In April, the global stock market took a little time off after quite good growth in March. Market participants again focused on the actions of central banks and corporate reports. Nothing specific was expected from the FRS or ECB, nevertheless, everybody was interested in the declamations of the heads of the central banks regarding the further monetary policy. The ECB highlighted the slight improvement of forecast of economic performance in the Eurozone and confirmed the will to use “all instruments”, if necessary, in order to achieve the target rate of inflation.

On 26 April, 2016, the Council of the Financial and Capital Market Commission approved registration of the Base Prospectus of ABLV Bank, AS, Sixth Bond Offer Programme, allowing the bank to perform public offering of debt securities amounting to EUR 400 million or equivalent amount in USD, pursuant to the particular final terms of public offer.

With the purpose of acquiring new target regions and being closer to its business partners, ABLV Advisory Services, SIA, a member of ABLV Group, has opened an office in the USA, one of the biggest countries of the world financial system.

The ordinary meeting of ABLV Bank, AS shareholders was held on 7 April 2016. At the meeting, the bank’s annual report and the consolidated report for 2015 were approved. Decisions were made on distribution of the bank’s profit for 2015, on increase of the bank’s share capital and approval of the terms of share capital increase, and on amendments to the bank’s Articles of Association. In addition, other matters included in the agenda were considered and related documents were reviewed.

In March, global financial markets demonstrated positive mood which emerged in the second half of the previous month. Support provided to the markets by the ECB and FRS eventually affected investors. On 10 March, during its meeting, the ECB lowered the refinancing rate from 0.05% to 0.00%, the deposit rate from -0.3% to -0.4%, the credit interest rate from 0.3% to 0.25%, as well as announced the expansion of the quantitative easing programme from EUR 60 to 80 billion per month including corporate bonds and new series of targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO) for a term of 4 years.

We would like to inform that amendments to several documents of ABLV mutual funds become effective on 23 March 2016.

February turned out to be as stressful for global financial markets as January. It seemed that the massive “January counterattacks” of the leading central banks, namely, their promises to apply additional means for priming of economy, if necessary, suspended panic sales on risk asset markets, which were due to the “inadequate situation” in Chinese capital market.

During 2015, planned development of the bank and other companies of ABLV Group continued as a result of consistent implementation of the group’s strategy. Our choice of the business model, careful risk management, and maintained cautious credit policy allowed us to achieve all the key results planned. According to the business model, our focus remains on providing services to private and corporate clients. ABLV Bank, AS is the largest bank in Latvia by the local capital and second largest by the assets.

Under the bond issue programme, ABLV Bank, AS has performed two new coupon bond issues, their total size amounting to USD 75 million and EUR 20 million at face value. During initial placement, the bonds were acquired by more than 190 investors.

In the financial markets January appeared to be depressing. For the global stock market the beginning of the year was among the worst ones in recent decades. Sharp drop of prices in the markets once again started with the collapse at the Chinese stock exchange.