amount has not been included in the table. Each member of the EC also has a company car, the personal use of which is charged on the basis of a fixed 7 500 kilometres per year. Other benefits which members of the EC receive include hospitalisation insurance, assistance insurance and accident insurance.
The remuneration package awarded to members of the EC does not include a long-term cash bonus.
As described above, half of the total annual variable remuneration is awarded in the form of phantom stocks that are to be retained for a period of one year. The following amounts were awarded in the form of phantom stocks for 2014 (the number of phantom stocks is calculated on the basis of the average price of the KBC share during the first three months of the year of allocation).
| Amounts awarded in the form of phantom stocks (in EUR) | Total | Vesting in 2015 |
Vesting in 2016 |
Vesting in 2017 |
Vesting in 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johan Thijs | 183 958 | 91 979 | 31 273 | 31 273 | 29 433 |
| Luc Popelier | 124 083 | 62 042 | 21 094 | 21 094 | 19 853 |
| John Hollows1 | 123 500 | 61 750 | 20 720 | 20 720 | 20 310 |
| Luc Gijsens | 121 167 | 60 583 | 20 598 | 20 598 | 19 388 |
| Daniel Falque | 117 667 | 58 833 | 20 003 | 20 003 | 18 828 |
| Christine Van Rijsseghem | 81 167 | 40 583 | 13 798 | 13 798 | 12 988 |
| Marko Voljcˇ | 39 611 | 19 805 | 6 734 | 6 734 | 6 338 |
| Danny De Raymaeker | 20 194 | 10 097 | 3 433 | 3 433 | 3 231 |
| Pavel Kavánek2 | 53 593 | 26 797 | 8 932 | 8 932 | 8 932 |
1 Partly in phantom stocks and partly in virtual investment certificates (VICs).
2 VICs (instead of phantom stocks).
As mentioned above, payment of the variable remuneration awarded for 2013 was deferred, which also meant that no phantom stocks were allocated in 2014. Given that the Board decided to also pay the variable remuneration for 2013, the
following quantities of phantom stocks were awarded (quantities calculated on the basis of the average price of the KBC share during the first three months of 2014).
| Quantities awarded in the form of phantom stocks | Total | Vesting in 2015 |
Vesting in 2016 |
Vesting in 2017 |
Vesting in 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johan Thijs | 3 769 | 1 884 | 641 | 641 | 603 |
| Luc Popelier | 2 516 | 1 258 | 428 | 428 | 402 |
| John Hollows | 2 469 | 1 235 | 420 | 420 | 394 |
| Luc Gijsens | 2 414 | 1 207 | 410 | 410 | 387 |
| Daniel Falque | 2 414 | 1 207 | 410 | 410 | 387 |
| Marko Voljcˇ | 2 469 | 1 235 | 420 | 420 | 394 |
| Danny De Raymaeker | 2 359 | 1 180 | 401 | 401 | 377 |
| Pavel Kavánek (amounts)* | 178 843 | 89 422 | 29 807 | 29 807 | 29 807 |
* No phantom stocks but amounts awarded in the form of VICs.
No other shares, stock options or rights to acquire shares were allocated.
Some of the phantom stocks awarded both in 2011 for financial year 2010 and in 2013 for financial year 2012 were converted into cash at 44.53 euros per share in April 2014. The following amounts were paid (in euros):
| • Johan Thijs | 153 139 |
|---|---|
| • Danny De Raymaeker | 142 407 |
| • Luc Popelier | 130 161 |
| • John Hollows | 130 161 |
| • Marko Voljcˇ | 117 292 |
| • Luc Gijsens | 78 640 |
| • Daniel Falque | 46 267 |
Under the conditions stipulated by the Belgian Federal and Flemish Regional governments following the transactions to strengthen core capital in 2008 and 2009, severance payments (to be made when departure is at the initiative of the company) for executive directors and members of the EC have been limited to 12 months' fixed remuneration since the end of October 2008. Following the introduction of the new Banking Act of 25 April 2014, such payment was reduced to nine months' fixed remuneration with effect on 7 May 2014. Since 18 November 2014, however, it has again been made
equal to 12 months' fixed remuneration on account of the special provision in Article 14 of Annex 2 to this Act. As a result of the structure of the group being reorganised, Danny De Raymaeker's office as a member of the EC was ended on 1 March 2014. On the proposal of the Remuneration Committee, the Board decided that – on the basis of the above provisions – he was eligible to receive a severance payment equal to 12 months' fixed remuneration (720 000 euros).
In application of the provisions of the Companies Code and the Corporate Governance Code, the main features of the internal control and risk management systems at KBC are set out below (Part 1 contains general information, while Part 2 deals specifically with the financial reporting process).
We examine the strategy and organisational structure of the KBC group in the 'Our business model and strategy' section of this annual report.
KBC aims to be an efficient bank-insurer and asset manager that shows a strong affinity for its clients and careful consideration for its employees. It focuses on private individuals, the self-employed, members of the liberal professions, small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-cap clients in selected European countries, while seeking to achieve a sound level of profitability through efficiency, client focus, employee satisfaction and sound risk management. KBC also seeks to identify with the various communities in which it operates by using local trade names, employing local management and pursuing socially responsible business practices in line with the standards of the countries concerned. The KBC group has a dual governance structure based on the Belgian model:
The Charter of KBC Group NV describes the mutual responsibilities of both management bodies, their composition and activities, as well as the qualification requirements for their members. Their composition and activities are dealt with in more detail elsewhere in this corporate governance statement.
KBC conducts its activities in compliance with both the letter and the spirit of prevailing laws and regulations, whilst also taking account of changing societal norms and ensuring that its activities contribute towards economic, social and environmental advancement in its areas of operation. KBC gives priority to the needs and interests of its clients, its shareholders, its staff and the broader community in which it operates. In its relationship with them, KBC imposes rules on itself concerning fairness and reasonableness, openness and transparency, discretion and respect for privacy.
These principles are set out in the integrity policy, as well as in specific codes, instructions and codes of conduct. The main guidelines and policy memos on socially responsible business practices can be found at www.kbc.com/csr.
KBC's Integrity Policy focuses primarily on the following areas, for which – where appropriate – specific group-wide compliance rules have been issued, i.e. for:
The integrity policy also maintains a strong and comprehensive focus on ethics and combating fraud:
• The Anti-Corruption Policy affirms KBC's position in the fight against and its resolve to prevent corruption in its activities and operations, while setting out the measures that have been or will be taken to achieve this. One element of this is the 'policy on gifts, donations and sponsorship' through which KBC endeavours to protect its employees and the other parties involved by means of criteria that have been drawn up to foster transparent and reasonable behaviour.
The Code of Conduct for KBC Group Employees is a generalised document based on a set of group values that outlines how all members of staff should conduct themselves. It forms the basis for developing specialised codes of conduct for specific target groups and for drawing up policy guidelines at group level.
KBC's vision on corporate social responsibility is set out in its Principles for Socially Responsible Business, which is available at www.kbc.com.
To arm itself against the risks that it is exposed to in achieving its mission, the EC – under its responsibility and the supervision of the Board – has implemented a multi-layered internal control system. This system is commonly known as the 'Three Lines of Defence' model.
As the first line of defence, the business operations side has to be aware of the risks in its area of activity and has adapted and effective controls in place. This responsibility extends to all types of risk, including fraud and compliance with regulatory or legal requirements. In this regard, the business side can call upon the services of its own support departments, such as Inspection, Human Resources and Accounting. Besides turning to this first-line expertise, it can also seek advice from independent second-line functions.
3.2 As independent control functions, the Group risk function, Compliance and – for certain matters – Accounting, Legal, Tax and Information Risk Security constitute the second line of defence
Independent of the business side and following specific regulations and advanced industry standards, second-line control functions are tasked with drawing up a group-wide framework for all relevant types of risk. The functions support implementation of this framework in their own particular area of work and monitor how it is used. Besides their support and supervisory tasks, the second-line functions also have an advisory role in assisting business-side management in the use of value, risk and capital management instruments and techniques. More information on risk management is provided in the relevant section of this report.
Compliance is an independent function within the KBC group, protected by its modified status (as described in the Compliance Charter), its place in the organisation chart (hierarchically under the CRO with a functional reporting line to the President of the EC) and its reporting lines (reporting to the RCC as the highest body and even to the Board in certain cases). Its prime objective is to prevent KBC from running a compliance risk or from incurring loss/damage – regardless of its nature – due to non-compliance with applicable laws, regulations or internal rules that fall either within the scope of the compliance function or within the areas assigned to it by the EC. Hence, the compliance function devotes particular attention to adherence to the integrity policy.
Internal Audit checks whether the risks faced by the KBC group are managed adequately and, where necessary, whether they are being restricted or eliminated. It is responsible for ensuring that business processes run efficiently and effectively and for guaranteeing continuity of operations. Internal Audit's scope covers all legal entities, activities and departments, including the various control functions, within the KBC group.
Responsibilities, features, organisational structure and reporting lines, scope, audit methodology, co-operation between internal audit departments of the KBC group, and outsourcing of internal audit activities are set out in the Audit Charter of KBC Group NV. This charter complies with the stipulations of CBFA/FSMA Circular D1 97/4 (banks) and PPB-2006-8-CPA (insurance) and with the Act of 25 April 2014 on the status and supervision of credit institutions.
In accordance with international professional audit standards, an external entity screens the audit function on a regular basis (the last time this happened was in 2014). The results of that exercise were reported to the EC and the AC.
Each year, the EC evaluates whether the internal control and risk management system is still compliant and reports its findings to the AC and RCC.
These committees supervise, on behalf of the Board, the integrity and effectiveness of the internal control measures and the risk management system set up under the EC, paying special attention to correct financial reporting. They also examine the procedures set up by the company to see whether they comply with the law and other regulations.
Their role, composition and activities, along with the qualifications of their members, are laid down in their respective charters, which are included under the Charter of KBC Group NV. More information on these committees is provided elsewhere in this section.
It is vitally important that timely, accurate and understandable financial reports are provided to both internal and external stakeholders. To ensure this is the case, the underlying process needs to be sufficiently robust.
Periodic reporting at company level is based on a documented accounting process. A manual on the accounting procedures and financial reporting process is available. Periodic financial statements are prepared directly from the general ledger. Bookkeeping accounts are examined to see whether they correspond to underlying inventories. The result of these controls can be demonstrated.
Periodic financial statements are prepared in accordance with local accounting policies and periodic reports on own funds in accordance with the most recent National Bank of Belgium (NBB) resolutions.
The main affiliated companies have their own accounting and administrative organisation, as well as a set of procedures for internal financial controls. The consolidation process is explained in a descriptive document. The consolidation system and the consolidation process have been operational for some time and have numerous built-in consistency controls.
The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with IFRS accounting policies that apply to all the companies included in the scope of consolidation. The relevant senior financial managers (CFOs) of the subsidiaries certify to the accuracy and completeness of the financial figures reported in accordance with group accounting policies. The Approval Committee chaired by the Senior General Manager of Group Finance monitors compliance with IFRS accounting policies.
Pursuant to the Act of 25 April 2014 on the status and supervision of credit institutions, the EC of KBC Group NV evaluated the internal control system for the financial reporting process and prepared a report on its findings.
The group-wide roll-out of 'fast close' procedures, the monitoring of intercompany transactions within the group, and permanent follow-up of a number of indicators relating to risk, performance and quality (Key Risk Indicators and Key Performance Indicators) continually help raise the quality of both the accounting process and the financial reporting process.
The internal control of the accounting process has been based on Group Key Control Accounting and External Financial Reporting standards since 2006. These rules for managing the main risks attached to the accounting process involve the establishment and maintenance of accounting process architecture, the establishment and maintenance of accounting policies and accounting presentations, compliance with authorisation rules and the separation of responsibilities when transactions are registered in the accounts, and the establishment of appropriate first- and second-line account management.
The Reporting Framework (2011) and Challenger Framework (2012) define a solid governance structure and clearly describe the roles and responsibilities of the various players in the financial reporting process. The aim here is to radically reduce reporting risks by challenging input data and improving the analysis of – and therefore insight into – the reported figures.
Each year (since 2012), when preparing the Internal Control Statement for the supervisory authorities, the legal entities have to assess themselves as to whether they comply with the Group Key Control Accounting and External Financial Reporting standards. The findings of this self-assessment are registered in the risk function's Group Risk Assessment Tool. It also includes drawing up a list of all the responsibilities (Entity Accountability Excel sheets) for accounting and external financial reporting, along with the underlying Departmental Reference Documents that substantiate how these responsibilities are being shouldered.
In this way, the CFOs formally confirm by substantiated means that all the defined roles and responsibilities relating to the end-to-end process for external financial reporting have been properly assumed within their entity. The veracity of this confirmation can be checked at any time by all the internal and external stakeholders involved.
KBC Group NV's Internal Audit function conducts an end-toend audit of the accounting process and external financial reporting process at both company and consolidated level.
For details of the AC's supervisory work, see the second paragraph of point 4 in the first part of this text.
The corporate governance statement included in the annual report must also indicate whether any provisions of the Corporate Governance Code have not been complied with and state the reasons for non-compliance (the 'comply-or-explain' principle). This information is provided below.
Provision 2.1. of the Corporate Governance Code stipulates that one of the factors for deciding the composition of the Board should be gender diversity (see 'Gender diversity' below).
Provision 5.2./1 of Appendix C to the Corporate Governance Code stipulates that the Board should set up an audit committee composed exclusively of non-executive directors. Provision 5.2./4 of the same appendix additionally specifies that at least a majority of its members should be independent. Provision 5.3./1 of Appendix D to the Corporate Governance Code stipulates that the Board should set up a nomination committee composed of a majority of independent nonexecutive directors.
At year-end 2014, the AC was composed of four nonexecutive directors, two of whom were independent and two who represented the core shareholders. The director appointed by the Flemish Regional Government also sat on the AC up to and including 22 December 2014. Independent directors were, therefore, in the minority on this committee.
On 31 December 2014, the Nomination Committee was composed of five directors, one of whom was the Chairman of the Board (who is also an independent director), a second independent director and three representatives of the core shareholders. The director appointed by the Flemish Regional Government likewise sat on the Nomination Committee up to and including 22 December 2014. Independent directors are, therefore, in the minority on this committee.
The government-appointed directors help ensure that KBC's activities are viewed from an independent perspective.
When selecting the members of the AC and Nomination Committee – as is also the case with the Board – the group takes account of the specific shareholder structure and, in particular, of the presence of Cera, KBC Ancora, MRBB and the other core shareholders, and of a government-appointed director's right to participate in the meeting. In this way, a balance is maintained that is beneficial to the stability and continuity of the group. Moreover, by having their representatives on these Board committees, the core shareholders are able to monitor operational reporting (AC) and recruitment and nomination matters (Nomination Committee) in full knowledge of the facts. This enhances equilibrium, quality and efficiency within the Board's decisionmaking process.
Since 2011, company law has included a provision stipulating that, over time, at least one-third of a board's members must be of a different gender than the other members. Provision 2.1. of the Corporate Governance Code stipulates that one of the factors for deciding the composition of a board should be gender diversity.
Following the appointment of Christine Van Rijsseghem as an executive director, four women and fourteen men sat on the Board at year-end 2014. The Board endeavours to achieve a greater representation of women among its ranks. Further steps will be taken to increase the number of female directors to the required quota by no later than 2017. After the General Meeting of 7 May 2015, the Board will comprise four women and fourteen men.
There were no conflicts of interest during the 2014 financial year that required the application of Article 523, 524 or 524ter of the Companies Code.
At the General Meeting of KBC Group NV of 2 May 2013, the mandate granted to Ernst & Young Bedrijfsrevisoren BCVBA – represented by Christel Weymeersch and/or Jean-François Hubin – was renewed for a period of three years.
Details of the statutory auditor's remuneration are provided in Note 43 of the 'Consolidated financial statements' section (consolidated figures for the entire group) and in Note 6 of the 'Company annual accounts' section (for KBC Group NV alone).
The share capital was fully paid up and was represented by 417 780 658 shares of no nominal value. More information on the group's capital can be found in the 'Company annual accounts' section.
Each year, KBC Group NV carries out a capital increase reserved for its employees and the employees of certain of its Belgian subsidiaries. If the issue price of the new shares is less than the reference price stated in the issue terms, these new shares may not be transferred by the employee for two years, starting from the payment date, unless he or she dies. The shares subscribed to by employees under the capital increase decided upon by the Board on 12 November 2014 are blocked until 15 December 2016.
The options on KBC Group NV shares held by employees of the various KBC group companies and allocated to them under stock option plans set up at different points in time, may not be transferred inter vivos. For an overview of the number of stock options for staff, see Note 12 in the 'Consolidated financial statements' section.
3 Holders of any securities with special control rights None.
4 Systems of control of any employee share scheme where the control rights are not exercised directly by the employees None.
The voting rights attached to the shares held by KBC Group NV and its direct and indirect subsidiaries are suspended. At 31 December 2014, these rights were suspended for 488 shares (0.00% of the shares in circulation at that time).
The voting rights attached to bearer shares still not presented at year-end 2014 are suspended, due to the conversion of such shares into book-entry form. At 31 December 2014, these rights were suspended for 202 789 shares (0.0485% of the shares in circulation at that time).
A group of legal entities and individuals act in concert and constitute the core shareholders of KBC Group NV. As indicated in their disclosure, the number of voting rights held by these entities and individuals was:
That is a total of 168 553 908 shares carrying voting rights, or 40.35% of the total number of such shares on 31 December 2014.
A shareholder agreement was concluded between these parties in order to support and co-ordinate the general policy of KBC Group NV and to supervise its implementation. The agreement provides for a contractual shareholder syndicate. The shareholder agreement includes stipulations on the transfer of securities and the exercise of voting rights within the shareholder syndicate.
The agreement was extended for a new ten-year period, with effect from 1 December 2014.
When KBC Group NV issued 3.5 billion euros' worth of securities to the Flemish Region in mid-July 2009 in an
operation to bolster the group's core capital (2 billion euros of this amount was still outstanding at year-end 2014), the core shareholders of KBC Group NV entered into a number of commitments, including the following one. They formally undertook not to offer their shares if a voluntary or mandatory public takeover bid were to be made for all of KBC's shares nor, as the case may be, to sell a quantity of KBC shares that could trigger a mandatory bid, nor to transfer their shares prior to the start of, during or after a public takeover bid to (a) (future) bidder(s) or related party nor grant any right to that end, without obtaining a formal commitment on the part of the (future) bidder(s) that, when the bid is closed, it (they) would compel KBC to redeem all outstanding core-capital securities (subject to the approval of the NBB) or it (they) would buy all outstanding core-capital securities itself (themselves), in both cases at a price equal to 44.25 euros per security.
Appointment and replacement of members of the Board:
Following the advice of the supervisory authority, proposals to appoint nominated directors or to re-appoint directors are submitted by the Board to the General Meeting for approval. Each proposal is accompanied by a documented recommendation from the Board, based on the advice of the Nomination Committee.
Without prejudice to the applicable legal provisions, nominations are communicated as a separate agenda item for the General Meeting at least thirty days before it is held. When nominating an independent director, the Board will state whether the individual meets the independence criteria of the Companies Code.
The General Meeting appoints directors by a simple majority of votes cast.
From among its non-executive members, the Board elects a chairman and one or more deputy chairmen, if necessary. Outgoing directors are always eligible for re-appointment. If, during the course of a financial year, a directorship falls vacant as a result of decease, resignation, dismissal or for any other reason, the remaining directors may provisionally arrange for a replacement and appoint a new director. In that case, the next General Meeting will proceed to a definitive appointment. A director appointed to replace a director whose term of office had not yet come to an end will complete this term of office, unless the General Meeting decides on a different term of office when making the definitive appointment.
Unless stipulated otherwise, the General Meeting is entitled to amend the Articles of Association. Accordingly, the General Meeting may only validly deliberate and take decisions about such amendments if they have been expressly proposed in the convening notice and if those attending the meeting represent at least half the share capital. If the latter condition is not satisfied, a new convening notice is required and the new meeting can validly deliberate and take decisions, regardless of the share of capital represented by the shareholders attending the meeting. An amendment is only adopted if it receives three-quarters of the votes cast (Article 558 of the Companies Code).
If an amendment to the Articles of Association pertains to the object of the company, the Board must justify the proposed amendment in a detailed report that is referred to in the agenda. A statement of assets and liabilities drawn up no longer than three months previously must be included in this report and be reported on separately by the statutory auditors. Copies of the reports in question can be obtained in accordance with Article 535 of the Companies Code. If these reports do not appear, decisions taken at the General Meeting will be null and void. The General Meeting may only deliberate and take decisions validly on changes in the object of the company if those present not only represent half of the share capital (…). If this condition is not satisfied, a second convening notice is required. To ensure that the second meeting can deliberate and take decisions validly, it is sufficient that some of the capital is represented. An amendment will then only be adopted if it receives at least four-fifths of the votes cast. (…) (excerpt from Article 559 of the Companies Code).
The General Meeting authorised the Board until 21 May 2018 to increase, in one or more steps, the share capital by a total amount of 700 million euros, in cash or in kind, by issuing shares or convertible bonds (whether subordinated or otherwise) or warrants that may or may not be linked to bonds (whether subordinated or otherwise). Under this authorisation, the Board can suspend or restrict preferential subscription rights, subject to the limits laid down by law and the Articles of Association.
On 12 November 2014, the Board decided to use its authorisation to increase capital by issuing shares without preferential subscription rights to employees at a price of 34.35 euros per share and with a limit of 101 shares per employee. On 17 December 2014, the issued share capital was increased by 1 448 724 euros (represented by 416 300 new shares).
As a result, the authorised capital amounted to 697 169 705.56 euros at year-end 2014. Consequently, when account is taken of the accounting par value of the share on 31 December 2014, a maximum of 200 336 122 new shares can still be issued, i.e. 47.95% of the number of shares in circulation at that time.
The General Meeting of 2 May 2013 authorised the Board (and also granted it a power of sub-delegation) to acquire maximum 250 000 shares over a five-year period. The shares may be acquired at a price that may not be higher than the last closing price on Euronext Brussels prior to the date of acquisition, plus 10%, and not lower than 1 euro. Within the confines of the law, this authorisation is valid for all acquisitions for a consideration, in the broadest sense of the term, on or off the exchange.
The boards of KBC Group NV and its direct subsidiaries have been authorised until 29 May 2015 to acquire or dispose of KBC Group NV shares, whenever their acquisition or disposal is necessary to prevent KBC Group NV from suffering imminent serious disadvantage.
These boards received authorisation to sell their KBC Group NV shares on or off the exchange. In the latter case, the price may not be lower than that prevailing on the exchange at the time of sale, less 10%. On 31 December 2014, KBC Group NV and its direct subsidiaries held 486 KBC Group NV shares.
9 Significant agreements to which KBC Group NV is a party and which take effect, alter or terminate upon a change of control of KBC Group NV following a public takeover bid None.
10 Agreements between KBC and its directors or employees providing for compensation if the directors resign or are made redundant, or if employees are made redundant, without valid reason following a public takeover bid None.
Notifications of shareholdings are provided:
A summary containing the most recent disclosures is provided in the 'Information for shareholders and bondholders' section. It should be noted that the figures provided under A) and B) below may differ from the current number of shares in possession, as a change in the number held does not always give rise to a new notification.
Article 10bis of the Articles of Association of KBC Group NV stipulates the threshold at which individuals must disclose their shareholdings. KBC publishes these notifications on www.kbc.com. The table below provides an overview of the shareholder structure at year-end 2014, based on all the
notifications received by 31 December 2014. The 'Company annual accounts' section also contains an overview of notifications received in 2014 (and the first two months of 2015).
| Number of KBC shares (as a % | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Address | of the current number of shares) | Notification relating to | |
| KBC Ancora Comm. VA | Mgr. Ladeuzeplein 15, 3000 Leuven, Belgium | 77 516 380 (18.55%) | 1 December 2014 |
| Cera CVBA | Mgr. Ladeuzeplein 15, 3000 Leuven, Belgium | 11 127 166 (2.66%) | 1 December 2014 |
| MRBB CVBA | Diestsevest 40, 3000 Leuven, Belgium | 47 889 864 (11.46%) | 1 December 2014 |
| Other core shareholders | C/o Ph. Vlerick, Ronsevaalstraat 2, 8510 Bellegem, Belgium |
32 020 498 (7.66%) | 1 December 2014 |
| KBC group companies | Havenlaan 2, 1080 Brussels, Belgium | 300 (0.00%) | 16 October 2012 |
| Blackrock Inc. | 12 Throgmorton Avenue, London EC2N 2DL, United Kingdom |
20 932 157 (5.01%) | 5 June 2014 |
| FMR LLC (Fidelity) | 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, United States |
12 308 475 (2.95%) | 17 October 2014* |
| Parvus Asset Management Europe Ltd. |
7 Clifford Street, London W1S 2FT, United Kingdom |
12 900 729 (3.09%) | 30 December 2014 |
* New notifications were received at the start of 2015 (see the 'Company annual accounts' section).
Within the framework of this law, KBC Group NV received a number of updated disclosures on 1 December 2014. The entities and individuals referred to below act in concert.
a legal entities
b individuals holding 3% or more of securities carrying voting rights1
| Shareholding | Shareholding | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shareholder | (quantity) | %2 Shareholder | (quantity) | %2 |
| KBC Ancora Comm. VA | 77 516 380 | 18.55% Sereno SA | 321 401 | 0.08% |
| MRBB CVBA | 47 889 864 | 11.46% Rodep Comm. VA | 300 000 | 0.07% |
| Cera CVBA | 11 127 166 | 2.66% Colver NV | 271 784 | 0.07% |
| SAK AGEV | 8 978 885 | 2.15% Efiga Invest SPRL | 230 806 | 0.06% |
| Plastiche NV | 3 855 915 | 0.92% Gavel Comm. VA | 200 000 | 0.05% |
| VIM CVBA | 3 834 500 | 0.92% Ibervest | 190 000 | 0.05% |
| 3D NV | 2 491 893 | 0.60% Promark International NV | 189 000 | 0.05% |
| De Berk BVBA | 1 318 208 | 0.32% Niramore International SA | 150 700 | 0.04% |
| Algimo NV | 1 040 901 | 0.25% SAK Iberanfra | 120 107 | 0.03% |
| Rainyve SA | 941 958 | 0.23% Edilu NV | 64 800 | 0.02% |
| SAK PULA | 933 798 | 0.22% Isarick NV | 45 056 | 0.01% |
| Stichting Amici Almae Matris | 912 731 | 0.22% Agrobos | 42 500 | 0.01% |
| Cecan NV | 871 002 | 0.21% Wilig NV | 40 446 | 0.01% |
| Ceco CVA | 568 849 | 0.14% Filax Stichting | 38 529 | 0.01% |
| Van Holsbeeck NV | 502 822 | 0.12% I.B.P Ravaga Pensioenfonds | 34 833 | 0.01% |
| Cecan Invest NV | 397 563 | 0.10% Lycol NV | 30 806 | 0.01% |
| Bareldam SA | 387 544 | 0.09% Hendrik Van Houtte CVA | 25 920 | 0.01% |
| Dufinco BVBA | 357 002 | 0.09% Asphalia NV | 14 241 | 0.00% |
| Robor NV | 352 667 | 0.08% Vobis Finance NV | 685 | 0.00% |
(the identity of the individuals concerned does not have to be disclosed)
| Shareholding | Shareholding | Shareholding | Shareholding | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (quantity) | %2 | (quantity) | %2 | (quantity) | %2 | (quantity) | %2 |
| 477 395 | 0.11% | 159 100 | 0.04% | 80 000 | 0.02% | 20 836 | 0.00% |
| 285 000 | 0.07% | 125 900 | 0.03% | 50 664 | 0.01% | 19 522 | 0.00% |
| 285 000 | 0.07% | 107 744 | 0.03% | 41 500 | 0.01% | 3 431 | 0.00% |
| 166 200 | 0.04% | 105 000 | 0.03% | 32 554 | 0.01% | 2 800 | 0.00% |
1 No such disclosures were received.
2 The calculation (%) of the total outstanding number of shares is based on the total number of shares on 31 December 2014.
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'We rent out durable plastic pallets that are used in 27 countries. Our principal banker, KBC, has supported our plans for a sustainable product from the outset.'
| (in millions of EUR) | Note | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net interest income | 3 | 4 077 | 4 308 |
| Interest income | 3 | 8 343 | 7 893 |
| Interest expense | 3 | -4 266 | -3 586 |
| Non-life insurance (before reinsurance) | 9, 11 | 536 | 512 |
| Earned premiums | 9, 11 | 1 259 | 1 266 |
| Technical charges | 9, 11 | -723 | -754 |
| Life insurance (before reinsurance) | 9, 10 | -242 | -216 |
| Earned premiums | 9, 10 | 1 132 | 1 247 |
| Technical charges | 9, 10 | -1 373 | -1 463 |
| Ceded reinsurance result | 9 | -5 | 16 |
| Dividend income | 4 | 47 | 56 |
| Net result from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss | 5 | 1 191 | 227 |
| Net realised result from available-for-sale assets | 6 | 252 | 150 |
| Net fee and commission income | 7 | 1 469 | 1 573 |
| Fee and commission income | 7 | 2 268 | 2 245 |
| Fee and commission expense | 7 | -798 | -672 |
| Other net income | 8 | 122 | 94 |
| TOTAL INCOME | 7 448 | 6 720 | |
| Operating expenses | 12 | -3 843 | -3 818 |
| Staff expenses | 12 | -2 312 | -2 248 |
| General administrative expenses | 12 | -1 262 | -1 303 |
| Depreciation and amortisation of fixed assets | 12 | -269 | -266 |
| Impairment | 14 | -1 927 | -506 |
| on loans and receivables | 14 | -1 714 | -587 |
| on available-for-sale assets | 14 | -34 | -29 |
| on goodwill | 14 | -7 | 0 |
| other | 14 | -173 | 109 |
| Share in results of associated companies and joint ventures | 15 | 30 | 25 |
| RESULT BEFORE TAX | 1 708 | 2 420 | |
| Income tax expense | 16 | -678 | -657 |
| Net post-tax result from discontinued operations | 46 | 0 | 0 |
| RESULT AFTER TAX | 1 029 | 1 763 | |
| attributable to minority interests | 14 | 0 | |
| of which relating to discontinued operations | 0 | 0 | |
| attributable to equity holders of the parent | 1 015 | 1 762 | |
| of which relating to discontinued operations | 0 | 0 | |
| Earnings per share (in EUR) | |||
| Ordinary | 17 | 1.03 | 3.32 |
| Diluted | 17 | 1.03 | 3.32 |
related to payment of a dividend on shares, that coupon will be paid as well (171 million euros). It should be noted that any coupon is included in the calculation of earnings per share (see Note 17).
