The shareholders of NLB, Slovenia's largest bank, endorsed a second dividend payout this year on 12 December. After the bank paid out €50 million or €2.5 gross pre share in June, it will pay out as much in a second batch.

The remaining €358.3 million of distributable profit will be retained.

The state holds 25% plus one share in the bank. The EBRD and the British asset management firm Schroders hold over 5% each, with several international owners. The bank is listed on the Ljubljana and London stock exchanges.

NLB chairman Blaž Brodnjak said the second dividend payout confirmed the bank was in a very good shape. "The bank has been strengthened capital-wise and has been acting very proactively," he said.

NLB has capital available for rapid organic growth and possibly for some minor tactical takeovers. He said the bank was keen to grow in the Serbian market.

Brodnjak again urged politicians to find solutions to Yugoslav-era issues that now prevent NLB form doing business in Croatia.

"We are saving part of the capital for the Croatian market, say for a takeover or financing of large infrastructural projects or companies that are present in the region or for supporting Slovenian, Serbian or Bosnian businesses in the Croatian market," he said.

Sustainalytics, a research, rating and data company on environmental, social and governance sustainability criteria (ESG) has made its first ever rating of NLB, assessing the risk of significant financial impacts from ESG factors as low.

NLB was ranked in the top 15% of the banks, becoming the first bank headquartered in SE Europe to receive this rating and the first among companies listed on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange, Brodnjak said.