The capital increase announced in October 2008 and approved by the Extraordinary General Meeting of the shareholders of UniCredit S.p.A. on 14 November 2008 was completed on February 23rd. The full amount of the operation has been subscribed by institutional investors and core shareholders, thus confirming our shareholders’ confidence in UniCredit strategy and in the Group’s future.

These measures allowed us to increase our capital adequacy ratios thus helping our Group to continue to pursue the mission towards our main stakeholders.

We will continue to play our fundamental role for the economic development of the territories we operate in. The strengthening of our capital base allows us to further sustain our initiatives aimed at supporting families and at financing enterprises. We will be able to maintain our commitment to the economic development of local communities.

As the banking industry lies at the heart of the socio-economic life of contemporary society the trust of our shareholders will let us persist in our path of building a sustainable banking business.