Results and dividend for the financial year 2008

The Council of Regency has today approved the annual accounts of the National Bank of Belgium, in accordance with Article 44 of the Statutes. The external auditor issued an unqualified opinion on the financial statements and confirmed that the accounting data used in this notice match the annual accounts.

The National Bank's annual accounts and annual report will be published in full on 13 March 2009.

Results

The balance sheet total amounts to € 153,2 billion, and after-tax profits to € 444,6 million.

Compared with 2007, the balance sheet total increased by more than 36 %, mainly as a consequence of wider granting of credit in foreign currency to Belgian banks. The significant increase in profits results principally from the strong growth in the volume of net interest-bearing assets held by the Bank.

The proceeds from the Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA) that the Bank granted to Belgian banks in 2008, accrue to the Belgian State, in accordance with the Bank's Organic Law (application of the so-called 3% rule). These proceeds have therefore had no influence on the Bank's profits.

Dividend

The net dividend over the financial year 2008 has been fixed at € 56,25. The dividend's gross amount and the withholding tax on income from movable property amount to € 75 and € 18,75 respectively.

The dividend shall be payable as from Wednesday 1 April 2009.

On this date, the dividend will be automatically paid to the holders of dematerialised shares, registered shares and shares that are held in open deposit at the National Bank of Belgium. In the case of holders of bearer shares, the dividend shall be payable from this date onwards, against presentation of coupon nr 207, at the National Bank of Belgium's head office in Brussels and at its branches.

NBB shares will be quoted ex-coupon as from Friday 27 March 2009.

Press release (pdf - 20k)