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Lion Finance Group PLC

Quarterly Report May 11, 2022

4897_10-q_2022-05-11_57e6615a-e635-4f72-8ec4-3140682d956c.html

Quarterly Report

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National Storage Mechanism | Additional information

RNS Number : 0200L

Bank of Georgia Group PLC

11 May 2022

Bank of Georgia

Group PLC

First Quarter 2022 Results

Name of authorised official of issuer responsible for making notification:

Nini Arshakuni, Head of Investor Relations

www.bankofgeorgiagroup.com

ABOUT BANK OF GEORGIA GROUP PLC

Bank of Georgia Group PLC ("Bank of Georgia Group" or the "Group" and on the LSE: BGEO LN) is a UK incorporated holding company. The Group mainly comprises: a) retail banking and payments business (Retail Banking); and b) corporate banking and investment banking operations (Corporate and Investment Banking) in Georgia.  

JSC Bank of Georgia ("Bank of Georgia", "BOG", or the "Bank"), a systematically important and leading universal bank in Georgia, is the core entity of the Group. The Bank is a leader in the payments business and financial mobile application, with strong retail and corporate banking franchises. In line with our digital strategy, the Group focuses on expanding technological and advanced data analytics capabilities to offer more personalised solutions and seamless experiences to our customers. Employee empowerment, customer satisfaction, and data-driven decision-making, together with the strength of the banking franchise, are key enablers of the Group's sustainable value creation. By building on its competitive strengths and uncovering more opportunities, the Group is committed to delivering strong profitability sustainably and maximising shareholder value.

The Group expects to benefit from the growth of the Georgian economy, and through both its Retail Banking and Corporate and Investment Banking operations, it aims to deliver on its strategy and its key medium-term objectives  ̶  at least 20% return on average equity (ROAE) and c.10% growth of its loan book.

1Q22 RESULTS AND CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS

Bank of Georgia Group PLC announces the Group's consolidated financial results for the first quarter of 2022. Unless otherwise noted, numbers in this announcement are given for 1Q22 and comparisons are for 1Q21. The results are based on International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") as adopted by the United Kingdom, are unaudited and derived from management accounts. The results announcement is also available on the Group's website at www.bankofgeorgiagroup.com.

An investor and analyst conference call will be held on 11 May 2022, at 14:00 BST / 15:00 CET / 09:00 EST.

Webinar instructions:

Please use the link below to join the webinar:

https://bankofgeorgia.zoom.us/j/97971760262?pwd=NlB5OWEwS0FVa3Q4WlJHZWkvWHBRUT09

Webinar ID: 979 7176 0262

Passcode: 858439

Or use the following international dial-in numbers available at: https://bankofgeorgia.zoom.us/u/ad7H7qGpn1

Webinar ID: 979 7176 0262#

Passcode: 858439

Participants joining via Zoom can use the "raise hand" feature at the bottom of the screen to ask questions. Participants dialing in can press *9 to raise hand and ask questions.

CONTENTS

4 Macroeconomic developments
5 1Q22 results highlights
7 Chief Executive Officer's statement
8 Discussion of results
12 Discussion of segment results
12 Retail Banking
16 Corporate and Investment Banking
19 Selected financial and operating information
24 Glossary
25 Company information

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This announcement contains forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements concerning expectations, projections, objectives, targets, goals, strategies, future events, future revenues or performance, capital expenditures, financing needs, plans or intentions relating to acquisitions, competitive strengths and weaknesses, plans or goals relating to financial position and future operations and development. Although Bank of Georgia Group PLC believes that the expectations and opinions reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations and opinions will prove to have been correct. By their nature, these forward-looking statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and contingencies, and actual results and events could differ materially from those currently being anticipated as reflected in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements, certain of which are beyond our control, include, among other things: macro risk, including domestic instability; regional instability risk; credit risk; liquidity and funding risk; capital risk; market risk; regulatory and legal risk; financial crime risk; information security and data protection risks; operational risk; human capital risk; COVID-19 pandemic risk; model risk; climate change risk; and other key factors that could adversely affect our business and financial performance, as indicated elsewhere in this document and in past and future filings and reports of the Group, including the 'Principal risks and uncertainties' included in Bank of Georgia Group PLC's Annual Report and Accounts 2021. No part of this document constitutes, or shall be taken to constitute, an invitation or inducement to invest in Bank of Georgia Group PLC or any other entity within the Group, and must not be relied upon in any way in connection with any investment decision. Bank of Georgia Group PLC and other entities within the Group undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent legally required. Nothing in this document should be construed as a profit forecast.

MACROECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

The first quarter of 2022 was defined by the impact of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and elevated uncertainty about the conflict itself and its implications for the rest of the world. The war has intensified supply shocks, exacerbating inflationary pressures and threatening regional and global growth. Despite Georgia's economic exposure to Russia and Ukraine - total inflows from both countries to Georgia in 2021 accounted for 9.7% of GDP - the downside impact on Georgia's growth momentum is expected to be limited given the country's resilience demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as its strong track record of prudent macroeconomic policies. Our investment banking arm, Galt & Taggart, has recently revised the 2022 real GDP growth forecast to 4.5%, down from the pre-war projection of 5.0% but higher than the base case of 3.0% projected shortly after the outbreak of the war, considering the strong growth achieved in the first quarter of 2022. Ongoing war, geopolitical tensions and related uncertainty are key risks to growth, while the pandemic risk has reduced significantly.

Real GDP growth in 1Q22 was 14.4%, partially reflecting last year's low base, coupled with strong external inflows and robust domestic demand. Although the growth in goods exports and remittances has decelerated since the outbreak of the war, tourism revenues have continued a steady recovery. Reduced remittances from the regional economies have been offset by robust inflows from EU countries, resulting in a 9.2% year-on-year increase in remittances in 1Q22. Disruptions in goods trade with Russia and Ukraine have been compensated by higher-valued commodity-based exports to other countries, delivering a 43.3% year-on-year increase in goods exports in 1Q22. The recovery in tourism arrivals has flattened, but tourism revenues have increased to 68.1% of the 2019 pre-pandemic level in the first quarter of 2022.

Inflation remains a significant challenge as the war in Ukraine has driven global commodity and food prices up. Annual CPI inflation in Georgia was 11.8% in March 2022 (a 2.5% month-on-month increase). The NBG increased the refinancing rate by an additional 50 bps to 11.0% in March 2022. Given the tight monetary policy, inflation is expected to fall gradually over the course of the year, averaging around 9.0%. Tight monetary policy coupled with resilient external inflows have contributed to a relatively stable local currency. As at 31 March 2022, GEL had depreciated by only 0.1% year-to-date.

COVID-19 cases in Georgia have dropped sharply, and all restrictions have been fully lifted. We expect this positive dynamic to drive a recovery in the hospitality sector in 2022.  

Notwithstanding increased uncertainty and challenges amid the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine, the Group delivered a strong performance in the first quarter of 2022, ending the quarter with a profit of GEL 240.6mln and a return on average equity of 30.7%, while maintaining strong capital and liquidity positions.

Next we present the Group's 1Q22 performance highlights and Chief Executive Officer's letter, before going into greater detail.

1Q22 FINANCIAL RESULTS HIGHLIGHTS

GEL thousands 1Q22 1Q21 Change

y-o-y
4Q21 Change

q-o-q
INCOME STATEMENT HIGHLIGHTS
Net interest income 271,450 212,332 27.8% 270,071 0.5%
Net fee and commission income 58,832 48,650 20.9% 64,100 -8.2%
Net foreign currency gain 64,484 19,176 236.3% 34,495 86.9%
Net other income 983 23,482 -95.8% 10,579 -90.7%
Operating income 395,749 303,640 30.3% 379,245 4.4%
Operating expenses (138,355) (107,359) 28.9% (150,772) -8.2%
Profit / (loss) from associates 126 167 -24.6% 128 -1.6%
Operating income before cost of risk 257,520 196,448 31.1% 228,601 12.7%
Cost of risk 7,567 (44,117) NMF (7,744) NMF
Net operating income before non-recurring items 265,087 152,331 74.0% 220,857 20.0%
Net non-recurring items 48 17 182.4% (62) NMF
Profit before income tax expense 265,135 152,348 74.0% 220,795 20.1%
Income tax expense (24,563) (13,424) 83.0% (20,076) 22.4%
Profit 240,572 138,924 73.2% 200,719 19.9%
GEL thousands Mar-22 Mar-21 Change

y-o-y
Dec-21 Change

q-o-q
BALANCE SHEET HIGHLIGHTS
Liquid assets 6,785,761 6,968,871 -2.6% 6,047,616 12.2%
Cash and cash equivalents 1,632,690 2,361,663 -30.9% 1,520,562 7.4%
Amounts due from credit institutions 1,978,568 2,200,803 -10.1% 1,931,390 2.4%
Investment securities 3,174,503 2,406,405 31.9% 2,595,664 22.3%
Loans to customers and finance lease receivables[1] 16,289,380 14,601,275 11.6% 16,168,973 0.7%
Property and equipment 384,828 385,352 -0.1% 378,808 1.6%
Total assets 24,270,229 22,752,245 6.7% 23,430,076 3.6%
Client deposits and notes 14,517,253 14,003,209 3.7% 14,038,002 3.4%
Amounts owed to credit institutions 4,676,861 4,039,250 15.8% 4,318,445 8.3%
Borrowings from DFIs 2,114,220 2,222,967 -4.9% 2,135,301 -1.0%
Short-term loans from central banks 1,772,605 772,647 129.4% 1,413,333 25.4%
Loans and deposits from commercial banks 790,036 1,043,636 -24.3% 769,811 2.6%
Debt securities issued 1,415,940 1,653,399 -14.4% 1,518,685 -6.8%
Total liabilities 20,996,390 20,064,595 4.6% 20,337,168 3.2%
Total equity 3,273,839 2,687,650 21.8% 3,092,908 5.8%
KEY RATIOS 1Q22 1Q21 4Q21
ROAA 4.1% 2.5% 3.5%
ROAE 30.7% 21.5% 26.4%
Net interest margin 5.3% 4.5% 5.3%
Liquid assets yield 4.3% 3.1% 4.0%
Loan yield 11.1% 10.4% 11.0%
Cost of funds 5.0% 4.5% 4.8%
Cost / income 35.0% 35.4% 39.8%
NPLs to Gross loans to clients 2.5% 3.6% 2.4%
NPL coverage ratio 97.3% 77.5% 95.5%
NPL coverage ratio, adjusted for discounted value of collateral 153.0% 127.8% 147.7%
Cost of credit risk ratio 0.8% 0.8% -0.2%
NBG (Basel III) CET1 capital adequacy ratio 13.7% 11.2% 13.2%
NBG (Basel III) Tier I capital adequacy ratio 15.4% 13.3% 15.0%
NBG (Basel III) Total capital adequacy ratio 19.7% 18.6% 19.3%

