1411 GMT - Austria's Erste Group Bank is adding exposure to the fast-growing Polish banking market through its deal to buy most of Banco Santander's assets there, but could face risks, AlphaValue's Dieter Hein says in a note. Erste doesn't currently have a subsidiary in Poland, one of the fastest-growing and most profitable banking markets in Europe, the analyst says. However, lenders in Poland suffered for years from high provisions on loans denominated in Swiss francs dating back to the 2000s real-estate boom, Hein says. "An acquisition which pushes group [return on tangible equity] by 4 [percentage points] in the first fully consolidated year sounds good, perhaps too good to be without risks," the analyst says. Shares in Erste jump 7.7%. (adria.calatayud@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 05, 2025 10:11 ET (14:11 GMT)
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