SEB banka (formerly ''Latvijas Unibanka'', then ''SEB Latvijas Unibanka'') is one of the largest
bank
A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets.
Because ...
s in
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
and a part of the Swedish
SEB Group
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (, abbreviated SEB, is a northern European financial services group headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. In Sweden and the Baltic countries, SEB has a full financial service offering. In Denmark, Finland, Norway, ...
. Nowadays, its main rivals in the Latvian banking market are
Swedbank,
Luminor and
Citadele bank.
History
The bank was first founded on 29 September 1993 as ''
AS Latvijas Universālā banka'' ('Universal Bank of Latvia') by combining 21 of the non-privatized branches of the
Bank of Latvia
The Bank of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Banka,) is the central bank of Latvia. It is among the nation's key public institutions and carries out economic functions as prescribed by law. It was established in 1922.
The principal objective of the Bank of ...
after its reorganization.
In 1994 it was handed over to the
Privatization Agency of Latvia, but in 1995 it was registered as a private joint-stock company (half of the shares belonged to private capital, half - to the Latvian state), and on 12 December 1995 changed its name to ''Latvijas Unibanka''.
In 1996, the shares of ''Latvijas Unibanka'' began to be listed on the official list of the
Riga Stock Exchange
The Nasdaq Riga, formerly Riga Stock Exchange, is the sole stock exchange operating in Riga, Latvia. It is owned by Nasdaq, which also operates exchanges in the USA, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Armenia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Established ...
and were acquired by the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is an international financial institution founded in 1991. As a multilateral developmental investment bank, the EBRD uses investment as a tool to build market economies. Initially focus ...
and ''Swedfund International AB''.
During the
Russian economic crisis in 1998, ''Latvijas Unibanka'' started cooperation with Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken, which became a shareholder on January 5, 1999. By 2000, SEB had become the majority shareholder and launched a bid to grow its share to 98%. In February 2001, Unibanka stopped listing its shares in the Riga Stock Exchange. SEB became the only shareholder in 2004, and on 11 April 2005, it was renamed to ''SEB Unibanka'', and on 7 April 2008 to ''SEB banka''.
Until 2008, the bank's branches were named with a Uni-''
' prefix (e.g. ''Unilīzings'' for leasing) and its logo was a stylized
Möbius strip.
The first headquarters of the bank were located in Pils iela 23 along the
Doma Square in
Vecrīga
Vecrīga ("Old Riga") is the historical center and a neighbourhood (as Vecpilsēta) of Riga, Latvia, located in the Central District on the east side of Daugava River. Vecrīga is famous for its old churches and cathedrals, such as Riga Cathedr ...
, before moving to a new building (''SEB finanšu centrs'', SEB Financial Center) in
Valdlauči,
Ķekava Parish,
Ķekava Municipality
Ķekava Municipality ( lv, Ķekavas novads) is a municipality in Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Baloži town, Daugmale Parish and Ķekava Parish, the administrative centre being Ķekava.
On 1 July 2021, Ķekava Municip ...
just outside the borders of Riga in 2004.
Patron of the University of Latvia
SEB banka is a silver patron of the
University of Latvia Foundation. SEB has supported the
University of Latvia
University of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Universitāte, shortened ''LU'') is a state-run university located in Riga, Latvia established in 1919.
The ''QS World University Rankings'' places the university between 801st and 1000th globally, seventh ...
since 2008 by donating to scholarships and forums.
See also
*
SEB Pank
SEB Pank is an Estonian bank, owned by the Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finl ...
(
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
)
*
SEB bankas
AB SEB Bankas is a commercial bank in Lithuania. It is the Lithuanian subsidiary of one of the largest Swedish banks, the SEB Group.
History
It was registered as a public company in the Enterprise Register of the Republic of Lithuania on ...
(
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
)
*
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
)
References
External links
SEB banka- Official site
SEB
Banks of Latvia
Companies based in Riga
Banks under direct supervision of the European Central Bank
Latvian companies established in 1993
Banks established in 1993
{{Europe-bank-stub