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Erste Bank enables citizens to digitally subscribe to securities in IPO processes

Erste Bank has enabled individuals, users of its digital platform George, to digitally subscribe to securities in initial public offering (IPO) processes, and as the bank emphasized on Wednesday, this is the first fully digitized procedure of its kind in the Croatian market. This allows users to subscribe to securities in IPO processes without visiting a branch and independently of the time they wish to make the subscription within the subscription period. Thus, they have, as stated by Erste Bank, completed the process of issuing securities from arranging services to enabling subscriptions regardless of the type of security and the value of the issuance. Investors wishing to participate in the purchase of shares of Studenac Group, which started this morning at 8:00 AM, will also be able to subscribe to shares digitally through online banking George, in addition to some Erste Bank branches.

Namely, Erste Bank, as one of the joint global coordinators of the issuance, enables small investors (individuals and legal entities), as well as institutional investors from Croatia and Poland, to subscribe to shares of Studenac Group until November 27, 2024, at 14:59. It is worth noting that Studenac Group announced its prospectus on Tuesday and announced the start of its initial public offering of shares (IPO), aimed at small and institutional investors, through which it plans to raise funds for further business growth, acquisitions, and expansion of its store network. The IPO includes up to 24,066,667 new shares and up to 31,103,927 existing shares, totaling up to 55,170,594 shares and representing up to 35 percent of the company’s share capital after the IPO. The price range for shares offered to institutional investors is set between 3.14 and 3.32 euros per share, while for small investors, the maximum price is set at 3.32 euros per share. Additionally, the bank will not charge a custody fee for the first year of share storage, until December 1, 2025, as emphasized by Erste Bank.

– I believe that this form of digitization of securities subscription on our digital platform George will facilitate the subscription process for investors in IPO processes and simplify the entire process for them. Furthermore, by streamlining the entire process and consequently increasing the interest of potential investors in IPO processes, we are also contributing to the development of the domestic capital market in line with the strategic framework, which includes the inclusion of small investors in the primary issuance processes of securities – said Branimir Britvić, Director of the Financial Markets Sector at Erste Bank.