9 Mar 2010 16:52
March 09, 2010
Financial Update
Ahead of the full year 2009 VTB Group results due to be released on 30 March 2010, and as part of our efforts to improve transparency, we would like to inform investors and analysts of two developments which will impact the Group's 2009 results. These relate to changes in the accounting treatment of certain equity securities and the consolidation impact of the acquisition of control of Sistema-Hals as part of our debt restructuring agreement.
Since the end of 2008, the Group has applied mark-to-model accounting to certain of its equity securities where active markets were absent. As a result of the market recovery and in accordance with requirements of IFRS, the Group has resumed marking-to-market substantially all of its listed equity securities which had been previously marked-to-model. This will have negative impact currently estimated as RUB 6 billion upon the Group's financial results for the fourth quarter of 2009. The Group views marking-to-market as the preferred valuation technique going forward, subject to sustainability of the equity markets recovery.
As a result of taking control over Sistema-Hals in the fourth quarter of 2009, the Group will consolidate Sistema-Hals' operating results into VTB's consolidated IFRS financial statements for the year 2009. The Group has undertaken an independent valuation of the property portfolio of Sistema-Hals to assess goodwill arising from the acquisition, as a difference between the fair value of assets and liabilities of Sistema-Hals at the date of the acquisition of control. The Group intends to book a conservative impairment charge to this goodwill which is currently estimated at RUB 4 billion. This decision is being taken to ensure transparency in managing this asset going forward.