YEREVAN, May 8. /ARKA/. Armenian banks' lending to private companies grew 8.2% in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same quarter a year before, to AMD 1.052.3 trillion, according to ARKA News Agency's «Banks of Armenia» bulletin that contains figures taken from banks' reports for the 1st Q 2014.

The banks' aggregate loan portfolio amounted to more than AMD 1.831 trillion by late March 2014 against AMD 1.646.7 trillion in late March 2013.

It means the banks' lending to private companies made up 57.5% of their aggregate loan portfolio in the 1st Q 2014.

ARKA News Agency's analysis shows that Ameriabank was the biggest lender to private companies in late March 2014. Its share in Armenian banks’ aggregate portfolio of lending to this market segment was 13.7%. Lending to private companies made up 82.1% of Ameriabank's loan portfolio and amounted to AMD 144.2 billion.

The second largest creditor to private companies was HSBC Bank Armenia, with its AMD 136.1 billion.

VTB Bank (Armenia), with its AMD 125.1 billion, came third in ARKA News Agency's ranking. Ardshininvestbank, with AMD 115.3 billion and Armbusinessbank, with AMD 91.8 billion, were ranked fourth and fifth respectively.

Lending to private companies made up 86.4%, 55.8%, 69.2% and 70.8% of the mentioned banks' loan portfolios.

Some banks have also provided information about distribution of their credit funds among small, mid-scale and large companies.

In particular, Ameriabank had in its loan portfolio AMD 110.8 billion lent to large companies and AMD 33.4 billion lent to small and medium businesses.

HSBC Bank Armenia accounted for more than AMD 94.7 billion lent to large companies and AMD 41.3 billion to small and medium companies and VTB Bank (Armenia) for AMD 56.4 billion and AMD 68.7 billion respectively.

Twenty one banks functioned in Armenia in late March 2014. ($1 – AMD 413.29). -0----