Banca Regionale Sant'Angelo confirms balance sheet outline for 2001 and boosts results in accordance with the strengthening process

Palermo, February 22 2002 - The Banca Regionale Sant'Angelo SpA's Board of Directors has confirmed the balance sheet outline for the year 2001.

Established on January 1 2001, following the merger of most of the Banca Popolare Sant'Angelo's branch network into the Nuova Banca del Monte S.Agata, the Banca Regionale Sant'Angelo joined the Credito Valtellinese Group in June of the same year. Then, in the second half of 2001, the bank has been strengthening its commercial network, in accordance with the Group's strategic plan guidelines.

Figures concerning the main balance sheet aggregates, which are not available for the year 2000, are as follows: the overall deposits amount to € 1,151.00 million, of which € 832.1 million direct deposits and € 318.9 million indirect deposits (€ 86,076 million savings deposits and 49,426 million insurance portfolio). As at December 31 2001, investments amounted in all to € 567.3 million.

As regards the profit and loss account, the interest margin is € 37.7 million, while the intermediation margin € 54.2 million. Considering that operating costs total € 42.3 million, the gross operating income for the year amounts to € 7.9 million.

After entering provisions and adjustments for € 18.1 million, according to a prudent management policy, and considering extraordinary incomes for € 12.1 million and taxes on income for € 2.3 million, there is a final loss of € 727,000.

The Banca Regionale Sant'Angelo General Meeting will be held on April 4 to confirm the balance sheet for 2001 and to resolve on the appointment of an auditing company.

In the first half of 2001, more than 6,000 new users have been benefiting from the web-banking services offered through the innovative channel called banc@perta. The Regionale Sant'Angelo has been further strengthening its commercial network by opening a new office located in via Autonomia Siciliana 16, in Palermo. So at present, the Banca Regionale Sant'Angelo branch network includes 61 branch offices.