1Q22 PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

§ Strong quarterly results underpinning robust profitability. The Group generated operating income before cost of risk of GEL 257.5mln in 1Q22, up 31.1% y-o-y and up 12.7% q-o-q. Our profit for the quarter was GEL 240.6mln, up 73.2% y-o-y and up 19.9% q-o-q. ROAE was 30.7% in 1Q22 (21.5% in 1Q21 and 26.4% in 4Q21).

§ Net interest margin was 5.3% in 1Q22, up 80bps y-o-y and flat q-o-q. The y-o-y increase in NIM was mainly driven by an increase in loan yield and the successful deployment of some excess liquidity over the last 12 months.

§ Strong net fee and commission income generation. Net fee and commission income was up 20.9% y-o-y and down 8.2% q-o-q in the seasonally quieter first quarter. The strong y-o-y increase was driven by higher fee and commission income generation from settlement operations in Retail Banking, and settlement operations, guarantees and letters of credit issued by Corporate and Investment Banking and currency conversion operations. The q-o-q decrease in net fee and commission income reflected the impact of seasonally lower activity in the first quarter.

§ Operating expenses. We have continued investing in IT-related programmes, digitalisation and marketing, in line with our strategic priorities, while maintaining a key focus on efficiency and cost control. Our cost to income ratio improved to 35.0% in 1Q22 (35.4% in 1Q21 and 39.8% in 4Q21).

§ Loan book increased by 11.6% y-o-y and by 0.7% q-o-q at 31 March 2022. Growth on a constant-currency basis was 19.0% y-o-y and 1.0% q-o-q.  Strong y-o-y growth was primarily driven by consumer, micro and SME portfolios.

§ Client deposits and notes increased by 3.7% y-o-y and by 3.4% q-o-q at 31 March 2022. On a constant-currency basis, client deposits and notes were up 10.6% y-o-y and up 3.6% q-o-q.

§ Cost of credit risk. The cost of credit risk ratio was 0.8% in 1Q22 (cost of credit risk ratio of 0.8% in 1Q21 and a net gain of 0.2% in 4Q21), driven by a higher ECL charge posted in the Retail Banking segment reflecting fast growth of unsecured consumer loan portfolio, as well as higher provisions required for the Group's operations in Belarus. These were partially offset by strong recoveries in Corporate and Investment Banking. See details on page 9.

§ Asset quality. NPLs to gross loans stood at 2.5% at 31 March 2022, compared with 3.6% at 31 March 2021 and 2.4% at 31 December 2021. The NPL coverage ratio increased to 97.3% at 31 March 2022 (77.5% at 31 March 2021 and 95.5% at 31 December 2021), and the NPL coverage ratio adjusted for a discounted value of collateral was 153.0% at 31 March 2022 (127.8% at 31 March 2021 and 147.7% at 31 December 2021). The significant y-o-y decrease in NPLs to gross loans and the increase in NPL coverage ratios at 31 March 2022 were primarily driven by more customers returning to regular repayments, especially in the Retail Banking segment.

§ Strong capital adequacy position. The Bank's capital adequacy ratios continue to increase on a quarterly basis, and are comfortably above the Bank's minimum regulatory requirements. The Bank's Basel III Common Equity Tier 1, Tier 1 and Total capital adequacy ratios stood at 13.7%, 15.4% and 19.7%, respectively, above the minimum required levels of 11.8%, 14.1% and 17.6%, respectively, at 31 March 2022. The q-o-q increase in capital ratios was driven by the Bank's strong internal capital generation, partially offset by the impact of business growth.

§ Strong liquidity and funding positions. At 31 March 2022, after successfully deploying some excess liquidity during the quarter, the Bank's liquidity coverage ratio stood at 116.2% and the net stable funding ratio was 130.7%, both comfortably above the 100% minimum required levels.

§ Good progress in strategic areas. The Bank has continued to develop digital products and deliver superior customer experience. We had 892,316 monthly active users of our retail mBank/iBank as at 31 March 2022 (up 22.7% y-o-y and up 4.6% q-o-q), with 44.6% of these customers using our mobile and internet banking platforms on a daily basis. Product offloading to digital channels reached 35.0% in the first quarter of 2022, up from 19.3% in 1Q21 and up from 28.4% in 4Q21 (see details on page 14). We have continued to develop our payments business and achieved further market share gains in the number and volume of payment transactions that go through our POS terminals in 1Q22.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER'S STATEMENT

The first quarter of 2022 was heavily influenced by the ongoing war in Ukraine, and we are extremely saddened by the level of unnecessary human suffering that is continuing unabated. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Ukrainian people, as we all hope for a speedy resolution of the conflict. Given Georgia's recent past, this has been an emotional time for our team, but organisationally we have ensured that we remain focused on our business imperatives. Employee engagement remains critical in challenging times, and I have spent much time visiting branches, listening to our employees and ensuring that business momentum remains strong. 

I am proud, therefore, that Bank of Georgia Group delivered strong first quarter performance, with a 30.3% y-o-y increase in operating income, a 73.2% y-o-y increase in profit to GEL 240.6 million, and a return on equity of 30.7%. Strong top- and bottom-line growth was supported by the resilience of the Georgian economy in the face of the regional challenges. At the start of the war in Ukraine, we initially revised our GDP growth expectation for Georgia for 2022 down to around 3.0%, with downside risks if the conflict became prolonged. As the last two months have evolved, however, Georgia's economy has experienced strong growth momentum supported by resilient external inflows. The Georgian Lari has consequently remained robust over the last three months. As a result of these dynamics, we now expect Georgian real GDP growth in 2022 to be around 4.5%. High levels of inflation will remain an economic challenge, but given the tight monetary policy, we do expect inflationary pressures to reduce during the rest of the year.

This report goes into significant detail on the core business trends but, from my perspective, our continuing franchise growth, combined with strength in the payments business and increasing use of our financial mobile app were key to achieving such strong y-o-y net interest income and fee and commission growth (27.8% and 20.9%, respectively) in the first quarter. Strong client-driven foreign exchange commissions also supported an overall 30.3% y-o-y growth in operating income. We have continued to invest in digitalisation, and technological and advanced data analytics capabilities, whilst still improving our cost to income ratio.

Our balance sheet has also remained strong. Overall lending growth was more subdued at 1.0% on a constant-currency basis during the quarter, as strong growth in the consumer, micro and SME portfolios was offset by many Georgian corporates being relatively conservative in their investment plans during these uncertain times. Asset quality also remained robust within the quarter. We experienced an increase in the cost of credit risk in Retail Banking, mainly reflecting the fast growth of our unsecured consumer lending portfolio, but this was partially offset by some significant recoveries in the Corporate and Investment banking business. We have also reassessed our assets in BNB, our bank in Belarus, considering the deteriorated macroeconomic environment, resulting in a total of GEL 49.3 million negative effect on equity. The Group's remaining exposure in Belarus is GEL 76.1 million, representing 2.3% of the Group's total equity.

At Bank of Georgia, we are focused on our key strategic priorities, building our customer franchise with excellent customer experience, digitalisation and our ESG agenda at the forefront. We have maintained NPS at a high level of 54%, made good progress in the number of monthly active digital users - at 892 thousand in March 2022, up 22.7% compared with prior year, increased product offloading to digital channels to 35%, and these results, in combination with ROAE above 30% and cost to income ratio of 35%, reflect the underlying strength of our business, despite challenging external circumstances. Whilst we still experience elevated levels of uncertainty, I expect the Georgian economy to continue its recent growth momentum, and we remain well-positioned to continue delivering our targeted combination of strong growth and high profitability.

Archil Gachechiladze,

CEO, Bank of Georgia Group PLC

10 May 2022

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

The Group's business comprises three segments. (1) Retail Banking operations in Georgia principally provide consumer loans, mortgage loans, overdrafts, credit cards and other credit facilities, funds transfers and settlement services, and the handling of customers' deposits for both individuals and legal entities. Retail Banking targets mass retail, mass affluent and high-net-worth clients segments, together with small and medium-sized enterprises and micro businesses. (2) Corporate and Investment Banking comprises Corporate Banking and Investment Management operations in Georgia. Corporate Banking principally provides loans and other credit facilities, funds transfers and settlement services, trade finance services, documentary operations support and the handling of saving and term deposits for corporate and institutional customers. The Investment Management business principally provides brokerage services through Galt & Taggart. (3) BNB, comprising JSC Belarusky Narodny Bank, principally provides retail and corporate banking services to clients in Belarus.

