Handelsbanken

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Svenska Handelsbanken AB is a Nordic bank based in Stockholm, Sweden. It is publicly traded on Nasdaq Stockholm (ticker SHB). The bank provides a wide range of financial services, including corporate and investment banking, trading, loans, savings, and insurance for individuals and businesses. Handelsbanken is known for its large branch network in Sweden and a strong presence in Norway, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, with a unique focus on decentralised decision-making and long-term customer relationships.

Key facts
- Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden
- Markets: Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, United Kingdom (main markets); expansion in the Nordics
- Branch network: Large in Britain (over 150 branches), extensive Swedish network
- Strategy: Focus on core markets (Britain, Sweden, Norway); sold Finland and Denmark in 2021
- Structure: Decentralised regional banking model since the 1970s
- Revenue and size (2021): Revenue about 43.35 billion SEK; operating income about 23.48 billion SEK; net income about 19.54 billion SEK; total assets around 3.35 trillion SEK; equity about 181.7 billion SEK; around 10,800 employees
- Rating: AA (Fitch)

History in brief
Handelsbanken started in 1871 as Stockholms Handelsbank, grew through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and adopted the name Svenska Handelsbanken in 1919. It expanded across Sweden and into foreign exchange activities. In the 1970s, the bank shifted to a decentralised, region-based structure aimed at profitability and long-term goals. It launched an employee profit-sharing scheme that helps align staff with the bank’s long-term performance. The bank expanded internationally from the 1990s, building regional networks in Norway, Denmark, Finland, and the UK, and it acquired Stadshypotek in 1997 to strengthen its mortgage business.

Recent developments
- 2021: Announced the sale of operations in Finland and Denmark to focus on Sweden, Norway, and the UK.
- 2022: Reported discussions with Jyske Bank about acquiring Handelsbanken’s Danish operations.
- 2023: S-Bank announced it would acquire Handelsbanken’s Finnish private banking, asset management, and investment services operations.

Handelsbanken continues to position itself as a customer-focused, long-term bank with a strong European footprint and a distinctive decentralised approach.