It started as an Italian banking service and now is a billion-dollar group present in countries all over the world.
According to leading stock broker TradeFW.com, UniCredit is one of the best-performing stocks in the Eurozone stock market and can be a great addition to any portfolio.
UniCredit – Then and Now
UniCredit was founded in 1998 after the banks that formed the Unicredito Italiano Group – Rolo Banca and Banca Popolare di Rieti – merged, together with other Italian banking groups. One year later, it began its expansion, purchasing the Polish Bank Pekao; and in 2000, the group merged with Bank Austria. Another big move was made two year later, with what was called the S3 project, when the group merged seven of their bank network: merged 7 of their bank network: Cariverona, Cassamarca, Cassa di Risparmio di Trento e Rovereto, Rolo Banca, Banca CRT, and Cassa di Risparmio di Trieste into Credito Italiano; and Credito Italiano was renamed into UniCredit Banca.
UniCredit started to engage in bigger transactions that helped the group become a giant. The corporation sold its non-performing loans and UniCredit Credit Management Bank; the securities services business segment represented through 2S Banca – which was sold to Société Générale for €579.3 million; the card business segment from Austria, Germany, and Italy – which was sold to the Italian company SIA for €500 million; as well as the Ukrainian bank Ukrsotsbank to Alfa Group.
Nowadays, the UniCredit group owns and operates around 16 subsidiaries; it is present on over 50 markets and 18 countries. Some of the products it provides are banking, trading and investment services, as well as insurance and credit services. The main headquarters are located in Milan, Italy; and the key people are Chairman Giuseppe Vita and CEO Jean Pierre Mustier.
UniCredit on the Stock Market
The UniCredit stock is publicly listed and can be traded on three exchanges: the Italian Stock Exchange (BIT: UCG), the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FWB: CRI), and the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE: UCG). The stock is also a component of the EURO STOXX 50 and FTSE MIB stock market indices.
The best way to see whether a stock is a worthy investment or not – is to check its financial health. UniCredit is considered to be one of the most valuable Italian stocks and one of the best stocks in the Eurozone. In 2007, the giant had revenue of €19.619 billion and a net income of 3.708 billion. Its financial health has been prosperous over the past decade and experienced a continuous growth. The company is expected to register an annual growth of 13.4%, a percentage which is above the Italian Market average.
How to invest in the UniCredit Stock?
The UniCredit stock is a great way to diversify your investment portfolio and also add value to it with such a prestigious company. This thing is possible with the help of an online stock broker and can be done in just a few minutes and steps. All you need to do is register for an account and begin your investment. However, choosing a broker is a very important decision and you need to give special attention to certain details, such as if the company is regulated or if the costs to invest in the stock are clear. TradeFw.com is an online stock broker known in the industry for its professionalism and transparency. It is visible on its homepage that it is regulated and licensed by CySEC; and the broker also presents you the commission rates for stock trading according to your location and the account type you choose. Furthermore, TradeFW broker offers its clients a performant trading platform & tools, educational materials, 24/5 dedicated live support and professional customer service. These features are just about everything an investor could need for a healthy and rewarding investment.
Conclusion
UniCredit isn’t just another Italian stock, but a company with a global resonance. Its ability to maintain a positive year on year earnings growth rate and such an imposing position in the Eurozone stock market are two solid reasons why it can be a great investment. In addition, experts predict that it will have a significant annual growth, which this alone is one of the best signs it is a valuable stock on the long term.
