National Bank of Greece

The deal between National Bank of Greece and Exin Financial Services Holdings BV for the latter's acquisition of Ethniki Insurance appears to be hanging in the balance.

The investment vehicle formed by Exin Financial Services Holdings and Calamos Family Partners has ceased to exist.

Preferred bidder Exin has asked for another deadline extension, until February 21, in order to consolidate the stakeholder lineup that will finance the acquisition of 75 percent of Ethniki Insurance.

The National Bank of Greece will officially launch the process for the sale of bad loans with a total value of 5.2 billion euros on February 5.

This is the first portfolio the bank is putting up for sale, following the example set by Eurobank and Alpha.

National Bank of Greece has brought its dependence on the central bank's emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) mechanism down to zero.

This satisfies the pledge NBG's management had made for disengagement from the expensive system of cash supply by the end of 2017.

Fitch Ratings has affirmed National Bank of Greece's Covered Bond Program I (NBG I) at B with a positive outlook.

The rating action follows the segregation of 1.2 billion euros of assets for the benefit of the program, performed on November 30.

Fitch Ratings announced on Thursday it had placed the CCC Viability Ratings of National Bank of Greece, Alpha Bank, Piraeus Bank and Eurobank on Rating Watch Evolving (RWE).

[Reuters]

NOVI SAD - OTP Bank Serbia, owned by Hungary's OTP Bank, announced on Monday it had successfully completed the acquisition of Vojvodjanska banka.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development said on Thursday it had invested in the first publicly sold covered bond issued by a Greek bank since the government in Athens returned to international bond markets this year.

The development bank said it bought 30 million euros of the 750-million-euro offering by the National Bank of Greece.

The European Central Bank could buy covered bonds issued by National Bank of Greece under its asset purchase scheme, providing indirect support for the Greek economy, according to financial sources familiar with the matter.

The covered bond issue by the National Bank of Greece was completed on Tuesday, becoming the first Greek lender to tap the market since 2014 and securing the amount of 750 million euros at a rate of just 2.9 percent, far below the original estimate for 3.25 percent.