About the Group. Our history. Our history We believe that close relationships form the foundations for long-term value creation and financial well-being. A philosophy that is no less valid today than when we were founded, over years ago. Lending money with interest is a business model that goes back to time immemorial, and has always had its doubters. Over hundreds and hundreds of years, the model has been tweaked and refined, evolving into the more cultivated, professional banking business we have today.
A bank that is irresponsible in its lending can earn large sums on its loans. At least in the short term β before the credit losses start to bite. But there are other paths to long-term success. Throughout history, there are several examples of banks who have overreached with their risk appetite, and more often than not these banks have held on to their profits while letting others pay for their losses.
When financial crises hit, there is something jarring about the bank managers in their designer suits pleading their helplessness. Major losses are blamed on the state of the economy or pure bad luck. An international investor with billions in capital said, after the financial crisis of But we are glad to invest in Handelsbanken.
We have done so for a long time. And we do this because Handelsbanken is, put simply, the antithesis of other banks. People like the bank. Both customers and employees. If we knew nothing about you other than that, it would nonetheless be reason enough to consider investing in Handelsbanken.
We have actively made certain choices to stake out a more sustainable path for ourselves. Nothing ground-breaking β we have eliminated unhealthy risks and greed, and instead stood by and supported our customers whenever stormy weather has hit.