• We have dealt with the main items in the income statement under 'Consolidated results in 2014' in the 'Report of the Board of Directors' section and in the sections devoted to the individual business units. The statutory auditor has not audited these sections.
| (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| RESULT AFTER TAX | 1 029 | 1 763 |
| attributable to minority interests | 14 | 0 |
| attributable to equity holders of the parent | 1 015 | 1 762 |
| OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME | ||
| Recycled to profit or loss | ||
| Net change in revaluation reserve for shares | 117 | 47 |
| Fair value adjustments before tax | 171 | 119 |
| Deferred tax on fair value changes | -6 | -4 |
| Transfer from reserve to net result | -48 | -68 |
| Impairment | 4 | 8 |
| Net gains/losses on disposal | -54 | -76 |
| Deferred taxes on income | 2 | 0 |
| Net change in revaluation reserve for bonds | -287 | 675 |
| Fair value adjustments before tax | -328 | 1 006 |
| Deferred tax on fair value changes | 107 | -334 |
| Transfer from reserve to net result | -66 | 2 |
| Impairment | 0 | 0 |
| Net gains/losses on disposal | -121 | -34 |
| Amortisation and impairment of revaluation reserve for available-for-sale financial assets following reclassification to 'loans and receivables' and 'held-to-maturity assets' |
24 | 38 |
| Deferred taxes on income | 31 | -2 |
| Net change in revaluation reserve for other assets | 0 | 0 |
| Fair value adjustments before tax | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred tax on fair value changes | 0 | 0 |
| Transfer from reserve to net result | 0 | 0 |
| Impairment | 0 | 0 |
| Net gains/losses on disposal | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred taxes on income | 0 | 0 |
| Net change in hedging reserve (cashflow hedges) | 338 | -871 |
| Fair value adjustments before tax | 533 | -1 287 |
| Deferred tax on fair value changes | -185 | 440 |
| Transfer from reserve to net result | -11 | -25 |
| Gross amount | -13 | -28 |
| Deferred taxes on income | 3 | 3 |
| Net change in translation differences | -116 | 79 |
| Gross amount | 0 | 9 |
| Deferred taxes on income | -116 | 70 |
| Other movements | 0 | 1 |
| Not recycled to profit or loss | ||
| Net change in defined benefit plans | 136 | -198 |
| Remeasurements (IAS 19) | 206 | -281 |
| Deferred tax on remeasurements (IAS 19) | -69 | 83 |
| TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME | 1 218 | 1 495 |
| attributable to minority interests | 14 | 0 |
| attributable to equity holders of the parent | 1 203 | 1 494 |
| ASSETS (in millions of EUR) | Note | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash and cash balances with central banks | – | 4 294 | 5 771 |
| Financial assets | 18–29 | 222 887 | 231 421 |
| Held for trading | 18–29 | 16 885 | 12 182 |
| Designated at fair value through profit or loss | 18–29 | 16 441 | 18 163 |
| Available for sale | 18–29 | 27 307 | 32 390 |
| Loans and receivables | 18–29 | 130 153 | 135 784 |
| Held to maturity | 18–29 | 31 323 | 31 799 |
| Hedging derivatives | 18–29 | 777 | 1 104 |
| Reinsurers' share in technical provisions, insurance | 35 | 146 | 194 |
| Fair value adjustments of the hedged items in portfolio hedge of interest rate risk | – | 120 | 168 |
| Tax assets | 31 | 1 723 | 1 814 |
| Current tax assets | 31 | 242 | 88 |
| Deferred tax assets | 31 | 1 481 | 1 726 |
| Non-current assets held for sale and disposal groups | 46 | 3 769 | 18 |
| Investments in associated companies and joint ventures | 32 | 182 | 204 |
| Investment property | 33 | 598 | 568 |
| Property and equipment | 33 | 2 457 | 2 278 |
| Goodwill and other intangible assets | 34 | 1 277 | 1 258 |
| Other assets | 30 | 1 233 | 1 480 |
| TOTAL ASSETS | 238 686 | 245 174 | |
| LIABILITIES AND EQUITY (in millions of EUR) | Note | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
| Financial liabilities | 18–29 | 199 421 | 205 644 |
| Held for trading | 18–29 | 13 119 | 8 449 |
| Designated at fair value through profit or loss | 18–29 | 24 931 | 23 908 |
| Measured at amortised cost | 18–29 | 159 693 | 169 796 |
| Hedging derivatives | 18–29 | 1 678 | 3 491 |
| Technical provisions (before reinsurance) | 35 | 18 701 | 18 934 |
| Fair value adjustments of the hedged items in portfolio hedge of interest rate risk | – | -2 | 189 |
| Tax liabilities | 31 | 518 | 697 |
| Current tax liabilities | 31 | 109 | 98 |
| Deferred tax liabilities | 31 | 409 | 599 |
| Liabilities associated with disposal groups | 46 | 2 027 | 0 |
| Provisions for risks and charges | 36 | 523 | 560 |
| Other liabilities | 37 | 2 983 | 2 629 |
| TOTAL LIABILITIES | 224 172 | 228 652 | |
| Total equity | 39 | 14 514 | 16 521 |
| Parent shareholders' equity | 39 | 11 826 | 13 125 |
| Non-voting core-capital securities | 39 | 2 333 | 2 000 |
| Additional tier-1 instruments included in equity | 39 | 0 | 1 400 |
| Minority interests | 39 | 354 | -3 |
| TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY | 238 686 | 245 174 |
• Figures have been restated retroactively on the basis of IFRS 11 (see Note 1 a).
| h nt of c me ate d st ate d nsoli Co |
ges i n a |
uit q n e |
y | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issued and paid |
Revaluation | Hedging reserve |
ment of defined Remeasure |
lation Trans |
Parent share |
Non-voting | Additional tier-1 ments instru |
||||||
| (in millions of EUR) | up share capital |
Share premium |
Treasury shares |
reserve (AFS assets) |
(cashflow hedges) |
benefit plans |
Reserves | differ ences |
holders' equity |
core-capital securities |
included in equity |
Minority interests |
Total equity |
| 2013 | |||||||||||||
| Balance at the beginning of the period | 1 450 | 5 388 | -1 | 1 263 | -834 | 0 | 5 192 | -360 | 12 099 | 3 500 | 0 | 362 | 15 961 |
| First time adoption of revised IAS 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -71 | -11 | 0 | -82 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -82 |
| Restated balance at the beginning of the period | 1 450 | 5 388 | -1 | 1 263 | -834 | -71 | 5 182 | -360 | 12 017 | 3 500 | 0 | 362 | 15 879 |
| Net result for the period | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 015 | 0 | 1 015 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 029 |
| Other comprehensive income | 0 | 1 | 0 | -170 | 338 | 136 | -1 | -116 | 189 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 189 |
| Subtotal, comprehensive income | 0 | 1 | 0 | -170 | 338 | 136 | 1 014 | -116 | 1 203 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 218 |
| Dividends | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -961 | 0 | -961 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -961 |
| Capital increase | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Redemption of non-voting core-capital securities | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -583 | 0 | -583 | -1 167 | 0 | 0 | -1 750 |
| Sales of treasury shares | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Effect of business combinations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 | 0 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 |
| Change in minority interests | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -18 | -18 |
| Change in scope | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 136 | 136 | 0 | 0 | -4 | 132 |
| Total change | 1 | 16 | 1 | -170 | 338 | 136 | -533 | 20 | -191 | -1 167 | 0 | -8 | -1 365 |
| Balance at the end of the period | 1 452 | 5 404 | 0 | 1 094 | -497 | 65 | 4 648 | -340 | 11 826 | 2 333 | 0 | 354 | 14 514 |
| of which revaluation reserve for shares | – | – | – | 323 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| of which revaluation reserve for bonds | – | – | – | 771 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| of which relating to non-current assets held for sale and disposal groups |
– | – | – | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -3 | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
| of which relating to application of the equity method | – | – | – | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | – | – | – | 10 |
| 2014 | |||||||||||||
| Balance at the beginning of the period | 1 452 | 5 404 | 0 | 1 094 | -497 | 65 | 4 648 | -340 | 11 826 | 2 333 | 0 | 354 | 14 514 |
| Net result for the period | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 762 | 0 | 1 762 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 763 |
| Other comprehensive income | 0 | 0 | 0 | 722 | -871 | -198 | 1 | 79 | -268 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -268 |
| Subtotal, comprehensive income | 0 | 0 | 0 | 722 | -871 | -198 | 1 763 | 79 | 1 494 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 495 |
| Dividends | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -39 | 0 | -39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -39 |
| Capital increase | 1 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| Redemption of non-voting core-capital securities | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -167 | 0 | -167 | -333 | 0 | 0 | -500 |
| Issue of additional tier-1 instruments included in equity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -6 | 0 | -6 | 0 | 1 400 | 0 | 1 394 |
| Effect of business combinations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| Change in minority interests | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in scope | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -358 | -358 |
| Total change | 1 | 17 | 0 | 722 | -871 | -198 | 1 548 | 79 | 1 298 | -333 | 1 400 | -358 | 2 007 |
| Balance at the end of the period | 1 453 | 5 421 | 0 | 1 815 | -1 368 | -133 | 6 197 | -261 | 13 125 | 2 000 | 1 400 | -3 | 16 521 |
| of which revaluation reserve for shares | – | – | – | 370 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| of which revaluation reserve for bonds | – | – | – | 1 445 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| of which relating to non-current assets held for sale and disposal groups |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| of which relating to application of the equity method | – | – | – | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | – | – | – | 23 |
financial year 2014, however, it does include the 39-million-euro coupon on additional tier-1 instruments. For financial year 2014 (payment in 2015), KBC will – subject to the approval of the General Meeting of Shareholders – pay a gross dividend of 2 euros per share entitled to dividend, along with a coupon on the remaining state aid.
| (in millions of EUR) | Reference1 | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating activities | |||
| Result before tax | See consolidated income statement |
1 708 | 2 420 |
| Adjustments for: | – | ||
| Result before tax from discontinued operations | See consolidated income statement |
0 | 0 |
| Depreciation, impairment and amortisation of property and equipment, intangible fixed assets, investment property and securities |
21, 33, 34 | 508 | 213 |
| Profit/Loss on the disposal of investments | – | 32 | -25 |
| Change in impairment on loans and advances | 14 | 1 714 | 587 |
| Change in technical provisions (before reinsurance) | 35 | 28 | 143 |
| Change in the reinsurers' share in the technical provisions | 35 | -11 | -48 |
| Change in other provisions | 36 | 15 | -37 |
| Other unrealised gains or losses | – | 187 | 967 |
| Income from associated companies and joint ventures | 15 | -30 | -25 |
| Cashflows from operating profit before tax and before changes in operating assets and liabilities | – | 4 150 | 4 195 |
| Changes in operating assets (excluding cash and cash equivalents) | – | 12 070 | -11 151 |
| Financial assets held for trading | 18 | 5 574 | -248 |
| Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss | 18 | -904 | -686 |
| Available-for-sale assets | 18 | 2 866 | -4 561 |
| Loans and receivables | 18 | 3 280 | -5 037 |
| Hedging derivatives | 18 | 844 | -325 |
| Operating assets associated with disposal groups, and other assets | 46 | 411 | -294 |
| Changes in operating liabilities (excluding cash and cash equivalents) | – | -2 671 | 11 913 |
| Deposits measured at amortised cost | 18 | 3 046 | 12 076 |
| Debts represented by securities measured at amortised cost | 18 | -3 625 | 3 218 |
| Financial liabilities held for trading | 18 | -6 241 | -4 682 |
| Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss | 18 | 5 357 | 1 112 |
| Hedging derivatives | 18 | -752 | 522 |
| Operating liabilities associated with disposal groups, and other liabilities | 46 | -457 | -333 |
| Income taxes paid | 16 | -372 | -407 |
| Net cash from or used in operating activities | 13 177 | 4 550 |
| (in millions of EUR) | Reference1 | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investing activities | |||
| Purchase of held-to-maturity securities | 18 | -3 892 | -1 929 |
| Proceeds from the repayment of held-to-maturity securities at maturity | 18 | 1 277 | 1 012 |
| Acquisition of a subsidiary or a business unit, net of cash acquired (including increases in percentage interest held) | See next table | 0 | 0 |
| Proceeds from the disposal of a subsidiary or business unit, net of cash disposed of (including decreases in percentage interest held) |
See next table | -260 | 559 |
| Purchase of shares in associated companies and joint ventures | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Proceeds from the disposal of shares in associated companies and joint ventures | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Dividends received from associated companies and joint ventures | 32 | -41 | -30 |
| Purchase of investment property | 33 | -21 | -19 |
| Proceeds from the sale of investment property | 33 | 36 | 53 |
| Purchase of intangible fixed assets (excluding goodwill) | 34 | -116 | -153 |
| Proceeds from the sale of intangible fixed assets (excluding goodwill) | 34 | 24 | 28 |
| Purchase of property and equipment | 33 | -452 | -441 |
| Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment | 33 | 197 | 304 |
| Net cash from or used in investing activities | -3 248 | -615 | |
| Financing activities | See consolidated | ||
| Purchase or sale of treasury shares | statement of changes in equity |
0 | 0 |
| Issue or repayment of promissory notes and other debt securities | 18 | 1 113 | -4 148 |
| Proceeds from or repayment of subordinated liabilities | 18 | -184 | -2 396 |
| Principal payments under finance lease obligations | – | 0 | 0 |
| See consolidated statement of changes |
|||
| Proceeds from the issuance of share capital Redemption of non-voting core-capital securities |
in equity See consolidated statement of changes in equity |
16 -1 750 |
19 -500 |
| Proceeds from the issuance of preference shares | See consolidated statement of changes in equity |
0 | 1 042 |
| See consolidated statement of changes |
|||
| Dividends paid | in equity | -961 | -39 |
| Net cash from or used in financing activities | -1 766 | -6 023 | |
| Change in cash and cash equivalents | |||
| Net increase or decrease in cash and cash equivalents | – | 8 163 | -2 088 |
| Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period | – | 948 | 8 691 |
| Effects of exchange rate changes on opening cash and cash equivalents | – | -420 | -84 |
| Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period | – | 8 691 | 6 518 |
| Additional information | |||
| Interest paid2 | 3 | -4 266 | -3 586 |
| Interest received2 | 3 | 8 343 | 7 893 |
| Dividends received (including equity method) | 4, 32 | 47 | 56 |
| Components of cash and cash equivalents | |||
| Cash and cash balances with central banks | See consolidated balance sheet |
4 294 | 5 771 |
| Loans and advances to banks repayable on demand and term loans to banks at not more than three months | 18 | 8 094 | 4 287 |
| Deposits from banks repayable on demand | 18 | -3 307 | -3 539 |
| Cash and cash equivalents belonging to disposal groups | 46 | -391 | 0 |
| Total | – | 8 691 | 6 518 |
| of which not available | – | 0 | 0 |
| 1 The notes referred to do not always contain the exact same amounts as those included in the cashflow statement, as – among other things – adjustments have been made to take account of acquisitions or |
disposals of subsidiaries, as set out in IAS 7.
2 'Interest paid' and 'Interest received' in this overview are the equivalent of the 'Interest expense' and 'Interest income' items in the consolidated income statement. Given the large number of underlying contracts that generate interest expense and interest income, it would take an exceptional administrative effort to establish actual cashflows. Moreover, it is reasonable to assume that actual cashflows for a bank-insurance company do not differ much from the accrued interest expense and accrued interest income, as most rate products pay interest regularly within the year.
• KBC uses the indirect method to report on cashflows from operating activities.
below. All material acquisitions and divestments of group companies or activities were paid for in cash.
• More information on the main acquisitions and divestments of consolidated subsidiaries and activities already completed is provided
| Year | 2013 | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | Absolut Bank | KBC Banka |
KBC Bank Deutschland |
| Purchase or sale | Sale | Sale | Sale |
| Percentage of shares bought or sold in the relevant year | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Total share percentage at the end of the relevant year | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| For business unit/segment | Group Centre | Group Centre | Group Centre |
| Deal date (month and year) | May 2013 | December 2013 September 2014 | |
| Results of the relevant company/business recognised in the group result up to and including: | 31 March 2013 |
31 December 2013 |
30 September 2014 |
| Purchase price or sale price | 295 | 12 | 90 |
| Cashflow for acquiring or selling companies less cash and cash equivalents acquired or sold | -245 | -15 | 559 |
| Assets and liabilities bought or sold | |||
| Cash and cash balances with central banks | 237 | 25 | 12 |
| Financial assets | 2 276 | 37 | 2 230 |
| Held for trading | 47 | 0 | 19 |
| Designated at fair value through profit or loss | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Available for sale | 169 | 0 | 163 |
| Loans and receivables | 2 061 | 37 | 1 985 |
| Held to maturity | 0 | 0 | 64 |
| Hedging derivatives | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| of which cash and cash equivalents | 540 | 26 | 14 |
| Financial liabilities | 2 063 | 47 | 1 781 |
| Held for trading | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Designated at fair value through profit or loss | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Measured at amortised cost | 2 061 | 47 | 1 772 |
| Hedging derivatives | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| of which cash and cash equivalents | 0 | 0 | 483 |
| Technical provisions (before reinsurance) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The consolidated financial statements, including all the notes, were authorised for issue on 19 March 2015 by the Board of Directors of KBC Group NV. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted for use in the European Union ('endorsed IFRS') and present one year of comparative information. All amounts are shown in millions of euros and rounded to the million.
The following IFRS standards became effective on 1 January 2014 and have been applied by KBC in this report.
• IFRS 10, 11 and 12 (new consolidation standards). IFRS 10 includes a new definition of control, which could lead to changes in the scope of consolidation (but not at KBC). Under IFRS 11 (Joint Arrangements), it is specified that joint ventures must be accounted for using the equity method and no longer by proportionate consolidation. IFRS 12 combines all the disclosure requirements for subsidiaries, joint arrangements, associates and structured entities (the new name for Special Purpose Entities). The main change for KBC will be the application of the equity method instead of proportionate consolidation for Cˇeskomoravská Stavební Sporˇitelna (CˇMSS), a jointly owned subsidiary of Cˇ SOB. This change will not affect the result after tax or parent shareholders' equity, but it will have an impact on various items in the consolidated income statement and balance sheet. For additional information, see Note 32.
The following IFRS standards were issued but not yet effective for the KBC group at year-end 2014. KBC will apply these standards when they become mandatory for the group.
All (material) entities (including structured entities) over which the consolidating entity exercises, directly or indirectly, exclusive control – as defined in IFRS 10 – are consolidated according to the method of full consolidation.
(Material) companies over which joint control is exercised, directly or indirectly, are consolidated according to the equity method (IFRS 11). (Material) investments in associates, i.e. companies over which KBC has significant influence, are also accounted for using the equity method. As allowed under IAS 28, investments held by venture capital organisations are classified as 'held for trading' (measured at fair value through profit or loss).
Changes in ownership interests (that do not result in a loss of control) are accounted for as equity transactions. They do not affect goodwill or profit or loss.
Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are translated into the functional currency at the spot rate at balance sheet date.
Negative and positive valuation differences, except for those relating to the funding of shares and investments of consolidated companies in a foreign currency, are recognised in profit or loss.
Non-monetary items measured at historical cost are translated into the functional currency at the historical exchange rate that existed on the transaction date.
Non-monetary items carried at fair value are translated at the spot rate of the date the fair value was determined.
Translation differences are reported together with changes in fair value. Income and expense items in foreign currency are taken to profit or loss at the exchange rate prevailing when they were recognised.
The balance sheets of foreign subsidiaries are translated into the reporting currency (euros) at the spot rate at balance sheet date (with the exception of the capital and reserves, which are translated at the historical rate). The income statement is translated at the average rate for the financial year as best estimate of the exchange rate at transaction date.
Differences arising from the use of one exchange rate for assets and liabilities, and another for net assets (together with the exchange rate differences – net of deferred taxes – on loans concluded to finance participating interests in foreign currency) are recognised in equity, commensurate with KBC's share.
Financial assets and liabilities are recognised in the balance sheet when KBC becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instruments. Regular-way purchases or sales of financial assets are recognised using settlement date accounting.
All financial assets and liabilities – including derivatives – must be recognised in the balance sheet according to the IAS 39 classification system. Each classification is subject to specific measurement rules.
The IAS 39 classifications are as follows:
• Held-for-trading liabilities. These are liabilities held with the intention of repurchasing them in the short term. All derivatives with a negative replacement value are also considered to be held for trading unless they are designated and effective hedging instruments. These liabilities are measured at fair value, with any fair value changes reported in profit or loss.
• Financial liabilities designated at fair value through profit or loss (FIFV). These are measured in the same way as held-for-trading liabilities. This fair value option may be used under the same conditions as FIFV assets. Additionally, this classification may be used to account for (unbundled) deposit components (i.e. financial liabilities not including a discretionary participation feature) as defined in IFRS 4.
Financial instruments are reported according to the dirty price convention, i.e. accrued interest is presented under the same heading as the financial instruments for which the interest has accrued.
KBC applies the following general rules:
Loans and advances with a PD of 10 or 11 are also considered to be individual problem loans. Material loans are tested individually. The impairment amount is calculated as the difference between the loans' carrying amount and their present value. Non-material loans are tested on a statistical basis. The impairment amount calculated according to the statistical method is based on IRB Advanced models (PD x LGD x EAD).
Loans and advances with a PD lower than 10 are considered normal loans. Incurred-but-not-reported (IBNR) losses are recognised for loans with a PD of 1 through 9. IBNR losses are based primarily on IRB Advanced models (PD x LGD x EAD), with all parameters being adjusted to reflect the point-in-time nature of these losses. The main adjustment relates to the PD, i.e. the time horizon of the PD is shortened on the basis of the emergence period. This is the period between an event that will lead to an impairment and the time KBC identifies this event, and is dependent on the review frequency, the location and degree of involvement with the counterparties. The emergence period is between 1 and 12 months for retail portfolios and between 1 and 11 months for corporate portfolios. On average, emergence periods for corporate portfolios are shorter than for their retail counterparts.
For off-balance-sheet commitments (commitment credit) classified as uncertain or irrecoverable and doubtful, provisions are recognised if the general IAS 37 criteria are satisfied and the more-likely-than-not criterion met. These provisions are recognised at their present value. Interest on loans written down as a result of impairment is recognised using the contractual rate of interest used to measure the impairment loss.
• Securities. Depending on whether or not securities are traded on an active market and depending on what the intention is when they are acquired, securities are classified as loans and receivables, held-tomaturity assets, held-for-trading assets, financial assets at fair value through profit or loss, or available-for-sale assets. Securities classified as loans and receivables or held-to-maturity assets are initially measured at fair value, including transaction costs. They are subsequently measured at amortised cost. The difference between the acquisition cost and the redemption value is recognised as interest and recorded in the income statement on an accruals basis over the remaining term to maturity. It is taken to the income statement on an actuarial basis, based on the effective rate of return on acquisition. Individual impairment losses for securities classified as loans and receivables or held-to-maturity are recognised – according to the same method as is used for amounts receivable as described above – if there is evidence of impairment at balance sheet date. Held-for-trading securities are initially measured at fair value (excluding transaction costs) and subsequently at fair value, with all fair value changes being recognised in profit or loss for the financial year.
Securities classified initially as 'Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss' that are not held for trading are measured in the same way as held-for-trading assets.
Available-for-sale securities are initially measured at fair value (including transaction costs) and subsequently at fair value, with changes in fair value being recorded separately in equity until the sale or impairment of the securities. In this case, the cumulative fair value changes are transferred from equity to profit or loss for the financial year. Impairment losses are recognised if evidence of impairment exists on the balance sheet date. For listed equity and other variableyield securities, a significant (more than 30%) or prolonged (more than one year) decline in their fair value below cost is evidence of impairment. For fixed-income securities, impairment is measured on the basis of the recoverable amount of the acquisition cost. Impairment losses are taken to the income statement for the financial year. For equity and other variable-yield securities, impairment is reversed through a separate equity heading. Reversals of impairment on fixed-income securities occur through profit or loss for the financial year. However, if it cannot be demonstrated objectively that the reason for prolonged impairment no longer exists (i.e. the loss event triggering impairment has not completely disappeared), any increases in fair value will be recorded in equity. This continues until there is no longer any evidence of impairment. At that moment, impairment is completely reversed through profit or loss and any difference in fair value recorded in equity.
• Hedge accounting. KBC applies hedge accounting when all the requisite conditions (according to the hedge accounting requirements that have not been carved out in the IAS 39 version as approved by the EU) are fulfilled. These conditions are that the hedge relationship must be formally designated and documented on the inception of the hedge, the hedge must be expected to be highly effective and this effectiveness must be able to be measured reliably, and the measurement of hedge effectiveness must take place on a continuous basis during the reporting period in which the hedge can be considered to be effective.
For fair value hedges, both the derivatives hedging the risks and the hedged positions are measured at fair value, with all fair value changes being taken to the income statement. Accrued interest income from rate swaps is included in net interest income. Hedge accounting is discontinued once the hedge accounting requirements are no longer met or if the hedging instrument expires or is sold. In this case, the gain or loss recorded in equity on the hedged position (for fixed-income financial instruments) will be taken to profit or loss on an accruals basis until maturity.
KBC uses fair value hedges for a portfolio of interest rate risk to hedge the interest rate risk for a portfolio of loans and savings deposits using interest rate swaps. The interest rate swaps are measured at fair value, with fair value changes reported in profit or loss. Accrued interest income from these swaps is included in net interest income. The hedged amount of loans is measured at fair value as well, with fair value changes reported in profit or loss. The fair value of the hedged amount is presented as a separate line item of the assets on the balance sheet. KBC makes use of the 'carvedout' version of IAS 39, so that no ineffectiveness results from anticipated repayments, as long as underhedging exists. In case of hedge ineffectiveness, the cumulative change in the fair value of the hedged amount will be amortised through profit or loss over the remaining lifetime of the hedged assets or immediately removed from the balance sheet if the ineffectiveness is due to the fact that the corresponding loans have been derecognised.
For cashflow hedges, derivatives hedging the risks are measured at fair value, with those fair value gains or losses determined to be an effective hedge being recognised separately in equity. Accrued interest income from rate swaps is included in net interest income. The ineffective portion of the hedge is recognised in income for the financial year. Hedge accounting will be discontinued if the hedge accounting criteria are no longer met. In this case, the derivatives will be treated as held-for-trading derivatives and measured accordingly. Foreign currency funding of a net investment in a foreign entity is accounted for as a hedge of that net investment. This form of hedge accounting is used for investments not denominated in euros. Translation differences (account taken of deferred taxes) on the funding are recorded in equity, along with translation differences on the net investment.
Goodwill is defined as any excess of the cost of the acquisition over the acquirer's interest in the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities and contingent liabilities assumed at the date of acquisition. It is recognised as an intangible asset and is carried at cost less impairment losses. Goodwill is not amortised, but is tested for impairment at least once a year or if there is either internal or external evidence for doing so. An impairment loss is recognised if the carrying amount of the cash-generating unit to which the goodwill belongs exceeds its recoverable amount. Impairment losses on goodwill cannot be reversed. For each new business combination, KBC has to choose whether to measure minority interests at fair value or as their proportionate share of the acquiree's net identifiable assets. This choice determines the amount of goodwill recognised.
Software is recognised as an intangible asset if the capitalisation criteria are met. System software is capitalised and amortised at the same rate as hardware, i.e. over three years, from the moment the software is available for use. Standard software and customised software developed by a third party is capitalised and amortised over five years according to the straight-line method from the moment the software is available for use. Internal and external development expenses for internally-generated software for investment projects are capitalised and written off according to the straight-line method over five years, while for core systems with a longer useful life, the period is eight years. Investment projects are large-scale projects that introduce or replace an important business objective or model. Internal and external research expenses for these projects and all expenses for other ICT projects concerning internally-generated software (other than investment projects) are taken to the income statement directly.
All property and equipment is recognised at cost (including directly allocable acquisition costs), less accumulated depreciation and impairment. The rates of depreciation are determined on the basis of the anticipated useful life of the assets and are applied according to the straight-line method from the moment the assets are available for use. Impairment is recognised if the carrying value of the asset exceeds its recoverable value (i.e. the higher of the asset's value in use and net selling price). Amounts written down can be reversed through the income statement. When property or equipment is sold, the realised gains or losses are taken directly to the income statement. If property or equipment is destroyed, the remaining amount to be written off is taken directly to the income statement.
The accounting policy outlined for property and equipment also applies to investment property.
External borrowing costs that are directly attributable to the acquisition of an asset are capitalised as part of the cost of that asset. All other borrowing costs are recognised as an expense in the period in which they are incurred. Capitalisation commences when expenses are incurred for the asset, when the borrowing costs are incurred and when activities that are necessary to prepare the asset for its intended use or sale are in progress. When development is interrupted, the capitalisation of borrowing costs is suspended. The capitalisation of borrowing costs ceases when all the activities necessary to prepare the asset for its intended use or sale are complete.
For primary business, the provision for unearned premiums is in principle calculated on a daily basis, based on the gross premiums. For inward treaties, i.e. reinsurance business received, the provision for unearned premiums is calculated for each contract separately on the basis of the information communicated by the ceding undertaking and, where necessary, supplemented on the basis of the company's own experience regarding the evolution of the risk over time. The provision for unearned premiums for the life insurance business is recorded under the provision for the life insurance group of activities.
Except for unit-linked life insurance products, this provision is calculated according to current actuarial principles, with account being taken of the provision for unearned premiums, the ageing reserve, provision for annuities payable but not yet due, etc.
