ArmInfo.Ameriabank's inclusion in the London Stock Exchange's (LSE) FTSE 100 index is a bright green light for international investors, signaling the opportunity to enter a high-quality market with a clear and predictable governance environment. This was stated by Armen Nurbekyan, Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia.
It should be noted that Ameriabank, as part of the international financial group Lion Finance Group (LFG), was recently included in the London Stock Exchange's FTSE 100 index. As a member of LFG, Ameriabank thus became the first Armenian organization represented among the 100 largest companies included in the FTSE 100 index, based on the group's market capitalization.
Naturally, the Central Bank welcomes this step and views it very positively. Thus, another step has been taken to make both the banking system and the Armenian economy more recognizable on the international map. From this perspective, this fact, especially for the banking system, is very significant, as the financial system and banking business are global businesses. Before entering a country, investors always look at the financial institutions there, and from this perspective, it's clear that this step will have a positive effect, since an investor looking to invest in either the financial system or the economy will see that there is a financial institution that is essentially global in scale. In my opinion, this is difficult to overestimate for our economy," he noted.
"This achievement by Ameriabank is very important for us, and I want to particularly emphasize its significance in the context of investments, especially international ones, both from the perspective of the financial system in particular and the economy as a whole. Why is this important? Let me explain: when a major international investor wants to invest in a country, it's important to understand the quality of the players in the market, and the financial system, as a rule, is their calling card. And now, when entering Armenia, investors see that one of the banks is a global player, and this plays an important role in the financial system. For international investors, this is a bright green light, signaling that they are entering a high-quality market, a clear and predictably managed field," Nurbekyan stated.
As a reminder, LFG, listed on the London Stock Exchange since 2006, was included in the FTSE 100 index two years after Ameriabank joined the group. This demonstrates the strategic significance of Ameriabank's inclusion in the group and its significant contribution to its overall development. Lion Finance Group will officially join the index on March 20, 2026, after the close of trading; the change will take effect on March 23, 2026.
The FTSE 100 index includes leading international companies in the financial and other sectors, such as HSBC (HSBA), Barclays (BARC), Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY), Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR), Unilever (ULVR), Coca-Cola (CCH, CCEP), AstraZeneca (AZN), and others. In terms of market capitalization, Lion Finance Group outperforms companies such as Burberry (BRBY) and easyJet (EZJ).