OPERATING INCOME
GEL thousands, unless otherwise noted 1Q22 1Q21 Change

y-o-y
4Q21 Change

q-o-q
Interest income 521,294 428,580 21.6% 509,563 2.3%
Interest expense (249,844) (216,248) 15.5% (239,492) 4.3%
Net interest income 271,450 212,332 27.8% 270,071 0.5%
Fee and commission income 106,673 76,446 39.5% 113,664 -6.2%
Fee and commission expense (47,841) (27,796) 72.1% (49,564) -3.5%
Net fee and commission income 58,832 48,650 20.9% 64,100 -8.2%
Net foreign currency gain 64,484 19,176 236.3% 34,495 86.9%
Net other income 983 23,482 -95.8% 10,579 -90.7%
Operating income 395,749 303,640 30.3% 379,245 4.4%
Net interest margin 5.3% 4.5% 5.3%
Average interest earning assets 20,879,275 18,932,570 10.3% 20,257,844 3.1%
Average interest bearing liabilities 20,371,447 19,345,778 5.3% 19,696,541 3.4%
Average net loans and finance lease receivables 16,130,302 14,340,661 12.5% 15,825,253 1.9%
Average net loans and finance lease receivables, GEL 7,409,484 5,873,004 26.2% 7,155,129 3.6%
Average net loans and finance lease receivables, FC 8,720,818 8,467,657 3.0% 8,670,124 0.6%
Average client deposits and notes 14,217,208 13,942,631 2.0% 13,717,739 3.6%
Average client deposits and notes, GEL 5,591,900 5,313,836 5.2% 5,270,841 6.1%
Average client deposits and notes, FC 8,625,308 8,628,795 0.0% 8,446,898 2.1%
Average liquid assets 6,573,713 6,732,512 -2.4% 6,023,591 9.1%
Average liquid assets, GEL 3,141,884 2,600,231 20.8% 2,811,276 11.8%
Average liquid assets, FC 3,431,829 4,132,281 -17.0% 3,212,315 6.8%
Liquid assets yield 4.3% 3.1% 4.0%
Liquid assets yield, GEL 8.8% 7.6% 8.3%
Liquid assets yield, FC 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%
Loan yield 11.1% 10.4% 11.0%
Loan yield, GEL 15.8% 14.8% 15.5%
Loan yield, FC 7.1% 7.2% 7.2%
Cost of funds 5.0% 4.5% 4.8%
Cost of funds, GEL 9.2% 7.8% 8.9%
Cost of funds, FC 2.1% 2.8% 2.2%
Cost / income 35.0% 35.4% 39.8%

Performance highlights

§ The Group generated strong operating income of GEL 395.7mln in 1Q22 (up 30.3% y-o-y and up 4.4% q-o-q). The y-o-y increase was driven by strong net interest income (up 27.8% y-o-y), net fee and commission income (up 20.9% y-o-y) and net foreign currency gains (up 236.3% y-o-y). The q-o-q increase was mainly driven by strong net foreign currency gains (up 86.9% q-o-q).

§ NIM was 5.3% in 1Q22 (up 80bps y-o-y and flat q-o-q). The y-o-y increase in NIM was mainly driven by an increase in loan yield (up 70bps y-o-y), coupled with the successful deployment of some excess liquidity. During the first quarter of 2022, we saw broad stability in the q-o-q margin, as expected.

§ Liquid assets yield. Liquid assets yield was 4.3% in 1Q22 (up 120bps y-o-y and up 30bps q-o-q). The y-o-y and q-o-q increases were driven by higher yields of local currency liquid assets (up 120bps y-o-y and up 50bps q-o-q in 1Q22), reflecting the NBG's monetary policy rate changes (the NBG increased the monetary policy rate four times by a cumulative of 250bps during 2021 and by an additional 50bps in March 2022). The foreign currency denominated liquid assets yield remained flat y-o-y and q-o-q.

§ Cost of funds was 5.0% in 1Q22 (up 50bps y-o-y and up 20bps q-o-q). Local currency denominated cost of funds was up 140bps y-o-y and up 30bps q-o-q in 1Q22, reflecting the NBG's monetary policy rate changes. The cost of foreign currency denominated funds was down 70bps y-o-y and down 10bps q-o-q in 1Q22, as a result of deposit re-pricing during 2021.

§ Net fee and commission income amounted to GEL 58.8mln in 1Q22 (up 20.9% y-o-y and down 8.2% q-o-q). The strong y-o-y increase was driven by higher fee and commission income generation from the settlement operations, guarantees and letters of credit issued by the Corporate and Investment Banking business and our client-driven currency conversion operations. The q-o-q decrease in net fee and commission income was mainly driven by lower fee and commission income generation from the settlement operations on the back of seasonally quieter first quarter.

§ Net foreign currency gain was GEL 64.5mln in 1Q22, up 236.3% y-o-y and up 86.9% q-o-q on the back of higher currency volatility and client-driven flows during the period.

§ Net other income was down y-o-y and q-o-q in 1Q22, partly due to the high base in 2021 as a result of significant net gains from the sale of real estate properties and investment securities. In addition, considering the ongoing external challenges related to the Russia-Ukraine war and the deteriorated macroeconomic outlook for Belarus, we recorded a GEL 4.4mln net loss on the revaluation of investment property of our subsidiary in Belarus in the first quarter of 2022.

NET OPERATING INCOME BEFORE NON-RECURRING ITEMS; COST OF RISK; PROFIT
GEL thousands, unless otherwise noted 1Q22 1Q21 Change

y-o-y
4Q21 Change

q-o-q
Salaries and other employee benefits (78,329) (60,223) 30.1% (80,501) -2.7%
Administrative expenses (33,702) (23,563) 43.0% (43,552) -22.6%
Depreciation, amortisation and impairment (24,627) (22,561) 9.2% (25,256) -2.5%
Other operating expenses (1,697) (1,012) 67.7% (1,463) 16.0%
Operating expenses (138,355) (107,359) 28.9% (150,772) -8.2%
Profit / (loss) from associate 126 167 -24.6% 128 -1.6%
Operating income before cost of risk 257,520 196,448 31.1% 228,601 12.7%
Expected credit loss on loans to customers (29,856) (28,236) 5.7% 9,836 NMF
Expected credit loss on finance lease receivables (1,284) (931) 37.9% (3,406) -62.3%
Other expected credit loss and impairment charge on other assets and provisions 38,707 (14,950) NMF (14,174) NMF
Cost of risk 7,567 (44,117) NMF (7,744) NMF
Net operating income before non-recurring items 265,087 152,331 74.0% 220,857 20.0%
Net non-recurring items 48 17 182.4% (62) NMF
Profit before income tax 265,135 152,348 74.0% 220,795 20.1%
Income tax expense (24,563) (13,424) 83.0% (20,076) 22.4%
Profit 240,572 138,924 73.2% 200,719 19.9%

§ Operating expenses. Operating expenses were up 28.9% y-o-y and down 8.2% q-o-q in 1Q22. The y-o-y increase was mainly driven by strong business growth and continuing investments in digital and IT-related programmes, amid the higher inflationary environment, while the q-o-q decrease partially reflected seasonal trends. Our cost to income ratio improved to 35.0% in 1Q22, down from 35.4% in 1Q21 and 39.8% in 4Q21.

§ Cost of risk in 1Q22 reflected a combination of the following factors:

§ Cost of credit risk ratio was 0.8% in 1Q22 (cost of credit risk ratio of 0.8% in 1Q21 and a net gain of 0.2% in 4Q21). The Group recorded ECL provisions on loans to customers and finance lease receivables in the amount of GEL 50.2mln for the Retail Banking business. The higher than normal ECL in Retail Banking was mainly driven by increased sales of unsecured consumer loans as we redesigned the lending process in digital channels in 2021. Furthermore, the Group recorded a GEL 21.5mln E/CL provisions on loans to customers and finance lease receivables of BNB in the light of the revised macroeconomic outlook. These were partially offset by a net ECL reversal of GEL 41.6mln in the Corporate and Investment Banking segment in 1Q22, reflecting a number of recoveries during the quarter.

§ Expected credit loss and impairment charge on other assets and provisions in 1Q22 mainly comprised a GEL 44.3mln recovery of some previously paid legal fees.

§ Quality of the loan book. The y-o-y decline in the NPLs to gross loans ratio and the increase in the NPL coverage ratios at 31 March 2022 were mainly driven by more customers returning to regular repayments, especially in the Retail Banking segment. The NPLs to gross loans ratio was broadly stable q-o-q:

GEL thousands, unless otherwise noted Mar-22 Mar-21 Change

y-o-y
Dec-21 Change

q-o-q
NON-PERFORMING LOANS
NPLs 424,405 534,626 -20.6% 394,720 7.5%
NPLs to gross loans 2.5% 3.6% 2.4%
NPLs to gross loans, RB 1.8% 3.3% 1.8%
NPLs to gross loans, CIB 3.9% 4.0% 3.6%
NPL coverage ratio 97.3% 77.5% 95.5%
NPL coverage ratio adjusted for the discounted value of collateral 153.0% 127.8% 147.7%

§ BNB - the Group's banking subsidiary in Belarus - Considering the deteriorated macroeconomic outlook amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, we reassessed the assets of BNB, resulting in a negative P&L effect of GEL 31.4mln (comprising a GEL 4.4 mln net loss on the revaluation of investment property, a GEL 21.5mln ECL provisions on loans to customers and finance lease receivables, a GEL 5.5mln other expected credit loss and impairment charge on other assets and provisions) and a negative GEL 17.9mln effect through other comprehensive income as a result of the revaluation of investment securities. The Group's remaining exposure in Belarus is GEL 76.1 million, representing 2.3% of the Group's total equity. BNB's capital ratios stood above the requirements of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus (the "NBRB") at 31 March 2022 as those are calculated in accordance with NBRB standards. At 31 March 2022, the total capital adequacy ratio was 15.3%, above the 12.5% minimum requirement, while Tier I capital adequacy ratio was 11.8%, above the NBRB's 7.0% minimum requirement. For BNB's financial results highlights, see page 22.

