ArmInfo. Ameriabank's inclusion in the FTSE 100 index of one of the world's leading exchanges, the London Stock Exchange, is an unprecedented event for the Armenian economy, according to Arman Barseghyan, Director of Retail Banking at Ameriabank.
According to him, this result was facilitated by several factors, the key ones being the expansion of the bank's client base, as well as the bank's active technological development and digitalization of services. Barseghyan noted that over the past two years, the bank has managed to significantly increase its client base, from 400,000 to 800,000: "However, client base growth alone would not have been sufficient to achieve such results." Ameriabank's strategy, focused on developing digital technologies and implementing innovative solutions, has played a key role.
Specifically, he noted that approximately 99% of the bank's operations have been transferred to a digital environment, and over 50% of sales are conducted outside the branch network, through digital channels. In this context, Barseghyan also highlighted the bank's ecosystem platforms, including MyAmeria, MyHome, MyCar, and MyBusiness.
Commenting on the bank's inclusion in the index, Ameriabank CEO Artak Hanesyan emphasized that this is an milestone and a strong signal in terms of international investment community. "This confirms that strong and competitive financial institutions have been established in Armenia. This recognition increases the country's investment attractiveness and creates additional opportunities for its long-term development," he noted, calling the event an important step for Armenia's future.
In turn, Ameriabank Chief Financial Officer Hovhannes Toroyan noted that the bank's inclusion in the FTSE 100 index will enhance the visibility and investment appeal of both Ameriabank and the Republic of Armenia in global markets. He stated that this will contribute to the increased stability of the group's bonds and the depth of turnover (an indicator of the intensity of debt securities purchases and sales - Ed.), which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on both price dynamics and the availability of financial instruments. "This also demonstrates the compliance of Ameriabank's risk management, corporate governance, operational transparency, and environmental and social risk assessment systems with international best practices. Specifically, over the past 24 months, the value of the group's bonds has increased 2.6-fold," Toroyan said.
Daniel Azatyan, Chairman of the Union of Banks of Armenia (UBA), called Ameriabank's inclusion in the index a significant achievement not only for the bank but also for the country's entire financial system, which will, thanks to it, be on the radar of international investors. Noting that the London Stock Exchange's requirements are quite strict, the head of the SBA emphasized that Ameriabank complies with both current legislation and high standards of transparency and corporate governance. He stated that this sets a new bar for participants in the Armenian financial market.
It was previously announced that Ameriabank, as part of the international financial group Lion Finance Group (LFG), has been included in the FTSE 100 index of the London Stock Exchange. As a member of LFG, Ameriabank is the first Armenian organization to be included in the 100 largest companies comprising the FTSE 100 index, owing to the size of the group's market capitalization.
Having been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 2006, the Group's inclusion in the FTSE 100 index takes place within two years after Ameriabank joined LFG. This testifies to the strategic importance of Ameriabank's inclusion in the Group and to its significant contribution to the Group's overall development. Lion Finance Group will officially join the index on March 20, 2026, after the market closes, with the change taking effect on March 23, 2026. The FTSE 100 index includes such leading international companies from the financial and other sectors as HSBC (HSBA), Barclays (BARC), Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY), Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR), Unilever (ULVR), Coca-Cola (CCH, CCEP), AstraZeneca (AZN), and others. By its market capitalization, Lion Finance Group has surpassed such companies as Burberry (BRBY) and EasyJet (EZJ).
