Pyanov: The banking system has become more balanced since 2022.

      September 24, 2025, 16:19 Economy In what lies the strength of Russian banks and which Hulk protects financial organizations from hackers was described at the VTB investment forum "RUSSIA IS CALLING! St. Petersburg" (18+) by the bank's first deputy chairman Dmitry Pyanov.

      For the first time, the flagship discussion platform that shapes the agenda for the development of the country's financial market brought together leading industry experts and investors in the northern capital.

      On the measure of banks' strength:

      "Those who earn 20% ROE and above can be considered to be in the 'top league.'"

      On crises:

      "The main rule is that money must be issued to the client without delay. Any pause breeds an avalanche of rumors and panic. We went through this in 2022 and drew the conclusion: it is better to lose liquidity on the balance sheet than the trust of clients… The banking system after 2022 has become more balanced."

      On dividends:

      "We understand that the Russian market has a large share of market investors. For them, dividends — regular and predictable — are an important factor in making investment decisions. This year we paid 50% of the group's IFRS net profit for 2024. Our communication is this: this will certainly not be the only dividend payment; the size of this dividend payment will be large, but exactly how large — we will say in early 2026, when the framework of banking regulation is fully clear, because not all regulatory decisions have yet been announced and adopted — they will be finalized at the end of 2025... The volume of dividends may be below 50% of net profit if required from the point of view of capital adequacy."

      On hackers:

      "If you speak with any Russian expert in information security, you will hear that the whole world looks at Russia with respect on information security issues, because we face hacking attacks more often and, due to the need to import-substitute software, rely on our own resources. It turns out that they have an army of hackers, and we have a Hulk in the form of import-substituted systems and very great attention, very large investments by banks in information security not only to counter intrusions but also for rapid system recovery. We all undergo tough tests, including engaging 'white hat' hackers. Now we repel everything."

      On the DKP and the ruble:

      "We forecast 85–90 rubles to the dollar by the end of the year, i.e., not a fundamental change relative to the current situation. The changes in taxation that the Ministry of Finance submitted today are supportive of a strong ruble."

      "In terms of short-term consequences, [the tax adjustment] will cause the Bank of Russia to be more cautious about further rate cuts."

      On artificial intelligence:

      "There is enormous potential in applying artificial intelligence, which will make it easier to tailor banking products to an individual's needs. Essentially, this is about a generation of AI-based advisors… We were among the first to create an intelligent assistant together with Yandex — in its smart speaker... We will not release our own device; essentially we are creating an internal assistant that can be placed in different speakers."

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