§ Overall, the Group recorded a profit of GEL 240.6mln in 1Q22 (up 73.2% y-o-y and up 19.9% q-o-q). The Group's ROAE was 30.7% in 1Q22 (21.5% in 1Q21 and 26.4% in 4Q21).

BALANCE SHEET HIGHLIGHTS
GEL thousands, unless otherwise noted Mar-22 Mar-21 Change

y-o-y
Dec-21 Change

q-o-q
Liquid assets 6,785,761 6,968,871 -2.6% 6,047,616 12.2%
Liquid assets, GEL 3,266,943 2,515,544 29.9% 2,819,195 15.9%
Liquid assets, FC 3,518,818 4,453,327 -21.0% 3,228,421 9.0%
Net loans and finance lease receivables 16,289,380 14,601,275 11.6% 16,168,973 0.7%
Net loans and finance lease receivables, GEL 7,573,935 6,029,913 25.6% 7,348,911 3.1%
Net loans and finance lease receivables, FC 8,715,445 8,571,362 1.7% 8,820,062 -1.2%
Client deposits and notes 14,517,253 14,003,209 3.7% 14,038,002 3.4%
Amounts owed to credit institutions 4,676,861 4,039,250 15.8% 4,318,445 8.3%
Borrowings from DFIs 2,114,220 2,222,967 -4.9% 2,135,301 -1.0%
Short-term loans from central banks 1,772,605 772,647 129.4% 1,413,333 25.4%
Loans and deposits from commercial banks 790,036 1,043,636 -24.3% 769,811 2.6%
Debt securities issued 1,415,940 1,653,399 -14.4% 1,518,685 -6.8%
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL ADEQUACY RATIOS
Net loans / client deposits and notes 112.2% 104.3% 115.2%
Net loans / client deposits and notes + DFIs 97.9% 90.0% 100.0%
Liquid assets / total assets 28.0% 30.6% 25.8%
Liquid assets / total liabilities 32.3% 34.7% 29.7%
NBG liquidity coverage ratio 116.2% 149.3% 124.0%
NBG (Basel III) CET1 capital adequacy ratio 13.7% 11.2% 13.2%
NBG (Basel III) Tier I capital adequacy ratio 15.4% 13.3% 15.0%
NBG (Basel III) Total capital adequacy ratio 19.7% 18.6% 19.3%

Our balance sheet remains highly liquid (NBG liquidity coverage ratio of 116.2%) and strongly capitalised (NBG Basel III CET1 capital adequacy ratio of 13.7%) with a well-diversified funding base (client deposits and notes to total liabilities of 69.1%) at 31 March 2022.

§ Liquidity. Liquid assets stood at GEL 6,785.8mln at 31 March 2022, down 2.6% y-o-y and up 12.2% q-o-q. The NBG liquidity coverage ratio was 116.2% at 31 March 2022 (149.3% at 31 March 2021 and 124.0% at 31 December 2021), comfortably above the 100% minimum requirement level.

§ Loan book. Our net loan book and finance lease receivables reached GEL 16,289.4mln at 31 March 2022, up 11.6% y-o-y and up 0.7% q-o-q. Growth on a constant-currency basis was 19.0% y-o-y and 1.0% q-o-q. GEL-denominated portfolio increased by 25.6% y-o-y and by 3.1% q-o-q at 31 March 2022, and represented 46.5% of total portfolio (41.3% at 31 March 2021 and 45.5% at 31 December 2021). The share of Retail Banking net loan book and finance lease receivables in the Bank's net loans and finance lease receivables was 68.9% at 31 March 2022 (65.8% at 31 March 2021 and 67.0% 31 December 2021).

§ Net loans to customer funds and Development Finance Institutions (DFI) ratio. Our net loans to customer funds and DFI ratio stood at 97.9% at 31 March 2022, compared with 90.0% at 31 March 2021 and 100.0% at 31 December 2021.

§ Strong capital position. As a result of our robust operating performance and strong internal capital generation, the Bank's Basel III Common Equity Tier 1, Tier 1 and Total capital adequacy ratios stood at 13.7%, 15.4% and 19.7%, respectively, at 31 March 2022, comfortably above the minimum required levels of 11.8%, 14.1% and 17.6%, respectively. The movement in capital adequacy ratios in 1Q22 and the potential impact of a 10% devaluation of the local currency on different levels of capital is as follows:

31 December

2022
1Q22

profit
Business growth Currency  impact 31 March

2022
Potential impact

of a 10% GEL devaluation
CET1 capital adequacy ratio 13.2% 0.9% -0.4% 0.0% 13.7% -0.9%
Tier I capital adequacy ratio 15.0% 0.9% -0.5% 0.0% 15.4% -0.9%
Total capital adequacy ratio 19.3% 0.9% -0.5% 0.0% 19.7% -0.8%

The Bank's minimum capital requirements, reflecting the full loading of Basel III capital requirements, to be completed in 2023, which remain subject to ongoing annual regulatory reviews, are currently expected to be as follows:

Expected minimum capital requirements for 2022-2023

Dec-22 Dec-23
CET1 capital requirement 11.8% 12.1%
Tier 1 capital requirement 14.1% 14.5%
Total capital requirement 17.6% 17.6%

Capital distribution. At the 2022 Annual General Meeting, the Board intends to recommend a final dividend for 2021 of GEL 2.33 per share payable in British Pounds at the prevailing rate. This will make a total dividend paid in respect of the Group's 2021 earnings of GEL 3.81 per share.

DISCUSSION OF SEGMENT RESULTS

RETAIL BANKING (RB)2       

Retail Banking provides consumer loans, mortgage loans, overdrafts, credit card facilities and other credit facilities as well as funds transfers and settlement services and the handling of customer deposits for both individuals and legal entities (SMEs and micro businesses only). RB is represented by the following sub-segments: (1) mass retail segment, (2) mass affluent segment (through our SOLO brand) and high-net-worth individuals (through our Wealth Management private banking services in Georgia and internationally through representative offices in London and Istanbul, and a subsidiary in Tel Aviv), and (3) SMEs and micro businesses - MSMEs.

GEL thousands, unless otherwise noted 1Q22 1Q21 Change

y-o-y
4Q21 Change

q-o-q
INCOME STATEMENT HIGHLIGHTS[2]
Net interest income 173,526 135,330 28.2% 161,167 7.7%
Net fee and commission income 45,444 37,624 20.8% 50,116 -9.3%
Net foreign currency gain 32,154 11,595 177.3% 17,234 86.6%
Net other income 1,471 9,073 -83.8% 3,527 -58.3%
Operating income 252,595 193,622 30.5% 232,044 8.9%
Salaries and other employee benefits (57,300) (41,868) 36.9% (59,875) -4.3%
Administrative expenses (25,952) (18,742) 38.5% (33,965) -23.6%
Depreciation, amortisation and impairment (21,092) (19,210) 9.8% (21,622) -2.5%
Other operating expenses (1,401) (680) 106.0% (1,079) 29.8%
Operating expenses (105,745) (80,500) 31.4% (116,541) -9.3%
Profit / (loss) from associate 126 167 -24.6% 128 -1.6%
Operating income before cost of risk 146,976 113,289 29.7% 115,631 27.1%
Cost of risk (50,790) (31,327) 62.1% (20,003) 153.9%
Net operating income before non-recurring items 96,186 81,962 17.4% 95,628 0.6%
Net non-recurring items 69 156 -55.8% (11) NMF
Profit before income tax expense 96,255 82,118 17.2% 95,617 0.7%
Income tax expense (9,946) (6,003) 65.7% (7,897) 25.9%
Profit 86,309 76,115 13.4% 87,720 -1.6%
BALANCE SHEET HIGHLIGHTS2
Net loans 10,740,353 9,079,628 18.3% 10,349,776 3.8%
Net loans, GEL 6,491,405 5,003,957 29.7% 6,201,310 4.7%
Net loans, FC 4,248,948 4,075,671 4.3% 4,148,466 2.4%
Client deposits 9,857,622 8,977,991 9.8% 9,557,682 3.1%
Client deposits, GEL 2,946,915 2,339,089 26.0% 2,904,521 1.5%
Client deposits, FC 6,910,707 6,638,902 4.1% 6,653,161 3.9%
of which:
Time deposits 5,299,269 5,365,754 -1.2% 5,462,952 -3.0%
Time deposits, GEL 1,669,119 1,205,764 38.4% 1,534,172 8.8%
Time deposits, FC 3,630,150 4,159,990 -12.7% 3,928,780 -7.6%
Current accounts and demand deposits 4,558,353 3,612,237 26.2% 4,094,730 11.3%
Current accounts and demand deposits, GEL 1,277,796 1,133,325 12.7% 1,370,349 -6.8%
Current accounts and demand deposits, FC 3,280,557 2,478,912 32.3% 2,724,381 20.4%
Assets under management 1,814,979 1,659,461 9.4% 1,503,529 20.7%
KEY RATIOS2
ROAE 18.0% 20.9% 19.7%
Net interest margin 4.7% 4.1% 4.4%
Cost of credit risk ratio 1.9% 1.4% 0.7%
Cost of funds 6.0% 5.3% 6.0%
Loan yield 11.9% 11.1% 11.7%
Loan yield, GEL 15.9% 15.2% 15.6%
Loan yield, FC 5.8% 6.1% 5.8%
Cost of deposits 2.6% 2.7% 2.5%
Cost of deposits, GEL 7.2% 5.9% 6.8%
Cost of deposits, FC 0.6% 1.6% 0.8%
Cost of time deposits 4.1% 3.9% 3.9%
Cost of time deposits, GEL 11.1% 9.5% 10.7%
Cost of time deposits, FC 1.1% 2.3% 1.4%
Cost of current accounts and demand deposits 0.7% 1.0% 0.7%
Cost of current accounts and demand deposits, GEL 2.4% 2.4% 2.2%
Cost of current accounts and demand deposits, FC 0.0% 0.3% 0.0%
Cost / income ratio 41.9% 41.6% 50.2%

Performance highlights

§ Retail Banking generated strong operating income of GEL 252.6mln in 1Q22 (up 30.5% y-o-y and up 8.9% q-o-q). Strong net interest income and net fee and commission income generation together with higher net foreign currency gains were the main contributors to the y-o-y increase in operating income, while net interest income and client-driven net foreign currency gains drove the q-o-q growth in operating income in the first quarter of 2022.  