In principle, this provision is calculated separately for every insurance contract.
For accepted business, a provision is constituted for each individual contract, based on the information supplied by the ceding undertaking and supplemented, where necessary, by the company's own past experience.
Besides the rules set out below, an additional provision is set aside as required by law.
The following rules apply:
For claims reported, the provision is in principle measured separately in each case, taking into account the known facts in the claims file, on the basis of the amounts still due to the injured parties or beneficiaries, plus external costs of settling claims. Where benefits have to be paid in the form of an annuity, the amounts to be set aside for that purpose are calculated using recognised actuarial methods.
For 'claims incurred but not reported' at balance sheet date, an IBNR (Incurred But Not Reported) provision is set aside. In the primary business, this IBNR provision is based on a lump sum per class of insurance depending upon past experience and the trend in the insured portfolio. For extraordinary events, additional amounts are added to the IBNR provision.
For 'claims incurred but not enough reserved' at balance sheet date, an IBNER (Incurred But Not Enough Reserved) provision is set aside if the adequacy procedures demonstrate that the other claims provisions are insufficient to meet future liabilities. This provision contains amounts for claims which have already been reported but which, for technical reasons, could not yet be recorded in the claims file. Where appropriate, a provision is set aside on a prudent basis for possible liabilities arising for claims files already closed.
A provision for the internal cost of settling claims is calculated at a percentage that is based on past experience.
Additional provisions are also constituted as required by law, such as supplementary workmen's compensation provisions.
This heading includes the provision for the profit share that has been allocated but not yet awarded at the end of the financial year for both the group of life insurance activities and the group of non-life insurance activities.
A liability adequacy test is performed to evaluate current liabilities, detect possible deficiencies and recognise them in profit or loss.
The effect of reinsurance business ceded and retrocession is entered as an asset and calculated for each contract separately, supplemented where necessary by the company's own past experience regarding the evolution of the risk over time.
Deposit accounting rules apply to financial instruments that do not include a discretionary participation feature (DPF), and to the deposit component of unit-linked insurance contracts. This means that the deposit component and insurance component are measured separately. In deposit accounting, the portion of the premiums relating to the deposit component is not taken to the income statement, nor is the resulting increase in the carrying amount of the liability. Management fees and commissions are recognised immediately in the income statement. When the value of unit-linked investments fluctuates subsequently, both the change on the asset side and the resulting change on the liabilities side are taken to the income statement immediately. Therefore, after initial recognition, the deposit component is measured at fair value through profit or loss. This fair value is determined by multiplying the number of units by the value of the unit, which is based upon the fair value of the underlying financial instruments. Settlements relating to the deposit component are not recorded in the income statement, but will result in a decrease in the carrying amount of the liability.
Financial instruments with a discretionary participation feature and the insurance component of unit-linked contracts are treated as non-unitlinked insurance contracts (see f Technical provisions), and are not unbundled into a deposit component and an insurance component. On the balance sheet date, the liabilities resulting from these financial instruments or insurance contracts are tested to see if they are adequate, according to the liability adequacy test. If the carrying amount of these liabilities is lower than their estimated future discounted cashflows, the deficiency will be recognised in the income statement against an increase in the liability.
Retirement benefit obligations are included under the 'Other liabilities' item and relate to obligations for retirement and survivor's pensions, early retirement benefits and similar pensions or annuities. Defined benefit plans are those under which KBC has a legal or constructive obligation to pay extra contributions to the pension fund if this last has insufficient assets to settle all the obligations to employees resulting from employee service in current and prior periods. The retirement benefit obligations under these plans for employees are calculated according to IAS 19, based on the projected-unit-credit method, with each period of service granting additional entitlement to pension benefits.
Changes in the defined benefit liability/asset are recognised in operating expenses (service costs), in interest expense (net interest costs) and in other comprehensive income (remeasurements).
This heading includes current and deferred tax liabilities. Current tax for the period is measured at the amount expected to be paid, using the rates of tax in effect for the balance sheet date. Deferred tax liabilities are recognised for all taxable temporary differences between the carrying amount of an asset or liability and its tax base. They are measured using the tax rates in effect on realisation of the assets or settlement of the liabilities to which they relate. Deferred tax assets are recognised for all deductible temporary differences between the carrying value of assets and liabilities and their tax base, to the extent that it is probable that taxable profit will be available against which the deductible temporary differences can be utilised.
Provisions are recognised in the balance sheet:
Equity is the residual interest in the net assets after all liabilities have been deducted.
Equity instruments have been differentiated from financial instruments in accordance with the IAS 32 rules.
• The non-voting core-capital securities (also referred to as yieldenhanced securities or YES) issued to the governments are considered an equity instrument, with the coupon being accounted for directly in equity. Since payment of the coupon on the YES is conditional upon payment of a dividend on ordinary shares, coupons are recognised at the same time as dividends on ordinary shares (i.e. the coupon is not accrued in equity).
Put options on minority interests (and, where applicable, combinations of put and call options resulting in forward contracts) are recognised as financial liabilities at the present value of the exercise prices. The corresponding minority interests are deducted from equity. The difference is recognised either as an asset (goodwill) or in the income statement (negative goodwill).
| l Exchange rates used* | |
|---|---|
| Exchange rate at 31-12-2014 | Exchange rate average in 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 EUR = … … currency |
Change from 31-12-2013 (positive: appreciation relative to EUR) (negative: depreciation relative to EUR) |
1 EUR = … … currency |
Change relative to average in 2013 (positive: appreciation relative to EUR) (negative: depreciation relative to EUR) |
|
| CZK | 27.735 | -1% | 27.539 | -6% |
| GBP | 0.7789 | 7% | 0.8054 | 5% |
| HUF | 315.54 | -6% | 309.21 | -4% |
| USD | 1.2141 | 14% | 1.3280 | 0% |
* Rounded figures.
No material changes were made to the accounting policies in 2014, apart from the amendments to IFRS 10 and 11 referred to under Note 1 a.
At the start of 2013, KBC launched a new management structure to reflect the group's renewed strategy, more information on which can be found in the 'Overview of our business units' section (which has not been audited by the statutory auditor). This structure forms the basis for KBC's financial segment reporting presentation.
In the reporting presentation, the segments are (essentially):
A more detailed definition is provided in the sections devoted to the individual business units.
The figures in the segment reporting presentation have been prepared in accordance with the general accounting method used at KBC (see Note 1) and, therefore, comply with the International Financial Reporting Standards, as adopted for use in the European Union (endorsed IFRS).
In addition to the figures according to IFRS, KBC provides figures aimed at giving more insight into the ongoing business performance. This means that, besides the IFRS income statement, an adjusted income statement will be provided in which a number of non-operating items are not recognised, but summarised instead in three lines at the bottom of the presentation. We refer to this presentation as the 'adjusted income statement' and the result excluding any non-operating items as the 'adjusted net result'.
Segment reporting is based on this reworked presentation.
The non-operating items are:
In the segment reporting presentation, these items are all assigned to the Group Centre.
Moreover, trading results – which are recognised under various headings in the IFRS presentation – are moved to 'Net result from financial instruments at fair value'. This exercise is performed solely for KBC Bank Belgium (Belgium Business Unit), given its importance.
It should be noted that:
We have commented on the results for each business unit in the 'Report of the Board of Directors' section. The statutory auditor has not audited these sections.
| Items excluded from the adjusted net result (in millions of EUR) |
Main heading(s) concerned in the income statement | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy business: Gains/losses relating to CDOs (including the fee for the CDO guarantee agreement) |
Net result from financial instruments at fair value, Income tax expense |
||
| 446 | 16 | ||
| Legacy business: Divestments | Other net income, Net realised result from available-for sale assets, Impairment, Income tax expense |
-348 | 116 |
| Own credit risk: Changes in fair value of own debt instruments | Net result from financial instruments at fair value, Income tax expense |
-43 | 2 |
| (in millions of EUR) | Belgium Business Unit |
Czech Republic Business Unit |
Interna tional Markets Business |
Unit Of which: | Group Centre (excl. inter segment elimina tions) |
Interseg ment elimina |
tions KBC group | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary | Slovakia | Bulgaria | Ireland | |||||||
| ADJUSTED INCOME STATEMENT FOR 2013 | ||||||||||
| Net interest income | 2 648 | 906 | 632 | 269 | 200 | 40 | 123 | -194 | -2 | 3 990 |
| Non-life insurance (before reinsurance) | 409 | 62 | 80 | 26 | 22 | 31 | 0 | 5 | -20 | 536 |
| Earned premiums | 955 | 170 | 155 | 59 | 26 | 70 | 0 | -1 | -21 | 1 259 |
| Technical charges | -546 | -108 | -75 | -32 | -3 | -40 | 0 | 6 | 0 | -723 |
| Life insurance (before reinsurance) | -274 | 25 | 4 | -10 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 5 | -2 | -242 |
| Earned premiums | 831 | 199 | 83 | 14 | 54 | 15 | 0 | 21 | -2 | 1 132 |
| Technical charges | -1 105 | -173 | -79 | -24 | -44 | -11 | 0 | -16 | 0 | -1 373 |
| Ceded reinsurance result | -6 | 4 | -9 | -3 | -2 | -4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | -5 |
| Dividend income | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 |
| Net result from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss |
544 | 82 | 90 | 77 | 19 | 1 | -7 | 62 | 0 | 779 |
| Net realised result from available-for-sale assets |
171 | 16 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 213 |
| Net fee and commission income | 1 061 | 185 | 204 | 159 | 43 | 1 | -4 | 19 | 5 | 1 473 |
| Other net income | 292 | 9 | 20 | 11 | 10 | -1 | 0 | 15 | 7 | 343 |
| TOTAL INCOME | 4 885 | 1 290 | 1 034 | 536 | 305 | 74 | 114 | -69 | -13 | 7 127 |
| Operating expensesa | -2 249 | -622 | -715 | -379 | -180 | -52 | -102 | -225 | 13 | -3 798 |
| Impairment | -363 | -50 | -1 189 | -78 | -30 | -22 | -1 059 | -122 | 0 | -1 723 |
| on loans and receivables | -328 | -46 | -1 171 | -76 | -27 | -9 | -1 059 | -87 | 0 | -1 632 |
| on available-for-sale assets | -7 | 0 | -10 | 0 | 0 | -10 | 0 | -4 | 0 | -20 |
| on goodwill | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -7 | 0 | -7 |
| other | -28 | -3 | -8 | -2 | -3 | -3 | 0 | -25 | 0 | -64 |
| Share in results of associated companies and joint ventures |
0 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| RESULT BEFORE TAX | 2 273 | 648 | -869 | 81 | 95 | 1 | -1 047 | -417 | 0 | 1 636 |
| Income tax expense | -703 | -93 | 15 | -15 | -25 | 1 | 55 | 120 | 0 | -662 |
| Net post-tax result from discontinued operations |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ADJUSTED NET RESULT | 1 570 | 554 | -853 | 66 | 70 | 2 | -992 | -297 | 0 | 974 |
| attributable to minority interests | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| attributable to equity holders of the parent |
1 570 | 554 | -853 | 66 | 70 | 2 | -992 | -311 | 0 | 960 |
| Net impact of legacy business (CDOs) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 446 | – | 446 |
| Net impact of legacy business (divestments) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | -348 | – | -348 |
| Net impact of own credit risk | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | -43 | – | -43 |
| NET RESULT attributable to equity holders of the |
||||||||||
| parent | 1 570 | 554 | -853 | 66 | 70 | 2 | -992 | -256 | 0 | 1 015 |
| a Of which non-cash expenses | -66 | -40 | -49 | -27 | -14 | -4 | -4 | -153 | 0 | -309 |
| Depreciation and amortisation of fixed assets |
-59 | -34 | -47 | -27 | -12 | -4 | -4 | -165 | 0 | -304 |
| Other | -7 | -6 | -2 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | -5 |
| Acquisitions of non-current assets* | 337 | 56 | 79 | 25 | 22 | 3 | 29 | 97 | 0 | 569 |
* Non-current assets held for sale and disposal groups, investment property, property and equipment, investments in associated companies, and goodwill and other intangible assets.
| (in millions of EUR) | Belgium Business Unit |
Czech Republic Business Unit |
Interna tional Markets Business |
Unit Of which: | Group Centre (excl. interseg ment elimina tions) |
Interseg ment elimina |
tions KBC group | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary | Slovakia | Bulgaria | Ireland | |||||||
| ADJUSTED INCOME STATEMENT FOR 2014 | ||||||||||
| Net interest income | 2 877 | 860 | 677 | 274 | 210 | 43 | 149 | -150 | 4 | 4 268 |
| Non-life insurance (before reinsurance) | 374 | 75 | 68 | 27 | 20 | 21 | 0 | 13 | -19 | 512 |
| Earned premiums | 964 | 165 | 153 | 55 | 27 | 71 | 0 | 3 | -19 | 1 266 |
| Technical charges | -590 | -89 | -86 | -29 | -7 | -50 | 0 | 10 | 1 | -754 |
| Life insurance (before reinsurance) | -252 | 24 | 12 | -1 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 2 | -2 | -216 |
| Earned premiums | 1 004 | 160 | 84 | 15 | 53 | 16 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 1 247 |
| Technical charges | -1 256 | -136 | -71 | -16 | -43 | -12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 463 |
| Ceded reinsurance result | 19 | -7 | 2 | -2 | -2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| Dividend income Net result from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss |
45 86 |
0 62 |
0 73 |
0 62 |
0 15 |
0 2 |
0 -7 |
1 12 |
0 0 |
47 233 |
| Net realised result from available-for-sale | ||||||||||
| assets | 109 | 9 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 144 |
| Net fee and commission income | 1 160 | 194 | 208 | 160 | 46 | 1 | -3 | 22 | -3 | 1 580 |
| Other net income | 269 | 18 | -227 | -225 | 0 | 0 | -2 | -3 | 5 | 62 |
| TOTAL INCOME | 4 688 | 1 235 | 828 | 307 | 301 | 77 | 138 | -90 | -14 | 6 647 |
| Operating expensesa | -2 282 | -594 | -740 | -368 | -185 | -52 | -132 | -174 | 14 | -3 775 |
| Impairment | -251 | -36 | -284 | -49 | -18 | -10 | -207 | -44 | 0 | -615 |
| on loans and receivables | -205 | -34 | -273 | -47 | -17 | -10 | -198 | -42 | 0 | -554 |
| on available-for-sale assets | -27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | -29 |
| on goodwill | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| other | -19 | -3 | -11 | -1 | 0 | 0 | -9 | 0 | 0 | -33 |
| Share in results of associated companies and joint ventures |
-1 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 25 |
| RESULT BEFORE TAX | 2 154 | 628 | -196 | -109 | 98 | 15 | -202 | -305 | 0 | 2 281 |
| Income tax expense | -638 | -100 | 14 | 15 | -24 | 0 | 23 | 71 | 0 | -652 |
| Net post-tax result from discontinued operations |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ADJUSTED NET RESULT | 1 517 | 528 | -182 | -94 | 75 | 15 | -179 | -234 | 0 | 1 629 |
| attributable to minority interests | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| attributable to equity holders of the parent |
1 516 | 528 | -182 | -94 | 75 | 15 | -179 | -234 | 0 | 1 629 |
| Net impact of legacy business (CDOs) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 16 | – | 16 |
| Net impact of legacy business (divestments) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 116 | – | 116 |
| Net impact of own credit risk | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | 2 |
| NET RESULT attributable to equity holders of the |
||||||||||
| parent | 1 516 | 528 | -182 | -94 | 75 | 15 | -179 | -100 | 0 | 1 762 |
| a Of which non-cash expenses | -61 | -28 | -48 | -26 | -11 | -3 | -7 | -124 | 0 | -260 |
| Depreciation and amortisation of fixed assets |
-59 | -31 | -49 | -27 | -11 | -3 | -7 | -129 | 0 | -268 |
| Other | -1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| Acquisitions of non-current assets* | 346 | 39 | 89 | 21 | 29 | 6 | 33 | 121 | 0 | 594 |
* Non-current assets held for sale and disposal groups, investment property, property and equipment, investments in associated companies, and goodwill and other intangible assets.
The table below presents some of the main on-balance-sheet products by segment.
| (in millions of EUR) | Belgium Business Unit |
Czech Republic Business Unit |
Interna tional Markets Business |
Unit Of which: | Group Centre |
KBC group | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary | Slovakia | Bulgaria | Ireland | ||||||
| BALANCE SHEET AT 31-12-2013 | |||||||||
| Deposits from customers and debt certificates (excluding repos) |
97 051 | 21 834 | 14 472 | 5 878 | 4 583 | 544 | 3 466 | 17 123 | 150 480 |
| Loans and advances to customers (exclu ding reverse repos) |
81 673 | 15 684 | 21 261 | 3 864 | 4 248 | 612 | 12 537 | 1 080 | 119 698 |
| Term loans (excluding reverse repos) |
40 566 | 6 279 | 5 612 | 1 772 | 1 488 | 242 | 2 111 | 1 048 | 53 506 |
| Mortgage loans | 31 146 | 6 522 | 13 925 | 1 548 | 1 722 | 236 | 10 419 | 24 | 51 617 |
| Current account advances |
1 847 | 19 | 586 | 262 | 324 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 451 |
| Finance leases | 3 200 | 359 | 484 | 92 | 385 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 044 |
| Consumer credit | 1 251 | 1 538 | 533 | 112 | 287 | 134 | 0 | 0 | 3 322 |
| Other loans and advances |
3 663 | 967 | 121 | 80 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 758 |
| BALANCE SHEET AT 31-12-2014 | |||||||||
| Deposits from customers and debt certificates (excluding repos) |
105 885 | 22 047 | 14 860 | 5 220 | 4 856 | 600 | 4 185 | 11 187 | 153 979 |
| Loans and advances to customers (excluding reverse repos) |
84 165 | 16 216 | 20 790 | 3 771 | 4 578 | 666 | 11 776 | 1 990 | 123 161 |
| Term loans (excluding reverse repos) |
41 926 | 6 360 | 5 289 | 1 915 | 1 527 | 284 | 1 562 | 1 792 | 55 366 |
| Mortgage loans | 32 318 | 7 251 | 13 561 | 1 320 | 1 807 | 239 | 10 195 | 26 | 53 156 |
| Current account advances |
2 318 | 922 | 653 | 312 | 329 | 0 | 12 | 161 | 4 054 |
| Finance leases | 3 172 | 442 | 523 | 92 | 425 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 138 |
| Consumer credit | 1 088 | 1 028 | 654 | 59 | 452 | 142 | 0 | 0 | 2 770 |
| Other loans and advances |
3 343 | 213 | 111 | 72 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 678 |
| (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 4 077 | 4 308 |
| Interest income | 8 343 | 7 893 |
| Available-for-sale assets | 830 | 763 |
| Loans and receivables | 4 882 | 4 510 |
| Held-to-maturity investments | 1 054 | 1 006 |
| Other liabilities not at fair value | 14 | 22 |
| Subtotal, interest income from financial assets not measured at fair value through profit or loss | 6 781 | 6 301 |
| of which impaired financial assets | 123 | 119 |
| Financial assets held for trading | 916 | 926 |
| Hedging derivatives | 467 | 459 |
| Other financial assets at fair value through profit or loss | 179 | 208 |
| Interest expense | -4 266 | -3 586 |
| Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost | -2 257 | -1 691 |
| Other liabilities not at fair value | -5 | -4 |
| Subtotal, interest expense for financial liabilities not measured at fair value | ||
| through profit or loss | -2 262 | -1 695 |
| Financial liabilities held for trading | -1 097 | -1 093 |
| Hedging derivatives | -679 | -639 |
| Other financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss |
-217 | -151 |
| Net interest expense relating to defined benefit plans | -12 | -7 |
| (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 47 | 56 |
| Shares held for trading | 6 | 7 |
| Shares initially recognised at fair value through profit or loss | 4 | 2 |
| Available-for-sale shares | 37 | 46 |
| (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 1 191 | 227 |
| Trading instruments (including interest and fair value changes in trading derivatives) | 962 | 144 |
| Other financial instruments initially recognised at fair value through profit or loss | -236 | -37 |
| of which gains/losses on own credit risk | -62 | -2 |
| Foreign exchange trading | 462 | 110 |
| Fair value adjustments in hedge accounting | 3 | 10 |
| Micro hedge | -2 | 10 |
| Fair value hedges | -1 | 4 |
| Changes in the fair value of the hedged items | 92 | -465 |
| Changes in the fair value of the hedging derivatives, including discontinuation | -93 | 469 |
| Cashflow hedges | -1 | 6 |
| Changes in the fair value of the hedging derivatives, ineffective portion | -1 | 6 |
| Hedges of net investments in foreign operations, ineffective portion | 0 | 0 |
| Portfolio hedge of interest rate risk | 0 | 0 |
| Fair value hedges of interest rate risk | 0 | 0 |
| Changes in the fair value of the hedged items | -78 | 18 |
| Changes in the fair value of the hedging derivatives, including discontinuation | 78 | -19 |
| Cashflow hedges of interest rate risk | 0 | 0 |
| Changes in the fair value of the hedging derivatives, ineffective portion | 0 | 0 |
| Discontinuation of hedge accounting in the event of cashflow hedges | 5 | 0 |
| State (in millions of EUR, before tax) | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash guarantee (for the third tranche) – change in fair value | 85 | 0 |
| Equity guarantee (for the second tranche) | -92 | -16 |
| Total recognised in the income statement | -6 | -17 |
For fair value micro hedging, we use the dollar offset method on a quarterly basis, which requires changes in the fair value of the hedged item to offset changes in the fair value of the hedging instrument within a range of 80%–125%, which is currently the case.
For cashflow micro hedges, we compare the designated hedging instrument with a perfect hedge of the hedged cashflows on a prospective (by BPV measurement) and retrospective basis (by comparing the fair value of the designated hedging instrument with the perfect hedge). The effectiveness of both tests must fall within a range of 80%–125%, which is currently the case.
| (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 252 | 150 |
| Fixed-income securities | 126 | 64 |
| Shares | 126 | 86 |
| (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 1 469 | 1 573 |
| Fee and commission income | 2 268 | 2 245 |
| Securities and asset management | 1 090 | 1 179 |
| Margin on life insurance investment contracts without DPF (deposit accounting) | 103 | 89 |
| Commitment credit | 243 | 245 |
| Payments | 539 | 522 |
| Other | 293 | 209 |
| Fee and commission expense | -798 | -672 |
| Commission paid to intermediaries | -303 | -295 |
| Other | -496 | -377 |
• The lion's share of the fees and commissions related to lending is recognised under 'Net interest income' (effective interest rate calculations).
| 2014 |
|---|
| 94 |
| 3 |
| 1 |
| 0 |
| 90 |
| 87 |
| 69 |
| 21 |
| 15 |
| -231 |
| 31 |
| Non-technical | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | Life | Non-life | account | Total |
| 2013 | ||||
| Earned premiums, insurance (before reinsurance) | 1 134 | 1 279 | 0 | 2 413 |
| Technical charges, insurance (before reinsurance) | -1 373 | -723 | 0 | -2 096 |
| Net fee and commission income | 12 | -229 | 0 | -217 |
| Ceded reinsurance result | -2 | -3 | 0 | -5 |
| General administrative expenses | -128 | -242 | 0 | -370 |
| Internal claims settlement expenses | -8 | -59 | 0 | -67 |
| Indirect acquisition costs | -30 | -76 | 0 | -106 |
| Administrative expenses | -91 | -107 | 0 | -198 |
| Investment management fees | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Technical result | -357 | 81 | 0 | -276 |
| Net interest income | – | – | 703 | 703 |
| Net dividend income | – | – | 29 | 29 |
| Net result from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss | – | – | 308 | 308 |
| Net realised result from available-for-sale assets | – | – | 53 | 53 |
| Other net income | – | – | -46 | -46 |
| Impairment | – | – | -81 | -81 |
| Allocation to the technical accounts | 627 | 99 | -726 | 0 |
| Technical-financial result | 270 | 180 | 240 | 690 |
| Share in results of associated companies and joint ventures | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| RESULT BEFORE TAX | 270 | 180 | 240 | 690 |
| Income tax expense | – | – | – | -227 |
| RESULT AFTER TAX | – | – | – | 463 |
| attributable to minority interests | – | – | – | 0 |
| attributable to equity holders of the parent | – | – | – | 462 |
| 2014 | ||||
| Earned premiums, insurance (before reinsurance) | 1 249 | 1 286 | 0 | 2 535 |
| Technical charges, insurance (before reinsurance) | -1 463 | -755 | 0 | -2 218 |
| Net fee and commission income | -13 | -234 | 0 | -247 |
| Ceded reinsurance result | -2 | 18 | 0 | 16 |
| General administrative expenses | -121 | -240 | -1 | -362 |
| Internal claims settlement expenses | -7 | -58 | 0 | -66 |
| Indirect acquisition costs | -30 | -79 | 0 | -109 |
| Administrative expenses | -84 | -103 | 0 | -187 |
| Investment management fees | 0 | 0 | -1 | -1 |
| Technical result | -350 | 74 | -1 | -276 |
| Net interest income | – | – | 675 | 675 |
| Net dividend income | – | – | 40 | 40 |
| Net result from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss | – | – | 42 | 42 |
| Net realised result from available-for-sale assets | – | – | 96 | 96 |
| Other net income | – | – | 2 | 2 |
| Impairment | – | – | -34 | -34 |
| Allocation to the technical accounts | 620 | 101 | -721 | 0 |
| Technical-financial result | 270 | 176 | 99 | 544 |
| Share in results of associated companies and joint ventures | – | – | 3 | 3 |
| RESULT BEFORE TAX | 270 | 176 | 102 | 547 |
| Income tax expense | – | – | – | -156 |
| RESULT AFTER TAX | – | – | – | 392 |
| attributable to minority interests | – | – | – | 0 |
| attributable to equity holders of the parent | – | – | – | 391 |
transactions between bank and insurance entities (the results for insurance contracts concluded between the group's bank and insurance entities, interest that insurance companies receive on their deposits with bank entities, commissions that insurance entities pay to bank branches for sales of insurance, etc.) in order to give a more accurate view of the profitability of the insurance business. Additional information on the insurance business is provided separately in Notes 10, 11, 35 and 44 (KBC Insurance section), in the 'Risk management' section ('Credit risk exposure in the insurance activities', 'Interest rate risk', 'Equity risk' and 'Real estate risk', 'Technical insurance risk'), and in the 'Capital adequacy' section ('Solvency of KBC Bank and KBC Insurance separately').
| (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 1 134 | 1 249 |
| Breakdown by IFRS category | ||
| Insurance contracts | 776 | 765 |
| Investment contracts with DPF | 357 | 485 |
| Breakdown by type | ||
| Accepted reinsurance | 1 | 0 |
| Primary business | 1 133 | 1 249 |
| Breakdown of primary business | ||
| Individual premiums | 876 | 984 |
| Single premiums | 285 | 364 |
| Periodic premiums | 592 | 619 |
| Premiums under group contracts | 257 | 265 |
| Single premiums | 46 | 50 |
| Periodic premiums | 210 | 215 |
| Total sales of life insurance (including investment contracts without DPF) | ||
| Unit-linked | 887 | 785 |
| Guaranteed-rate | 957 | 1 107 |
• As required under IFRS, we use deposit accounting for investment contracts without DPF. This means that the premium income (and technical charges) from these contracts is not recognised under 'Earned premiums, insurance (before reinsurance)' (and 'Technical charges, insurance (before reinsurance)'), but that the margins on them are reported under 'Net fee and commission income'.
Investment contracts without DPF are more or less the same as unit-linked contracts, which in 2013 accounted for premium income of 0.9 billion euros and in 2014 for premium income of 0.8 billion euros.
• The figures include intragroup transactions concluded between the insurance and banking businesses.
| Earned premiums (before |
Claims incurred (before |
Operating expenses (before |
Ceded | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | reinsurance) | reinsurance) | reinsurance) | reinsurance | Total |
| 2013 | |||||
| Total | 1 279 | -723 | -472 | -3 | 81 |
| Accepted reinsurance | 25 | -10 | -5 | 1 | 11 |
| Primary business | 1 254 | -713 | -467 | -4 | 70 |
| Accident & health (classes 1 & 2, excl. industrial accidents) | 118 | -61 | -39 | 0 | 18 |
| Industrial accidents (class 1) | 75 | -90 | -19 | -1 | -35 |
| Motor, third-party liability (class 10) | 341 | -188 | -120 | -2 | 31 |
| Motor, other classes (classes 3 & 7) | 182 | -105 | -72 | -1 | 4 |
| Shipping, aviation, transport (classes 4, 5, 6, 7, 11 & 12) | 3 | -1 | -1 | -1 | 0 |
| Fire and other damage to property (classes 8 & 9) | 379 | -166 | -153 | 0 | 61 |
| General third-party liability (class 13) | 86 | -59 | -35 | -1 | -9 |
| Credit and suretyship (classes 14 & 15) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Miscellaneous pecuniary losses (class 16) | 9 | -12 | -3 | 1 | -5 |
| Legal assistance (class 17) | 43 | -25 | -18 | 0 | 0 |
| Assistance (class 18) | 15 | -6 | -7 | 0 | 3 |
| 2014 | |||||
| Total | 1 286 | -755 | -474 | 18 | 74 |
| Accepted reinsurance | 21 | 22 | -6 | -38 | -2 |
| Primary business | 1 265 | -777 | -468 | 56 | 76 |
| Accident & health (classes 1 & 2, excl. industrial accidents) | 115 | -64 | -38 | 0 | 13 |
| Industrial accidents (class 1) | 72 | -63 | -19 | -1 | -12 |
| Motor, third-party liability (class 10) | 342 | -211 | -122 | -2 | 7 |
| Motor, other classes (classes 3 & 7) | 182 | -130 | -67 | 25 | 10 |
| Shipping, aviation, transport (classes 4, 5, 6, 7, 11 & 12) | 4 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fire and other damage to property (classes 8 & 9) | 391 | -239 | -155 | 37 | 34 |
| General third-party liability (class 13) | 86 | -43 | -37 | -1 | 5 |
| Credit and suretyship (classes 14 & 15) | 1 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 |
| Miscellaneous pecuniary losses (class 16) | 9 | -1 | -3 | -2 | 4 |
| Legal assistance (class 17) | 45 | -19 | -19 | 0 | 8 |
| Assistance (class 18) | 17 | -4 | -6 | 0 | 6 |
• The figures include intragroup transactions concluded between the insurance and banking businesses.
| (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Total | -3 843 | -3 818 |
| Staff expenses | -2 312 | -2 248 |
| General administrative expenses | -1 262 | -1 303 |
| of which bank taxes | -327 | -335 |
| Depreciation and amortisation of fixed assets | -269 | -266 |
• General administrative expenses include repair and maintenance expenses, advertising costs, rent, professional fees, various (nonincome) taxes, utilities and other such expenses. They also include expenses related to the special tax imposed on financial institutions in various countries (totalling 327 million euros in 2013 and 335 million euros in 2014). The latter figure comprises 150 million euros in the Belgium Business Unit, 34 million euros in the Czech Republic Business Unit, 19 million euros in Slovakia, 3 million euros in Bulgaria, 125 million euros in Hungary and 4 million euros in the Group Centre.
