According to preliminary Q3 unaudited results BIGBANK AS's profit amounted to 37.8 million kroons in Q3. BIGBANK is specialised on consumer credit and term deposits. BIGBANK Group's total assets increased by 20.5 million kroons in Q3 2009 amounting to 2.9 billion kroons. Receivables from customers reduced by 24.2 million kroons amounting to 2.1 billion kroons during the same period. Interest income amounted to 150.2 million kroons and interest expenses to 44.8 million kroons. The amount of cash and equivalents has increased amounting to 514.9 million kroons (18.4% of total assets) as of the end of September. The respective figure as of the end of Q2 was 475.7 million kroons (17.1% of total assets). In Q3 BIGBANK's net profit amounted to 37.8 million kroons, decrease of 7.0 million kroons compared to Q2. Profit before impairment allowances and extraordinary revenues totalled 91.9 million kroons in Q3, the respective figure for the previous quarter was 78.6 million kroons. BIGBANK's net profit for the first 9 months of 2009 amounted to 106.2 million kroons. Targo Raus, BIGBANK's Chairman of Management Board stated that BIGBANK's Q3 results were influenced by conservative loan policy and focusing on effective functioning of credit management area. „The results were also positively influenced by reduction of operating expenses and optimisation of sales network in first half-year of 2009,” said Raus. Loan receivables in payment delay over 90 days decreased in Q3 and amounted to 880.6 million kroons as of the end of September. BIGBANK's impairment allowance costs totalled 59.6 million kroons in Q3 increasing by 5.1 million kroons compared to Q2. As of the end of September the total volume of impairment allowances amounted to 387.0 million kroons. As of the end of September BIGBANK had 27 offices in the Baltic states, of which 10 offices were located in Estonia, 7 in Latvia and 10 in Lithuania. There were 365 employees working in the Group, including 170 in Estonia, 129 in Latvia and 66 in Lithuania. BIGBANK will publish its Q3 audited interim report by the end of November. Additional information: Targo Raus Chairman of Management Board Tel: +372 6309 938 targo.raus@bigbank.ee