First Armenian Institution Reaches FTSE 100 as Ameriabank Joins the Index as part of LFG

Ameriabank, as part of Lion Finance Group (LFG), has been included in the FTSE 100 index of the London Stock Exchange, which tracks the 100 largest companies listed on one of the world’s leading stock exchanges.

As a member of LFG, Ameriabank has become the first Armenian institution to be included in the top 100 companies on the London Stock Exchange, owing to the size of the Group’s market capitalization.

Artak Hanesyan, Chief Executive Officer of Ameriabank, emphasized that the development is significant not only for the bank and the Group, but also for Armenia.

“Our inclusion in the top 100 companies on the London Stock Exchange is a clear signal to international markets that Armenia has strong and competitive financial institutions capable of operating on a global scale. This will increase Armenia’s investment attractiveness and create additional opportunities for the country’s long-term development,” he said.

Lion Finance Group has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 2006. The Group’s inclusion in the FTSE 100 index comes within two years after Ameriabank, a leading financial and technology company in Armenia, joined LFG, highlighting the strategic importance of Ameriabank’s role in the Group and its contribution to the Group’s development.

Lion Finance Group is an international banking group that strategically develops customer-centric, digital-enabled universal banks. The Group operates in Armenia through Ameriabank and in Georgia through Bank of Georgia.

“Inclusion in the FTSE 100 index is the official recognition of the value our teams have created. This achievement highlights the strength of Lion Finance Group’s strategy, as well as its innovative, technology-driven and customer-centric approach across both the Georgian and Armenian markets. I believe this recognition will further strengthen international investor interest in the Group and support the attraction of new investments,” stated Archil Gachechiladze, CEO of Lion Finance Group.

According to Arman Barseghyan, Ameriabank’s Director of Retail Banking, several factors contributed to this achievement, particularly the expansion of the customer base and the bank’s digital transformation. “Over the past two years we have managed to double the number of customers. At the same time, our digital development strategy has been equally important. Today, 99% of transactions are carried out through digital platforms and channels outside the branches, and more than 50% of our sales already take place through digital channels,” he said.

The FTSE 100 index includes leading international companies such as HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, Rolls-Royce Holdings, Unilever, Coca-Cola and AstraZeneca. By market capitalization, Lion Finance Group has surpassed companies such as Burberry and EasyJet.

The development was also welcomed by the Central Bank of Armenia. Deputy Governor Armen Nurbekyan noted:

“This means that we have taken another step to make both the banking system and our economy more visible in the international arena and to clearly place the Republic of Armenia on the international map.”

According to Haykaz Fanyan, Director of the Armenian Center for Socio-Economic Studies (ACSES), the development is significant for the broader region.

“The inclusion of a large finance group in the FTSE 100 index is very important financial news for the region. There has never been a case where an organization primarily operating in our region has been included in the FTSE 100 index,” he said.

Lion Finance Group will officially join the index on March 20, 2026, after the market closes, with the change taking effect on March 23, 2026.