The stock options were granted free to the members of staff, who only had to pay the relevant tax on the benefit when the options were allocated. The stock options have a life of seven to ten years from the date of issue and can be exercised in specific years in the months of June, September or December. Not all the options need to be exercised at once. When exercising options, members of staff can either deposit the resulting shares on their custody accounts or sell them immediately on NYSE Euronext Brussels. IFRS 2 has not been applied to equity-settled option plans that predate 7 November 2002, since they are not covered by the scope of IFRS 2. The option plans postdating 7 November 2002 are limited in size. The largest stock option plans have now expired. We have provided an overview of the number of stock options for staff in the table.
| 2013 | 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Options | Number of options1 |
Average exercise price |
Number of options1 |
Average exercise price |
| Outstanding at beginning of period | 184 326 | 72.53 | 183 526 | 72.69 |
| Granted during period | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| Exercised during period | -800 | 34.91 | -1 566 | 37.50 |
| Expired during period | 0 | – | -7 300 | 97.94 |
| Outstanding at end of period2 | 183 526 | 72.69 | 174 660 | 71.95 |
| Exercisable at end of period | 176 226 | 72.60 | 174 660 | 71.95 |
1 In share equivalents.
2 2013: range of exercise prices: 46.45–97.94 euros; weighted average residual term to maturity: 20 months.
2014: range of exercise prices: 37.50–89.21 euros; weighted average residual term to maturity: 33 months.
| (number) 2013 |
2014 |
|---|---|
| Total average number of persons employed (in full-time equivalents) 37 887 |
36 258 |
| Breakdown by legal entity | |
| KBC Bank NV 27 684 |
26 941 |
| KBC Insurance NV 4 638 |
4 147 |
| KBC Group NV (holding company) 5 565 |
5 170 |
| Breakdown by employee classification | |
| Blue-collar staff 437 |
361 |
| White-collar staff 37 159 |
35 612 |
| Senior management 291 |
285 |
• The figures in the table are annual averages, which – in terms of scope – may differ from year-end figures provided elsewhere in this annual report (these end-of-year totals do not include companies
that fell within the scope of IFRS 5, nor do they include staff members on maternity leave or employees who have been inactive, etc.).
| (in millions of EUR) 2013 |
2014 |
|---|---|
| Total -1 927 |
-506 |
| Impairment on loans and receivables -1 714 |
-587 |
| Breakdown by type | |
| Specific impairment, on-balance-sheet lending -1 673 |
-676 |
| Provisions for off-balance-sheet credit commitments 1 |
19 |
| Portfolio-based impairment -42 |
70 |
| Breakdown by business unit | |
| Belgium -328 |
-205 |
| Czech Republic -46 |
-34 |
| International Markets -1 171 |
-273 |
| Group Centre -169 |
-75 |
| Impairment on available-for-sale assets -34 |
-29 |
| Breakdown by type | |
| Shares -24 |
-29 |
| Other -10 |
0 |
| Impairment on goodwill -7 |
0 |
| Impairment on other -173 |
109 |
| Intangible fixed assets (other than goodwill) -2 |
-23 |
| Property and equipment (including investment property) -39 |
-8 |
| Held-to-maturity assets 0 |
1 |
| Associated companies and joint ventures 0 |
0 |
| Other -132 |
139 |
a significant portion of these loans have been going through a long-term restructuring process, which changes their cashflow profiles.
| n millions of EUR) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 30 | 25 |
| of which CˇMSS | 29 | 23 |
| (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Total | -678 | -657 |
| Breakdown by type | ||
| Current taxes on income | -372 | -407 |
| Deferred taxes on income | -306 | -250 |
| Tax components | ||
| Result before tax | 1 708 | 2 420 |
| Income tax at the Belgian statutory rate | 33.99% | 33.99% |
| Income tax calculated | -580 | -823 |
| Plus/minus tax effects attributable to | ||
| differences in tax rates, Belgium – abroad | -31 | 126 |
| tax-free income | 182 | 140 |
| adjustments related to prior years | 17 | 17 |
| adjustments, opening balance of deferred taxes due to change in tax rate | -1 | 0 |
| unused tax losses and unused tax credits to reduce current tax expense | 59 | 3 |
| unused tax losses and unused tax credits to reduce deferred tax expense | 1 | 1 |
| reversal of previously recognised deferred tax assets due to tax losses | 0 | -14 |
| other (mainly non-deductible expenses) | -325 | -108 |
| Aggregate amount of temporary differences associated with investments in subsidiaries, branches and associated companies and interests in joint ventures, for which deferred tax liabilities have not been recognised* |
201 | 207 |
* Reserves of joint or other subsidiaries, associated companies and branches that, at certain entities, will be taxed in full on distribution (recorded in full). For a significant number of entities, the foreign tax credit applies (5% is recorded, since 95% is definitively taxed).
• For information on tax assets and tax liabilities, see Note 31.
| (in millions of EUR) | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Basic earnings per share | ||
| Result after tax, attributable to equity holders of the parent | 1 015 | 1 762 |
| Coupon/penalty on core-capital securities sold to the Belgian Federal and Flemish Regional governments | -583 | -337 |
| Coupon on AT1 instruments1 | 0 | -41 |
| Net result used to determine basic earnings per share | 432 | 1 384 |
| Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding ('000 of units) | 417 017 | 417 416 |
| Basic earnings per share (in EUR) | 1.03 | 3.32 |
| Diluted earnings per share | ||
| Result after tax, attributable to equity holders of the parent | 1 015 | 1 762 |
| Coupon/penalty on core-capital securities sold to the Belgian Federal and Flemish Regional governments | -583 | -337 |
| Coupon on AT1 instruments1 | 0 | -41 |
| Net result used to determine diluted earnings per share | 432 | 1 384 |
| Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding ('000 of units) | 417 017 | 417 416 |
| Dilutive potential ordinary shares ('000 of units)2 | 1 | 0 |
| Weighted average number of ordinary shares for diluted earnings ('000 of units) | 417 017 | 417 416 |
| Diluted earnings per share (in EUR) | 1.03 | 3.32 |
1 The 41 million euros in 2014 includes the 39 million euros (as indicated in the 'Consolidated statement of changes in equity' table) and 2 million euros recognised on an accruals basis for the last two weeks of the financial year.
2 Account is only taken of employee stock options which are still outstanding and could have a dilutive impact (where the market price is lower than the exercise price and treasury shares have been purchased for this purpose (800 at year-end 2013 and 486 at year-end 2014)).
• For a definition of basic earnings per share and diluted earnings per share, see the 'Glossary of ratios'.
We group financial assets and liabilities into categories. These categories are defined and relevant valuation rules provided under the heading 'Financial assets and liabilities (IAS 39)' in Note 1 b. Whenever we refer in this section to the category 'Designated at fair value', we mean 'Designated at fair value through profit or loss' (fair value option).
| Held for | Desig nated at fair |
Available | Loans and receiv |
Held to | Hedging deriva |
Measured at amor |
Pro forma | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | trading | value1 | for sale | ables | maturity | tives | tised cost | Total | total5 |
| FINANCIAL ASSETS, 31-12-2013 | |||||||||
| Loans and advances to credit institutions and investment firmsa |
5 100 | 1 596 | 0 | 9 571 | – | – | – | 16 267c | 16 294 |
| Loans and advances to customersb | 706 | 774 | 0 | 118 892 | – | – | – | 120 371 | 121 534 |
| Discount and acceptance credit | 0 | 0 | 0 | 605 | – | – | – | 605 | 605 |
| Consumer credit | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 322 | – | – | – | 3 322 | 3 322 |
| Mortgage loans | 0 | 34 | 0 | 51 583 | – | – | – | 51 617 | 51 617 |
| Term loans | 696 | 697 | 0 | 52 786 | – | – | – | 54 179 | 55 125 |
| Finance leases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 044 | – | – | – | 4 044 | 4 044 |
| Current account advances | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 451 | – | – | – | 2 451 | 2 667 |
| Other | 10 | 43 | 0 | 4 101 | – | – | – | 4 154 | 4 154 |
| Equity instruments | 283 | 8 | 1 579 | – | – | – | – | 1 870 | 1 868 |
| Investment contracts (insurance) | – | 12 745 | – | – | – | – | – | 12 745 | 12 745 |
| Debt instruments issued by | 2 974 | 1 319 | 25 728 | 1 690 | 31 323 | – | – | 63 034 | 62 168 |
| Public bodies | 2 385 | 771 | 17 337 | 118 | 29 630 | – | – | 50 240 | 49 409 |
| Credit institutions and investment firms | 268 | 195 | 3 289 | 154 | 1 040 | – | – | 4 946 | 4 911 |
| Corporates | 321 | 353 | 5 102 | 1 418 | 654 | – | – | 7 848 | 7 848 |
| Derivatives | 7 823 | – | – | – | – | 777 | – | 8 600 | 8 603 |
| Other4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 16 885 | 16 441 | 27 307 | 130 153 | 31 323 | 777 | – | 222 887 | 223 212 |
| a of which reverse repos2 | 8 483 | – | |||||||
| b of which reverse repos2 | 673 | – | |||||||
| c of which loans and advances to banks repayable on demand and term loans to banks at not more than three months | 8 094 | – | |||||||
| FINANCIAL ASSETS, 31-12-2014 | |||||||||
| Loans and advances to credit institutions and investment firmsa |
141 | 1 636 | 0 | 10 812 | – | – | – | 12 590c | – |
| Loans and advances to customersb | 27 | 1 335 | 0 | 123 189 | – | – | – | 124 551 | – |
| Trade receivables3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 291 | – | – | – | 3 291 | – |
| Consumer credit | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 770 | – | – | – | 2 770 | – |
| Mortgage loans | 0 | 33 | 0 | 53 123 | – | – | – | 53 156 | – |
| Term loans | 7 | 1 303 | 0 | 55 446 | – | – | – | 56 755 | – |
| Finance leases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 138 | – | – | – | 4 138 | – |
| Current account advances | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 054 | – | – | – | 4 054 | – |
| Other3 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 367 | – | – | – | 387 | – |
| Equity instruments | 303 | 3 | 1 826 | – | – | – | – | 2 132 | – |
| Investment contracts (insurance) | – | 13 425 | – | – | – | – | – | 13 425 | – |
| Debt instruments issued by | 2 894 | 1 763 | 30 564 | 1 207 | 31 799 | – | – | 68 227 | – |
| Public bodies | 2 391 | 1 063 | 19 469 | 31 | 30 342 | – | – | 53 296 | – |
| Credit institutions and investment firms | 297 | 293 | 4 427 | 159 | 859 | – | – | 6 035 | – |
| Corporates | 206 | 407 | 6 667 | 1 018 | 598 | – | – | 8 896 | – |
| Derivatives | 8 814 | – | – | – | – | 1 104 | – | 9 918 | – |
| Other4 | 3 | – | – | 576 | 0 | 0 | – | 579 | |
| Total | 12 182 | 18 163 | 32 390 | 135 784 | 31 799 | 1 104 | – | 231 421 | – |
| a of which reverse repos2 | 3 319 | – | |||||||
| b of which reverse repos2 | 1 389 | – | |||||||
| c of which loans and advances to banks repayable on demand and term loans to banks at not more than three months | 4 287 | – | |||||||
Loans and advances in the 'Designated at fair value' column relate primarily to reverse repo transactions and a small portfolio of home loans. In each case, the carrying value comes close to the maximum credit exposure.
A 'reverse repo' transaction is a transaction where one party (KBC) buys securities from another party and undertakes to resell these securities at a designated future date at a set price. In most cases, reverse repo transactions are governed by bilateral framework agreements (generally Global Master Repo Agreements) which include a description of the periodic exchanges of collateral. The reverse repo transactions shown in the table are related mainly to the temporary lending of bonds. In this type of lending, the risk and the income from the bonds are for the counterparty. The amount of the reverse repos is virtually identical to the amount of the underlying assets (that have been lent out).
To make the breakdown by product more transparent, and based on the new framework for reporting to the ECB (FINREP), factoring (2.4 billion euros at year-end 2014 and 2.2 billion euros at year-end 2013) is no longer included in 'Other' under 'Loans and advances to customers' as of 2014, and is instead being combined with discount and acceptance credit, and recognised under 'Trade receivables'. The reference figures have not been restated in order to maintain the link with the 2013 annual report.
Financial assets that (from 2014) are intentionally not included under 'Loans and advances to customers' to avoid inflating that item with items that are not directly related to commercial lending.
Antwerp Diamond Bank (ADB) fell within the scope of IFRS 5 in 2013 and, therefore, was not recognised under the items specified in this note. At year-end 2014, it no longer fell within the scope of that standard, since its planned sale did not go through and it was decided instead to run down its activities in a controlled manner. To enable a comparison to be made, the pro forma column contains the figures for 2013 including ADB. The Transformation Fund (pension fund) in the Czech Republic has been excluded from the figures in that column, because that entity was removed from the scope of consolidation in 2014.
| Held for | Desig nated at fair |
Available | Loans and receiv |
Held to | Hedging deriva |
Measured at amor |
Pro forma | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | trading | value | for sale | ables | maturity | tives | tised cost | Total | total3 |
| FINANCIAL LIABILITIES, 31-12-2013 | |||||||||
| Deposits from credit institutions and investment firmsa | 939 | 896 | – | – | – | – | 12 884 | 14 719c | 14 733 |
| Deposits from customers and debt securitiesb | 3 634 | 12 248 | – | – | – | – | 145 253 | 161 135 | 160 182 |
| Demand deposits | 0 | 50 | – | – | – | – | 38 999 | 39 049 | 39 277 |
| Time deposits | 3 347 | 7 786 | – | – | – | – | 43 837 | 54 970 | 54 973 |
| Savings deposits | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 34 990 | 34 990 | 34 990 |
| Special deposits | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 335 | 1 335 | 1 335 |
| Other deposits | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 378 | 1 378 | 195 |
| Certificates of deposit | 0 | 6 | – | – | – | – | 3 540 | 3 546 | 3 546 |
| Savings certificates | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 473 | 473 | 473 |
| Convertible bonds | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-convertible bonds | 286 | 3 763 | – | – | – | – | 14 869 | 18 919 | 18 919 |
| Convertible subordinated liabilities | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-convertible subordinated liabilities | 0 | 643 | – | – | – | – | 5 832 | 6 475 | 6 475 |
| Liabilities under investment contracts | – | 11 787 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 11 787 | 11 787 |
| Derivatives | 8 161 | – | – | – | – | 1 678 | – | 9 838 | 9 844 |
| Short positions | 386 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 386 | 386 |
| In equity instruments | 40 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 40 | 40 |
| In debt instruments | 345 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 345 | 345 |
| Other2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 556 | 1 556 | 1 556 |
| Total | 13 119 | 24 931 | – | – | – | 1 678 | 159 693 | 199 421 | 198 488 |
| a of which repos1 | 1 672 | – | |||||||
| b of which repos1 | 10 655 | – | |||||||
| c of which deposits from banks repayable on demand | 3 307 | – | |||||||
| FINANCIAL LIABILITIES, 31-12-2014 | |||||||||
| Deposits from credit institutions and investment firmsa | 60 | 1 004 | – | – | – | – | 16 628 | 17 692c | – |
| Deposits from customers and debt securitiesb | 367 | 10 352 | – | – | – | – | 151 064 | 161 783 | – |
| Demand deposits | 0 | 35 | – | – | – | – | 47 020 | 47 055 | – |
| Time deposits | 69 | 8 028 | – | – | – | – | 41 638 | 49 735 | – |
| Savings deposits | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 37 163 | 37 163 | – |
| Special deposits | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 715 | 1 715 | – |
| Other deposits | 0 | 14 | – | – | – | – | 555 | 569 | – |
| Certificates of deposit | 9 | 3 | – | – | – | – | 5 922 | 5 935 | – |
| Savings certificates | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 762 | 762 | – |
| Convertible bonds | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | – |
| Non-convertible bonds | 289 | 1 732 | – | – | – | – | 12 741 | 14 761 | – |
| Convertible subordinated liabilities | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | – |
| Non-convertible subordinated liabilities | 0 | 540 | – | – | – | – | 3 549 | 4 088 | – |
| Liabilities under investment contracts | – | 12 553 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 12 553 | – |
| Derivatives | 7 697 | – | – | – | – | 3 491 | – | 11 188 | – |
| Short positions | 325 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 325 | – |
| In equity instruments | 71 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 71 | – |
| In debt instruments | 254 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 254 | – |
| Other2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 103 | 2 104 | – |
| Total | 8 449 | 23 908 | – | – | – | 3 491 | 169 796 | 205 644 | – |
| a of which repos1 | 1 315 | – | |||||||
| b of which repos1 | 7 804 | – | |||||||
| c of which deposits from banks repayable on demand | 3 539 | – |
A 'repo' transaction is a transaction where one party buys securities from another party (KBC) and undertakes to resell these securities at a designated future date at a set price. In most cases, repo transactions are governed by bilateral framework agreements (generally Global Master Repo Agreements) which include a description of the periodic exchanges of collateral. The repo transactions shown in the table are related mainly to the temporary lending of bonds. In this type of lending, the risk and the income from the bonds are for KBC. The amount of the repos is virtually identical to the amount of the underlying assets (that have been lent out).
Financial liabilities that were intentionally not included under deposits from customers to avoid inflating that item with items that are not directly related to commercial deposit acquisition.
Antwerp Diamond Bank (ADB) fell within the scope of IFRS 5 in 2013 and, therefore, was not recognised under the items specified in this note. At year-end 2014, it no longer fell within the scope of that standard, since its planned sale did not go through and it was decided instead to run down its activities in a controlled manner. To enable a comparison to be made, the pro forma column contains the figures for 2013 including ADB. The Transformation Fund (pension fund) in the Czech Republic has been excluded from the figures in that column, because that entity was removed from the scope of consolidation in 2014.
For reclassifications, see Note 28.
'available for sale' (454 million euros), and 'held to maturity' (4 378 million euros)); and an associated financial liability with a carrying value of 5 673 million euros (277 million euros classified as 'held for trading', 769 million euros as 'designated at fair value', 470 million euros as 'available for sale', and 4 157 million euros as 'held to maturity'). At year-end 2013, KBC had transferred the following types of financial asset, which continued to be recognised in their entirety: repo transactions with a carrying value of 7 086 million euros (debt instruments classified as 'held for trading' (630 million euros), 'designated at fair value' (101 million euros), 'available for sale' (1 911 million euros), and 'held to maturity' (4 445 million euros)); and an associated financial liability with a carrying value of 6 864 million euros (569 million euros classified as 'held for trading', 103 million euros as 'designated at fair value', 1 889 million euros as 'available for sale', and 4 304 million euros as 'held to maturity'). It should be noted that, at year-end 2013 and 2014, KBC had fewer transferred securities on its balance sheet than outstanding repo transactions, since securities obtained in reverse repo transactions are often used for repo transactions. These securities are not presented on the balance sheet and, therefore, do not qualify for disclosure as stated in this paragraph.
| (in millions of EUR) | Held for trading |
Designated at fair value |
Available for sale |
Loans and receivables |
Held to maturity |
Hedging derivatives |
Measured at amor tised cost |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FINANCIAL ASSETS, 31-12-2013 | ||||||||
| Belgium | 2 143 | 1 027 | 8 584 | 74 759 | 15 445 | 45 | – | 102 004 |
| Central and Eastern Europe | 7 907 | 646 | 6 510 | 27 960 | 8 774 | 293 | – | 52 089 |
| Rest of the world | 6 835 | 14 768 | 12 213 | 27 434 | 7 104 | 439 | – | 68 794 |
| Total | 16 885 | 16 441 | 27 307 | 130 153 | 31 323 | 777 | – | 222 887 |
| FINANCIAL ASSETS, 31-12-2014 | ||||||||
| Belgium | 2 543 | 1 104 | 8 804 | 78 358 | 16 744 | 87 | – | 107 641 |
| Central and Eastern Europe | 2 221 | 491 | 5 290 | 28 286 | 8 183 | 112 | – | 44 584 |
| Rest of the world | 7 418 | 16 567 | 18 295 | 29 139 | 6 872 | 905 | – | 79 197 |
| Total | 12 182 | 18 163 | 32 390 | 135 784 | 31 799 | 1 104 | – | 231 421 |
| FINANCIAL LIABILITIES, 31-12-2013 | ||||||||
| Belgium | 1 815 | 11 979 | – | – | – | 94 | 86 316 | 100 204 |
| Central and Eastern Europe | 5 141 | 942 | – | – | – | 464 | 35 451 | 41 999 |
| Rest of the world | 6 163 | 12 010 | – | – | – | 1 119 | 37 926 | 57 218 |
| Total | 13 119 | 24 931 | – | – | – | 1 678 | 159 693 | 199 421 |
| FINANCIAL LIABILITIES, 31-12-2014 | ||||||||
| Belgium | 1 436 | 12 635 | – | – | – | 231 | 92 010 | 106 313 |
| Central and Eastern Europe | 1 033 | 838 | – | – | – | 81 | 35 597 | 37 549 |
| Rest of the world | 5 979 | 10 435 | – | – | – | 3 179 | 42 189 | 61 782 |
| Total | 8 449 | 23 908 | – | – | – | 3 491 | 169 796 | 205 644 |
| Designated | Measured | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | Held for trading |
at fair value |
Available for sale |
Loans and receivables |
Held to maturity |
Hedging derivatives |
at amor tised cost |
Total |
| FINANCIAL ASSETS, 31-12-2013 | ||||||||
| At not more than one year | 7 368 | 2 525 | 6 214 | 43 158 | 1 662 | – | – | 60 927 |
| At more than one year | 1 412 | 7 839 | 19 381 | 78 504 | 29 662 | – | – | 136 797 |
| Not specified* | 8 105 | 6 077 | 1 713 | 8 491 | 0 | 777 | – | 25 163 |
| Total | 16 885 | 16 441 | 27 307 | 130 153 | 31 323 | 777 | – | 222 887 |
| FINANCIAL ASSETS, 31-12-2014 | ||||||||
| At not more than one year | 1 322 | 3 146 | 3 647 | 47 279 | 2 213 | – | – | 57 608 |
| At more than one year | 1 593 | 8 760 | 26 826 | 81 592 | 29 586 | – | – | 148 357 |
| Not specified* | 9 267 | 6 257 | 1 916 | 6 912 | 0 | 1 104 | – | 25 456 |
| Total | 12 182 | 18 163 | 32 390 | 135 784 | 31 799 | 1 104 | – | 231 421 |
| FINANCIAL LIABILITIES, 31-12-2013 | ||||||||
| At not more than one year | 4 803 | 10 784 | – | – | – | – | 92 520 | 108 107 |
| At more than one year | 119 | 9 649 | – | – | – | – | 29 856 | 39 624 |
| Not specified* | 8 197 | 4 498 | – | – | – | 1 678 | 37 317 | 51 689 |
| Total | 13 119 | 24 931 | – | – | – | 1 678 | 159 693 | 199 421 |
| FINANCIAL LIABILITIES, 31-12-2014 | ||||||||
| At not more than one year | 517 | 9 480 | – | – | – | – | 99 643 | 109 639 |
| At more than one year | 158 | 9 576 | – | – | – | – | 31 306 | 41 040 |
| Not specified* | 7 774 | 4 853 | – | – | – | 3 491 | 38 847 | 54 965 |
| Total | 8 449 | 23 908 | – | – | – | 3 491 | 169 796 | 205 644 |
* Maturity date has not been specified or there is no point in classifying the financial asset or liability in terms of when it matures. Financial assets that do not have a specified maturity date concern primarily hedging derivatives ('Hedging derivatives' column), derivatives and shares held for trading ('Held-for-trading' column), a large proportion of insurance investment contracts ('Designated at fair value' column), shares available for sale ('Available-for-sale' column) and current account advances and irrecoverable or doubtful receivables ('Loans and receivables' column). Financial liabilities that do not have a specified maturity date relate mainly to savings deposits ('Measured at amortised cost' column), hedging derivatives ('Hedging derivatives' column), derivatives held for trading ('Held-for-trading' column) and a large proportion of the liabilities under insurance investment contracts ('Designated at fair value' column).
• The difference between short-term financial assets and short-term financial liabilities reflects, among other things, the fundamental operation of a bank, i.e. converting short-term deposits into longterm loans. Consequently, the volume of deposits at not more than one year (recognised under financial liabilities) is greater than loans at not more than one year (recorded under financial assets), a ratio that indicates liquidity risk. More information on liquidity risk and how it is monitored is provided in the 'Risk management' section.
| (in millions of EUR) | Held for trading |
Designated at fair value |
Available for sale |
Loans and receivables |
Held to maturity |
Hedging derivatives |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FINANCIAL ASSETS, 31-12-2013 | |||||||
| Unimpaired assets | 16 885 | 16 441 | 27 094 | 122 503 | 31 322 | 777 | 215 022 |
| Impaired assets | – | – | 331 | 13 230 | 9 | – | 13 570 |
| Impairment | – | – | -117 | -5 580 | -8 | – | -5 705 |
| Total | 16 885 | 16 441 | 27 307 | 130 153 | 31 323 | 777 | 222 887 |
| FINANCIAL ASSETS, 31-12-2014 | |||||||
| Unimpaired assets | 12 182 | 18 163 | 32 153 | 128 330 | 31 798 | 1 104 | 223 730 |
| Impaired assets | – | – | 361 | 13 255 | 6 | – | 13 621 |
| Impairment | – | – | -124 | -5 801 | -5 | – | -5 930 |
| Total | 12 182 | 18 163 | 32 390 | 135 784 | 31 799 | 1 104 | 231 421 |
• Impairment: the concept of 'impairment' is relevant for all financial assets that are not designated at fair value through profit or loss. Fixed-income financial assets are impaired when impairment is identified on an individual basis. In the case of loans, they are impaired when they have a probability of default (or PD, see explanation below) rating of 10, 11 or 12. Impairment is recognised based on an estimate of the net present value of the recoverable amount. In addition, for credit in PD classes 1 to 9, impairment losses are recorded on a portfolio basis (IBNR), using a formula that takes
account of the expected loss (EL) calculated using the internal rating based (IRB) advanced models and emergence period (or an alternative method if an IRB advanced model is not yet available).
• PD class: KBC has developed various rating models to determine the PD class. The output generated by these models is used to split the normal loan portfolio into internal rating classes ranging from PD 1 (lowest risk) to PD 9 (highest risk). More information on PD is provided under 'Credit risk' in the 'Risk management' section.
| (in millions of EUR) | Available for sale | Held to maturity |
Loans and receivables | Provisions for off-balance sheet credit commit ments* |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed-income assets |
Shares | Fixed-income assets |
Individual impairment |
Portfolio based impairment |
||
| IMPAIRMENT, 31-12-2013 | ||||||
| Opening balance | 0 | 148 | 8 | 4 488 | 227 | 92 |
| Movements with an impact on results | ||||||
| Impairment recognised | 10 | 24 | 0 | 2 311 | 144 | 63 |
| Impairment reversed | 0 | 0 | 0 | -638 | -108 | -59 |
| Movements without an impact on results | ||||||
| Write-offs | 0 | -6 | 0 | -601 | 0 | -9 |
| Changes in the scope of consolidation | -10 | -40 | 0 | -16 | 1 | 0 |
| Transfers to/from non-current assets held for sale and disposal groups |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | -10 | 0 | -226 | -3 | 25 |
| Closing balance | 0 | 117 | 8 | 5 319 | 261 | 114 |
| IMPAIRMENT, 31-12-2014 | ||||||
| Opening balance | 0 | 117 | 8 | 5 319 | 261 | 114 |
| Movements with an impact on results | ||||||
| Impairment recognised | 0 | 30 | 0 | 1 295 | 64 | 32 |
| Impairment reversed | 0 | -2 | -1 | -620 | -130 | -55 |
| Movements without an impact on results | ||||||
| Write-offs | 0 | -16 | 0 | -439 | 0 | -3 |
| Changes in the scope of consolidation | 0 | -5 | 0 | -34 | 1 | 9 |
| Transfers to/from non-current assets held for sale and disposal groups |
0 | 0 | 0 | 174 | 5 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | -1 | -3 | -96 | 0 | 61 |
| Closing balance | 0 | 124 | 5 | 5 600 | 201 | 158 |
* These impairment losses are recognised on the liabilities side of the balance sheet. Changes in impairment losses of this kind are recorded under 'Impairment on loans and receivables' in the income statement.
• For information regarding the impact of changes in impairment on the income statement, see Note 14.
• Additional information on impairment relating to the loan portfolio is provided under 'Credit risk' in the 'Risk management' section.
| (in millions of EUR) | Less than 30 days past due |
30 days or more, but less than 90 days past due |
|---|---|---|
| 31-12-2013 | ||
| Loans and advances | 3 099 | 1 171 |
| Debt instruments | 0 | 0 |
| Derivatives | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 3 099 | 1 171 |
| 31-12-2014 | ||
| Loans and advances | 2 173 | 603 |
| Debt instruments | 0 | 0 |
| Derivatives | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 173 | 603 |
• Financial assets are past due if a counterparty fails to make a payment at the time agreed in the contract. The concept of 'past due' applies to a contract, not to a counterparty. For example, if a counterparty fails to make a monthly repayment, the entire loan is considered past
due, but that does not mean that other loans to this counterparty are considered past due. Financial assets that are 90 days or more past due are always considered impaired.