§ RB net interest income was up 28.2% y-o-y and up 7.7% q-o-q in 1Q22. NIM was 4.7% in 1Q22 (up 60bps y-o-y and up 30bps q-o-q). The increase in NIM was mainly driven by higher loan yield (up 80bps y-o-y and up 20bps q-o-q in 1Q22) coupled with the successful deployment of some excess liquidity.  

§ RB net loan book was GEL 10,740.4mln at 31 March 2021, up 18.3% y-o-y and up 3.8% q-o-q. On a constant currency basis, net loan book increased by 24.2% y-o-y and by 4.0% q-o-q in 1Q22. The local currency denominated loan book increased by 29.7% y-o-y and by 4.7% q-o-q, while the foreign currency denominated loan book increased by 4.3% y-o-y and by 2.4% q-o-q in 1Q22. As a result, the local currency denominated loan book represented 60.4% of the Retail Banking loan book at 31 March 2022, compared with 55.1% at 31 March 2021 and 59.9% at 31 December 2021. The consumer loan portfolio, which has historically been most sensitive to foreign currency risk, is now almost completely de-dollarised, while the share of retail mortgage loans in local currency was 51.6% at 31 March 2022, compared with 46.3% at 31 March 2021 and 50.5% at 31 December 2021.

§ The y-o-y loan book growth was mainly driven by strong growth of the consumer, micro and SME portfolios:

RETAIL BANKING LOAN BOOK BY PRODUCTS
GEL thousands, unless otherwise noted 1Q22 1Q21 Change

y-o-y
4Q21 Change

q-o-q
Loan originations
Consumer loans 808,569 455,590 77.5% 858,067 -5.8%
Mortgage loans 319,661 420,064 -23.9% 484,407 -34.0%
Micro loans 413,170 408,581 1.1% 497,325 -16.9%
SME loans 364,333 371,256 -1.9% 434,009 -16.1%
Outstanding balance
Consumer loans 2,724,182 1,809,839 50.5% 2,567,361 6.1%
Mortgage loans 3,987,191 3,812,962 4.6% 3,956,204 0.8%
Micro loans 2,101,736 1,783,166 17.9% 1,980,691 6.1%
SME loans 1,703,041 1,505,649 13.1% 1,608,857 5.9%

§ RB client deposits stood at GEL 9,857.6mln at 31 March 2022, up 9.8% y-o-y and up 3.1% q-o-q. The share of foreign currency denominated deposits was 70.1% at 31 March 2022, down from 73.9% at 31 March 2021 and up from 69.6% at 31 December 2021. The cost of foreign currency denominated deposits was 0.6% in 1Q22 (down 100bps y-o-y and down 20bps q-o-q), while the cost of local currency denominated deposits was 7.2% in 1Q22 (up 130bps y-o-y and up 40bps q-o-q). The spread between the cost of RB's client deposits in local currency and foreign currency was 6.6ppts in 1Q22 (GEL: 7.2%; FC: 0.6%), compared with 4.3ppts in 1Q21 (GEL: 5.9%; FC: 1.6%) and 6.0ppts in 4Q21 (GEL: 6.8%; FC: 0.8%).  

§ Retail Banking net fee and commission income was up 20.8% y-o-y and down 9.3% q-o-q in 1Q22. The y-o-y increase was mainly driven by strong performance in settlement operations and our client-driven currency conversion operations, whereas the q-o-q decrease was mainly due to seasonally quieter first quarter.

§ Retail Banking's cost of credit risk ratio was 1.9% in 1Q22 (1.4% in 1Q21 and 0.7% in 4Q21). Higher cost of credit risk ratio in the first quarter was mainly driven by the fast growth of our unsecured consumer loan portfolio. 

§ Our Retail Banking business continued to deliver strong results across key strategic pillars, as demonstrated by the following indicators:

Volume information in GEL thousands 1Q22 1Q21 Change

y-o-y
4Q21 Change

q-o-q
Retail Banking active customers[3]
Number of new active customers 57,743 34,754 66.1% 59,306 -2.6%
Number of active customers 1,491,460 1,344,651 10.9% 1,456,505 2.4%
Cards
Number of cards issued 276,023 191,547 44.1% 432,685 -36.2%
Number of cards outstanding 2,342,189 2,111,254 10.9% 2,290,716 2.2%
Express Pay terminals
Number of Express Pay terminals 3,122 3,125 -0.1% 3,134 -0.4%
Number of transactions via Express Pay terminals 19,090,517 16,784,029 13.7% 21,102,054 -9.5%
Volume of transactions via Express Pay terminals 3,112,873 2,322,601 34.0% 3,426,763 -9.2%
POS terminals
Number of desks 27,706 22,889 21.0% 27,286 1.5%
Number of contracted merchants 17,794 13,298 33.8% 17,404 2.2%
Number of POS terminals 39,086 30,053 30.1% 38,514 1.5%
Number of transactions via POS terminals 44,998,835 27,455,781 63.9% 44,609,427 0.9%
Volume of transactions via POS terminals 1,305,111 705,118 85.1% 1,386,223 -5.9%
Mobile and internet banking
Number of monthly active users [4] 892,316 727,367 22.7% 852,733 4.6%
Number of transactions via internet bank 1,019,795 918,907 11.0% 1,093,956 -6.8%
Volume of transactions via internet bank 659,219 584,089 12.9% 629,887 4.7%
Number of transactions via mobile bank 34,249,288 21,242,482 61.2% 34,308,520 -0.2%
Volume of transactions via mobile bank 5,870,854 3,279,566 79.0% 5,994,578 -2.1%

§ The Bank had around 1.5 million monthly active Retail Banking customers at 31 March 2022, up 10.9% y-o-y and up 2.4% q-o-q, reflecting the strength of our franchise and the increasing engagement of our customers. In the first quarter of 2022, we changed the definition of active customer to account only for those customers who were active within the past month.

§ Digital channels. We have continued to develop our digital channels and provide superior digital experience. 96.6% of total transactions were executed through digital channels[5] in 1Q22.

§ mBank and iBank. We continuously develop our mobile application and internet banking platform to increase customer activity and product sales through these channels. At 31 March 2022, 892,316 individuals were monthly active users (MAU) of our mBank/iBank, up 22.7% y-o-y and up 4.6% q-o-q. 44.6% of these individuals were daily active users. The share of MAU in active individual customers was 62.4% at 31 March 2022, compared with 56.4% at 31 March 2021 and 61.2% at 31 December 2021. The number and volume of transactions done via mBank/iBank increased significantly y-o-y in 1Q22. In the first quarter of 2022, 53.7% of total transactions went through mBank/iBank, an increase from 45.9% in 1Q21 and 50.9% in 4Q21. We are now focusing on increasing the product offloading rate and have made good progress. In 1Q22, product offloading to digital channels was 35.0%, up from 19.3% in 1Q21 and 28.4% in 4Q21.

§ Business iBank and mBank. The number of active Business iBank and mBank users reached 42,899 at 31 March 2022 (up 33.2% y-o-y and up 3.5% q-o-q). The number and volume of transactions through mBank/iBank also grew strongly y-o-y in 1Q22 (up 56.6% and 46.0%, respectively). Overall, 97.7% of transactions of legal entities were executed through Business iBank/mBank in 1Q22.

§ Our premium banking segment comprises two directions - SOLO and Wealth Management. Following structural changes in senior management, starting from 3Q21, we reclassified the Wealth Management business from Corporate and Investment Banking to the Retail Banking segment, under Premium Banking. The comparative periods have been restated accordingly:

§ SOLO continued to grow and invest in its lifestyle brand. We have 11 SOLO lounges - nine are located in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, and two in major regional cities of Georgia. The number of active SOLO clients reached 71,886 at 31 March 2022 (60,363 at 31 March 2021 and 68,818 at 31 December 2021). While active SOLO clients represent around 5% of our active Retail Banking client base, they contributed 27.9% to our Retail Banking gross loan book, 32.5% to Retail Banking deposits, 24.0% and 17.8% to Retail Banking net interest income and net fee and commission income, respectively, in 1Q22. The net fee and commission income from the SOLO segment was GEL 6.3mln in 1Q22 (down 6.6% y-o-y and down 38.9% q-o-q).

§ Wealth Management continues to focus on profitable growth by diversifying its offerings. Wealth Management has a strong international presence and diversified customer base across multiple geographies. We served 1,492 active wealth management customers from 70 countries as at 31 March 2022, compared with 1,396 active customers as at 31 March 2021 and 1,440 active customers as at 31 December 2021.

§ Wealth Management's AUM was GEL 1,815.0mln at 31 March 2022, up 9.4% y-o-y and up 20.7% q-o-q. The AUM comprises deposits and global certificates of deposit held by Wealth Management clients. In addition, the Bank's Wealth Management customers' investments in assets which are held through Galt & Taggart was GEL 740.9mln at 31 March 2022, down 17.0% y-o-y and down 15.8% q-o-q.

