Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken : SEB's Annual Accounts 2020

The operating profit for the fourth quarter 2020 amounted to SEK 6.4bn with a return on equity of 12.2 per cent and a Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 21 per cent. The operating profit for 2020 amounted to SEK 19.8bn with a return on equity of 9.7 per cent. The Board of Directors proposes a dividend of SEK 4.10 per share.

'Throughout the year, our financial strength has enabled us to support our customers. Despite the challenging economic environment, SEB's business model proved resilient during the year, delivering operating income in local currencies that was broadly unchanged compared to 2019. However, the pandemic affected the income composition, weighing negatively on SEB's debit and credit card business, while at the same time the increase in volatility supported the Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities business. The net interest income increased by 10 per cent during the year while the net expected credit losses amounted to 26 basis points.

With the objective to create further financial flexibility to better support our customers over time, we have revised our financial targets for the Group and share repurchases will be the main form of capital distribution when the capital buffer exceeds and is projected to remain above the target range,' says Johan Torgeby, President and CEO.

Financial information

	Q4	Q3		Q4		Jan-Dec
SEK m	2020	2020	%	2019	%	2020	2019	%
Total operating income	13 066	12 563	4	14 089	-7	49 717	50 134	-1
Total operating expenses	-5 842	-5 547	5	-6 026	-3	-22 747	-22 945	-1
Net expected credit losses	- 835	-1 098	-24	- 997	-16	-6 118	-2 294	167
Operating profit before items affecting comparability	6 382	5 916	8	7 063	-10	20 846	24 894	-16
Items affecting comparability1)						-1 000
Operating profit	6 382	5 916	8	7 063	-10	19 846	24 894	-20
NET PROFIT	5 123	4 766	7	5 831	-12	15 746	20 177	-22
Return on equity, %	12.2	11.7		15.5		9.7	13.7
Return on equity excluding items affecting comparability, %	12.1	11.6		15.5		10.3	13.8
Basic earnings per share, SEK	2.37	2.21		2.70		7.28	9.33
1) Administrative fine issued by the Swedish FSA. See note 8.

You can download the Quarterly Report, Results Presentation and Fact Book from https://sebgroup.com/investor-relations/reports-and-presentations/financial-reports.

For further information, please contact

Masih Yazdi, CFO, [phone]

Pawel Wyszynski, Head of Investor Relations, [phone]

Karin Lepasoon, Head of Group Marketing and Communication, [phone]

Frank Hojem, Head of Corporate Communication, [phone]

This is information that Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at around 7.00 am CET, on 27 January 2021.

SEB is a leading Nordic financial services group with a strong belief that entrepreneurial minds and innovative companies are key in creating a better world. SEB takes a long-term perspective and supports its customers in good times and bad. In Sweden and the Baltic countries, SEB offers financial advice and a wide range of financial services. In Denmark, Finland, Norway, Germany and the United Kingdom, the bank's operations have a strong focus on corporate and investment banking based on a full-service offering to corporate and institutional clients. The international nature of SEB's business is reflected in its presence in some 20 countries worldwide. At 31 December 2020, the Group's total assets amounted to SEK 3,040bn while its assets under management totalled SEK 2,106bn. The Group has around 15,500 employees. Read more about SEB at sebgroup.com