• See Notes 22 and 40.
• See 'Credit risk' in the 'Risk management' section.
| (in millions of EUR) | 31-12-2013 31-12-2014 |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross | Collateral received |
Net | Collateral received |
Net | ||||||
| Maximum credit exposure | ||||||||||
| Equity instruments | 1 870 | 0 | 1 870 | 2 132 | 0 | 2 132 | ||||
| Debt instruments | 63 034 | 76 | 62 957 | 68 227 | 59 | 68 167 | ||||
| Loans and advances | 136 638 | 74 239 | 62 399 | 137 140 | 69 842 | 67 298 | ||||
| of which designated at fair value | 2 369 | 2 238 | 131 | 2 971 | 2 588 | 384 | ||||
| Derivatives | 8 600 | 2 027 | 6 573 | 9 918 | 3 253 | 6 664 | ||||
| Other (including accrued interest) | 26 545 | 4 246 | 22 299 | 28 271 | 4 246 | 24 025 | ||||
| Total | 236 687 | 80 589 | 156 099 | 245 687 | 77 401 | 168 286 |
• Maximum credit exposure relating to a financial asset: generally the gross carrying value, net of impairment. Besides the amounts on the balance sheet, maximum credit exposure also includes the undrawn portion of irrevocable credit lines, financial guarantees granted and other irrevocable commitments. These amounts are included in the table under 'Other'.
• The loan portfolio accounts for the largest share of the financial assets. Based on internal management reports, the composition and quality of the loan portfolio is set out in detail under 'Credit risk' in the 'Risk management' section. All parts of that particular section which have been audited by the statutory auditor are listed at the start of the section.
• Collateral received: recognised at market value and limited to the outstanding amount of the relevant loans.
| Financial instruments subject to offsetting, enforceable master netting agreements and similar |
Gross amounts of recognised financial |
Gross amounts of recognised financial instruments |
Net amounts of financial instruments presented in the balance |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| arrangements | instruments | set off | sheet | Financial | Amounts not set off in the balance sheet Cash col |
Securities | Net amount |
| (in millions of EUR) | instruments | lateral | collateral | ||||
| FINANCIAL ASSETS, 31-12-2013 | |||||||
| Derivatives | 9 054 | 454 | 8 600 | 4 992 | 1 813 | 0 | 1 795 |
| Derivatives (excluding central clearing houses) | 8 597 | 0 | 8 597 | 4 992 | 1 813 | 0 | 1 792 |
| Derivatives with central clearing houses | 457 | 454 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Reverse repos, securities borrowing and similar arrangements |
9 156 | 0 | 9 156 | 539 | 0 | 8 608 | 8 |
| Reverse repos | 9 156 | 0 | 9 156 | 539 | 0 | 8 608 | 8 |
| Securities borrowing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other financial instruments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 18 210 | 454 | 17 756 | 5 531 | 1 813 | 8 608 | 1 804 |
| FINANCIAL ASSETS, 31-12-2014 | |||||||
| Derivatives | 12 390 | 2 473 | 9 918 | 5 190 | 2 505 | 0 | 2 223 |
| Derivatives (excluding central clearing houses) | 9 910 | 0 | 9 910 | 5 190 | 2 505 | 0 | 2 215 |
| Derivatives with central clearing houses | 2 481 | 2 473 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Reverse repos, securities borrowing and similar arrangements |
6 415 | 1 707 | 4 708 | 645 | 0 | 4 047 | 15 |
| Reverse repos | 6 415 | 1 707 | 4 708 | 645 | 0 | 4 047 | 15 |
| Securities borrowing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other financial instruments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 18 805 | 4 180 | 14 626 | 5 835 | 2 505 | 4 047 | 2 238 |
| FINANCIAL LIABILITIES, 31-12-2013 | |||||||
| Derivatives | 10 293 | 454 | 9 838 | 4 992 | 2 626 | 0 | 2 220 |
| Derivatives (excluding central clearing houses) | 9 834 | 0 | 9 834 | 4 992 | 2 626 | 0 | 2 216 |
| Derivatives with central clearing houses | 459 | 454 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Repos, securities lending and similar arrangements | 12 327 | 0 | 12 327 | 539 | 0 | 11 778 | 9 |
| Repos | 12 327 | 0 | 12 327 | 539 | 0 | 11 778 | 9 |
| Securities lending | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other financial instruments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 22 619 | 454 | 22 165 | 5 531 | 2 626 | 11 778 | 2 230 |
| FINANCIAL LIABILITIES, 31-12-2014 | |||||||
| Derivatives | 13 660 | 2 473 | 11 188 | 5 190 | 3 871 | 0 | 2 127 |
| Derivatives (excluding central clearing houses) | 11 184 | 0 | 11 184 | 5 190 | 3 871 | 0 | 2 124 |
| Derivatives with central clearing houses | 2 476 | 2 473 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Repos, securities lending and similar arrangements | 10 827 | 1 707 | 9 120 | 645 | 0 | 8 470 | 4 |
| Repos | 10 827 | 1 707 | 9 120 | 645 | 0 | 8 470 | 4 |
| Securities lending | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other financial instruments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 24 487 | 4 180 | 20 307 | 5 835 | 3 871 | 8 471 | 2 131 |
netting agreement or similar arrangement that does not meet the criteria defined in IAS 32. The amounts stated refer to situations in which offsetting can only be applied if one of the counterparties defaults, becomes insolvent or goes bankrupt. The same principle applies for financial instruments given or received as collateral. The value given in the table for non-cash collateral received (the 'Securities collateral' column under the 'Amounts not set off in the balance sheet' heading) corresponds with the market value. This is the value that is used if one of the counterparties defaults, becomes insolvent or goes bankrupt.
the counterparty credit risk that is determined using a quoted credit default swap (CDS) spread, or, if there is no such spread, on the counterparty credit risk that is derived from bonds whose issuers are similar to the derivative counterparty in terms of rating, sector and geographical location. Partly on account of the Asset Quality Review, the CVA model was modified in the fourth quarter of 2014 on the basis of the method described above. This change had a small positive impact on the result. A debt value adjustment (DVA) is made for contracts where the counterparty is exposed to KBC (as opposed to the other way around). It is similar to a CVA, but the expected future negative fair value of the contracts is taken into consideration. A funding value adjustment (FVA) is a correction made to the fair value of uncollateralised derivatives in order to ensure that the (future) funding costs or income attached to entering into and hedging such instruments are factored in when measuring the value of the instruments.
| Fair value of financial assets and liabilities that are not measured at fair value in the balance sheet (in millions of EUR) |
Loans and receivables | Financial assets held to maturity |
Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrying value | Fair value | Carrying value | Fair value | Carrying value | Fair value | ||
| FINANCIAL ASSETS, 31-12-2013 | |||||||
| Loans and advances to credit institutions and investment firms | 9 571 | 9 814 | – | – | – | – | |
| Loans and advances to customers | 118 892 | 120 501 | – | – | – | – | |
| Debt instruments | 1 690 | 1 646 | 31 323 | 32 657 | – | – | |
| Total | 130 153 | 131 961 | 31 323 | 32 657 | – | – | |
| Level 1 | – | 1 416 | – | 30 193 | – | – | |
| Level 2 | – | 25 692 | – | 1 789 | – | – | |
| Level 3 | – | 104 853 | – | 675 | – | – | |
| FINANCIAL ASSETS, 31-12-2014 | |||||||
| Loans and advances to credit institutions and investment firms | 11 388 | 11 529 | – | – | – | – | |
| Loans and advances to customers | 123 189 | 126 392 | – | – | – | – | |
| Debt instruments | 1 207 | 1 400 | 31 799 | 36 001 | – | – | |
| Total | 135 784 | 139 322 | 31 799 | 36 001 | – | – | |
| Level 1 | – | 929 | – | 34 848 | – | – | |
| Level 2 | – | 19 992 | – | 984 | – | – | |
| Level 3 | – | 118 401 | – | 169 | – | – | |
| FINANCIAL LIABILITIES, 31-12-2013 | |||||||
| Deposits from credit institutions and investment firms | – | – | – | – | 12 884 | 14 175 | |
| Deposits from customers and debt securities | – | – | – | – | 145 253 | 148 049 | |
| Liabilities under investment contracts | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |
| Other | – | – | – | – | 1 556 | 1 570 | |
| Total | – | – | – | – | 159 693 | 163 794 | |
| Level 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 122 | |
| Level 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 85 104 | |
| Level 3 | – | – | – | – | – | 77 569 | |
| FINANCIAL LIABILITIES, 31-12-2014 | |||||||
| Deposits from credit institutions and investment firms | – | – | – | – | 16 628 | 17 887 | |
| Deposits from customers and debt securities | – | – | – | – | 151 064 | 153 732 | |
| Liabilities under investment contracts | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |
| Other | – | – | – | – | 2 103 | 1 981 | |
| Total | – | – | – | – | 169 796 | 173 601 | |
| Level 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 052 | |
| Level 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 78 637 | |
| Level 3 | – | – | – | – | – | 93 911 |
| (in millions of EUR) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair value hierarchy | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total |
| Financial assets at fair value | ||||||||
| Held for trading | ||||||||
| Loans and advances to credit institutions and investment firms | 0 | 5 100 | 0 | 5 100 | 0 | 141 | 0 | 141 |
| Loans and advances to customers | 0 | 706 | 0 | 706 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 27 |
| Equity instruments | 265 | 18 | 1 | 283 | 294 | 8 | 0 | 303 |
| Debt instruments | 2 290 | 341 | 342 | 2 974 | 1 998 | 634 | 262 | 2 894 |
| of which sovereign bonds | 2 068 | 261 | 55 | 2 385 | 1 872 | 487 | 32 | 2 391 |
| Derivatives | 1 | 5 681 | 2 141 | 7 823 | 1 | 6 492 | 2 321 | 8 814 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Designated at fair value | ||||||||
| Loans and advances to credit institutions and investment firms | 0 | 1 595 | 0 | 1 596 | 0 | 1 636 | 0 | 1 636 |
| Loans and advances to customers | 0 | 749 | 24 | 774 | 0 | 1 309 | 26 | 1 335 |
| Equity instruments | 2 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Investment contracts (insurance) | 12 605 | 140 | 0 | 12 745 | 13 270 | 156 | 0 | 13 425 |
| Debt instruments | 836 | 131 | 352 | 1 319 | 1 278 | 149 | 337 | 1 763 |
| of which sovereign bonds | 716 | 23 | 32 | 771 | 1 034 | 29 | 0 | 1 063 |
| Available for sale | ||||||||
| Equity instruments | 1 226 | 53 | 300 | 1 579 | 1 432 | 0 | 393 | 1 826 |
| Debt instruments | 20 218 | 4 038 | 1 472 | 25 728 | 26 349 | 3 051 | 1 163 | 30 564 |
| of which sovereign bonds | 14 874 | 1 999 | 465 | 17 337 | 18 331 | 982 | 156 | 19 469 |
| Hedging derivatives | ||||||||
| Derivatives | 0 | 777 | 0 | 777 | 0 | 1 104 | 0 | 1 104 |
| Total | 37 444 | 19 330 | 4 637 | 61 411 | 44 624 | 14 711 | 4 503 | 63 839 |
| Financial liabilities at fair value | ||||||||
| Held for trading | ||||||||
| Deposits from credit institutions and investment firms | 0 | 939 | 0 | 939 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 60 |
| Deposits from customers and debt securities | 0 | 3 532 | 102 | 3 634 | 0 | 326 | 41 | 367 |
| Derivatives | 1 | 5 617 | 2 542 | 8 161 | 2 | 5 359 | 2 335 | 7 697 |
| Short positions | 373 | 0 | 13 | 386 | 325 | 0 | 0 | 325 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Designated at fair value | ||||||||
| Deposits from credit institutions and investment firms | 0 | 896 | 0 | 896 | 0 | 1 004 | 0 | 1 004 |
| Deposits from customers and debt securities | 0 | 11 704 | 543 | 12 248 | 0 | 9 928 | 424 | 10 352 |
| Liabilities under investment contracts | 11 787 | 0 | 0 | 11 787 | 12 552 | 1 | 0 | 12 553 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hedging derivatives | ||||||||
| Derivatives | 0 | 1 678 | 0 | 1 678 | 0 | 3 491 | 0 | 3 491 |
| Total | 12 161 | 24 365 | 3 201 | 39 728 | 12 879 | 20 170 | 2 800 | 35 848 |
• The IAS 39 fair value hierarchy prioritises the valuation techniques and the respective inputs into three levels.
The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to 'level 1 inputs'. This means that, when there is an active market, quoted prices have to be used to measure the financial assets or liabilities at fair value. Level 1 inputs are prices that are readily and regularly available from an exchange, dealer, broker, industry group, pricing service or regulatory agency (and that are quoted in active markets accessible to KBC). They represent actual and regularly occurring market transactions on an arm's length basis. The fair value measurement of financial instruments with quoted prices is based on a mark-tomarket valuation derived from currently available transaction prices. No valuation technique (model) is involved.
If there are no price quotations available, the reporting entity establishes fair value using a model based on observable or unobservable inputs. The use of observable inputs needs to be maximised, whereas the use of unobservable inputs has to be minimised.
Observable inputs are also referred to as 'level 2 inputs' and reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Observable inputs reflect an active market. Examples of observable inputs are the risk-free rate, exchange rates, stock prices and implied volatility. Valuation techniques based on observable inputs include discounted cashflow analysis, reference to the current or recent fair value of a similar instrument, or third-party pricing, provided that the third-party price is in line with alternative observable market data.
Unobservable inputs are also referred to as 'level 3 inputs' and reflect the reporting entity's own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability (including assumptions regarding the risks involved). Unobservable inputs reflect a market that is not active. For example, proxies and correlation factors can be considered to be unobservable in the market.
| Instrument type | Products | Valuation technique | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Liquid financial instruments for which quoted prices are regularly available |
FX spots, exchange traded financial futures, exchange traded options, exchange traded stocks, exchange traded funds, liquid government bonds, other liquid bonds, liquid asset backed securities (ABS) in active markets |
Mark-to-market (quoted prices in active markets) |
| (Cross-currency) interest rate swaps (IRS), FX swaps, FX forwards, forward rate agreements (FRA), inflation swaps, dividend swaps, commodity swaps, reverse floaters, bond future options, interest rate future options, overnight index swaps (OIS), FX resets |
Discounted cashflow analysis based on discount and estimation curves (derived from quoted deposit rates, FX swaps and (CC)IRS) |
||
| Plain vanilla/liquid derivatives | Caps & floors, interest rate options, European & American stock options, European & American FX options, forward starting options, digital FX options, FX strips of simple options, European swaptions, constant maturity swaps (CMS), European cancellable IRS, compound FX options |
Option pricing model based on observable inputs (e.g., volatilities) |
|
| Credit default swaps (CDS) | CDS model based on credit spreads | ||
| Level 2 | Linear financial assets (without optional features) – cash instruments |
Deposits, simple cashflows, repo transactions | Discounted cashflow analysis based on discount and estimation curves (derived from quoted deposit rates, FX swaps and (CC)IRS) |
| Asset backed securities | Medium liquid asset backed securities | Third-party pricing (e.g., lead manager); prices corroborated by alternative observable market data, or using comparable spread method |
|
| Debt instruments | KBC IFIMA own issues (liabilities), mortgage bonds held by Cˇ SOB |
Discounted cashflow analysis and valuation of related derivatives based on observable inputs |
|
| Linear financial liabilities (cash instruments) | Loans, commercial paper | Discounted cashflow analysis based on discount and estimation curves (derived from quoted deposit rates, FX swaps and (CC)IRS) |
|
| Exotic derivatives | Target profit forwards, target strike forwards, Bermudan swaptions, digital interest rate options, quanto interest rate options, digital stock options, Asian stock options, barrier stock options, quanto digital FX options, FX Asian options, FX European barrier options, FX simple digital barrier options, FX touch rebates, double average rate options, inflation options, cancellable reverse floaters, American and Bermudan cancellable IRS, CMS spread options, CMS interest rate caps/floors, (callable) range accruals, outperformance options, auto-callable options |
Option pricing model based on unobservable inputs (e.g., correlation) |
|
| Level 3 | Illiquid credit-linked instruments | Collateralised debt obligations (notes) | Valuation model based on correlation of probability of default of underlying assets |
| Private equity investments | Private equity and non-quoted participations | Based on the valuation guidelines of the European Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (EVCA) |
|
| Illiquid bonds/asset backed securities | Illiquid bonds/asset backed securities that are indicatively priced by a single pricing provider in an inactive market |
Third-party pricing (e.g., lead manager), where prices cannot be corroborated due to a lack of available/reliable alternative market data |
|
| Debt instruments | KBC own issues (KBC IFIMA) | Discounted cashflow analysis and valuation of related derivatives based on unobservable inputs (indicative pricing by third parties for derivatives) |
Level 3 financial assets
| Held for trading | Designated at fair value | Available for sale | Hedging deriva tives |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loans and advances | Equity instruments | Investment contracts (insurance) |
Debt instruments | Derivatives | Loans and advances | Equity instruments | Investment contracts (insurance) |
Debt instruments | Equity instruments | Debt instruments | Derivatives | |
| Opening balance | 0 | 197 | 0 | 523 | 3 041 | 27 | 50 | 0 | 269 | 1 117 | 1 660 | 0 |
| Gains or losses | 0 | -7 | 0 | 31 | -186 | 3 | -11 | 0 | 161 | 8 | -100 | 0 |
| in profit or loss* | 0 | -7 | 0 | 31 | -186 | 3 | -11 | 0 | 161 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| in other comprehensive income | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | -101 | 0 |
| Purchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 183 | 287 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 743 | 0 |
| Disposals | 0 | 0 | 0 | -219 | -21 | 0 | -7 | 0 | -49 | -840 | -179 | 0 |
| Settlements | 0 | -170 | 0 | -19 | -664 | -4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -498 | 0 |
| Transfers into level 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 102 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 3 | 107 | 0 |
| Transfers out of level 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -153 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -223 | 0 |
| Transfers into/out of non-current assets held for sale |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Translation differences | 0 | -1 | 0 | -16 | -13 | -1 | -1 | 0 | -14 | -1 | -15 | 0 |
| Changes in the scope of consolidation |
0 | -19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | -13 | -406 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -38 | 0 | -24 | 0 |
| Closing balance | 0 | 1 | 0 | 342 | 2 141 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 352 | 300 | 1 472 | 0 |
| Total gains (positive figures) or losses (negative figures) included in profit or loss for assets held at the end of the reporting period Level 3 financial liabilities |
0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | -205 | 3 | -10 | 0 | 157 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| Held for trading | Designated at fair value | Hedging derivatives |
||||||||||
| Deposits from credit institutions |
customers and debt Deposits from securities |
investment contracts Liabilities under |
Derivatives | Short positions | Other | Deposits from credit | customers and debt Deposits from institutions |
securities | investment contracts Liabilities under |
Other | Derivatives | |
| Opening balance | 0 | 181 | 0 | 4 979 | 0 | 0 | 0 1 366 |
0 | 44 | 0 | ||
| Gains or losses | 0 | 36 | 0 | -1 267 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| in profit or loss* | 0 | 36 | 0 | -1 267 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| in other comprehensive income | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Issues | 0 | 0 | 0 | 250 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Repurchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Settlements | 0 | -97 | 0 | -829 | 0 | 0 | 0 -368 |
0 | -44 | 0 | ||
| Transfers into level 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Transfers out of level 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Transfers out of/into liabilities associated with disposal groups |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Translation differences | 0 | -5 | 0 | -23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Changes in the scope of |
consolidation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Other 0 -13 0 -567 0 0 0 -488 0 0 0 Closing balance 0 102 0 2 542 13 0 0 543 0 0 0 Total gains (negative figures) or losses (positive figures) included in profit or loss for liabilities held at the end of the reporting period 0 34 0 -1 214 0 0 0 39 0 0 0
* Recognised primarily in 'Net result from financial instruments at fair value', 'Net realised result from available-for-sale assets' and 'Impairment on available-for-sale assets'.
| Held for trading | Designated at fair value | Available for sale | Hedging deriva tives |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loans and advances | Equity instruments | Investment contracts (insurance) |
Debt instruments | Derivatives | Loans and advances | Equity instruments | Investment contracts (insurance) |
Debt instruments | Equity instruments | Debt instruments | Derivatives | |
| Opening balance | 0 | 1 | 0 | 342 | 2 141 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 352 | 300 | 1 472 | 0 |
| Gains or losses | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 253 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | -11 | 0 |
| in profit or loss* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 253 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -24 | 0 |
| in other comprehensive income | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 13 | 0 |
| Purchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 305 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 23 | 835 | 0 |
| Disposals | 0 | 0 | 0 | -20 | -77 | 0 | -5 | 0 | -2 | -6 | -74 | 0 |
| Settlements | 0 | 0 | 0 | -61 | -312 | -3 | 0 | 0 | -16 | -1 | -464 | 0 |
| Transfers into level 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 110 | 0 |
| Transfers out of level 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -687 | 0 |
| Transfers into/out of non-current assets held for sale |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Translation differences | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Changes in the scope of consolidation |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -22 | -3 | -20 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -29 | 39 | 0 | 0 |
| Closing balance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 263 | 2 321 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 337 | 393 | 1 163 | 0 |
| Total gains (positive figures) or losses (negative figures) included in profit or loss for assets held at the end of the reporting period |
0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 304 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | -1 | 6 | 0 |
| Level 3 financial liabilities |
| Held for trading | Designated at fair value | Hedging derivatives |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deposits from credit institutions |
customers and debt Deposits from securities |
investment contracts Liabilities under |
Derivatives | Short positions | Other | Deposits from credit institutions |
customers and debt Deposits from securities |
investment contracts Liabilities under |
Other | Derivatives | |
| Opening balance | 0 | 102 | 0 | 2 542 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 543 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gains or losses | 0 | 1 | 0 | -58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -25 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| in profit or loss* | 0 | 1 | 0 | -58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -25 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| in other comprehensive income | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Issues | 0 | 0 | 0 | 293 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Repurchases | 0 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -119 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Settlements | 0 | -66 | 0 | -452 | -13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Transfers into level 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Transfers out of level 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Transfers out of/into liabilities associated with disposal groups |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Translation differences | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Changes in the scope of consolidation |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Closing balance | 0 | 41 | 0 | 2 335 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 424 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total gains (negative figures) or losses (positive figures) included in profit or loss for liabilities held at the end of the reporting period |
0 | 0 | 0 | 329 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* Recognised primarily in 'Net result from financial instruments at fair value', 'Net realised result from available-for-sale assets' and 'Impairment on available-for-sale assets'.
2013 to a negligible amount at the close of 2014. The remaining minor fluctuations in value are attributable to the fact that 0.3 billion euros' worth of CDO notes that are held by investors will remain outstanding until November 2017. KBC issued these notes and is counterparty for them. The notes could continue to fluctuate in value, mainly on account of movements in credit spreads on the underlying portfolio.
(in millions of EUR) ((+) profit (-) loss; amounts before tax) 31-12-2013 31-12-2014
Impact of change in own credit spreads on the income statement* -62 -2 Total cumulative impact at balance sheet date -32 -31
* Differs slightly from the amounts given in Note 2 because group companies for which there are minor amounts are not included in that note.
• The fair value of financial liabilities designated at fair value through profit or loss takes account of own credit risk. Most of the financial liabilities designated at fair value through profit or loss relates to KBC IFIMA issues. The own credit risk of KBC IFIMA issues designated at fair value through profit or loss is measured using KBC's own funding spread. Taking into account this own credit risk, the total fair value of KBC IFIMA issues designated at fair value through profit or loss amounted to some 2 billion euros on 31 December 2014. The results of sensitivity tests – in which the funding spread is shifted – on the total fair value of KBC IFIMA issues are given in the table below.
| Spreads -50% |
Spreads -20% |
Spreads -10% |
Spreads +10% |
Spreads +20% |
Spreads +50% |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-12-2013 | -0.02 | -0.01 | -0.00 | +0.00 | +0.01 | +0.02 |
| 31-12-2014 | -0.01 | -0.00 | -0.00 | +0.00 | +0.00 | +0.01 |
• If no account is taken of the effect of changes in own credit risk, the difference between the carrying value and redemption price of the
financial liabilities designated at fair value through profit or loss is limited (less than 0.1 billion euros).
| (in millions of EUR) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrying value | 890 | ||
| Fair value | 950 | ||
| If not reclassified (available for sale) |
After reclassification (loans and receivables) |
Impact | |
| Impact on the revaluation reserve (available-for-sale assets), before tax | -50 | -110 | -60 |
| Impact on the income statement, before tax | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Held for trading | Micro hedging: fair value hedge | Micro hedging: cashflow hedge* | Portfolio hedge of interest rate risk | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrying value | Notional amount | Carrying value | Notional amount | Carrying value | Notional amount | Carrying value | Notional amount | |||||||||
| (in millions of EUR) | Assets | Liabilities | Purchased | Sold | Assets | Liabilities | Purchased | Sold | Assets | Liabilities | Purchased | Sold | Assets | Liabilities | Purchased | Sold |
| 31-12-2013 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 7 823 | 8 161 | 373 075 | 358 437 | 218 | 239 | 19 286 | 19 286 | 553 | 1 303 | 26 234 | 26 189 | 6 | 136 | 2 782 | 2 782 |
| Breakdown by type | ||||||||||||||||
| Interest rate contracts | 4 734 | 4 912 | 226 742 | 215 826 | 218 | 239 | 19 286 | 19 286 | 532 | 1 238 | 25 962 | 25 962 | 6 | 136 | 2 782 | 2 782 |
| Interest rate swaps | 3 760 | 4 495 | 162 160 | 162 265 | 218 | 239 | 19 286 | 19 286 | 532 | 1 238 | 25 962 | 25 962 | 6 | 136 | 2 782 | 2 782 |
| Forward rate agree- ments |
1 | 0 | 2 202 | 2 717 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Futures | 2 | 2 | 10 948 | 5 410 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Options | 970 | 414 | 51 432 | 45 433 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forwards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Foreign exchange con tracts |
930 | 667 | 96 048 | 97 102 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 64 | 271 | 226 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| exchange operations/ currency forwards Forward foreign |
148 | 87 | 13 105 | 13 037 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Currency and interest rate swaps |
698 | 517 | 75 200 | 75 250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 64 | 271 | 226 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Futures | 0 | 0 | 190 | 190 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Options | 84 | 63 | 7 553 | 8 626 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equity contracts | 1 763 | 1 895 | 32 755 | 31 857 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equity swaps | 1 420 | 1 439 | 29 180 | 29 176 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forwards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Futures | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Options | 344 | 456 | 3 575 | 2 681 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Warrants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Credit contracts | 365 | 657 | 16 961 | 13 084 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Credit default swaps | 365 | 657 | 16 961 | 13 084 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Credit spread options | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total return swaps | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Commodity and other contracts |
30 | 30 | 570 | 568 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* Including hedges of net investments in foreign operations.
| Carrying value Liabilities 7 697 Assets 8 814 |
Held for trading | Micro hedging: fair value hedge | Micro hedging: cashflow hedge* | Portfolio hedge of interest rate risk | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchased | Notional amount | Carrying value | Notional amount | Carrying value | Notional amount | Carrying value | Notional amount | |||||
| Sold | Liabilities Assets |
Purchased | Sold | Assets | Liabilities | Purchased | Sold | Assets | Liabilities | Purchased | Sold | |
| 380 492 | 377 541 | 736 426 |
25 223 | 25 223 | 650 | 2 610 | 25 711 | 25 647 | 28 | 144 | 2 749 | 2 749 |
| 217 557 | 214 711 | 736 426 |
25 223 | 25 223 | 642 | 2 600 | 25 525 | 25 525 | 28 | 144 | 2 749 | 2 749 |
| 148 425 | 149 039 | 736 426 |
25 223 | 25 223 | 642 | 2 600 | 25 525 | 25 525 | 28 | 144 | 2 749 | 2 749 |
| 1 880 | 2 385 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 879 | 13 727 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 54 374 | 49 560 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 125 336 | 126 203 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 7 | 10 | 186 | 122 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 419 | 17 394 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 95 689 | 95 268 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 7 | 9 | 155 | 91 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 284 | 284 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 944 | 13 257 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 162 | 31 912 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 120 | 30 120 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 042 | 1 793 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 826 | 4 104 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 826 | 4 104 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 611 | 611 | 0 | 0 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* Including hedges of net investments in foreign operations.
