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S&P upgrades GCAP's rating to BB with stable outlook

23% from March 2025 to March 2026 to GEL5.04 billion (about $1.87 billion). This growth was largely driven by a 43% rise in the value of Lion Finance Group, Georgia Capital’s largest and only listed holding, while the private portfolio value also grew by 18%. Portfolio rotation, such as the sale of the water utility business, also affected the performance of the private portfolio. In the first three months of 2026, the total portfolio value reduced by 0.6%, due to some contraction in Lion Finance Group’s share price, the recent divestment, and dividends paid. However, this was partially offset by robust performance in the private portfolio, which was up 3%.Value creation was most pronounced in the retail (pharmacy) business (up 6.1%) and the insurance business (up 7.6%), while the emerging and other companies segment weighed on the overall portfolio value, as it did in 2025, which may lead to some divestments in the future. Over the three months, the net asset value (NAV) decreased by 0.8%, although S&P notes that it has increased by 33% since March 2025.“We expect Georgia Capital to maintain low leverage, supported by continued disciplined debt management. As part of its GEL700 million capital return program, Georgia Capital had used GEL274 million as of April 2026 to redeem a portion of its outstanding bond (which equates to about $100 million of the total principal of $150 million). We expect to see continued use of cash or potential proceeds from the sale of smaller private assets for debt redemption in the near term, demonstrating the company’s commitment to deleveraging. Furthermore, the target NCC ratio of 10% over the cycle supports our view of the company’s disciplined approach to capital allocation.According to the company’s policies, an NCC ratio of 10%-40% will trigger tactical share buybacks or investments, an NCC ratio of below 10% could generate more substantial share buybacks or investments, and an NCC ratio of above 40% would lead the company to preserve cash. As of March 31, 2026, the NCC ratio was 3.9%. A significant increase is not in our base case nor would we view it as commensurate with our rating. Although the ratio slightly increased from 2.3% in December 2025, due to a $50 million share buyback and cancellation program announced in February 2026, it is in line with allocation expectations. The company's NCC ratio includes planned investments, announced share buybacks, and a contingency/liquidity buffer.Our adjusted LTV ratio for Georgia Capital as of March 31, 2026, was 0.4% (excluding future share buybacks or potential equity investments that are uncommitted). We think that the company could navigate relatively volatile market conditions that affect the valuation of its assets while maintaining an adjusted LTV ratio well below 10%”, the document reads.One of the main limitations of S&P's assessment of Georgia Capital's business risk remains its high concentration in Georgia and significant reliance on a single listed asset, Lion Finance Group, which accounts for 47.2% of the total portfolio value and owns 16.6% of LFG itself.According to S&P, the weighted average credit quality of the companies invested in by the group corresponds to the level of "B+".

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IMF welcomes NBG governance reforms

The IMF said steps taken by the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) to improve its governance include redistributing responsibilities among its executive members and strengthening the regulatory framework for the replacement of the National Bank’s President.“Most of the recommendations of the 2022 Safeguards Assessment have been implemented, including the recent removal of discretionary transfers to the government,” the IMF’s Executive Board said in a report.However, the IMF notes that additional reforms are needed to further align with international best practices. According to the Fund's assessment, the transition to a collegial decision-making model will improve the quality of decisions through collective deliberation.

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IMF approves de-dollarization of Georgia's economy