§ MSME banking. The number of MSME segment active clients reached 62,387 at 31 March 2022, up 15.6% y-o-y and up 0.8% q-o-q. MSME's gross loan portfolio reached GEL 4,208.0mln (up 20.9% y-o-y and up 6.4% q-o-q) and client deposits and notes amounted to GEL 1,182.1mln at 31 March 2022 (up 20.8% y-o-y and up 2.6% q-o-q). The MSME segment generated strong operating income of GEL 69.5mln in 1Q22 (up 30.4% y-o-y and up 6.6% q-o-q).

§ Our digital ecosystem comprises four business verticals: real estate marketplace (area.ge), e-commerce marketplace (extra.ge), point of sale solutions (optimo.ge), and logistics services (izibox.ge). Throughout the first quarter, we have continued to develop these businesses, including a redesign of mobile application for extra.ge, the launch of the HORECA functionality on optimo.ge and the addition of other new functionalities.

500 Georgia Acceleration programme (launched in 2020 in partnership with 500 Startups and Georgia's Innovation and Technology Agency to help accelerate the development of Georgian and international early-stage startups operating in the region). During 2020 and 2021, 28 companies from eleven different business verticals completed the programme and joined our Digital Area ecosystem. In 3Q21, four winning startups successfully completed the final acceleration process in San Francisco. Since the launch, the participating startups have raised more than US$ 10.5 million from international investors and venture capital funds over the programme duration, created 200+ jobs, have 627,000+ users, 100+ new partnerships and generated more than GEL 8mln in revenue.

Since 2018, the Group has invested c.US$ 9.1 million in the development of the Digital Area ecosystem. The Group plans an additional investment of US$ 3-8 million during 2022-2023.

§ Retail Banking recorded a profit of GEL 86.3mln in 1Q22 (up 13.4% y-o-y and down 1.6% q-o-q). Retail Banking ROAE was 18.0% in 1Q22 (20.9% in 1Q21 and 19.7% in 4Q21).

CORPORATE AND INVESTMENT BANKING (CIB)8

CIB provides (1) loans and other credit facilities to Georgia's large corporate clients and other legal entities, excluding SMEs and micro businesses; (2) services such as funds transfers and settlements services, currency conversion operations, trade finance services and documentary operations as well as the handling of savings and term deposits; (3) finance lease facilities through the Bank's leasing operations arm, the Georgian Leasing Company; and (4) corporate advisory, debt and equity capital markets research and brokerage services through Galt & Taggart.

GEL thousands, unless otherwise noted 1Q22 1Q21 Change

y-o-y
4Q21 Change

q-o-q
INCOME STATEMENT HIGHLIGHTS[6]
Net interest income 87,581 68,650 27.6% 96,619 -9.4%
Net fee and commission income 12,294 9,416 30.6% 13,175 -6.7%
Net foreign currency gain 20,370 4,035 404.8% 13,788 47.7%
Net other income 2,986 14,771 -79.8% 6,377 -53.2%
Operating income 123,231 96,872 27.2% 129,959 -5.2%
Salaries and other employee benefits (14,519) (13,092) 10.9% (14,387) 0.9%
Administrative expenses (3,446) (3,088) 11.6% (5,397) -36.1%
Depreciation, amortisation and impairment (2,238) (2,196) 1.9% (2,313) -3.2%
Other operating expenses (335) (221) 51.6% (341) -1.8%
Operating expenses (20,538) (18,597) 10.4% (22,438) -8.5%
Operating income before cost of risk 102,693 78,275 31.2% 107,521 -4.5%
Cost of risk 84,724 (12,035) NMF 12,730 565.5%
Net operating income before non-recurring items 187,417 66,240 182.9% 120,251 55.9%
Net non-recurring items - (73) -100.0% (1) -100.0%
Profit before income tax expense 187,417 66,167 183.2% 120,250 55.9%
Income tax expense (14,617) (6,695) 118.3% (11,247) 30.0%
Profit 172,800 59,472 190.6% 109,003 58.5%
BALANCE SHEET HIGHLIGHTS8
Net loans and finance lease receivables 4,846,686 4,722,191 2.6% 5,100,938 -5.0%
Net loans and finance lease receivables, GEL 1,054,455 979,614 7.6% 1,113,914 -5.3%
Net loans and finance lease receivables, FC 3,792,231 3,742,577 1.3% 3,987,024 -4.9%
Client deposits 4,194,888 4,560,098 -8.0% 4,015,449 4.5%
Client deposits, GEL 2,922,461 2,835,949 3.1% 2,559,463 14.2%
Client deposits, FC 1,272,427 1,724,149 -26.2% 1,455,986 -12.6%
Time deposits 1,392,549 1,861,804 -25.2% 1,258,019 10.7%
Time deposits, GEL 1,270,350 1,614,239 -21.3% 1,106,874 14.8%
Time deposits, FC 122,199 247,565 -50.6% 151,145 -19.2%
Current accounts and demand deposits 2,802,339 2,698,294 3.9% 2,757,430 1.6%
Current accounts and demand deposits, GEL 1,652,111 1,221,710 35.2% 1,452,589 13.7%
Current accounts and demand deposits, FC 1,150,228 1,476,584 -22.1% 1,304,841 -11.8%
Letters of credit and guarantees, standalone (off-balance sheet item) 1,706,792 1,640,556 4.0% 1,728,569 -1.3%
Assets under management 1,409,515 1,432,001 -1.6% 1,469,315 -4.1%
RATIOS8
ROAE 63.5% 23.9% 39.2%
Net interest margin 5.4% 4.3% 5.8%
Cost of credit risk ratio -3.3% -0.2% -1.8%
Cost of funds 3.2% 2.8% 3.0%
Loan yield 9.1% 8.6% 9.2%
Loan yield, GEL 14.7% 12.2% 14.3%
Loan yield, FC 7.6% 7.6% 7.8%
Cost of deposits 6.3% 5.6% 5.6%
Cost of deposits, GEL 9.4% 8.1% 8.4%
Cost of deposits, FC 0.0% 0.8% 0.3%
Cost of time deposits 10.2% 8.3% 9.0%
Cost of time deposits, GEL 11.6% 9.2% 10.1%
Cost of time deposits, FC 0.0% 1.9% 1.9%
Current accounts and demand deposits 4.3% 3.1% 4.0%
Current accounts and demand deposits, GEL 7.7% 6.3% 7.1%
Current accounts and demand deposits, FC -0.1% 0.6% 0.1%
Cost / income ratio 16.7% 19.2% 17.3%
Concentration of top ten clients 6.4% 9.5% 8.3%

Performance highlights

§ Corporate and Investment Banking's operating income was GEL 123.2mln in 1Q22 (up 27.2% y-o-y and down 5.2% q-o-q). The y-o-y increase was driven by strong net interest income and net fee and commission income generation as well as higher net foreign currency gains, while the q-o-q decrease was due to reduced net interest income, net fee and commission income and net other income compared with the previous quarter, partially offset by strong net foreign currency gains during the quarter.

§ CIB's net interest income increased by 27.6% y-o-y and decreased by 9.4% q-o-q in the first quarter of 2022. CIB's NIM was 5.4% in 1Q22 (up 110bps y-o-y and down 40bps q-o-q). The q-o-q decrease in NIM was mainly driven by lower loan yield (down 10bps q-o-q) coupled with increased cost of funds (up 20bps q-o-q).

§ CIB's net fee and commission income was GEL 12.3mln in 1Q22 (up 30.6% y-o-y and down 6.7% q-o-q). The y-o-y growth was largely driven by strong income generation from settlement operations and guarantees and letters of credit issued, whereas the q-o-q decrease was due to lower activity in the first quarter.

§ CIB's loan book and dollarisation. CIB's net loans and finance lease receivables stood at GEL 4,846.7mln at 31 March 2022, up 2.6% y-o-y and down 5.0% q-o-q. On a constant currency basis, CIB's portfolio was up 12.8% y-o-y and down 4.5% q-o-q. Foreign currency denominated net loans represented 78.2% of CIB's loan portfolio at 31 March 2022 (79.3% at 31 March 2021 and 78.2% at 31 December 2021). At 31 March 2022, 41.4% of gross CIB loans were issued in foreign currency with minimal exposure to foreign currency risk, while 37.1% of gross CIB loans were issued in foreign currency with exposure to foreign currency risk. The concentration of top ten CIB clients was down to 6.4% at 31 March 2022 (9.5% at 31 March 2021 and 8.3% at 31 December 2021).

§ Dollarisation of CIB deposits was 30.3% at 31 March 2022, compared with 37.8% at 31 March 2021 and 36.3% at 31 December 2021.

§ Net other income. The y-o-q and the q-o-q decrease was due to the high base last year driven by net gains from the sale of real estate properties and investment securities.

§ CIB's cost of risk in 1Q22 reflected a combination of the following factors:

§ Cost of credit risk. CIB's cost of credit risk was a net gain of 3.3% in 1Q22 (a net gain of 0.2% in 1Q21 and a net gain of 1.8% in 4Q21). The Group recorded a GEL 41.6mln reversal of provisions on loans to customers and finance lease receivables in 1Q22, primarily driven by the recovery of several corporate loans during the period.

§ Expected credit loss and impairment charge on other assets and provisions in the first quarter of 2022 mainly comprised a GEL 44.3mln reversal of expenses previously paid for some legal fees.

§ As a result, CIB recorded a profit of GEL 172.8mln in the first quarter of 2022 (up 190.6% y-o-y and up 58.5% q-o-q). CIB's ROAE was 63.5% in 1Q22 (23.9% in 1Q21 and 39.2% in 4Q21).

Performance highlights of Investment Management operations

§ We offer investment management services through our subsidiary, Galt & Taggart, a leading investment bank in Georgia, comprising brokerage services, debt and equity capital markets research and corporate advisory. We focus on profitable growth by unlocking the potential of retail brokerage and fully digitising our brokerage services.

§ The Investment Management's AUM, consisting of Galt & Taggart brokerage client assets, stood at GEL 1,409.5mln at 31 March 2022, down 1.6% y-o-y and down 4.1% q-o-q.

