Bankas Snoras AB or simply SNORAS (Nasdaq Baltic: SRS1L, Nasdaq Baltic: SRS2L) was a commercial bank, founded in Lithuania operating in all three Baltic states. It was a member of the financial group Konversbank and was listed on the NASDAQ OMX Vilnius stock exchange. On November 16, 2011, 100% of the bank shares were nationalized by the Lithuanian government and the bank was placed into temporary administration. On November 24, the bank was declared bankrupt. It had 4 billion litas (€1.16 billion) in debt.[3][4]
 | |
 Snoras headquarters in Vilnius. | |
| Company type | Joint stock company (Nasdaq Baltic: SRS1L),(Nasdaq Baltic: SRS2L) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Banking Financial services |
| Founded | 1992 in Šiauliai |
| Defunct | November 24, 2011 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia |
Key people | Vladimir Antonov (Main shareholder, Chairman of Supervisory board)[1] Raimundas Baranauskas (Shareholder, Chairman of Board) |
| Products | Finance and insurance Consumer banking Corporate banking Mortgages Credit cards |
| Revenue | €394 million (2012)[2] |
History
editBankas Snoras AB was founded 1992 as a regional bank of Šiauliai and renamed to its current name in 1993. It was recognised as the best bank in Lithuania in 2006 by financial publisher The Banker.[5] However, an inspection at the bank in November 2011, revealed poor asset quality, weak risk management and lack of proper operating data. The check also revealed that the bank has ignored the central bank's recommendation to reduce operating risks.
Shareholders
edit
Snoras was listed on the NASDAQ OMX Vilnius stock exchange. Major shareholders, holding more than 5% of the shares of the company were:
- Vladimir Antonov – 67%
- Raimondas Baranauskas – 25%
Notable subsidiaries
editSnoras has invested in a variety of business, most notable are:
- Investment bank Finasta[6]
- Latvian bank Latvijas Krājbanka
Bankruptcy
editIn 2011, November 16, by the decision of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, the bank's activities were suspended, its managers were dismissed due to the possible default of the bank's credit obligations, and due to suspicions of non-transparent financial activities of the bank's managers. All the bank's shares were taken over by the state, the Bank of Lithuania temporarily appointed administrator Simon Freakley to coordinate the bank's activities.[7]
In 2011, November 24, the Bank of Lithuania applied to the court regarding the bankruptcy of AB bankas Snoras, on December 7. Bankruptcy proceedings have been filed against the bank. Neil Hunter Cooper took over as receiver.[8]
In 2014, Snoro's bankruptcy administrator will complete the sale of Finasto. The loan portfolio, the bank's and real estate assets taken over from borrowers, both in Lithuania and abroad, are being sold. February 1, employment contracts with 134 bank employees were extended, another 4 employees were on paternity or pregnancy leave.[9]
Investment in car industry
edit
Snoras, in 2008, purchased 29.8% of shares of Dutch sports car manufacturer Spyker Cars. In the same year, Snoras sold the stake in Spyker Cars.[10] In 2010, Snoras became sponsor of Renault F1 team.[11]
References
edit- ^ [1] Supervisory Board
- ^ Almost 60 million euros spent on Snoras bankruptcy administration
- ^ Juršytė, Justina. "Valstybė nacionalizavo "Snorą", bankas įtariamas nusikalstama veikla".
- ^ "Bankui AB bankas SNORAS paskirtas laikinasis administratorius, laikinai taikomos turto apsaugos priemonės". www.lb.lt. Archived from the original on 2011-11-19. Retrieved 2011-11-16.
- ^ "/ Просмотр информаци о банке / Инвестиции Банки Консалтинг". Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2010-10-30.
- ^ [2] Affiliates of Snoras
- ^ "Naujienos - Bankas SNORAS - Bankas SNORAS". 2011-11-18. Archived from the original on 2011-11-18. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
- ^ ""Snorui" iškelta bankroto byla". DELFI (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2022-10-26.
- ^ Čiulada, Paulius. ""Snoro" bankroto administratorius į banką per tris mėnesius sugrąžino 119 mln. Lt". vz.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2022-10-26.
- ^ [3] SNORAS sells its stake in Spyker
- ^ [4] Renault F1 announces SNORAS sponsorship