Various micro-hedging techniques in accordance with the principles of IAS 39 to limit volatility:
º Fair value hedges: used in certain asset-swap constructions. Using this technique, the interest rate risk attached to a bond is hedged for investments that were made purely on account of the credit spread. The technique is also applied when certain fixed-term debt instruments are issued by the bank (senior debt issues).
| Estimated cashflows from cashflow hedging derivatives (in millions of EUR) | Inflow | Outflow |
|---|---|---|
| Not more than three months | 20 | -20 |
| More than three but not more than six months | 30 | -57 |
| More than six months but not more than one year | 97 | -132 |
| More than one but not more than two years | 171 | -369 |
| More than two but not more than five years | 446 | -987 |
| More than five years | 1 289 | -2 405 |
| (in millions of EUR) 31-12-2013 |
31-12-2014 |
|---|---|
| Total 1 233 |
1 480 |
| Debtors arising out of direct insurance operations 322 |
349 |
| Debtors arising out of reinsurance operations 30 |
13 |
| Other debtors and called capital as yet unpaid 0 |
0 |
| Deposits with ceding companies 13 |
13 |
| Income receivable (other than interest income from financial assets) 370 |
281 |
| Other 498 |
824 |
| (in millions of EUR) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| CURRENT TAXES | ||
| Current tax assets | 242 | 88 |
| Current tax liabilities | 109 | 98 |
| DEFERRED TAXES | 1 072 | 1 127 |
| Deferred tax assets by type of temporary difference | 1 856 | 2 279 |
| Employee benefits | 117 | 198 |
| Losses carried forward | 660 | 540 |
| Tangible and intangible fixed assets | 45 | 48 |
| Provisions for risks and charges | 25 | 53 |
| Impairment for losses on loans and advances | 309 | 230 |
| Financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss and fair value hedges | 296 | 267 |
| Fair value changes, available-for-sale assets, cashflow hedges and hedges of net investments in foreign operations | 342 | 844 |
| Technical provisions | 36 | 33 |
| Other | 26 | 65 |
| Deferred tax liabilities by type of temporary difference | 784 | 1 152 |
| Employee benefits | 6 | 2 |
| Losses carried forward | 0 | 0 |
| Tangible and intangible fixed assets | 103 | 101 |
| Provisions for risks and charges | 0 | 1 |
| Impairment for losses on loans and advances | 17 | 7 |
| Financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss and fair value hedges | 45 | 48 |
| Fair value changes, available-for-sale assets, cashflow hedges and hedges of net investments in foreign operations | 454 | 776 |
| Technical provisions | 87 | 126 |
| Other | 72 | 89 |
| Recognised as a net amount in the balance sheet as follows: | ||
| Deferred tax assets | 1 481 | 1 726 |
| Deferred tax liabilities | 409 | 599 |
| Unused tax losses and unused tax credits* | 1 204 | 1 283 |
* 2013 figure restated.
advances (-20 million euros), financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss (-15 million euros), provisions for risks and charges (+29 million euros));
the increase in deferred tax assets owing to changes in the revaluation reserve for hedges of net investments in foreign operations: +55 million euros.
The change in deferred tax liabilities was accounted for chiefly by:
| (in millions of EUR) | ||
|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) 31-12-2013 |
31-12-2014 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 182 | 204 |
| Overview of investments, including goodwill | ||
| CˇMSS | 175 | 175 |
| Other | 7 | 28 |
| Goodwill on associated companies and joint ventures | ||
| Gross amount | 0 | 0 |
| Accumulated impairment | 0 | 0 |
| Breakdown by type | ||
| Unlisted | 182 | 204 |
| Listed | 0 | 0 |
| Fair value of investments in listed associated companies and joint ventures | 0 | 0 |
| MOVEMENTS TABLE | 2013 | 2014 |
| Opening balance (1 January) | 212 | 182 |
| Acquisitions | 0 | 0 |
| Carrying value, transfers | 0 | 0 |
| Share in the result for the period | 30 | 25 |
| Capital increase | 0 | 0 |
| Dividends paid | -41 | -30 |
| Share of gains and losses not recognised in the income statement | -5 | 11 |
| Translation differences | -14 | 0 |
| Changes in goodwill | 0 | 0 |
| Transfers to or from non-current assets held for sale and disposal groups | 0 | 0 |
| Other movements | 0 | 16 |
| Closing balance (31 December) | 182 | 204 |
Financial liabilities: 3 044 (3 047)
Non-financial liabilities: 47 (48)
| (in millions of EUR) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Property and equipment | 2 457 | 2 278 | |||
| Investment property | 598 | 568 | |||
| Rental income | 74 | 66 | |||
| Direct operating expenses from investments generating rental income | 39 | 18 | |||
| Direct operating expenses from investments not generating rental income | 1 | 1 | |||
| Total property | |||||
| Land and | Other | and | Investment | ||
| MOVEMENTS TABLE | buildings | IT equipment | equipment | equipment | property |
| 2013 | |||||
| Opening balance | 1 454 | 151 | 965 | 2 571 | 638 |
| Acquisitions | 20 | 48 | 385 | 452 | 21 |
| Disposals | -5 | -1 | -162 | -168 | -18 |
| Depreciation | -76 | -65 | -28 | -169 | -27 |
| Impairment | |||||
| Recognised | -23 | 0 | 0 | -23 | -24 |
| Reversed | 7 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Transfers to or from non-current assets held for sale and disposal groups | -4 | 0 | 0 | -5 | 0 |
| Translation differences | -24 | 0 | -8 | -32 | -1 |
| Changes in the scope of consolidation | 14 | 1 | 0 | 15 | -11 |
| Other movements | -1 | -2 | -190 | -192 | 20 |
| Closing balance | 1 362 | 133 | 962 | 2 457 | 598 |
| of which accumulated depreciation and impairment | 1 131 | 333 | 592 | 2 056 | 310 |
| of which expenditure on items in the course of construction | 25 | 8 | 22 | 55 | – |
| of which finance lease as a lessee | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Fair value 31-12-2013 | – | – | – | – | 711 |
| 2014 | |||||
| Opening balance | 1 362 | 133 | 962 | 2 457 | 598 |
| Acquisitions | 78 | 42 | 321 | 441 | 19 |
| Disposals | -152 | -1 | -126 | -279 | -49 |
| Depreciation | -72 | -55 | -27 | -154 | -28 |
| Impairment | |||||
| Recognised | -1 | -6 | -1 | -8 | 0 |
| Reversed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Transfers to or from non-current assets held for sale and disposal groups | -20 | 0 | 0 | -20 | 0 |
| Translation differences | -4 | -1 | -2 | -7 | 0 |
| Changes in the scope of consolidation | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 33 |
| Other movements | 2 | -1 | -163 | -162 | -5 |
| Closing balance | 1 202 | 111 | 965 | 2 278 | 568 |
| of which accumulated depreciation and impairment | 1 142 | 338 | 624 | 2 104 | 328 |
| of which expenditure on items in the course of construction | 31 | 9 | 22 | 62 | – |
| of which finance lease as a lessee | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Fair value 31-12-2014 | – | – | – | – | 716 |
primarily on the capitalisation of the estimated rental value and on unit prices of similar real property. Account is taken of all the market inputs available on the date of the assessment (including location and market situation, type of building and construction, state of repair, use, etc.).
• Certain other investment property is valued annually by in-house specialists based on the current annual rental per building and expected rental movements and on an individual capitalisation rate per building.
| Software developed |
Software developed |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | Goodwill | in-house | externally | Other | Total |
| 2013 | |||||
| Opening balance | 987 | 191 | 117 | 27 | 1 322 |
| Acquisitions | 0 | 55 | 57 | 4 | 116 |
| Disposals | 0 | -17 | -5 | -1 | -24 |
| Adjustment resulting from subsequent identification | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Amortisation | 0 | -51 | -44 | -4 | -99 |
| Impairment | |||||
| Recognised | -7 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -9 |
| Reversed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Transfers to or from non-current assets held for sale and disposal groups | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Translation differences | -24 | 0 | -1 | -1 | -26 |
| Changes in the scope of consolidation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other movements | -6 | 2 | 14 | -14 | -4 |
| Closing balance | 950 | 180 | 138 | 9 | 1 276 |
| of which accumulated amortisation and impairment | 1 202 | 420 | 571 | 52 | 2 245 |
| 2014 | |||||
| Opening balance | 950 | 180 | 138 | 9 | 1 276 |
| Acquisitions | 0 | 56 | 91 | 6 | 153 |
| Disposals | 0 | -16 | -5 | -7 | -28 |
| Adjustment resulting from subsequent identification | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Amortisation | 0 | -59 | -50 | -1 | -110 |
| Impairment | |||||
| Recognised | 0 | -22 | -1 | 0 | -23 |
| Reversed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Transfers to or from non-current assets held for sale and disposal groups | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Translation differences | -16 | 0 | -2 | 0 | -18 |
| Changes in the scope of consolidation | 0 | 0 | -8 | 0 | -8 |
| Other movements | -1 | 26 | -8 | 0 | 17 |
| Closing balance | 933 | 165 | 153 | 7 | 1 258 |
| of which accumulated amortisation and impairment | 1 202 | 497 | 567 | 52 | 2 318 |
future performances in the respective markets and the global macroeconomic environment. The terminal growth rate is determined using a long-term average market growth rate. The present value of these future cashflows is calculated using a post-tax compound discount rate which is based on the capital asset pricing model (CAPM). A risk-free rate, a market-risk premium (multiplied by an activity beta), and a country risk premium (to reflect the impact of the economic situation of the country where KBC is active) are also used in the calculation. KBC has developed two distinct discounted cashflow models, viz. a bank model and an insurance model. Free cashflows in both cases are the dividends that can be paid out to the company's shareholders, account taken of the minimum capital requirements.
| specific period of cashflow projections |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodwill outstanding (in millions of EUR) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
| K&H Bank | 232 | 219 | 13.9%–10.2% | 11.6%–8.0% |
| Cˇ SOB (Czech Republic) | 232 | 229 | 8.9%–8.6% | 8.4%–7.8% |
| Cˇ SOB (Slovakia) | 191 | 191 | 9.9%–9.1% | 8.9%–8.1% |
| CIBANK | 117 | 117 | 11.1%–9.4% | 9.3%–7.7% |
| DZI Insurance | 108 | 108 | 10.6%–8.9% | 9.4%–8.1% |
| Rest | 70 | 69 | – | – |
| Total | 950 | 933 | – | – |
Discount rates throughout the
| Change in key assumptions1 | Increase in discountrate2 |
Decrease in terminal growth rate3 |
Increase in targeted solvency ratio4 |
Decrease in annual net profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cˇ SOB (Slovakia) | 1.0% | 2.8% | 1.0% | 3.8% |
| CIBANK | 2.2% | – | 3.3% | 11.3% |
| DZI Insurance | 4.1% | 2.1% | 59.8% | 9.6% |
1 Needless to say account should be taken of the fact that a change in these assumptions could affect other assumptions used to calculate the recoverable amount.
2 The discount rate for the first year was increased in absolute terms by the percentage shown. Pursuant to the way in which discount rates (or changes in discount rates) are modelled, the increase in the discount rate for the first year is gradually and diminishingly carried forward as (higher) discount rates for the years ahead.
3 Decrease in absolute terms. Not relevant for CIBANK as it would mean that the terminal growth rate will be negative. Note that the valuation of the banking entities is less sensitive to changes in this growth rate than the valuation of the insurance entities since the weighting of the terminal growth rate is lower in the model for banking entities.
4 Presented as the absolute increase in the tier-1 capital ratio for the banking entities and as the relative increase in the internal solvency ratio targeted by the insurance entity.
| (in millions of EUR) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical provisions (before reinsurance) (i.e. gross figures) | 18 701 | 18 934 | ||
| Insurance contracts | 9 183 | 9 757 | ||
| Provision for unearned premiums and unexpired risk | 561 | 603 | ||
| Life insurance provision | 5 788 | 6 274 | ||
| Provision for claims outstanding | 2 324 | 2 360 | ||
| Provision for profit sharing and rebates | 22 | 18 | ||
| Other technical provisions | 487 | 502 | ||
| Investment contracts with DPF | 9 518 | 9 176 | ||
| Life insurance provision | 9 421 | 9 080 | ||
| Provision for claims outstanding | 0 | 0 | ||
| Provision for profit sharing and rebates | 97 | 96 | ||
| Reinsurers' share | 146 | 194 | ||
| Insurance contracts | 146 | 194 | ||
| Provision for unearned premiums and unexpired risk | 1 | 2 | ||
| Life insurance provision | 1 | 1 | ||
| Provision for claims outstanding | 144 | 192 | ||
| Provision for profit sharing and rebates | 0 | 0 | ||
| Other technical provisions | 0 | 0 | ||
| Investment contracts with DPF | 0 | 0 | ||
| Life insurance provision | 0 | 0 | ||
| Provision for claims outstanding | 0 | 0 | ||
| Provision for profit sharing and rebates | 0 | 0 | ||
| MOVEMENTS TABLE | Gross 2013 | Reinsurance 2013 | Gross 2014 | Reinsurance 2014 |
| INSURANCE CONTRACTS, LIFE | ||||
| Opening balance | 6 177 | 2 | 6 261 | 2 |
| Deposits excluding fees | 629 | 0 | 647 | 0 |
| Provisions paid | -517 | 0 | -547 | 0 |
| Accretion of interest | 197 | 0 | 225 | 0 |
| Cost of profit sharing | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Exchange differences | -109 | 0 | -27 | 0 |
| Transfers out of/into liabilities associated with disposal groups | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Changes in the scope of consolidation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other movements | -120 | 0 | 193 | 0 |
| Closing balance | 6 261 | 2 | 6 754 | 2 |
| INSURANCE CONTRACTS, NON-LIFE | ||||
| Opening balance | 2 633 | 135 | 2 922 | 144 |
| Changes in the provision for unearned premiums | 200 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| Payments regarding claims of previous years | -214 | -10 | -216 | -9 |
| Surplus/shortfall of claims provision in previous financial years | -99 | -1 | -131 | -22 |
| Provision for new claims | 325 | 9 | 370 | 100 |
| Exchange differences | -16 | -1 | -7 | 0 |
| Transfers out of/into liabilities associated with disposal groups | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Changes in the scope of consolidation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other movements | 94 | 13 | 32 | -21 |
| Closing balance | 2 922 | 144 | 3 004 | 192 |
| INVESTMENT CONTRACTS WITH DPF, LIFE | ||||
| Opening balance | 10 394 | 0 | 9 518 | 0 |
| Deposits excluding fees | 433 | 0 | 517 | 0 |
| Provisions paid | -948 | 0 | -859 | 0 |
| Accretion of interest | 195 | 0 | 199 | 0 |
| Cost of profit sharing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exchange differences | -4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Transfers out of/into liabilities associated with disposal groups | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Changes in the scope of consolidation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other movements | -551 | 0 | -199 | 0 |
| Closing balance | 9 518 | 0 | 9 176 | 0 |
mortality and morbidity rates, which are based on standard mortality tables and adapted where necessary to reflect the group's own experience;
expense assumptions, which are based on current expense levels and expense loadings;
| (in millions of EUR) | Provisions for restructuring |
Provisions for taxes and pending legal disputes |
Other | Subtotal | Provisions for off-balance sheet credit commitments |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | ||||||
| Opening balance | 23 | 305 | 105 | 433 | 92 | 525 |
| Movements with an impact on results | ||||||
| Amounts allocated | 5 | 17 | 22 | 44 | 63 | 107 |
| Amounts used | -9 | -13 | -2 | -24 | -9 | -33 |
| Unused amounts reversed | 0 | -2 | -4 | -7 | -59 | -66 |
| Transfers out of/into liabilities associated with disposal groups | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Changes in the scope of consolidation | 0 | 0 | -6 | -7 | 0 | -6 |
| Other movements | 1 | -14 | -17 | -31 | 25 | -5 |
| Closing balance | 19 | 292 | 98 | 409 | 114 | 523 |
| 2014 | ||||||
| Opening balance | 19 | 292 | 98 | 409 | 114 | 523 |
| Movements with an impact on results | ||||||
| Amounts allocated | 24 | 12 | 235 | 271 | 32 | 304 |
| Amounts used | -8 | -80 | -194 | -282 | -3 | -285 |
| Unused amounts reversed | -2 | -3 | -11 | -16 | -55 | -71 |
| Transfers out of/into liabilities associated with disposal groups | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Changes in the scope of consolidation | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Other movements | -2 | 4 | 16 | 18 | 61 | 79 |
| Closing balance | 32 | 225 | 144 | 402 | 158 | 560 |
• For most of the provisions recorded, no reasonable estimate can be made of when they will be used.
proceedings are conducted in the UK, documents and witness statements have since been exchanged, and this will be followed by an exchange of expert reports. A hearing is scheduled for 22 May 2015 to arrange proceedings, after which the case itself will be heard between 20 and 24 July 2015. An appropriate provision has been set aside to cover this risk.
law and under tax law. The Belgian State lodged an appeal with the Indictments Division in which the oral hearing was held on 13 January 2015. The court's ruling is expected on 31 March 2015. A suitable provision has been constituted to deal with the potential impact of claims for damages in this respect. The transfer of a cash company is in principle completely legitimate. Nevertheless, it later transpired that certain purchasers were acting in bad faith since they did not make any investments at all and did not file tax returns for the cash companies they had purchased. KBC Bank and KB Consult immediately took the necessary measures to preclude any further involvement with these parties. Referral to the criminal court does not in any way imply that any KBC entity has been convicted of an offence. KBC is fully defending its position in these cases, based, among other things, on the fact that, during the period in which the events took place, the legal entity was not liable to prosecution and, in particular, KBC was utterly lacking in criminal intent.
Madoff, sued KBC Investments before the bankruptcy court in New York to recover approximately 110 million US dollars' worth of transfers made to KBC entities. The basis for this claim was the subsequent transfers that KBC received from Harley International, a Madoff feeder fund established under the laws of the Cayman Islands. This claim is one of a whole set made by the trustee against several banks, hedge funds, feeder funds and investors. Among the issues being addressed by the district court, and presently being briefed, are the applicability of the Bankruptcy Code's 'safe harbor' and 'good defenses' rules to subsequent transferees such as KBC. KBC is participating in that briefing and, together with numerous other defendants, has filed motions for dismissal. District court Judge Jed Rakoff has already made several intermediate rulings in this matter, the most important of which are the rulings on extraterritoriality and good faith defences. On 27 April 2014, Judge Rakoff issued an opinion and order regarding the 'good faith' standard and pleading burden to be applied in the Picard/SIPA proceeding based on sections 548(b) and 559(b) of the Bankruptcy Code. As such the burden of proof that KBC should have been aware of the fraud perpetrated by Madoff in this matter is for Picard/SIPA. On 7 July 2014, Judge Rakoff ruled that Picard/ SIPA's reliance on section 550(a) does not allow for the recovery of subsequent transfers received abroad by a foreign transferee from a foreign transferor (as is the case for KBC). Therefore, the trustee's recovery claims have been dismissed to the extent that they seek to recover purely foreign transfers.
| (in millions of EUR) 31-12-2013 |
31-12-2014 |
|---|---|
| Total 2 983 |
2 629 |
| Breakdown by type | |
| Retirement benefit obligations or other employee benefits 397 |
657 |
| Deposits from reinsurers 80 |
67 |
| Accrued charges (other than from interest expenses on financial liabilities) 395 |
254 |
| Other 2 112 |
1 650 |
• For more information on retirement benefit obligations, see Note 38 (note that the amount recognised under 'Retirement benefit
obligations or other employee benefits' in Note 37 relates to a broader scope than the amounts presented in Note 38).
| DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS Reconciliation of defined benefit obligations Defined benefit obligations at the beginning of the period 2 191 2 034 Current service cost 108 98 Interest cost 53 63 Plan amendments Actuarial gain or loss resulting from changes in demographic assumptions -93 26 Actuarial gain or loss resulting from changes in financial assumptions -110 500 Past-service cost -2 -1 Benefits paid -119 -128 Exchange differences 0 7 Curtailments 0 -2 Transfers under IFRS 5 0 16 Changes in the scope of consolidation 0 0 Other 5 -3 Defined benefit obligations at the end of the period 2 034 2 610 Reconciliation of the fair value of plan assets Fair value of plan assets at the beginning of the period 1 765 1 818 Actual return on plan assets 60 283 43 57 Expected return on plan assets 85 87 Employer contributions Plan participant contributions 23 22 Benefits paid -119 -128 Exchange differences 1 6 Settlements 1 0 Transfers under IFRS 5 0 14 Changes in the scope of consolidation 0 0 Other 1 1 Fair value of plan assets at the end of the period 1 818 2 103 of which financial instruments issued by the group 10 25 of which property occupied by KBC 11 0 Funded status Plan assets in excess of defined benefit obligations -216 -507 Reimbursement rights 0 0 Asset ceiling limit 0 0 Unfunded accrued/prepaid pension cost -216 -507 Movement in net liabilities or net assets Unfunded accrued/prepaid pension cost at the beginning of the period -425 -216 Amounts recognised in the income statement -94 -79 206 -281 Amounts recognised in other comprehensive income Employer contributions 85 87 Exchange differences -1 -1 Transfers under IFRS 5 0 -2 Changes in the scope of consolidation 0 0 Other 14 -14 Unfunded accrued/prepaid pension cost at the end of the period -216 -507 |
(in millions of EUR) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Amounts recognised in the income statement | 94 | 79 |
| Current service cost | 108 | 98 |
| Past-service cost | -3 | -1 |
| Interest cost | 11 | 7 |
| Plan participant contributions | -22 | -22 |
| Curtailments | 0 | -2 |
| Settlements | 0 | 0 |
| Changes in the scope of consolidation | 0 | 0 |
| Changes to the amounts recognised in other comprehensive income | -206 | 281 |
| Actuarial gain or loss resulting from changes in demographic assumptions | -93 | 26 |
| Actuarial gain or loss resulting from changes in financial assumptions | -110 | 500 |
| Actuarial result on plan assets | -17 | -227 |
| Experience adjustments | -5 | -5 |
| Other | 19 | -14 |
| Principal actuarial assumptions used (based on weighted averages) | ||
| Discount rate | 3.0% | 1.6% |
| Expected rate of salary increase | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| Expected rate of inflation | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLANS | ||
| Expenses for defined contribution plans | 1 | 5 |
• The pension claims of the Belgian-based staff of the various KBC group companies are covered by pension funds and group insurance schemes. Retirement benefits that are actively accrued for the current workforce of KBC Bank, KBC Insurance and most of their Belgian subsidiaries are accrued exclusively through the KBC pension funds. Retirement benefits accrued through employer contributions are currently accrued primarily through a defined benefit plan, where the benefit is calculated based on the final salary of employees before they retire, the number of years they had been in the plan and a formula that applies a progressive rate scale. A defined contribution plan was introduced on 1 January 2014 for all new employees. In this plan, a contribution is deposited based on the current monthly salary and the amounts deposited are paid out together with the (guaranteed) return on retirement. Both types of pension plan are managed by the OFP Pensioenfonds KBC and the OFP Pensioenfonds Senior Management KBC, which use the services of KBC Asset
Management for the investment strategy. In addition, there are a number of closed group insurance schemes from the past that will continue to be funded, the main one being the plan for employees of KBC Insurance (a defined benefit plan for the period of employment up to 1 January 2007).
• KBC Bank Ireland participated in a fully funded defined benefit plan until 31 August 2012. As of that date, no additional pension rights will be accumulated under that plan for future years of service. Benefits accrued in the plan continue to be linked to future salary increases of the participants (i.e. it will be managed dynamically). The assets of the pension plan have been separated from the assets of the bank. The employees of KBC Finance Ireland and the Dublin branch of KBC Bank are also signed up to this pension plan. The retirement benefits are calculated using a mathematical formula that takes account of age, salary and the length of time the participant was signed up.
| Additional information regarding retirement benefit obligations | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
| Changes in main headings in the main table | |||||
| Defined benefit obligations | 1 645 | 1 823 | 2 191 | 2 034 | 2 610 |
| Fair value of plan assets | 1 439 | 1 557 | 1 765 | 1 818 | 2 103 |
| Unfunded accrued/prepaid pension cost | -437 | -372 | -425 | -216 | -507 |
| Impact of changes in the assumptions used in the actuarial calculation of plan assets and retirement benefit obligations* |
|||||
| Impact on plan assets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Impact on retirement benefit obligations | -84 | -76 | 213 | -85 | -135 |
*Arising from defined benefit plans. A plus sign signifies a positive impact, a minus sign a negative impact.
| KBC Insurance group insurance | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| KBC pension fund | scheme | KBC Bank Ireland pension plan | |
| Composition (31-12-2013) | |||
| Shares | 40% | 10% | 57% |
| Bonds | 44% | 90% | 32% |
| Real estate | 12% | 0% | 2% |
| Cash | 4% | 0% | 9% |
| of which illiquid assets | 12% | 0% | 2% |
| Composition (31-12-2014) | |||
| Shares | 39% | 10% | 36% |
| Bonds | 51% | 89% | 42% |
| Real estate | 9% | 0% | 3% |
| Cash | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Investment funds | 0% | 0% | 18% |
| of which illiquid assets | 3% | 0% | 0% |
| Contributions expected in 2015 | |||
| (in millions of EUR) | 70 | 2 | 3 |
| Nature of pension plan benefits | Capital at retirement age. Death benefit in case of death during active career. Monthly annuity payment in case of work disability. |
Capital at retirement age. | Life-long annuity at retirement age. The pension fund was closed on 30 August 2012. Accrued benefits continue to be linked to future salary increases. |
| Regulatory framework | incorporated into a set of regulations. Annual reporting of funding levels to | Pension plans are registered in collective labour agreements and supervisory authorities (FSMA/NBB). Any underfunding must be reported immediately to the supervisory authorities. |
Regulated by the Irish Pensions Board. Funding level calculated every year and certified every three years. Any underfunding must be reported immediately to the Irish Pensions Board. |
| Responsibilities of KBC | To pay adequate contributions in accordance with the plan's funding agreement. To fund the pension plan. To provide annual pension statements to plan participants. To provide information following exit from the plan. |
To pay adequate contributions in accordance with the plan's funding agreement. |
|
| Risks for KBC | Investment risk and inflation risk. | Investment risk. | |
| ALM policy | The hedging portfolio hedges against interest rate risk and inflation risk using interest rate swaps. The return portfolio aims to generate an extra return. |
Investments in leveraged LDI pooled funds and a greater level of diversification by reducing the overall exposure to shares. |
|
| Plan amendments | An employer-funded defined contribution plan was introduced on 1 January 2014. All employees joining the company from that date are signed up to this new plan, while all those who were already employed on 31 December 2013 remain signed up to the defined benefit plan unless they chose to switch to the new one. |
The trustees agreed to reduce participants' benefits by 0.75% for 2014 to account for the payment of the pension levy enacted by the Irish government. |
|
| Funding | Contributions to the plan are calculated using the projected unit method. |
Contributions to the plan are calculated using the projected unit method. The pension fund was closed on 30 August 2012. No further accrual of future years of service. |
|
| Curtailments and settlements | Not applicable. | The trustees agreed to reduce participants' benefits by 0.75% for 2014 to account for the payment of the pension levy enacted by the Irish government. |
|
| Discounting method | Based on iBoxx quotes for various time buckets of AA-rated corporate bonds. The resulting yield curve is converted into a zero coupon curve. As of year 16, extrapolation is applied to flatten the curve for maturities of 20 years and longer. |
The Mercer method starts from a self-composed basket of corporate bonds with AAA, AA and A ratings. A spread is deducted from the bonds with an A rating in order to obtain the equivalent of an AA-rated cor porate bond. After conversion to the zero coupon format using extrapola tion for long maturities, the equiva lent discount rate is determined. |
| KBC pension fund | KBC Insurance group insurance scheme |
KBC Bank Ireland pension plan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key actuarial assumptions | |||
| Average discount rate | 1.61% | 1.68% | 2.35% |
| Expected rate of salary increase | 3.00% | 2.73% | 2.50% |
| Expected inflation rate | 2.00% | 2.00% | 1.50% |
| Expected rate of increase in pensions | – | – | 1.50% |
| Average duration of the obligations | 14.83 years | 12.36 years | 17 years |
| Weighted average duration of the obligations | 12.96 years | 12.97 years | 27 years |
| Impact of changes in the assumptions used in the actuarial calculation of the retirement obligations |
|||
| Increase in the retirement obligations on 31-12-2014 consequent on: |
|||
| a decrease of 1% in the discount rate | 14.32% | 12.30% | 31.39% |
| an increase of 1% in the expected inflation rate | 11.81% | 11.75% | 23.58% |
| an increase that is 1% higher than the expected rate of increase in salary |
15.14% | 25.12% | 8.44% |
| the age of retirement being 65 for all active employees |
2.23% | 0.94% | – |
| an increase of one year in life expectancy | – | – | 2.98% |
| The impact of the following assumptions has not been calculated: |
Decreasing mortality rates. Pension benefits are paid out in capital so longevity risk is immaterial. Staff turnover rates, since the expected rate is very low. |
Not applicable. |
| KBC pension fund | |
|---|---|
| Contributions expected in 2015 (in millions of EUR) | 20 |
| Nature of pension plan benefits | Capital at retirement age. Vested rights are paid out on death. |
| Regulatory framework | Pursuant to the Belgian Supplementary Pensions Act, the employer must guarantee a minimum return of 3.75% on employee contributions. |
| Responsibilities of KBC | To provide information following exit from the plan. To deposit employee contributions at the pension institution. |
| Risks for KBC | Investment risk. |
| Funding | Contributions to the plan are calculated using the fixed component liability method. |
| Discounting method | Based on iBoxx quotes for various time buckets of AA-rated corporate bonds. The resulting yield curve is converted into a zero coupon curve. As of year 16, extrapolation is applied to flatten the curve for maturities of 20 years and longer. |
| Key actuarial assumptions | |
| Average discount rate | 1.46% |
| Expected rate of salary increase | – |
| Expected inflation rate | – |
| Expected rate of increase in pensions | – |
| Average duration of the obligations | 11.42 years |
| Weighted average duration of the obligations | 11.38 years |
| Impact of changes in the assumptions used in the ac tuarial calculation of the retirement benefit obligations |
|
| Increase in the retirement benefit obligations on 31-12-2014 consequent on: |
|
| a decrease of 1% in the discount rate | 10.15% |
| an increase of 1% in the expected inflation rate | – |
| an increase that is 1% higher than the expected real increase in salary |
– |
| the age of retirement being 65 for all active employees |
2.04% |
| an increase of one year in life expectancy | – |
| Quantities | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary shares | 417 364 358 | 417 780 658 |
| of which ordinary shares that entitle the holder to a dividend payment | 417 364 358 | 417 780 658 |
| of which treasury shares | 802 | 488 |
| Mandatorily convertible bonds | 0 | 0 |
| Non-voting core-capital securities | 79 096 044 | 67 796 608 |
| Additional information | ||
| Par value per share (in EUR) | 3.48 | 3.48 |
| Number of shares issued but not fully paid up | 0 | 0 |
| MOVEMENTS TABLE Quantities | Ordinary shares | Non-voting core-capital securities |
| 2013 | ||
| Opening balance | 416 967 355 | 118 644 067 |
| Issue of shares | 397 003 | – |
| Reimbursement of core-capital securities | – | -39 548 023 |
| Closing balance | 417 364 358 | 79 096 044 |
| 2014 | ||
| Opening balance | 417 364 358 | 79 096 044 |
| Issue of shares | 416 300 | – |
| Reimbursement of core-capital securities | – | -11 299 436 |
| Closing balance | 417 780 658 | 67 796 608 |
Federal Government (see balance sheet at year-end 2012). On 3 July 2013, KBC repaid 1.17 billion euros (plus a 50% penalty) to the Flemish Regional Government (see balance sheet at year-end 2013). On 8 January 2014, KBC repaid 0.33 billion euros (plus a 50% penalty) to the Flemish Regional Government (see balance sheet at year-end 2014). KBC aims to pay back the remaining balance of 2 billion euros (plus penalties) by the end of 2017 at the latest (subject to the customary approval of the regulator).
| (in millions of EUR) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Credit commitments – undrawn amount | ||
| Given | 24 463 | 31 520 |
| Irrevocable | 16 048 | 17 520 |
| Revocable | 8 415 | 14 000 |
| Received | 91 | 33 |
| Financial guarantees | ||
| Given | 10 397 | 9 985 |
| Guarantees/collateral received | 35 738 | 30 385 |
| For impaired and past due assets | 2 774 | 1 741 |
| For assets that are not impaired or past due | 32 964 | 28 644 |
| Other commitments | ||
| Given | 7 | 186 |
| Irrevocable | 7 | 186 |
| Revocable | 0 | 0 |
| Received | 0 | 0 |
| Carrying value of financial assets pledged by KBC as collateral | ||
| For liabilities* | 25 655 | 30 841 |
| For contingent liabilities | 2 657 | 3 969 |
* At year-end 2014, some 9.2 billion euros' worth of residential mortgage loans and cash collections were entered in the cover asset register for the special estate of the covered bond programme (8.1 billion euros at year-end 2013). More information on covered bonds is provided under 'Liquidity risk' in the 'Risk management' section.