§ Our brokerage business demonstrated solid performance in the first quarter of 2022. Gross revenue was GEL 2.3mln in 1Q22 (up 13.1% y-o-y and up 19.7% q-o-q). Our online brokerage offered in partnership with Saxo Bank, under a white label agreement, and BoG Investments, offered in partnership with a U.S. brokerage house DriveWealth, generated a gross revenue of GEL 1.5mln in 1Q22 (up 1.3% y-o-y and up 16.3% q-o-q).

-      We see upside in the brokerage business in Georgia. Historically, we have focused on providing brokerage services to our Wealth Management customers, whereas the retail investor participation in the securities market has been insignificant. We are now extending our offerings to the wider retail and mass affluent segments.

§ Galt & Taggart's investment banking direction has an extensive track record of providing corporate advisory and capital markets services in Georgia, participating in and arranging some of the biggest transactions in the country:

-      In January 2022, Galt & Taggart acted as the sole placement agent and manager for the inaugural US$ 15 million bond issuance by the largest shopping mall operator in Georgia. The bonds were successfully placed at the lowest fixed coupon of 6.75% for the first time by non-financial issuers on the local market.

-      In 2021, Galt & Taggart was awarded a contract to lead capital market support programme funded by the European Union and implemented by the EBRD's Capital & Financial Markets Development team. Key objective of the programme is to facilitate the development of capital markets in Georgia. In the first quarter of 2022, the first phase of the programme, which included identifying barriers and possibilities of the Georgian capital market, was completed. Currently, the second phase, involving the implementation of a capital market incentive mechanism and increasing understanding of capital markets, is in progress.

§ Galt & Taggart is a leading research house in Georgia, supporting our brokerage business and CIB activities with an in-depth quality macro and sector research coverage. Currently, we have more than 7,600 unique subscribers, and our research is available on major international platforms, including Bloomberg, Capital IQ, and Refinitiv.

SELECTED FINANCIAL AND OPERATING INFORMATION

INCOME STATEMENT BANK OF GEORGIA GROUP CONSOLIDATED
GEL thousands, unless otherwise noted 1Q22 1Q21 Change

y-o-y
4Q21 Change

q-o-q
Interest income 521,294 428,580 21.6% 509,563 2.3%
Interest expense (249,844) (216,248) 15.5% (239,492) 4.3%
Net interest income 271,450 212,332 27.8% 270,071 0.5%
Fee and commission income 106,673 76,446 39.5% 113,664 -6.2%
Fee and commission expense (47,841) (27,796) 72.1% (49,564) -3.5%
Net fee and commission income 58,832 48,650 20.9% 64,100 -8.2%
Net foreign currency gain 64,484 19,176 236.3% 34,495 86.9%
Net other income 983 23,482 -95.8% 10,579 -90.7%
Operating income 395,749 303,640 30.3% 379,245 4.4%
Salaries and other employee benefits (78,329) (60,223) 30.1% (80,501) -2.7%
Administrative expenses (33,702) (23,563) 43.0% (43,552) -22.6%
Depreciation, amortisation and impairment (24,627) (22,561) 9.2% (25,256) -2.5%
Other operating expenses (1,697) (1,012) 67.7% (1,463) 16.0%
Operating expenses (138,355) (107,359) 28.9% (150,772) -8.2%
Profit / (loss) from associates 126 167 -24.6% 128 -1.6%
Operating income before cost of risk 257,520 196,448 31.1% 228,601 12.7%
Expected credit loss on loans to customers (29,856) (28,236) 5.7% 9,836 NMF
Expected credit loss on finance lease receivables (1,284) (931) 37.9% (3,406) -62.3%
Other expected credit loss and impairment charge on other assets and provisions 38,707 (14,950) NMF (14,174) NMF
Cost of risk 7,567 (44,117) NMF (7,744) NMF
Net operating income before non-recurring items 265,087 152,331 74.0% 220,857 20.0%
Net non-recurring items 48 17 182.4% (62) NMF
Profit before income tax expense 265,135 152,348 74.0% 220,795 20.1%
Income tax expense (24,563) (13,424) 83.0% (20,076) 22.4%
Profit 240,572 138,924 73.2% 200,719 19.9%
Profit attributable to:
- shareholders of the Group 239,715 138,214 73.4% 199,889 19.9%
- non-controlling interests 857 710 20.7% 830 3.3%
Earnings per share (basic) 5.06 2.87 76.3% 4.25 19.1%
Earnings per share (diluted) 5.00 2.87 74.2% 4.12 21.4%
BALANCE SHEET BANK OF GEORGIA GROUP CONSOLIDATED
GEL thousands, unless otherwise noted Mar-22 Mar-21 Change

y-o-y
Dec-21 Change

q-o-q
Cash and cash equivalents 1,632,690 2,361,663 -30.9% 1,520,562 7.4%
Amounts due from credit institutions 1,978,568 2,200,803 -10.1% 1,931,390 2.4%
Investment securities 3,174,503 2,406,405 31.9% 2,595,664 22.3%
Loans to customers and finance lease receivables 16,289,380 14,601,275 11.6% 16,168,973 0.7%
Accounts receivable and other loans 3,847 6,051 -36.4% 3,680 4.5%
Prepayments 47,277 33,921 39.4% 40,878 15.7%
Inventories 10,698 10,775 -0.7% 11,514 -7.1%
Right-of-use assets 85,420 81,056 5.4% 80,186 6.5%
Investment property 222,931 246,441 -9.5% 226,849 -1.7%
Property and equipment 384,828 385,352 -0.1% 378,808 1.6%
Goodwill 33,351 33,351 0.0% 33,351 0.0%
Intangible assets 145,177 129,044 12.5% 144,251 0.6%
Income tax assets 172 3,668 -95.3% 292 -41.1%
Other assets 215,125 208,135 3.4% 246,947 -12.9%
Assets held for sale 46,262 44,305 4.4% 46,731 -1.0%
Total assets 24,270,229 22,752,245 6.7% 23,430,076 3.6%
Client deposits and notes 14,517,253 14,003,209 3.7% 14,038,002 3.4%
Amounts owed to credit institutions 4,676,861 4,039,250 15.8% 4,318,445 8.3%
Debt securities issued 1,415,940 1,653,399 -14.4% 1,518,685 -6.8%
Lease liabilities 93,807 97,488 -3.8% 87,662 7.0%
Accruals and deferred income 86,154 59,455 44.9% 80,157 7.5%
Income tax liabilities 49,887 57,541 -13.3% 110,868 -55.0%
Other liabilities 156,488 154,253 1.4% 183,349 -14.7%
Total liabilities 20,996,390 20,064,595 4.6% 20,337,168 3.2%
Share capital 1,618 1,618 0.0% 1,618 0.0%
Additional paid-in capital 478,149 532,787 -10.3% 492,243 -2.9%
Treasury shares (58) (34) 70.6% (75) -22.7%
Other reserves (38,626) 61,857 NMF (3,223) NMF
Retained earnings 2,818,269 2,079,362 35.5% 2,588,463 8.9%
Total equity attributable to shareholders of the Group 3,259,352 2,675,590 21.8% 3,079,026 5.9%
Non-controlling interests 14,487 12,060 20.1% 13,882 4.4%
Total equity 3,273,839 2,687,650 21.8% 3,092,908 5.8%
Total liabilities and equity 24,270,229 22,752,245 6.7% 23,430,076 3.6%
Book value per share 68.77 55.59 23.7% 65.65 4.8%

BELARUSKY NARODNY BANK (BNB)

INCOME STATEMENT HIGHLIGHTS 1Q22 1Q21 Change

y-o-y
4Q21 Change

q-o-q
GEL thousands, unless otherwise stated
Net interest income 10,325 8,347 23.7% 12,277 -15.9%
Net fee and commission income 1,054 1,570 -32.9% 769 37.1%
Net foreign currency gain 11,960 3,546 237.3% 3,473 244.4%
Net other income (3,225) (237) NMF 930 NMF
Operating income 20,114 13,226 52.1% 17,449 15.3%
Operating expenses (12,263) (8,342) 47.0% (12,000) 2.2%
Operating income before cost of risk 7,851 4,884 60.7% 5,449 44.1%
Cost of risk (26,367) (755) NMF (471) NMF
Net non-recurring items (21) (66) -68.2% (50) -58.0%
Profit before income tax expense (18,537) 4,063 NMF 4,928 NMF
Income tax expense - (726) -100.0% (932) -100.0%
Profit (18,537) 3,337 NMF 3,996 NMF
BALANCE SHEET HIGHLIGHTS Mar-22 Mar-21 Change

