Company:NRW.BANK

From HandWiki
NRW.Bank
TypeAnstalt des öffentlichen Rechts
(public agency)
IndustryBanking, Financial services
Founded2002
HeadquartersDüsseldorf and Münster
Area served
Germany
Key people
Andreas Pinkwart (Ex-Officio member of the Supervisory Board)[1]
Eckhard Forst (Chairman)
Gabriela Pantring
Michael Stölting
Dietrich Suhlrie[2]
Number of employees
1,348
Websitewww.nrwbank.de
Headquarters of NRW.Bank in Düsseldorf
Headquarters of NRW.Bank in Münster

NRW.Bank (incorporated as NRW.BANK) is the state development bank[3] of North Rhine-Westphalia based in Düsseldorf and Münster. Its status is that of a public agency. It is owned by the North Rhine-Westphalia state[4] and supports its structural policy.

History

NRW.Bank was separated from WestLB in 2002.[5]

In 2015, NRW.Bank was included in a European Central Bank list of European institutions and national agencies whose bonds would be eligible for the ECB to buy alongside sovereign debt.[6]

Assignment

The bank was assigned to act as a community development financial institution.[7]

Activities

The bank hands out development loans and manages refinancing. Attracting strong criticism, the bank used Credit Default Swaps (CDS).[8] The refinancing by CDS, though thought to be safe by the bank,[9] was illegal.[10]

Controversy

In April 2015, NRW.Bank filed a lawsuit against Austrian "bad bank" Heta Asset Resolution AG for failing to pay €275.5 million in bonds following the suspension of its debt, imposed by Austrian financial regulators.[11] The North Rhine-Westphalia state government subsequently asked German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble to intervene and "to do what is politically and legally possible so that contracts or commitments are met."[12]

External links

References

  1. "Company Overview of NRW.BANK". Bloomberg Business. https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/people.asp?privcapId=6688369. Retrieved 19 February 2019. 
  2. "Executive bodies of NRW.BANK". NRW.BANK. http://www.nrwbank.com/en/about-us/executive-bodies.html. 
  3. To be compared with US Community development bank
  4. "Owner structure". NRW.BANK. http://www.nrwbank.com/en/about-us/executive-bodies.html#Further-information. 
  5. James Wilson (September 26, 2011), Finance industry: Demise of WestLB is a sign of changing times Financial Times.
  6. Marc Jones (March 5, 2015), ECB will "gradually" lend back government bonds it buys Reuters .
  7. "Satzung der NRW.Bank vom 24. September 2015" (in de). https://recht.nrw.de/lmi/owa/br_vbl_detail_text?anw_nr=6&vd_id=15237&ver=8&val=15237&sg=0&menu=1&vd_back=N. 
  8. "NRW.Bank wegen Kapitalanlagen in der Kritik" (in de). Handelsblatt. 2012-03-26. https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/banken-versicherungen/cds-geschaeft-nrw-bank-wegen-kapitalanlagen-in-der-kritik/6439892.html. 
  9. (in German) "Diese CDS "referenzieren überwiegend auf Staaten und befinden sich nahezu ausschließlich im sehr guten und guten Investment Grade-Bereich. Mit einer Inanspruchnahme wird derzeit nicht gerechnet" in NRW.Bank, Financial report 2013,page 106
  10. (in German) VGH NRW, Urteil vom 13. Dezember 2011, Az: VGH 11/10
  11. Jonathan Gould, Andreas Kroener and Maria Sheahan (April 14, 2015), Germany's NRW Bank sues over Austrian bad bank bonds Reuters .
  12. Matthias Inverardi (April 16, 2015), German state asks Schaeuble to intervene in Heta case Reuters .