EBRD to invest in Alpha Bank’s first synthetic secularization

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on Friday announced that it will provide 10 million euros of credit protection to Alpha Bank SA, one of Greece’s four systemic banks. The EBRD will invest in a mezzanine tranche of a synthetic balance sheet securitization. The structure consists of a 1.9-billion-euro performing small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and corporate loans portfolio, originated by Alpha Bank.

The transaction, according to the EBRD, will support Alpha Bank in enhancing its capital resilience by achieving risk-weighted asset relief of around €1.2 billion and will free up lending capacity.

Moreover, Alpha Bank will allocate 150 per cent of the EBRD investment to financing new investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.