Ameriabank gains global visibility as parent group enters London’s FTSE 100

By Lia Avagyan

Ameriabank has gained indirect exposure to one of the world’s most closely watched equity benchmarks after its parent company, Lion Finance Group, formerly known as Bank of Georgia Group, qualified for inclusion in the FTSE 100 index on the London Stock Exchange.

The move makes the Georgian-led financial group the first company from the South Caucasus to enter the London index of the 100 largest listed firms by market capitalization. According to the group, the change will take effect after the market closes on March 20.

For Armenia, the development means that a domestic bank now operates within a financial group whose shares are tracked automatically by some of the world’s largest institutional investors, including pension funds, insurers, and index-based investment funds.

In an interview with CivilNet on Friday, Ameriabank’s Retail Banking Director Arman Barseghyan said FTSE 100 membership goes beyond symbolic prestige.

“When a company enters such an index, large investment funds begin to consider not only that company but also the countries where it operates,” Barseghyan said. “In practical terms, Armenia and Georgia are now on the map for major global investors.”

He said the listing signals that the group meets demanding standards in transparency, corporate governance, and financial reporting, while also widening access to international capital.

Barseghyan argued that the biggest practical effect for Armenia is access to larger funding sources.

“Armenia now has a company with a direct channel to global capital markets,” he said. “For a fast-growing banking sector, that means access to almost unlimited capital when needed.”

Ameriabank is Armenia’s largest corporate lender and one of the country’s most systemically important banks. As of the acquisition in 2024, Ameriabank held roughly $3.4 bn in assets, compared with $11.7 bn at Bank of Georgia Group.

According to Barseghyan, Ameriabank itself played a role in pushing the group into FTSE 100 territory. He said the bank’s inclusion in the group materially increased overall capitalization and investor confidence.

Over the past two years, Ameriabank doubled its customer base from roughly 400,000 to more than 800,000 clients, while 99% of transactions moved outside branches through digital channels.

The $303.6 mn transaction, completed in 2024 after approval from Armenia’s Central Bank, left Bank of Georgia Group PLC with 60% ownership, Bank of Georgia JSC with 30%, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development with 10%. Ameriabank continued to operate as a standalone Armenian bank under its own brand and management, while the deal ended billionaire Ruben Vardanyan’s position as its largest shareholder, after he had controlled 48.8% through a trust structure.

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The group’s move into the FTSE 100 significantly expands Ameriabank’s international visibility. Although the parent company has been listed in London since 2006 and entered FTSE 250 in 2012, joining the top index places it alongside firms such as HSBC, Barclays, and Shell, increasing exposure to institutional investors that automatically track FTSE 100 companies.