Sapa Final Results -- Sampo Bank Group's Announcement Of Results For 2003


STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Feb. 11, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Sampo Bank Group's operating profit for 2003 was EUR 153 million (EUR 178 million in 2002).

The net income from financial operations was EUR 342 million (376), the decline was caused by the low interest rates.

Efficiency improvements lowered costs significantly, but the reduction in net income from financial operations weakened the cost to income ratio to 72.5 per cent. (70.7).

At the end of 2003, the assets of Sampo Bank Group totalled EUR 17.0 billion (17.4). Loans to customers increased by EUR 2.4 billion to EUR 12.5 billion.


                  KEY FIGURES EUR million
                                          2003        2002
 Operating profit                          153         178
 Total income                              532         577
 Total cost                               -386        -408
 Cost to income ratio, %                    73          71
 Provisions for bad and doubtful debts       4           6
 Loan portfolio at year end             12,518      10,090
 Change during the year                  2,428         541
 Deposits at year end                    9,072       8,972
  Change during the year                   100          58
 Total assets at year end               16,987      17,408
  Change during the year                  -421         245
 Capital and reserves at year end          940         944
  Change during the year                    -4          38
 Capital adequacy ratio, %                 9.8        11.2
 Staff numbers at year end               3,432       3,969

The financial information for 2003 in this announcement is unaudited.

The financial accounts of Sampo Bank Group may be viewed on Sampo's web siten http://www.sampo.fi/ir in week 12.

THIS IS AN EXTRACT OF THE ANNOUCEMENT OF RESULTS. THE FULL REPORT IS AVAILABLE ON SAMPO'S WEBSITE AT http://www.sampo.fi/ir

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The following files are available for download:

http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2004/02/11/20040211BIT00550/wkr0001.doc

http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2004/02/11/20040211BIT00550/wkr0002.pdf