y-o-y
Dec-21 Change

q-o-q
GEL thousands, unless otherwise stated
Cash and cash equivalents 218,316 192,338 13.5% 186,050 17.3%
Amounts due from credit institutions 8,764 66,673 -86.9% 8,719 0.5%
Investment securities 50,693 94,952 -46.6% 69,794 -27.4%
Loans to customers and finance lease receivables 649,218 705,261 -7.9% 662,297 -2.0%
Other assets 44,484 50,418 -11.8% 54,060 -17.7%
Total assets 971,475 1,109,642 -12.5% 980,920 -1.0%
Client deposits and notes 556,649 587,724 -5.3% 516,634 7.7%
Amounts owed to credit institutions 301,572 347,018 -13.1% 309,812 -2.7%
Debt securities issued 7,772 20,761 -62.6% 7,327 6.1%
Other liabilities 11,171 17,498 -36.2% 12,490 -10.6%
Total liabilities 877,164 973,001 -9.8% 846,263 3.7%
Total equity 94,311 136,641 -31.0% 134,657 -30.0%
Total liabilities and equity 971,475 1,109,642 -12.5% 980,920 -1.0%
KEY RATIOS 1Q22 1Q21 4Q21
Profitability
ROAA, annualised 4.1% 2.5% 3.5%
ROAE, annualised 30.7% 21.5% 26.4%
RB ROAE 18.0% 20.9% 19.7%
CIB ROAE 63.5% 23.9% 39.2%
Net interest margin, annualised 5.3% 4.5% 5.3%
RB NIM 4.7% 4.1% 4.4%
CIB NIM 5.4% 4.3% 5.8%
Loan yield, annualised 11.1% 10.4% 11.0%
RB Loan yield 11.9% 11.1% 11.7%
CIB Loan yield 9.1% 8.6% 9.2%
Liquid assets yield, annualised 4.3% 3.1% 4.0%
Cost of funds, annualised 5.0% 4.5% 4.8%
Cost of client deposits and notes, annualised 3.7% 3.8% 3.5%
RB Cost of client deposits and notes 2.6% 2.7% 2.5%
CIB Cost of client deposits and notes 6.3% 5.6% 5.6%
Cost of amounts owed to credit institutions, annualised 8.2% 6.2% 8.3%
Cost of debt securities issued 7.0% 6.9% 6.8%
Operating leverage, y-o-y 1.5% 9.3% -0.4%
Operating leverage, q-o-q 12.6% 10.9% -8.8%
Efficiency
Cost / income 35.0% 35.4% 39.8%
RB Cost / income 41.9% 41.6% 50.2%
CIB Cost /income 16.7% 19.2% 17.3%
Liquidity
NBG liquidity coverage ratio (minimum requirement 100%) 116.2% 149.3% 124.0%
Liquid assets to total liabilities 32.3% 34.7% 29.7%
Net loans to client deposits and notes 112.2% 104.3% 115.2%
Net loans to client deposits and notes + DFIs 97.9% 90.0% 100.0%
Leverage (times) 6.4 7.5 6.6
Asset quality:
NPLs (GEL thousands) 424,405 534,626 394,720
NPLs to gross loans to clients 2.5% 3.6% 2.4%
NPL coverage ratio 97.3% 77.5% 95.5%
NPL coverage ratio, adjusted for discounted value of collateral 153.0% 127.8% 147.7%
Cost of credit risk, annualised 0.8% 0.8% -0.2%
RB Cost of credit risk 1.9% 1.4% 0.7%
CIB Cost of credit risk -3.3% -0.2% -1.8%
Capital adequacy:
NBG (Basel III) CET1 capital adequacy ratio 13.7% 11.2% 13.2%
Minimum regulatory requirement 11.8% 7.8% 11.5%
NBG (Basel III) Tier I capital adequacy ratio 15.4% 13.3% 15.0%
Minimum regulatory requirement 14.1% 9.8% 13.6%
NBG (Basel III) Total capital adequacy ratio 19.7% 18.6% 19.3%
Minimum regulatory requirement 17.6% 13.8% 17.7%
Selected operating data:
Total assets per FTE 3,069 3,054 2,998
Number of active branches, of which: 211 211 211
- Express branches 106 105 106
- Bank of Georgia branches 94 95 94
- SOLO lounges 11 11 11
Number of ATMs 990 963 989
Number of cards outstanding, of which: 2,342,189 2,111,255 2,290,716
- Debit cards 2,173,562 1,877,281 2,114,813
- Credit cards 168,627 233,974 175,903
Number of POS terminals 39,086 30,053 38,514
Number of Express Pay terminals 3,122 3,125 3,134
FX Rates:
GEL/US$ exchange rate (period-end) 3.1013 3.4118 3.0976
GEL/GBP exchange rate (period-end) 4.0732 4.6929 4.1737
Mar-22 Mar-21 Dec-21
Full-time employees (FTE), of which: 7,908 7,450 7,816
- Full-time employees, BOG standalone 6,261 5,889 6,207
- Full-time employees, BNB 589 536 547
- Full-time employees, other 1,058 1,025 1,062
Shares outstanding Mar-22 Mar-21 Dec-21
Ordinary shares 47,396,266 48,130,454 46,900,982
Treasury shares 1,773,162 1,038,974 2,268,446
Total shares outstanding 49,169,428 49,169,428 49,169,428

GLOSSARY

§ Alternative performance measures (APMs) In this announcement the management uses various APMs, which they believe provide additional useful information for understanding the financial performance of the Group. These APMs are not defined by International Financial Reporting Standards, and may not be directly comparable with other companies who use similar measures. We believe that these APMs provide the best representation of our financial performance as these measures are used by management to evaluate the Group's operating performance and make day-to-day operating decisions

§ Basic earnings per share Profit for the period attributable to shareholders of the Group divided by the weighted average number of outstanding ordinary shares over the same year

§ Book value per share Total equity attributable to shareholders of the Group divided by ordinary shares outstanding at period-end; Ordinary shares outstanding at period-end equals number of ordinary shares at period-end less number of treasury shares at period-end

§ Cost of credit risk Expected loss on loans to customers and finance lease receivables for the period divided by monthly average gross loans to customers and finance lease receivables over the same period

§ Cost of deposits Interest expense on client deposits and notes of the period divided by monthly average client deposits and notes

§ Cost of funds Interest expense of the period divided by monthly average interest bearing liabilities

§ Cost to income ratio Operating expenses divided by operating income

§ Interest-bearing liabilities Amounts owed to credit institutions, client deposits and notes, and debt securities issued

§ Interest-earning assets (excluding cash) Amounts due from credit institutions, investment securities (but excluding corporate shares) and net loans to customers and finance lease receivables

§ Leverage (times) Total liabilities divided by total equity

§ Liquid assets Cash and cash equivalents, amounts due from credit institutions and investment securities

§ Liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) High quality liquid assets (as defined by the NBG) divided by net cash outflows over the next 30 days (as defined by the NBG)

§ Loan yield Interest income from loans to customers and finance lease receivables divided by monthly average gross loans to customers and finance lease receivables

§ NBG (Basel III) Common Equity Tier I (CET1) capital adequacy ratio Common Equity Tier I capital divided by total risk weighted assets, both calculated in accordance with the requirements of the NBG

§ NBG (Basel III) Tier I capital adequacy ratio Tier I capital divided by total risk weighted assets, both calculated in accordance with the requirements of the NBG

§ NBG (Basel III) Total capital adequacy ratio Total regulatory capital divided by total risk weighted assets, both calculated in accordance with the requirements of the NBG

§ Net interest margin (NIM) Net interest income of the period divided by monthly average interest earning assets excluding cash for the same period

§ Net stable funding ratio (NSFR) Available amount of stable funding (as defined by the NBG) divided by the required amount of stable funding (as defined by the NBG)

§ Non-performing loans (NPLs) The principal and interest on loans overdue for more than 90 days and any additional potential losses estimated by management

§ NPL coverage ratio Allowance for expected credit loss of loans and finance lease receivables divided by NPLs

§ NPL coverage ratio adjusted for discounted value of collateral Allowance for expected credit loss of loans and finance lease receivables divided by NPLs (discounted value of collateral is added back to allowance for expected credit loss)

§ Operating leverage Percentage change in operating income less percentage change in operating expenses

§ Return on average total assets (ROAA) Profit for the period divided by monthly average total assets for the same period

§ Return on average total equity (ROAE) Profit for the period attributable to shareholders of the Group divided by monthly average equity attributable to shareholders of the Group for the same period

§ NMF Not meaningful

COMPANY INFORMATION

Bank of Georgia Group PLC

Registered Address

42 Brook Street

London W1K 5DB

United Kingdom

www.bankofgeorgiagroup.com

Registered under number 10917019 in England and Wales

Secretary

Link Company Matters Limited

65 Gresham Street

London EC2V 7NQ

United Kingdom

Stock Listing

London Stock Exchange PLC's Main Market for listed securities

Ticker: "BGEO.LN"

Contact Information

Bank of Georgia Group PLC Investor Relations

Telephone: +44(0) 203 178 4052; +995 322 444444 (7515)

E-mail: [email protected]

Auditors

Ernst & Young LLP

25 Churchill Place

Canary Wharf

London E14 5EY

United Kingdom

Registrar

Computershare Investor Services PLC

The Pavilions

Bridgwater Road

Bristol BS13 8AE

United Kingdom

Please note that Investor Centre is a free, secure online service run by our Registrar, Computershare,

giving you convenient access to information on your shareholdings.

Investor Centre Web Address - www.investorcentre.co.uk.

Investor Centre Shareholder Helpline - +44 (0)370 873 5866

Share price information

Shareholders can access both the latest and historical prices via the website

www.bankofgeorgiagroup.com


[1] Throughout this announcement, gross loans to customers and respective allowance for impairment are presented net of expected credit loss (ECL) on contractually accrued interest income. These do not have an effect on the net loans to customers balance. Management believes that netted-off balances provide the best representation of the loan portfolio position.

[2] Following structural changes in senior management, starting from the third quarter of 2021, we reclassified Wealth Management business from Corporate and Investment Banking to Retail Banking segment, under Premium Banking. The comparative periods have been restated accordingly.

[3] Active individual customer - an individual who used the Bank's any channel at least once, or performed at least one debit transaction, or was a payroll customer, or had at least one active credit product, or had any type of deposit with a balance above a certain threshold within the past month. Active business customer - a legal entity that used Business mBank or iBank at least once, or had at least one active credit product, or performed at least one debit transaction, or had any type of deposit with a balance above a certain threshold (different for micro, SME, or corporate clients) within the past month.

[4] Users with at least one mBank or iBank login within the past month.

[5] Digital channels comprise mBank and iBank, Express Pay terminals, ATMs, web platforms and call center.

[6] Following structural changes in senior management, starting from the third quarter of 2021, we reclassified Wealth Management business from Corporate and Investment Banking to the Retail Banking segment. The comparative periods have been restated accordingly.

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