According to a statement of from the central bank, UniCredito plans to merge Bank Pekao and Bank BPH by the end of 2006. Under the merger plans discussed with the banking supervision commission, Bank BPH is to remain listed on the WSE until the merger takes place. Bank Pekao is to takeover Bank BPH assets in exchange for its new shares to be issued to BPH shareholders. UniCredito also agreed to list its own shares on the WSE within a year, after the merger of its local banks is completed.
We expect the final agreement between Polish government and UniCredito, which has yet to be signed, to shed some light on the transaction, as the agreement with the banking supervision commission is only a part of a deal. Last week, Pawel Szalamacha, a deputy Treasury Minister, stated that the final agreement is expected to be signed on April 11. We would doubt that the full text will be publicly available. We expect further volatility of Bank BPH's stock price, as the market is confused by the lack of clear information about its future.