Since these companies are included in the scope of consolidation, this is an intragroup transaction and the guarantee is not included in the above table.
• There is an obligation to return collateral received (which may be sold or repledged in the absence of default by the owner; see table) in its original form, or possibly in cash. Collateral can be called in if loans are terminated for various reasons such as default or bankruptcy. In the event of bankruptcy, the collateral will be sold by the receiver. In other cases, the bank will organise the foreclosure itself or take possession of the collateral. Collateral received that relates to OTC derivatives is primarily cash, which is recognised by KBC on the balance sheet (and is not included in the table). More details are provided in Note 22.
| (which may be sold or repledged in the absence of default by the owner) | Fair value of collateral sold or | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | Fair value of collateral received | repledged | ||
| 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 | |
| Financial assets | 8 818 | 15 450 | 6 603 | 5 208 |
| Equity instruments | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Debt instruments | 8 630 | 15 297 | 6 603 | 5 208 |
| Loans and advances | 185 | 146 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Property and equipment | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Investment property | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-current assets held for sale | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Property and equipment | 0 | 0 |
| Investment property | 1 | 2 |
| Equity instruments and debt securities | 0 | 0 |
| Cash | 173 | 89 |
| Other | 25 | 26 |
| Total | 201 | 118 |
| (in millions of EUR) | |
|---|---|
| (in millions of EUR) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Finance lease receivables | ||
| Gross investment in finance leases, receivable | 4 652 | 4 774 |
| At not more than one year | 1 119 | 1 133 |
| At more than one but not more than five years | 2 320 | 2 376 |
| At more than five years | 1 213 | 1 265 |
| Unearned future finance income on finance leases | 651 | 636 |
| Net investment in finance leases | 4 044 | 4 138 |
| At not more than one year | 978 | 999 |
| At more than one but not more than five years | 2 046 | 2 105 |
| At more than five years | 1 020 | 1 034 |
| of which unguaranteed residual values accruing to the benefit of the lessor | 22 | 23 |
| Accumulated impairment for uncollectable lease payments receivable | 137 | 120 |
| Contingent rents recognised in the income statement | 105 | 101 |
| Operating lease receivables | ||
| Future aggregate minimum rentals receivable under non-cancellable operating leases | 429 | 407 |
| At not more than one year | 135 | 148 |
| At more than one but not more than five years | 277 | 250 |
| At more than five years | 17 | 9 |
| Contingent rents recognised in the income statement | 1 | 1 |
• There are no significant cases in which KBC is the lessee in operating or finance leases.
• Pursuant to IFRIC 4, no operating or finance leases contained in other contracts were identified.
• Finance leases: KBC provides most finance leases through separate companies operating mainly in Belgium and Central Europe. It offers finance lease products ranging from equipment and vehicle leasing to real estate leasing. In Belgium, finance leases are typically sold through KBC group's branch network, and that channel is becoming increasingly important in Central Europe, too.
• Operating leases: involve primarily full service car leases, which are sold through the KBC Bank and CBC Banque branch network and through an internal sales team. Full service car leasing activities are being further developed in Central Europe, too.
| 2013 | 2014 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transactions with related parties, excluding key management (in millions of EUR) |
Subsidiaries | companies Associated |
es Joint ventur |
Flemish Reg ion |
Other | Total | Subsidiaries | companies Associated |
es Joint ventur |
Flemish Reg ion |
Other | Total |
| Assets | 299 | 118 | 97 | 852 | 44 | 1 410 | 207 | 233 | 81 | 548 | 179 | 1 248 |
| Loans and advances | 85 | 55 | 87 | 0 | 41 | 268 | 70 | 159 | 64 | 0 | 175 | 467 |
| Current account advances | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 145 | 145 |
| Term loans | 85 | 55 | 86 | 0 | 33 | 259 | 69 | 158 | 64 | 0 | 30 | 322 |
| Finance leases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Consumer credit | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mortgage loans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equity instruments | 131 | 39 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 176 | 136 | 68 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 221 |
| Held for trading | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investment securities | 131 | 39 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 175 | 136 | 68 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 221 |
| Other amounts receivable | 83 | 24 | 5 | 852 | 3 | 967 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 548 | 4 | 560 |
| Liabilities | 535 | 124 | 878 | 0 | 146 | 1 683 | 547 | 123 | 782 | 0 | 184 | 1 636 |
| Deposits | 531 | 14 | 823 | 0 | 142 | 1 509 | 543 | 15 | 782 | 0 | 181 | 1 522 |
| Deposits | 528 | 14 | 823 | 0 | 142 | 1 507 | 543 | 15 | 782 | 0 | 181 | 1 522 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other financial liabilities | 0 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Debt certificates | 0 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Subordinated liabilities | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share-based payments (granted) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Share-based payments (exercised) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other liabilities | 4 | 110 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 119 | 3 | 108 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 114 |
| Income statement | 11 | -4 | -7 | 25 | 26 | 50 | -3 | -1 | -10 | 24 | -6 | 3 |
| Net interest income | 5 | -1 | -9 | 25 | 31 | 50 | 3 | 0 | -8 | 24 | 0 | 20 |
| Earned premiums, insurance (before reinsurance) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dividend income | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Net fee and commission income | 2 | -1 | -4 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | -1 | -3 | 0 | -2 | -6 |
| Other net income | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| General administrative expenses | -18 | -4 | 0 | 0 | -5 | -27 | -11 | -6 | 0 | 0 | -7 | -25 |
| Guarantees | ||||||||||||
| Guarantees issued by the group | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Guarantees received by the group | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| (in millions of EUR)* | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Total* | 10 | 11 |
| Breakdown by type of remuneration | ||
| Short-term employee benefits | 9 | 9 |
| Post-employment benefits | 1 | 2 |
| Defined benefit plans | 1 | 2 |
| Defined contribution plans | 0 | 0 |
| Other long-term employee benefits | 0 | 0 |
| Termination benefits | 0 | 1 |
| Share-based payments | 0 | 0 |
| Stock options (units) | ||
| At the beginning of the period | 0 | 0 |
| Granted | 0 | 0 |
| Exercised | 0 | 0 |
| Composition-related changes | 0 | 0 |
| At the end of the period | 0 | 0 |
| Advances and loans granted to key management and partners | 3 | 3 |
* Remuneration to directors or partners of the consolidating company on the basis of their activity in that company, its subsidiaries and associated companies, including the amount of retirement pensions granted to former directors or partners on that basis.
In 2014, KBC Group NV and its subsidiaries paid Ernst & Young Bedrijfsrevisoren BCVBA fees amounting to a total of 9 621 322 euros for standard audit services (10 228 937 euros in 2013). Remuneration paid for other services came to 1 628 013 euros in 2014 (1 108 435 euros in 2013) and comprised 979 261 euros for other certifications, 92 868 euros for tax advice and 555 884 euros for other non-audit assignments (843 664, 50 994 and 213 777 euros, respectively, in 2013).
In 2014, KBC Group NV alone paid Ernst & Young Bedrijfsrevisoren BCVBA fees of 149 124 euros for standard audit services. Remuneration paid for non-standard audit services came to 113 144 euros.
The KBC group's legal structure has one single entity – KBC Group NV – in control of two underlying companies, viz. KBC Bank NV and KBC Insurance NV, each of which has several subsidiaries and subsubsidiaries.
| Share of capital | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company | held at group | Business | |||
| Company | Registered office | number | level (in %) | unit3 | Activity |
| KBC Bank: subsidiaries that are fully consolidated | |||||
| KBC Bank NV | Brussels – BE | 0462.920.226 | 100.00 | BEL/GRP | credit institution |
| Almafin Real Estate NV | Brussels – BE | 0403.355.494 | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Almafin Real Estate Services NV | Brussels – BE | 0416.030.525 | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Immo Arenberg NV | Brussels – BE | 0471.901.337 | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Antwerp Diamond Bank NV | Antwerp – BE | 0404.465.551 | 100.00 | GRP | credit institution |
| ADB Asia Pacific Limited | Singapore – SG | -- | 100.00 | GRP | credit institution |
| Banque Diamantaire (Suisse) SA | Geneva – CH | -- | 100.00 | GRP | credit institution |
| Apitri NV | Brussels – BE | 0469.889.873 | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| CBC Banque SA | Brussels – BE | 0403.211.380 | 100.00 | BEL | credit institution |
| Cˇeskoslovenská Obchodná Banka a.s. | Bratislava – SK | -- | 100.00 | IMA | credit institution |
| Cˇ SOB Centrála, s.r.o. | Bratislava – SK | -- | 100.00 | IMA | facilities management and support services |
| Cˇ SOB Factoring a.s. | Bratislava – SK | -- | 100.00 | IMA | factoring |
| Cˇ SOB Leasing a.s. | Bratislava – SK | -- | 100.00 | IMA | leasing |
| Cˇ SOB Leasing Poist'ovaci Maklér s.r.o. | Bratislava – SK | -- | 100.00 | IMA | leasing support |
| Cˇ SOB Stavebná Sporitel'nˇ a a.s. | Bratislava – SK | -- | 100.00 | IMA | building society |
| Cˇeskoslovenská Obchodní Banka a.s. | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | credit institution |
| Bankovní Informacˇní Technologie s.r.o. | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | automatic data processing |
| Centrum Radlická a.s. | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | real estate |
| Cˇ SOB Advisory a.s. | |||||
| Cˇ SOB Factoring a.s. | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | investment administration |
| Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | factoring | |
| Cˇ SOB Leasing a.s. | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | leasing |
| Cˇ SOB Leasing Pojist'ovaci Maklér s.r.o. | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | leasing support |
| Cˇ SOB Penzijní spolecˇnost a.s. | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | pension insurance fund |
| Cˇ SOB Property Fund a.s. | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | real estate fund |
| Merrion Properties a.s. | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | real estate |
| Hypotecˇní banka a.s. | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | mortgage credit institution |
| Radlice Rozvojava a.s. | Prague - CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | real estate |
| CIBANK EAD | Sofia – BG | -- | 100.00 | IMA | credit institution |
| Management of Assets for Sale – 2 EOOD | Sofia – BG | -- | 100.00 | IMA | real estate |
| Katarino Spa Hotel EAD | Sofia – BG | -- | 100.00 | IMA | real estate |
| IIB Finance Ireland | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | GRP | holding company |
| KBC Finance Ireland | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | GRP | lending |
| KBC Financial Services (Ireland) Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | GRP | holding company |
| Immo-Quinto NV | Brussels – BE | 0466.000.470 | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Julienne Holdings S.à.r.l. | Luxembourg – LU | -- | 93.00 | BEL | holding company |
| Julie LH BVBA | Brussels – BE | 0890.935.201 | 93.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Juliette FH BVBA | Brussels – BE | 0890.935.397 | 93.00 | BEL | real estate |
| KBC Asset Management NV | Brussels – BE | 0469.444.267 | 100.00 | BEL | asset management |
| KBC Asset Management SA | Luxembourg – LU | -- | 100.00 | BEL | asset management |
| KBC Fund Management Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | BEL | asset management |
| KBC Participations Renta B | Luxembourg – LU | -- | 100.00 | BEL | asset management |
| KBC Participations Renta C | Luxembourg – LU | -- | 100.00 | BEL | asset management |
| Cˇ SOB Asset Management, a.s., Investicˇní Spolecˇnost | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | asset management |
| KBC Participations Renta SA | Luxembourg – LU | -- | 100.00 | BEL | asset management |
| KBC Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych a.s. | Warsaw – PL | -- | 100.00 | IMA | asset management |
| KBC Bank Ireland Plc. | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | credit institution |
| Boar Lane Nominee (Number 1) Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | * |
| Boar Lane Nominee (Number 2) Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | * |
| Boar Lane Nominee (Number 3) Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | * |
| Danube Holdings Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | real estate |
| Fermion Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | mortgages management |
| Glare Nominee Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | * |
| IIB Finance Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | commercial and financial services |
| IIB Asset Finance Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | leasing |
| IIB Commercial Finance Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | leasing |
| IIB Leasing Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | leasing |
| Lease Services Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | leasing |
| IIB Homeloans and Finance Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | holding company |
| KBC Homeloans and Finance Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | holding company |
| Premier Homeloans Limited | Surrey – GB | -- | 100.00 | IMA | home loans |
| Company | Share of capital held at group |
Business | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company | Registered office | number | level (in %) | unit3 | Activity |
| Intercontinental Finance | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | leasing |
| Irish Homeloans and Finance Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | real estate |
| KBC ACS Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | * |
| KBC Mortgage Finance | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | mortgage financing |
| KBC Nominees Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | * |
| Linkway Developments Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | * |
| Merrion Commercial Leasing Limited | Surrey – GB | -- | 100.00 | IMA | leasing |
| Merrion Equipment Finance Limited | Surrey – GB | -- | 100.00 | IMA | * |
| Merrion Leasing Assets Limited | Surrey – GB | -- | 100.00 | IMA | * |
| Merrion Leasing Finance Limited | Surrey – GB | -- | 100.00 | IMA | * |
| Merrion Leasing Industrial Limited | Surrey – GB | -- | 100.00 | IMA | * |
| Merrion Leasing Limited | Surrey – GB | -- | 100.00 | IMA | * |
| Merrion Leasing Services Limited | Surrey – GB | -- | 100.00 | IMA | leasing |
| Monastersky Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | holding company |
| Needwood Properties Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | real estate |
| Phoenix Funding 2 Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | securitisation |
| Phoenix Funding 3 Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | securitisation |
| Phoenix Funding 4 Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | securitisation |
| Phoenix Funding 5 Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | IMA | securitisation |
| Rolata Limited | Douglas – IM | -- | 100.00 | IMA | investment |
| KBC Commercial Finance NV | Brussels – BE | 0403.278.488 | 100.00 | BEL | factoring |
| KBC Credit Investments NV | Brussels – BE | 0887.849.512 | 100.00 | BEL/GRP | investment firm |
| KBC Financial Products UK Limited | London – GB | -- | 100.00 | GRP | (derivative) financial products |
| KBC Financial Products Hong Kong Limited | Hong Kong – HK | -- | 100.00 | GRP | (derivative) financial products |
| KBC Financial Holding Inc. | Wilmington – US | -- | 100.00 | GRP | holding company |
| KBC Financial Products (Cayman Islands) Limited | |||||
| 'Cayman I' | George Town – KY | -- | 100.00 | GRP | stockbroker |
| Pacifica Group LLC | New York – US | -- | 100.00 | GRP | derivatives trading |
| Midas Life Settlements LLC | Delaware – US | -- | 100.00 | GRP | life settlement service provider |
| Reverse Mortgage Loan Trust 2008-1 | New York – US | -- | 100.00 | GRP | reverse mortgages |
| World Alliance Financial Corporation | New York – US | -- | 100.00 | GRP | reverse mortgages |
| KBC Financial Products International SA | Luxembourg – LU | -- | 100.00 | GRP | stockbroker |
| KBC Investments Hong Kong Limited | Hong Kong – HK | -- | 100.00 | GRP | stockbroker |
| KBC Investments Limited | London – GB | -- | 100.00 | GRP | stockbroker |
| 111 OBS (General Partner) Limited | London – GB | -- | 100.00 | GRP | real estate |
| Baker Street Finance Limited | Jersey – GB | -- | 100.00 | GRP | CDO activities |
| Dorset Street Finance Limited | Jersey – GB | -- | 100.00 | GRP | CDO activities |
| Hanover Street Finance Limited | Jersey – GB | -- | 100.00 | GRP | CDO activities |
| KBC AIM Feeder Fund | George Town – KY | -- | 100.00 | GRP | fund |
| KBC AIM Master Fund | George Town – KY | -- | 100.00 | GRP | fund |
| KBC Investments Cayman Islands V Limited | George Town – KY | -- | 100.00 | GRP | fund |
| Pembridge Square Finance Limited | Jersey – GB | -- | 100.00 | GRP | CDO activities |
| Regent Street Finance Limited | Jersey – GB | -- | 100.00 | GRP | CDO activities |
| Sydney Street Finance Limited | Jersey – GB | -- | 100.00 | GRP | CDO activities |
| KBC IFIMA SA | Luxembourg – LU | -- | 100.00 | GRP | financing |
| KBC Lease Holding NV | Leuven – BE | 0403.272.253 | 100.00 | BEL | leasing |
| KBC Autolease NV | Leuven – BE | 0422.562.385 | 100.00 | BEL | leasing |
| KBC Lease (Luxembourg) SA | Bertrange – LU | -- | 100.00 | BEL | leasing |
| KBC Bail Immobilier France sas | Lille – FR | -- | 100.00 | BEL | leasing |
| KBC Immolease NV | Leuven – BE | 0444.058.872 | 100.00 | BEL | leasing |
| KBC Lease Belgium NV | Leuven – BE | 0426.403.684 | 100.00 | BEL | leasing |
| KBC Lease France SA | Lyon – FR | -- | 100.00 | GRP | leasing |
| KBC Lease (UK) Limited | Surrey – GB | -- | 100.00 | GRP | leasing |
| RSL Leasing IFN SA | Bucharest – RO | -- | 100.00 | GRP | leasing |
| Kredietbank North American Finance Corp | Delaware – US | -- | 100.00 | GRP | issuance of bonds |
| KBC Real Estate Luxembourg SA | Luxembourg – LU | -- | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| KBC Vastgoedinvesteringen NV | Brussels – BE | 0455.916.925 | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| KBC Vastgoedportefeuille België NV | Brussels – BE | 0438.007.854 | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Apicing NV | Brussels – BE | 0469.891.457 | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| KBC Rusthuisvastgoed NV | Brussels – BE | 0864.798.253 | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| KBC Securities NV | Brussels – BE | 0437.060.521 | 100.00 | BEL | stockbroker |
| Patria Online a.s. | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | online investment data |
| Share of capital | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company | held at group | Business | |||
| Company | Registered office | number | level (in %) | unit3 | Activity |
| Patria Finance a.s. | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | online securities trading |
| Patria Finance CF a.s. | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | agent and consulting services |
| K&H Bank Zrt. | Budapest – HU | -- | 100.00 | IMA | credit institution |
| K&H Befektetési Alapkezelo" Zrt. | |||||
| Budapest – HU | -- | 100.00 | IMA | securities broking and fund management |
|
| K&H Csoportszolgáltató Központ Kft. | Budapest – HU | -- | 100.00 | IMA | accounting and tax collection |
| K&H Equities Tanácsadó Zrt. | Budapest – HU | -- | 100.00 | IMA | business and management advice |
| K&H Faktor Pénzügyi Szolgáltató Zrt. | Budapest – HU | -- | 100.00 | IMA | factoring |
| K&H Alkusz Biztosításközvetítö Kft. | Budapest – HU | -- | 100.00 | IMA | insurance broker |
| K&H Autópark Bérleti és Szolgáltató Kft. | Budapest – HU | -- | 100.00 | IMA | fleet management |
| K&H Eszközlizing Gép-és Tehergépjármo¨ Bérleti Kft. | Budapest – HU | -- | 100.00 | IMA | leasing |
| K&H Ingatlanlizing Zrt. | Budapest – HU | -- | 100.00 | IMA | leasing |
| Loan Invest NV 'Institutional company for investment in receivables under Belgian law' |
Brussels – BE | 0889.054.884 | 100.00 | BEL | securitisation vehicle |
| Mechelen City Center NV | Brussels – BE | 0471.562.332 | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Old Broad Street Invest NV | Brussels – BE | 0871.247.565 | 100.00 | GRP | real estate |
| 111 OBS Limited Partnership | London – GB | -- | 100.00 | GRP | real estate |
| Poelaert Invest NV | Brussels – BE | 0478.381.531 | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| KBC Bank: subsidiaries that are not fully consolidated | |||||
| 111 OBS (Nominee) Limited1 | London – GB | -- | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| 2 B Delighted Italia Srl1 | Turin – IT | -- | 99.58 | GRP | lighting |
| 2 B Delighted NV1 | Roeselare – BE | 0891.731.886 | 99.58 | GRP | lighting |
| Wever & Ducré NV1 | Roeselare – BE | 0412.881.191 | 99.58 | GRP | lighting |
| Asia Pacific Trading & Investment Co Limited1 | Hong Kong – HK | -- | 99.58 | GRP | lighting |
| Dark NV1 | Roeselare – BE | 0472.730.389 | 99.58 | GRP | lighting |
| Limis Beyond Light NV1 | Roeselare – BE | 0806.059.310 | 99.58 | GRP | lighting |
| Wever & Ducré BV1 | The Hague – NL | -- | 99.58 | GRP | lighting |
| Wever & Ducré GmbH1 | Herzogenrath – DE | -- | 99.58 | GRP | lighting |
| Wever & Ducré Iluminación SL1 | Madrid – ES | -- | 99.58 | GRP | lighting |
| Almaloisir & Immobilier sas1 | Nice – FR | -- | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Brussels North Distribution NV1 | Brussels – BE | 0476.212.887 | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Cˇ SOB Nadácia1 | Bratislava – SK | -- | 100.00 | IMA | real estate |
| De Klinckaert NV2 | Brussels – BE | 0539.765.408 | 100.00 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| Eurincasso s.r.o.1 | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | debt collection |
| Fitraco NV1 | Leuven – BE | 0425.012.626 | 100.00 | BEL | leasing |
| Immo-Antares NV2 | Brussels – BE | 0456.398.361 | 100.00 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| Immo-Basilix NV2 | Brussels – BE | 0453.348.801 | 100.00 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| Immo-Beaulieu NV2 | Brussels – BE | 0450.193.133 | 50.00 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| Immobilière Distri-Land NV2 | Brussels – BE | 0436.440.909 | 87.52 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| Immo Genk-Zuid NV2 | Brussels – BE | 0464.358.497 | 100.00 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| Immolease-Trust NV1 | Brussels – BE | 0406.403.076 | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Immo Lux-Airport SA2 | Luxembourg – LU | -- | 100.00 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| Immo-Marcel Thiry NV2 | Brussels – BE | 0450.997.441 | 100.00 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| Immo NamOtt NV2 | Brussels – BE | 0840.412.849 | 100.00 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| Immo NamOtt Tréfonds NV2 | Brussels – BE | 0840.620.014 | 100.00 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| Immo-Zénobe Gramme NV2 | Brussels – BE | 0456.572.664 | 100.00 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| IP Exit, a.s.2 | Prague – CZ | -- | 71.30 | CZR | * |
| KB-Consult NV1 | Brussels – BE | 0437.623.220 | 100.00 | BEL | * |
| KBC Bail France II sas1 | Lyon – FR | -- | 100.00 | GRP | leasing |
| KBC Clearing NV1 | Amsterdam – NL | -- | 100.00 | BEL | clearing house |
| KBC Lease (Nederland) BV1 | Almere – NL | -- | 100.00 | GRP | leasing |
| KBC Private Equity NV1 | Brussels – BE | 0403.226.228 | 100.00 | GRP | investment firm |
| KBC Securities USA, Inc.1 | New York – US | -- | 100.00 | GRP | stockbroker |
| Luxembourg North Distribution SA2 | Luxembourg – LU | -- | 100.00 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| Motokov a.s.1 | Prague – CZ | -- | 70.09 | CZR | vehicles |
| Newcourt Street Finance Limited1 | Jersey – GB | -- | 100.00 | GRP | CDO activities |
| Novoli Investors BV1 | Amsterdam – NL | -- | 83.33 | BEL | real estate |
| NV ACTIEF NV1 | Brussels – BE | 0824.213.750 | 57.14 | BEL | training |
| Oxford Street Finance Limited1 | Jersey – GB | -- | 100.00 | GRP | CDO activities |
| Posselton Limited1 | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | GRP | energy |
| Property LM s.r.o.1 | Bratislava – SK | -- | 100.00 | CZR | real estate |
| Quietas NV2 | Brussels – BE | 0539.764.121 | 100.00 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| Share of capital | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company | held at group | Business | |||
| Company | Registered office | number | level (in %) | unit3 | Activity |
| Rodenbach NV2 | Brussels – BE | 0539.765.012 | 100.00 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| Ruscus sp. z o. o.1 | Warsaw – PL | -- | 80.00 | BEL | real estate leasing |
| Securitas sam1 | Monaco – MC | -- | 100.00 | GRP | leasing |
| Sisyphus Holding Corporation1 | Delaware – US | -- | 100.00 | GRP | holding company |
| Setanta Energy LLC1 | Delaware – US | 100.00 | GRP | energy | |
| Spanjeberg NV2 | Brussels – BE | 0539.764.814 | 100.00 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| TEE Square Limited1 | Road Town – VG | -- | 100.00 | CZR | * |
| Ter Bake NV2 | Brussels – BE | 0539.764.517 | 100.00 | BEL | issuance of real estate certificates |
| Transformation fund Stabilita1 | Prague – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | pension insurance |
| Vastgoed Ruimte Noord NV1 | Brussels – BE | 0863.201.515 | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Weyveld Vastgoedmaatschappij NV2 | Brussels – BE | 0425.517.818 | 100.00 | BEL | Issuance of real estate certificates |
| Willowvale Company1 | Dublin – IE | -- | 99.99 | GRP | real estate |
| KBC Bank: joint ventures accounted for using the equity method | |||||
| Cˇeskomoravská Stavební Sporˇitelna (CˇMSS) | Prague – CZ | -- | 55.00 | CZR | building society |
| Union KBC Asset Management Company Private Limited | Mumbai – IN | -- | 49.00 | BEL | asset management |
| KBC Bank: joint ventures not accounted for using the equity method1 | |||||
| Atrium Development SA | Luxembourg – LU | -- | 25.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Covent Garden Development NV | Brussels – BE | 0892.236.187 | 25.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Covent Garden Real Estate NV | Zaventem – BE | 0872.941.897 | 50.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Immobiliare Novoli SpA | Florence – IT | -- | 45.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Immo VAC Gent NV | Brussels – BE | 50.00 | BEL | real estate | |
| Jesmond Amsterdam BV | Amsterdam – NL | -- | 50.00 | BEL | holding company |
| Miedziana Sp z.o.o. | Warsaw – PL | -- | 47.75 | BEL | real estate |
| Real Estate Participation NV | Zaventem – BE | 0473.018.817 | 50.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Sandonato Parcheggi Srl | Florence – IT | -- | 44.98 | BEL | real estate |
| Sandonato Srl | Florence – IT | -- | 44.98 | BEL | real estate |
| UNION KBC Trustee Company Private Limited | Mumbai – IN | -- | 49.00 | BEL | trustee |
| Xiongwei Lighting (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd | Guangzhou – CY | -- | 49.79 | GRP | lighting |
| KBC Bank: associated companies accounted for using the equity method | |||||
| HAGE Hajdúsági Agráripari Zrt. | Nádudvar – HU | -- | 25.00 | IMA | agriculture |
| KBC Bank: associated companies not accounted for using the equity method1 | |||||
| Bancontact-MisterCash NV | Brussels – BE | 0884.499.250 | 20.00 | BEL | credit cards |
| Banking Funding Company NV | Brussels – BE | 0884.525.182 | 20.22 | BEL | payment atransactions |
| Bedrijvencentrum Regio Roeselare NV | Roeselare – BE | 0428.378.724 | 22.22 | BEL | business centre |
| Brussels I3 Fund NV | Brussels – BE | 0477.925.433 | 36.37 | BEL | private equity funds |
| Cofely Ren s.r.o. | Prague – CZ | -- | 42.82 | CZR | lease |
| Consorzio Sandonato Est | Florence – IT | -- | 20.32 | BEL | real estate |
| Czech Banking Credit Bureau a.s. | Prague – CZ | -- | 20.00 | CZR | ICT |
| Etoiles d'Europe sas | Paris – FR | -- | 45.00 | BEL | hotels |
| Gemma Frisius-Fonds K.U. Leuven | Leuven – BE | 0477.960.372 | 40.00 | BEL | venture capital |
| Isabel NV | Brussels – BE | 0455.530.509 | 25.33 | BEL | ICT |
| Justinvest NV | Antwerp – BE | 0476.658.097 | 33.33 | BEL | real estate |
| První Certifikacˇni Autorita a.s. | Prague – CZ | -- | 23.25 | CZR | certification services |
| Qbic Feeder Fund NV | Brussels – BE | 846.493.561 | 22.26 | BEL | venture capital |
| Rabot Invest NV | Antwerp – BE | 0479.758.733 | 25.00 | BEL | real estate |
| Xenarjo CVBA | Mechelen – BE | 0899.749.531 | 22.75 | BEL | social sector |
| KBC Insurance: subsidiaries that are fully consolidated | |||||
| KBC Insurance NV | Leuven – BE | 0403.552.563 | 100.00 | BEL/GRP | insurance company |
| ADD NV | Heverlee – BE | 0406.080.350 | 100.00 | BEL | insurance broking |
| KBC Group Re SA | Luxembourg – LU | -- | 100.00 | BEL/GRP | reinsurance company |
| Anglesea Financial Products Limited | Dublin – IE | -- | 100.00 | BEL | * |
| KBC Financial Indemnity Insurance SA | Luxembourg – LU | -- | 100.00 | BEL | * |
| Cˇ SOB Pojišt'ovna a.s. | |||||
| Pardubice – CZ | -- | 100.00 | CZR | insurance company | |
| Cˇ SOB Poist'ovnˇ a a.s. | Bratislava – SK | -- | 100.00 | IMA | insurance company |
| Double U Building BV | Rotterdam – NL | -- | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| DZI Life Insurance Jsc | Sofia – BG | -- | 100.00 | IMA | life insurance |
| DZI – GENERAL INSURANCE JSC | Sofia – BG | -- | 100.00 | IMA | non-life insurance |
| DZI – HEALTH INSURANCE AD | Sofia – BG | -- | 100.00 | IMA | health insurance |
| Groep VAB NV | Zwijndrecht – BE | 0456.267.594 | 95.00 | BEL | holding company |
| VAB Rijschool NV | Sint-Niklaas – BE | 0448.109.811 | 95.00 | BEL | driving school |
| VAB NV | Zwijndrecht – BE | 0436.267.594 | 95.00 | BEL | roadside assistance |
| K&H Biztosító Zrt. | Budapest – HU | -- | 100.00 | IMA | insurance company |
| Share of capital | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company | held at group | Business | |||
| Company | Registered office | number | level (in %) | unit3 | Activity |
| KBC Verzekeringen Vastgoed Nederland I BV | Rotterdam – NL | -- | 100.00 | BEL | real estate |
| KBC Insurance: subsidiaries that are not fully consolidated1 | |||||
| Almarisk NV | Merelbeke – BE | 0420.104.030 | 100.00 | BEL | insurance broker |
| Banden Peeters Overijse BVBA | Overijse – BE | 0459.070.118 | 80.81 | BEL | vehicles |
| Cˇ SOB Insurance Service Limited | Pardubice – CZ | -- | 100.00 | IMA | insurance broker |
| Depannage 2000 NV | Hoboken – BE | 0403.992.429 | 95.00 | BEL | vehicles |
| Eeman P. BVBA | Sint-Niklaas – BE | 0411.530.319 | 95.00 | BEL | vehicles |
| KBC Zakenkantoor NV | Leuven – BE | 0462.315.361 | 100.00 | BEL | insurance broker |
| Maatschappij voor Brandherverzekering CVBA | Leuven – BE | 0403.552.761 | 90.09 | BEL | reinsurance |
| Net Fund Administration Sp z.o.o. | Warsaw – PL | -- | 100.00 | GRP | asset management |
| Omnia NV | Leuven – BE | 0413.646.305 | 100.00 | BEL | travel agency |
| Probemo Dubbele Bedieningen NV | Sint-Niklaas – BE | 0435.357.180 | 95.00 | BEL | driving school |
| PTE Warta SA | Warsaw – PL | -- | 100.00 | GRP | pension fund |
| Rijscholen Sanderus NV | Mechelen – BE | 0413.004.719 | 95.00 | BEL | driving school |
| VAB Fleet Services NV | Zwijndrecht – BE | 0866.583.053 | 66.50 | BEL | vehicles |
| VAB Fleet Services BV | Apeldoorn – NL | -- | 66.50 | BEL | vehicles |
| 24+ NV | Zwijndrecht – BE | 0895.810.836 | 97.50 | BEL | insurance broker |
| KBC Insurance: joint ventures accounted for using the equity method | |||||
| NLB Vita d.d. | Ljubljana – SI | -- | 50.00 | GRP | life insurance |
| KBC Insurance: joint ventures not accounted for using the equity method1 | |||||
| Sepia NV | Brussels – BE | 0403.251.467 | 50.00 | BEL | insurance company |
| KBC Insurance: associated companies accounted for using the equity method | |||||
| – | |||||
| KBC Insurance: associated companies not accounted for using the equity method1 | |||||
| AIA-Pool cvba | Brussels – BE | 0453.634.752 | 33.47 | BEL | insurance broker |
| AssurCard NV | Leuven – BE | 0475.433.127 | 33.33 | BEL | automated third-party payment system |
| Optimobil Belgium NV | Brussels – BE | 0471.868.277 | 24.06 | BEL | vehicles |
| Traject NV | Ghent – BE | 0448.394.475 | 47.50 | BEL | mobility |
| KBC Group: subsidiaries that are fully consolidated | |||||
| KBC Group NV | Brussels – BE | 0403.227.515 | 100.00 | GRP | bank-insurance holding company |
| KBC Bank NV | Brussels – BE | 0462.920.226 | 100.00 | BEL/GRP | credit institution |
| KBC Insurance NV | Leuven – BE | 0403.552.563 | 100.00 | BEL/GRP | insurance company |
| Kredietcorp SA | Luxembourg – LU | -- | 100.00 | GRP | investment firm |
| KBC Group: subsidiaries that are not fully consolidated1 | |||||
| – |
–
–
–
–
* Not active. Reason for exclusion:
