05.05.2013 Views

Ársskýrsla Landsbankans - Landsbankinn

Ársskýrsla Landsbankans - Landsbankinn

Ársskýrsla Landsbankans - Landsbankinn

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements<br />

3. Significant accounting policies (continued)<br />

Short positions<br />

Short positions are obligations of the Group to deliver financial assets borrowed by the Group and sold to third parties. These obligations are initially<br />

recognised in the statement of financial position at fair value, with transaction costs being recognised in the income statement. Subsequently, they<br />

are carried at fair value, with all fair value changes recognised in the income statement in the line item "Net gain on financial assets and liabilities<br />

held for trading".<br />

Financial guarantee contracts<br />

Financial guarantee contracts are contracts requiring the issuer to make specified payments to reimburse the holder for a loss it will incur if a<br />

specified debtor fails to make payments when due, in accordance with the terms of a debt instrument. Such financial guarantees are issued by the<br />

Group to banks, financial institutions or other parties on behalf of Group customers so that they can secure loans, overdrafts and other banking<br />

facilities.<br />

Financial guarantees issued by the Group are initially recognised in the financial statements at fair value on the date the guarantee was given.<br />

Subsequent to initial recognition, the Group’s liability under such a guarantee is determined as the initial measurement, less amortisation of fee<br />

income earned on a straight line basis over the life of the guarantee, or the best estimate for settling any financial obligation that has arisen through<br />

the guarantee by the reporting date, whichever is higher. These estimates are determined on the basis of experience with similar transactions and the<br />

history of past losses, supplemented by management judgement.<br />

Contingent liabilities and provisions<br />

The Group does not recognise contingent liabilities as liabilities in the statement of financial position, other than contingent liabilities which are<br />

assumed in a business combination and which have a fair value that can be measured reliably. A contingent consideration transferred by the Group in<br />

a business combination is recognised at its acquisition-date fair value. The Group classifies the obligation to pay contingent consideration as liability<br />

or equity and accounts for changes in fair value in accordance with applicable IFRSs.<br />

Provisions for expenditures such as those related to legal claims or restructuring are recognised as incurred when (i) the Group has as a result of past<br />

events a present legal or constructive obligation to pay, (ii) it is more likely than not that an outflow of resources will be required to settle the<br />

obligation, and (iii) the amount has been reliably estimated.<br />

Provisions are measured at the present value of the expenditures expected for settling the obligation. A pre-tax rate is used which reflects current<br />

market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the obligation. Any increase in the provision due to the passage of time is<br />

recognised as interest expense.<br />

Employee benefits<br />

All Group entities have defined contribution plans, with the entities paying a fixed contribution to publicly or privately administered pension plans on<br />

a mandatory and contractual basis. The Group has no further payment obligations once these contributions have been paid. The contributions are<br />

recognised as an expense when they become due. The Group has no defined benefit pension plan.<br />

Share capital<br />

(a) Share issue costs<br />

Costs directly attributable to the issue of new shares are presented separately in equity as a deduction from share premium, net of any related<br />

income tax benefits.<br />

(b) Dividends on ordinary shares<br />

Dividends on ordinary shares are recognised in equity during the period in which they are approved by the Bank's shareholders' meeting.<br />

Fiduciary activities<br />

The Group acts as a custodian, holding or placing assets on behalf of individuals, institutions and pension funds, including various mutual funds<br />

managed by the Group. These assets, together with the income arising from them, are excluded from these financial statements, since they are not<br />

assets of the Group.<br />

NBI hf. Consolidated Financial Statements 2010 19<br />

All amounts are in ISK million<br />

Allar upphæðir eru í milljónum króna Ársreikningur 2010 119

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!