YEREVAN, January 25. /ARKA/. ARKA agency has released the 2011 press rating of Armenian banks. It is topped by Ameriabank, ACBA-Credit Agricole Bank, Bank VTB (Armenia), Araratbank and Ardshininvestbank.

The press rating includes 21 commercial banks, as in 2010, whose total index (TI) characterizing the amount of information depending on its direction, rose to 15896.52.

The TI of five leading banks in the press rating rose from 7938.1 in 2010 to 9269.8 in 2011. Remarkable is that the TI of Ameriabank that is topping the ranking is far higher than other four leaders’. Its 2011 TI is 3329.6 against 3595.1 in 2010, while the second leader ACBA Credit Agricole Bank’s 2011 TI is 1935.6 against 597.6 in 2010.

The TI of Bank VTB (Armenia) was 1620.4 in 2011 against 1108.6 a year earlier, Araratbank’s TI was 1325.0 against 1137.9 and Ardshininvestbank’s 1059.2 against 930.0.

As a whole, the leaders ensured 58.3% of the full-year information.

The four quarter’s ranking is toped by Ameriabank, ACBA Credit Agricole Bank, Bank VTB (Armenia), Armeconombbank and Areximbank – Gazprombank Group.

Their aggregate press-rating total index climbed from 1526.0 in the third quarter to 2573.3 in the fourth quarter.

Ameriabank’s TI was 838 in the 4th Q against 633.3 in the 3rd Q, ACBA Credit Agricole Bank’s 551 against 625.6, the index of Bank VTB (Armenia) 433.2 against 179.6, Armeconombank’s 399.8 against 2.6 and Areximbank – Gazprombank Group’s 351.3 against 94.9.

These banks ensured 59% of the total volume of information about banks in the fourth quarter, while the third quarter leader accounted for 53.5% of the total information.

Ameriabank’s share here was 19.2% in the 4th Q against 22.2% in the 3rd Q (3.0% decline), ACBA Credit Agricole Bank’s was 12.6% against 21.6% (9% decline), Bank VTB (Armenia) 9.9% against 6.3% (3.6% growth), Armeconombank 9.2% against 0.1% (9.1% growth) and Areximbank – Gazprombank Group’s 8.1% against 3.3% (4.7% increase).

Analysis of press reports released in the 4th Q 2011 showed some changes in the structure of leading banks, compared with the previous quarter.

Ameriabank retained its third quarter’s leadership also in the 4th Q with its total index increased by 32.3%.

ACBA Credit Agricole Bank maintained its second rank as well, but unlike Ameriabank, it had its TI fallen by 10.5%.

The TI of Bank VTB (Armenia) leapt 141.2%, driving the bank from seventh to third rank.

Armeconombank reached considerable progress – its 4th Q total index was 154 times higher than previous quarter’s TI, and the bank replaced its 17th rank with 4th.

Areximbank – Gazprombank Group’s 270.2% increase moved it from 7th to 5th rank.

The third quarter’s leaders in ARKA News Agency’s ranking were Ameriabank with its 633.3 index, ACBA Credit Agricile Bank with 615.6, HSBC Bank Armenia with 256.5, Ardshininvestbank with 251.3 and Anelik Bank with 197.4.

The following media outlets were used to collect press reports: Golos Armenii, Respublika Armenia, Orakarg, Novoe Vremya, Delovoy Express, Hayastani Hanrapetutyun, Azg, Aravot, Haykakan Zhamanak, Hayots Ashkhar, Iravunk, Yerkir, 168 Zham, Sobesednil Armenii, Zhokhovurd and Zhamanak newspapers as well as Panarmenian, ARKA, Newsarmenia, Armbanks, Banks, Banker, Arminfo, Panorama and Lragir Internet portals.

The press rating is based on banking activities covered by media outlets, not on financial and economic figures. In drawing up the press rating no advertising information is investigated or analyzed. More detailed information is available in “Press Ratings of Banks” bulletin #04(08), IV Q 2011. -0---