1 Immaterial.
2 Issuers of real estate certificates and companies whereby the group is not exposed to a variable return.
3 BEL = Belgium Business Unit, CZR = Czech Republic Business Unit, IMA = International Markets Business Unit, GRP = Group Centre.
Companies eligible for consolidation are effectively included in the consolidated accounts if two of the following criteria are met:
The combined balance sheet total of the companies excluded from consolidation may not amount to more than 1% of the consolidated balance sheet total.
• As set out in the accounting policies, all (material) entities (including structured entities (SPVs)) over which the consolidating entity exercises, directly or indirectly, exclusive control are consolidated according to the method of full consolidation. To assess whether or
not structured entities have to be consolidated, KBC uses the principles set out in IFRS 10, as well as thresholds for inclusion in consolidation (see table below). A number of structured entities meet only one of these criteria, which means that (as long as the combined balance sheet total of the companies excluded from consolidation is not more than 1% of the consolidated balance sheet total) these entities are not effectively consolidated. This relates chiefly to the structured entities set up for the remaining CDO activities. Please note that these entities only exceed one threshold (balance sheet total) since their equity and net results are always very limited. However, the remaining CDO-related results are recorded under the KBC Financial Products group, which is, of course, consolidated. Consequently, excluding these structured entities from the consolidated accounts only impacts presentation of the consolidated balance sheet, and not equity, the results or solvency.
respected, which impose certain restrictions on the repatriation of capital and distribution of dividends.
| Company | Direct parent company |
Consolidation method |
Ownership percentage at group level | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 | ||||
| Additions | |||||
| None | |||||
| Exclusions | |||||
| Absolut Bank | KBC Bank NV | Full | – | – | Sold in 2Q 2013 |
| KBC Banka A.D. | KBC Insurance NV | Full | – | – | Sold in 4Q 2013 |
| KBC Bank Deutschland AG | KBC Bank NV | Full | 100.00% | – | Sold in 3Q 2014 |
| Transformation Fund Stabilita | CˇSOB | Full | 100.00% | – | Deconsolidated in 3Q 2014 |
| Name changes | |||||
| KBC IFIMA SA | KBC Bank NV | Full | 100.00% | 100.00% | Former name: KBC Internationale financierings maatschappij NV |
| Changes in ownership percentage and internal mergers | |||||
| KBC Consumer Finance NV | KBC Bank NV | Full | 100.00% | – | Merged with KBC Bank NV on 1 January 2014 |
down the loan portfolio and activities of ADB in a gradual and orderly manner and not to grant any further loans or to develop any new business. The run-down is being carried out by means of a merger, through which ADB is absorbed by KBC Bank NV. Pursuant to the applicable IFRS accounting rules, the impairment charges taken on the sale of ADB in 2012 and 2013 were reversed in 2014, which had a positive impact of approximately 0.1 billion euros on the 2014 results of KBC Group NV.
• The table below contains details of the impact of activities falling under the scope of IFRS 5.
Non-current assets held for sale and disposal groups and liabilities associated with disposal groups (in millions of EUR)
| Balance sheet | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Assets | ||
| Cash and cash balances with central banks | 57 | 0 |
| Financial assets | 3 627 | 0 |
| Fair value adjustments of the hedged items in portfolio hedge of interest rate risk | 0 | 0 |
| Tax assets | 49 | 0 |
| Investments in associated companies and joint ventures | 0 | 0 |
| Investment property and other property and equipment | 22 | 18 |
| Goodwill and other intangible assets | 2 | 0 |
| Other assets | 13 | 0 |
| Total assets | 3 769 | 18 |
| Liabilities | ||
| Financial liabilities | 1 977 | 0 |
| Technical provisions (before reinsurance) | 0 | 0 |
| Tax liabilities | 11 | 0 |
| Provisions for risks and charges | 10 | 0 |
| Other liabilities | 28 | 0 |
| Total liabilities | 2 027 | 0 |
| Other comprehensive income | ||
| Available-for-sale reserve | -3 | 0 |
| Deferred tax on above reserve | 0 | 0 |
| Hedging reserve (cashflow hedges) | 0 | 0 |
| Translation differences | 0 | 0 |
| Total | -4 | 0 |
The information required in relation to risks (in accordance with IFRS 4 and IFRS 7) and capital (pursuant to IAS 1) is provided in those parts of the 'Risk management' and 'Capital adequacy' sections that have been audited by the statutory auditor.
Significant non-adjusting events between balance sheet date and the date on which the financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors (19 March 2015):
• In mid-March 2015, KBC was advised by the ECB of the new minimum capital requirements. KBC comfortably meets these requirements. See the 'Capital adequacy' section for more information.
rights of use in respect of these rights to the beneficiaries referred to in the second sentence above. The company may also perform all commercial, financial and industrial transactions that may be useful or expedient for achieving the object of the company and that are directly or indirectly related to this object. The company may also by means of subscription, contribution, participation or in any other form whatsoever participate in all companies, businesses or institutions that have a similar, related or complementary activity. In general, the company may, both in Belgium and abroad, perform all acts which may contribute to the achievement of its object (Article 2 of the Articles of Association, which are available at www.kbc.com).
'Our IT consultancy firm has a distinct philosophy that facilitates creativity, innovation and enterprise. So, it was really a no-brainer for us to get involved in KBC's 'Start it' initiative for helping young entrepreneurs.'
Earning trust Sven Van Cleemput The company annual accounts of KBC Group NV are presented here in abridged form. A full set of these accounts will be submitted for approval to the General Meeting of Shareholders of 7 May 2015.
As required by law, the company annual accounts, the report of the Board of Directors and the statutory auditor's report are filed with the National Bank of Belgium. These documents are available free of charge from KBC Group NV, Investor Relations Office, IRO, Havenlaan 2, 1080 Brussels, Belgium. They can also be viewed at www.kbc.com after they have been filed.
The statutory auditor has delivered an unqualified audit opinion on the company annual accounts of KBC Group NV.
The company annual accounts have been prepared according to Belgian accounting standards (B-GAAP) and are, therefore, not comparable with the figures prepared in accordance with IFRS in the other sections of this report.
| (in millions of EUR) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed assets | 15 215 | 17 442 |
| Intangible fixed assets | 230 | 226 |
| Tangible fixed assets | 152 | 138 |
| Land and buildings | 34 | 32 |
| Plant, machinery and equipment | 94 | 82 |
| Furniture and vehicles | 13 | 12 |
| Other tangible fixed assets | 1 | 1 |
| Assets under construction and advance payments | 11 | 11 |
| Financial fixed assets | 14 833 | 17 078 |
| Affiliated companies | 14 832 | 17 077 |
| Participating interests | 14 582 | 14 529 |
| Amounts receivable | 250 | 2 547 |
| Other companies linked by participating interests | 1 | 1 |
| Participating interests | 1 | 1 |
| Amounts receivable | 0 | 0 |
| Current assets | 221 | 524 |
| Amounts receivable at more than one year | 2 | 1 |
| Trade debtors | 2 | 0 |
| Other amounts receivable | 0 | 1 |
| Stocks and contracts in progress | 1 | 1 |
| Stocks | 1 | 1 |
| Goods purchased for resale | 1 | 1 |
| Amounts receivable within one year | 68 | 69 |
| Trade debtors | 33 | 33 |
| Other amounts receivable | 35 | 36 |
| Current investments | 0 | 0 |
| Own shares | 0 | 0 |
| Other investments | 0 | 0 |
| Cash at bank and in hand | 114 | 405 |
| Deferred charges and accrued income | 36 | 49 |
| Total assets | 15 436 | 17 966 |
| Equity | 11 241 | 11 486 |
| Capital | 1 452 | 1 453 |
| Issued capital | 1 452 | 1 453 |
| Share premium account | 5 397 | 5 409 |
| Reserves | 1 466 | 1 466 |
| Legal reserves | 145 | 145 |
| Reserves not available for distribution | 1 | 1 |
| Untaxed reserves | 190 | 190 |
| Reserves available for distribution | 1 129 | 1 129 |
| Profit (Loss (-)) carried forward | 2 927 | 3 158 |
| Provisions and deferred taxes | 20 | 20 |
| Provisions for liabilities and charges | 20 | 20 |
| Pensions and similar obligations | 18 | 17 |
| Other liabilities and charges | 3 | 3 |
| Amounts payable | 4 175 | 6 459 |
| Amounts payable at more than one year | 2 970 | 4 878 |
| Financial debt | 2 970 | 4 878 |
| Subordinated loans | 2 333 | 4 297 |
| Non-subordinated bonds | 581 | 581 |
| Credit institutions | 56 | 0 |
| Amounts payable within one year | 1 157 | 1 363 |
| Amounts payable at more than one year falling due within the year | 14 | 0 |
| Financial debt | 971 | 376 |
| Credit institutions | 75 | 0 |
| Other loans | 896 | 376 |
| Trade debt | 34 | 39 |
| Taxes, remuneration and social security charges | 81 | 80 |
| Taxes | 2 | 3 |
| Remuneration and social security charges | 80 | 77 |
| Other amounts payable | 58 | 868 |
| Accrued charges and deferred income | 48 | 219 |
| Total liabilities | 15 436 | 17 966 |
| Operating income 1 093 1 082 Turnover 1 017 1 026 Increase (decrease (-)) in stocks of finished goods, work and contracts in progress 0 0 Own construction capitalised 41 49 Other operating income 35 7 Operating charges 1 166 1 153 Services and other goods 556 568 Remuneration, social security charges and pensions 463 435 Depreciation of and amounts written off formation expenses and intangible and tangible fixed assets 124 118 Provisions for liabilities and charges: amounts set aside (amounts reversed (-)) -2 1 Other operating charges 25 31 Operating profit (loss (-)) -73 -71 Financial income 1 103 1 441 Income from financial fixed assets 1 093 1 354 Income from current assets 5 5 Other financial income 5 82 Financial charges 614 444 Debt charges 608 432 Amounts written down on current assets: increase (decrease (-)) 0 0 Other financial charges 6 12 Profit (Loss (-)) on ordinary activities, before tax 416 926 Extraordinary income 0 158 Reversal of provisions for extraordinary liabilities and charges 0 1 Gains on disposal of fixed assets 0 157 Extraordinary charges 31 1 Extraordinary depreciation of and extraordinary amounts written off formation expenses and intangible and tangible 2 0 fixed assets Provisions for extraordinary liabilities and charges 1 0 Losses on disposal of fixed assets 28 1 Other extraordinary charges 0 0 Profit (Loss (-)) for the period, before tax 385 1 083 Transfers from deferred taxes 3 1 Transfers to deferred taxes 0 0 Income tax 3 4 Profit (Loss (-)) for the period 384 1 080 Profit (Loss (-)) for the period available for appropriation 384 1 080 |
(in millions of EUR) | 31-12-2013 | 31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
In this lay-out, charges are also depicted with a plus sign, as opposed to the way they are presented in the consolidated income statement.
| (in millions of EUR) 31-12-2013 |
31-12-2014 |
|---|---|
| Profit (Loss (-)) to be appropriated 2 959 |
4 006 |
| Profit (Loss (-)) for the period available for appropriation 384 |
1 080 |
| Profit (Loss (-)) carried forward from the previous period 2 575 |
2 927 |
| Transfers to equity 18 |
0 |
| To the legal reserves 18 |
0 |
| To other reserves 0 |
0 |
| Profit (Loss (-)) to be carried forward 2 927 |
3 158 |
| Profit to be distributed 14 |
849 |
| Dividends 0 |
836 |
| Directors' entitlements 0 |
0 |
| Other beneficiaries, employee profit-sharing 14 |
13 |
It will be proposed to the General Meeting of Shareholders that the profit for appropriation for the 2014 financial year be distributed as
shown in the table. If this proposal is approved, a gross dividend of 2 euros per share entitled to dividend will be paid for 2014.
| (in millions of EUR) | Participating interests in affiliated companies |
Amounts receivable from affiliated companies |
Participating interests in companies linked by participating interests |
Amounts receivable from companies linked by participating interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrying value at 31-12-2013 | 14 582 | 250 | 1 | 0 |
| Acquisitions in 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Disposals in 2014 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other changes in 2014 | 0 | 2 297 | 0 | 0 |
| Carrying value at 31-12-2014 | 14 530 | 2 547 | 1 | 0 |
The amounts receivable from affiliated companies related to:
The main changes in 2014 concerned the buyback of own shares by KBC Insurance NV (in order to optimise its capital structure), which had an impact of -46 million euros, and the liquidation of GEBEMA NV, which had an impact of -6 million euros.
Note 2: Changes in equity (B-GAAP)
| (in millions of EUR) | 31-12-2013 | Capital increase for staff |
Appropriation of results |
31-12-2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital | 1 452 | 1 | 0 | 1 453 |
| Share premium account | 5 397 | 13 | 0 | 5 409 |
| Reserves | 1 466 | 0 | 0 | 1 466 |
| Profit (Loss) carried forward | 2 927 | 0 | 231 | 3 158 |
| Equity | 11 241 | 14 | 231 | 11 486 |
At year-end 2014, the company's issued share capital amounted to 1 453 231 742.35 euros, represented by 417 780 658 shares of no nominal value, and the share premium account came to 5 409 406 705.69 euros. The share capital is fully paid up.
Changes in 2014:
The authorisation to increase capital may be exercised up to and including 20 May 2018 for an amount of 697 169 705.56 euros. Based on a par value of 3.48 euros a share, a maximum of 200 336 122 new KBC Group NV shares can therefore be issued under this authorisation.
The table below gives an overview of the notifications received in 2014 and in the first two months of 2015 pursuant to the Belgian Act of 2 May 2007 concerning the disclosure of significant participations in issuers whose shares are admitted to trading on a regulated market. Article 10bis of the Articles of Association of KBC Group NV stipulates
the threshold at which individuals must disclose their shareholdings. KBC publishes these notifications on www.kbc.com.
Please note that the number of shares stated in the notifications may differ from the current number in possession, as a change in the number of shares held does not always give rise to a new notification.
| Notifications* | Notification relating to | Note | Number of KBC shares (= voting rights) on date concerned |
% of total voting rights on date concerned* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BlackRock Inc. | 7 January 2014 | Size of holding exceeds the 5% notification threshold | 20 885 509 | 5.00% |
| BlackRock Inc. | 10 January 2014 | Size of holding moves below the 5% notification threshold | 20 700 804 | 4.96% |
| BlackRock Inc. | 13 February 2014 | Size of holding exceeds the 5% notification threshold | 20 979 496 | 5.03% |
| BlackRock Inc. | 21 May 2014 | Size of holding moves below the 5% notification threshold | 20 687 685 | 4.96% |
| BlackRock Inc. | 5 June 2014 | Size of holding exceeds the 5% notification threshold | 20 932 157 | 5.02% |
| Parvus Asset Management (UK) LLP |
17 September 2014 | Size of holding exceeds the 3% notification threshold | 12 609 529 | 3.02% |
| FMR LLC (Fidelity) | 17 October 2014 | Size of holding moves below the 3% notification threshold | 12 308 475 | 2.95% |
| Cera, KBC Ancora, MRBB and the other core shareholders (acting in concert) |
1 December 2014 | Size of holding exceeds the 40% notification threshold | 168 553 908 | 40.39% |
| Parvus Asset Management Europe Limited |
30 December 2014 | Transfer of investment management operations from Parvus Asset Management (UK) LLP to Parvus Asset Management Europe Limited as a result of internal restructuring |
12 900 729 | 3.09% |
| FMR LLC (Fidelity) | 12 January 2015 | Size of holding exceeds the 3% notification threshold | 12 687 206 | 3.04% |
| Parvus Asset Management Europe Limited |
13 February 2015 | Size of holding moves below the 3% notification threshold | 12 341 146 | 2.95% |
* More detailed information can be found in the respective notification forms available at www.kbc.com. Please note that, in other sections of this report, the number of shares/voting rights held by these entities is divided by the total number of shares at year-end 2014 (and not by the total number of shares on the date of the notification).
The 'Corporate governance statement' section contains an overview of the shareholder structure at year-end 2014, based on all the notifications received pursuant to the Belgian Act of 2 May 2007.
| 31 December | 31 December | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| KBC shares held by KBC group companies | Address | 2013 | 2014 |
| KBC Securities NV | Havenlaan 12, 1080 Brussels, Belgium | 2 | 2 |
| KBC Group NV itself | Havenlaan 2, 1080 Brussels, Belgium | 800 | 486 |
| Total | 802 | 488 | |
| As a percentage of the total number of shares | 0.0% | 0.0% |
The average par value of the KBC share came to 3.48 euros in 2014. At year-end 2013, KBC bought 800 own shares (on the stock market, for 30 860 euros), which were given in 2014 to employees who exercised their options at the end of 2013. At the end of 2014, KBC bought 486 own shares (on the stock market, for 22 524 euros) which will be given in 2015 to employees who exercised their options at the end of 2014.
Please note that the number of shares shown in the table may differ from the number stated in the notifications pursuant to the Belgian Act of 2 May 2007, as a change in the number of shares held does not always give rise to a new notification.
In 2014, KBC Group NV paid Ernst & Young Bedrijfsrevisoren BCVBA fees of 149 124 euros for standard audit services. Remuneration paid for non-standard audit services came to 113 144 euros.
KBC Group NV had three branch offices (in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary) at year-end 2014.
The information required in accordance with Article 96 of the Belgian Companies Code that has not been provided above appears in the 'Report of the Board of Directors' section, which also includes the 'Corporate governance statement' required by law.
Team spirit, enjoying the sport and each other's company Katka Hamersky
Katka Hamersky often visits Pardubice in the Czech Republic to play basketball with her old girl friends.
'We used to play at a higher level, but now that we all have a job and a family to look after, it's more about team spirit, enjoying the sport and each other's company.'
260 KBC Group Annual Report 2014
In 2008 and 2009, KBC Group NV issued a total of 7 billion euros in perpetual, non-transferable, non-voting core-capital securities that have equal ranking (pari passu) with ordinary shares upon liquidation. These securities were subscribed by the Belgian State (the Federal Holding and Investment Company) and the Flemish Region, each in the amount of 3.5 billion euros.
KBC has since repaid the following amounts:
KBC aims to repay the outstanding balance of 2 billion euros (plus penalties) in instalments, with the last instalment scheduled for 2017.
The main features of the remaining core-capital securities are (simplified):
In 2009, KBC signed an agreement with the Belgian State regarding a guarantee for a substantial part of its structured credit portfolio. The plan initially related to a notional amount totalling 20 billion euros. More information on the structure of that transaction is provided in previous annual reports.
In recent years, KBC has rapidly reduced its exposure to CDOs and collapsed the two remaining CDOs in its portfolio in 2014. Over a period of just five years, KBC has succeeded in scaling back its entire CDO portfolio, which had exceeded 25 billion euros in 2008, thus releasing it from the guarantee agreement.
KBC has/had to pay a fee for this agreement. More information on its impact on the income statement is provided in Note 5 in the 'Consolidated financial statements' section.
For the record, KBC wishes to point out that it is the counterparty to and issuer of a further 0.3 billion euros' worth of CDO notes held by investors that will remain outstanding until year-end 2017. Consequently, negligible movements may yet be recorded in KBC's income statement in the coming quarters depending on changes in the value of those notes.
[fee and commission income received by the bank from the linked insurer] + [insurance income for insurance products sold through bank branches].
[result after tax, attributable to equity holders of the parent] / [average number of ordinary shares less treasury shares]. If a coupon (and/or penalty) is paid on the core-capital securities sold to the government, and/or a coupon is paid on the additional tier-1 instruments included in equity, it will be deducted from the numerator.
compound annual growth rate.
[technical insurance charges, including the internal cost of settling claims / earned insurance premiums] + [operating expenses / written insurance premiums] (after reinsurance in each case).
[common equity tier-1 capital] / [total weighted risks]. The calculation is based on the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) and Capital Requirements Directive (CRD IV) approved and published by the EU, and includes in the numerator the core-capital securities sold to the government that are grandfathered by the regulator.
[operating expenses of the banking activities] / [total income of the banking activities].
[specific impairment on loans] / [outstanding impaired loans]. For a definition of 'impaired', see 'Impaired loans ratio'. Where appropriate, the numerator and denominator may be limited to impaired loans that are more than 90 days past due.
[net changes in impairment for credit risks] / [average outstanding loan portfolio]. For a definition of the loan portfolio, see the 'Risk management' section (government bonds, for instance, are excluded).
[result after tax, attributable to equity holders of the parent] / [average number of ordinary shares plus dilutive options less treasury shares]. If a coupon (and/or penalty) is paid on the core-capital securities sold to the government, and/or a coupon is paid on the additional tier-1 instruments included in equity, it will be deducted from the numerator.
[amount of dividend to be distributed plus coupon to be paid on the core-capital securities sold to the government and on the additional tier-1 instruments included in equity] / [consolidated net profit].
[amount outstanding of impaired loans] / [total outstanding loan portfolio]. Impaired loans are loans where it is unlikely that the full contractual principal and interest will be repaid/paid. These loans have a KBC default status of PD 10, PD 11 or PD 12 and correspond to the new definition of 'non-performing' used by the European Banking Authority. Where appropriate, the numerator may be limited to impaired loans that are more than 90 days past due (PD 11 and PD 12). This corresponds to the concept of 'non-performing' used in previous reports.
[stock of high-quality liquid assets] / [total net cash outflows over the next 30 calendar days].
[adjusted net interest income of the banking activities] / [average interest-bearing assets of the banking activities].
[available amount of stable funding] / [required amount of stable funding].
[parent shareholders' equity] / [number of ordinary shares less treasury shares (at period-end)].
[result after tax (including minority interests) of a business unit] / [average allocated capital of the business unit]. A business unit's result is the sum of the net result of each company belonging to that business unit. The capital allocated to a business unit is based on the risk-weighted assets for the banking activities (under Basel III) and risk-weighted asset equivalents for the insurance activities (under Solvency I).
[result after tax, attributable to equity holders of the parent] / [average parent shareholders' equity, excluding the revaluation reserve for available-for-sale assets]. If a coupon is paid on the core-capital securities sold to the government or paid on the additional tier-1 instruments included in equity, it will be deducted from the numerator.
[available solvency capital] / [minimum regulatory solvency capital].
[total regulatory capital] / [total risk-weighted assets]. The calculation is based on the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) and Capital Requirements Directive (CRD IV) approved and published by the EU, and includes in the numerator the core-capital securities sold to the government that are grandfathered by the regulator.
[closing price of KBC share] x [number of ordinary shares].
'I, Luc Popelier, Chief Financial Officer of the KBC group, certify on behalf of the Executive Committee of KBC Group NV that, to the best of my knowledge, the financial statements, which are based on the relevant standards for annual accounts, fairly present in all material respects the assets, the financial condition and results of KBC Group NV, including its consolidated subsidiaries, and that the annual report provides a fair overview of the development, the results and the situation of KBC Group NV, including its consolidated subsidiaries, as well as an overview of the main risks and uncertainties to which they are exposed.'
| KBC Telecenter | |
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(information on products, services and publications of the KBC group can be obtained on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., and on Saturdays and bank holidays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.)
| + 32 78 152 153 (Dutch), + 32 78 152 154 (French, German), + 32 16 43 29 15 (English) |
|---|
| [email protected] |
| Investor Relations Office |
| [email protected] |
| www.kbc.com/ir |
| KBC Group NV, Investor Relations Office – IRO, Havenlaan 2, 1080 Brussels, Belgium |
| Press |
| Viviane Huybrecht (General Manager, Corporate Communication/Company Spokesperson) |
| [email protected] |
| www.kbc.com/press&media |
| KBC Group NV, Corporate Communication – GCM, Havenlaan 2, 1080 Brussels, Belgium |
| Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility |
| Vic Van de Moortel (General Manager, Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility) |
| [email protected] |
| www.kbc.com/csr |
| KBC Group NV, Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility – CSR, Havenlaan 2, 1080 Brussels, Belgium |
The most up-to-date version of the financial calendar is available at www.kbc.com.
| Earnings release for 4Q 2014 and full year 2014 | 12 February 2015 |
|---|---|
| Publication of the Annual Report and the Risk Report for 2014 | 2 April 2015 |
| General Meeting of Shareholders (agenda available at www.kbc.com) | 7 May 2015 |
| Dividend | ex-date: 11 May 2015 / record date: 12 May 2015 / payment date: 13 May 2015 |
| Earnings release for 1Q 2015 | 12 May 2015 |
| Earnings release for 2Q 2015 | 6 August 2015 |
| Earnings release for 3Q 2015 | 16 November 2015 |
| Earnings release for 4Q 2015 | 18 February 2016 |
Editor-in-chief: Investor Relations Office – IRO, Havenlaan 2, 1080 Brussels, Belgium Sub-editing, translation, concept and design: Marketing & Communication Division, Brusselsesteenweg 100, 3000 Leuven, Belgium Printer: Van der Poorten, Diestsesteenweg 624, 3010 Leuven, Belgium Publisher: KBC Group NV, Havenlaan 2, 1080 Brussels, Belgium
This annual report has been printed on paper that is not harmful to the environment.
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