YEREVAN, July 12 /ARKA/. The ARKA news agency has issued the press rating of Armenian banks for the second quarter of 2012. The leading banks were Ameriabank, AKBA - Credit Agricole Bank, HSBC Bank of Armenia, Bank VTB (Armenia) and Anelik Bank.

The press rating embraces 21 commercial banks. In the second quarter of this year, the total index (TI), which characterizes the amount of information depending on its direction, was 4,123.72, some 15 percent up from the second quarter of 2011 when it was 3,586. Compared with the first quarter of 2012 TI rose by 20.9%.

The total index of the five leading banks in the II quarter of 2012 increased if compared to the same period of 2011 to 2352.7 from 2962.8; if compared with the previous quarter it rose to 2,962.9 from 2171.2.

The TI of Ameriabank dropped to 789.4 against 871.3 in the second quarter of 2011 and 417 in the first quarter of 2012; that of ACBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK rose to 727.9 from 253.8 and 284.44 respectively. The total index of HSBC Bank Armenia that was third in the ranking rose to 638.3 from 59.1 and 487.1 respectively and the total index of VTB Bank (Armenia) was 456, 2 vs. 533.1 and 425.67 respectively. The total index of Anelik Bank that came in fifth was 351.1 vs. 169.1 and 445.9 respectively.

These five leading banks accounted for 72% of the total information, whereas the corresponding figure in the second quarter of 2011 was 66% and 71% in the first quarter of 2012.

Ameriabank retained its leadership, although the bank’s TI declined by 4.9%. ACBA-Credit Agricole Bank rose to the second position form fifth. Its TI grew by 255%. The third was HSBC Bank Armenia with a 131% TI growth. The total index of VTB Bank (Armenia) that came in fourth declined by 14.4%. Anelik Bank rose from the 7th position to 5th place with a twofold TI increase.

This press rating shows Armenian banks’ communicative activity and some development trends in the banking system. To provide a complete picture that is necessary for making an analysis, we structuralize and code the accumulated information. To classify the information we have chosen the following headings (categories): Talks and Agreements, Strategic Development Tasks and Programs, Banks Performance in Figures, Funds Attraction and Placement Policy, Activity Expansion Charity, General, Disputes and a category fixing information about forecasts and opinions on economic trends, made by bank personnel.

The press rating is compiled based on reports and stories in the following newspapers- Golos Armenii, Respublika Armenia, Novoye Vremya, Delovoy Express, Hayastani Hanrapetutyun, Azg, Aravot, Haykakan Zhamanak, Hayots Ashkhar, Iravunk, Yerkir, 168 Zham, Kapital, Sobesednik Armenii, Zhamanak, Zhoghovurd. We have added information sorted from Internet resources like Panarmenian, ARKA, Newsarmenia, Armbanks, Banks, Banker, Arminfo, Panorama, Lragir. We believe that this addition will help shape a more objective opinion about the performance of Armenian banks and their communication policies. It also makes possible to understand the scale of their transparency.

The press rating contains no recommendations on operations with banks and is based on public sources. ARKA News Agency bears no responsibility for information and opinions published by these sources. M.M. -0-