“Georgia’s economy has remained resilient amid heightened global uncertainty, including from the war in the Middle East. Real GDP expanded by 7.5 percent in 2025 and remained strong in early 2026, while inflation rose above target due to higher energy prices, reaching 5.9 percent in April 2026. Fiscal and external buffers have strengthened, with reserves reaching the IMF’s adequacy threshold and public debt declining below 35 percent of GDP.Assuming the Middle East war is resolved soon, growth is projected to moderate to 6.5 percent in 2026, gradually converging to its medium-term potential rate of 5 percent by 2028. Inflation is expected to return to target by mid-2027 and public debt to remain near current levels with continued prudent monetary and fiscal policies”, - the document reads.According to the IMF, Georgia's external position in 2025 was stronger than expected, given medium-term fundamentals and preferred economic policies."Amid the narrowing of the current account deficit and the increase in international reserves, the external sector position has strengthened. In 2025, the current account deficit decreased to a historical low of 2.6 percent of GDP, mainly due to strong growth in services exports (especially ICT and tourism) and low growth in goods imports against the backdrop of low oil prices. At the end of April 2026, international foreign exchange reserves amounted to USD 6.4 billion, which corresponds to 102 percent of the IMF's reserve adequacy ratio (ARA). This result reflects the National Bank's net foreign exchange purchases of more than USD 3 billion in previous years, which were supported by both the de-dollarization process and financial inflows, as well as valuation gains from the increase in the price of gold," the IMF notes.The report also highlights that Georgia’s banking sector is healthy. Banks are well-capitalized, liquid, and profitable, and the share of non-performing loans remains low.“Sound macroeconomic management and macroprudential policies have facilitated the further de-dollarization of the economy. In addition, the dollarization of deposits has declined, driven by improved market confidence and a weakening of the US dollar,” the report, prepared by the IMF’s Executive Board, says.

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IMF - Georgia's economy will grow by 6.5% in 2026, while inflation wil...

In this regard, the IMF published a report, according to which the financial institution has revised its forecast for Georgia’s economic growth upward to 6.5%.“Despite elevated global uncertainty, including from the war in the Middle East, Georgia’s economy remains resilient, supported by sound macroeconomic management and strong policy buffers.Growth is expected to remain strong, though moderating, while inflation would stay above target till mid-2027 and the current account deficit would widen temporarily. Public debt is expected to remain at prudent levels, while reserve coverage would strengthen further.Policy priorities include bringing inflation back to target, continuing to build reserve buffers, strengthening central bank and state-owned enterprise governance, and advancing reforms to support job creation and competitiveness,” the IMF report said.

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Kurdiani granted deferred shares

Specifically, he was granted 27,783 ordinary shares, which management typically receives as salary or as a bonus.Specifically, ordinary shares are granted to managers as deferred shares under a compensation scheme that they have the option to cash out over several years, according to their contracts. In addition to share-based compensation, management also receives shares as bonuses.Among them, Kurdiani was granted shares twice in 2025 - once in March with 14,052 shares as compensation, and at the end of the same month with 40,227 shares under the Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) for work performed in 2022-2024.This year, Kurdiani received 1,109 shares of TBC PLC for work performed in 2025.

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Share of monetary gold in reserves increases to 15.5%: New purchase by...

As a result of this latest purchase, the share of monetary gold within the National Bank of Georgia’s international reserves will reach 15.5%. This reflects a broader upward trend in the country’s international reserves, which have reached a historic high of USD 7.0 billion, equivalent to 114.8% of the International Monetary Fund’s Assessing Reserve Adequacy (ARA) metric.According to the National Bank of Georgia, the decision is part of the National Bank’s long-term international reserve management strategy, aimed at further diversifying its reserve assets, enhancing stability, and safeguarding the reserves against inflationary risks. Monetary gold is a widely recognised reserve asset among global central banks, serving to reduce overall portfolio risk and enhance resilience against geopolitical shocks.The National Bank will continue to manage its international reserves in strict accordance with the principles of safety, liquidity, and profitability. As these reserves continue to grow, the NBG remains receptive to additional diversification opportunities, with future decisions informed by long-term strategic objectives and international best practices.Notably, robust macroeconomic fundamentals enabled the central bank to replenish its international reserves throughout 2025. Last year, the NBG purchased USD 2.4 billion, increasing its reserves to USD 6.16 billion by year’s end. By February 2026, reserves had then reached a historic high of USD 6.65 billion.This move aligns with broader global trends, as the world’s central banks continue their longstanding practice of accumulating gold. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, central banks purchased over 970 tonnes of gold, nearly 80% of the total volume acquired throughout 2025 (1,235 tonnes). Total central bank purchases have consistently exceeded the 1,000-tonne mark for four consecutive years (2022–2025).Furthermore, central bank demand remains largely inelastic to fluctuations in the gold price, effectively providing a stable floor for its market value. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine, escalation in the Middle East, U.S.-China trade tensions, and the U.S.-Iran conflict that erupted in February 2026 have all consistently driven and reinforced a structural risk premium in gold prices, cementing its value as a premier safe-haven asset.

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Pension Fund Assets Amounted to GEL 9.4 BLN - Dynamic Portfolio Leads...

