equinet Bank Aktiengesellschaft
equinet Bank AG and Pareto Securities AS complete merger

equinet Bank AG and Pareto Securities AS complete merger

Frankfurt, December 3, 2018. equinet Bank AG and Norwegian investment bank Pareto Securities AS have successfully closed the planned merger of their business activities. All necessary bodies have given their approval for the implementation. All business operations of equinet Bank are now to be transferred to Pareto Securities AS. The operational business processes and entire staff of equinet Bank are now concentrated in the German branch of Pareto Securities, based in Frankfurt/Main. This step is the result of the shareholders of equinet Bank taking into account the demands of the market with regard to internationality and sustainable capital resources.

Lutz Weiler, Chairman of the Management Board of equinet Bank AG, explains: “Following the successful merger, we will be able to offer a full range of investment banking products in the new organizational structure and will be able to exploit the great potential of medium-sized companies to an even greater extent. Participation in a globally active banking group will offer our clients broader and more international access to the market. In combination with our proven expertise in financing and capital market issues, we will now be even better positioned to take advantage of the attractive opportunities in a rapidly changing market environment.”

Ole Henrik Bjørge, CEO of Pareto Securities, comments: “The merger with equinet marks an important milestone in our international expansion and will help us to further strengthen our presence in Central and Northern Europe. Germany is a key capital market in Europe and we believe our products, particularly our high yield bonds, fit well into the German market. We will now look to further expand our business in Germany with the equinet team on board.”

About Pareto Securities
Pareto Securities, founded in 1986, is headquartered in Norway, and also has offices in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, France, Germany, UK, Switzerland, USA, Singapore and Australia. Pareto Securities enjoys a leading position in the Nordic capital markets and a strong international presence within the oil services, E&P and shipping sectors. Pareto Securities offers a wide range of financial services including equity and fixed income brokerage, equity, debt and project finance capital raisings, and advisory services in relation to mergers and acquisitions and restructurings.

About equinet Bank AG
equinet Bank AG, headquartered in Frankfurt /Main, was founded in 1999 and sees itself as an “entrepreneur among bankers.” It is primarily responsible for medium-sized companies in financing and capital market questions and offers trading and sales services, as well as research products.