In addition, as of May 31, 2026, 32,302 people have already benefited from the accumulated pension, to whom a total of GEL 160.6 million was issued as pensions.The positive result of the Pension Fund portfolios in May was mainly due to the high profitability of international stocks. The main factor behind the stock’s rise was renewed investor optimism about artificial intelligence, which was reflected in the global semiconductor, memory chip and technology companies’ share prices.The dynamic portfolio recorded the highest return of 2.49% last month, which is explained by its higher share of international stocks. The balanced and conservative portfolios, on the other hand, returned 1.99% and 1.29%, respectively.Year-to-date (YTD) returns for all three portfolios remain positive:• Dynamic Portfolio: 8.99%• Balanced Portfolio: 7.45%• Conservative Portfolio: 5.91%The Dynamic Portfolio also leads in terms of year-to-date returns, with an annualized return of 15.51%. The Balanced and Conservative portfolios have returned 13.90% and 10.40%, respectively.

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TBC gets approval to acquire Uzbekistan’s dominant OLX after 1 year

The buyer, registered in the United Arab Emirates, will receive a 100% stake in OLX’s operator, OLX Classifieds LLC.When considering the application, the regulator took into account that TBC Bank Group already owns digital bank and payment service Payme in Uzbekistan. Since both OLX and Payme hold a dominant position in the market, the committee imposed several mandatory conditions to protect consumer interests and competition.In particular, the new owners are prohibited from exerting undue influence on the terms of use of OLX through other products of the group, as well as using the commercial data of competitors in order to limit their activities.In addition, the company will not have the right to force OLX users to use only Payme or TBC Bank services for payments. It will be obliged to ensure equal conditions for all competing payment systems.The regulator determined that if the above requirements are met, the transaction will not create monopoly risks, since the buyer was not previously represented in the country's online advertising market.For reference, OLX was recently officially recognized as an operator with a dominant position in the Uzbek market.It should be noted that the group announced the acquisition of OLX back in August last year, although the plan at that time was to buy a controlling stake in OLX Uzbekistan from TBC PLC, which in turn was to be acquired from the online classifieds platform OLX Group and which represents the classifieds business of Prosus.To acquire OLX UZ last year, TBC Bank Group created a joint venture (JV) with Titan Investments - an international investment holding company supported by leading international institutional investors, investment funds and a sovereign wealth fund from the Middle East. The joint venture will acquire 100% of OLX Uzbekistan, where TBC Bank Group owns 50% + 1 share, and Titan Investments owns the remaining share.As a result of the agreement signed with Prosus last year, TBC Uzbekistan will have access to new customer segments through OLX UZ, the 6th most popular website in Uzbekistan. OLX Uzbekistan has 5.4 million monthly active users and 2.2 million active ads, making it a leader in the services, goods, cars and real estate segments, serving more than 20% of the country's Internet users.

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TBC to pay dividend on June 22 at GEL /£3.59 rate

TBC Bank Group PLC ("TBC PLC") today announces that the Georgian Lari to Pound Sterling exchange rate that will apply to the final dividend payment for 2025 will be 3.5857, being the average exchange rate of the National Bank of Georgia for the period of 1-5 June 2026 inclusive (5 days average).As a result, on June 22, TBC PLC will distribute a final dividend of GEL 3.87 per share for 2025. With this amount, the total dividend for 2025 was GEL 8.87 (+10%, y.y), including the aggregate amounts that the Group paid out in quarters.As a reminder, the 1Q26 dividend of 1.75 GEL per share of TBC PLC will be paid on September 11.As of the end of March, the number of ordinary shares of the Group amounted to 55,726,793 units.

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Georgian companies' shares fall on the London Stock Exchange

Lion Finance Group (BGEO LN) shares closed at GBP 105.50/share (-5.04% w/w and -2.85% m/m). More than 258k shares traded in the range of GBP 105.50 - 111.10/share. Average daily traded volume was 59k in the last 4 weeks. The volume of BGEO shares traded was at 0.60% of its capitalization.TBC Bank Group (TBCG LN) closed the week at GBP 43.78/share (-2.75% w/w and -6.89% m/m). More than 393k shares changed hands in the range of GBP 43.00 - 45.34/share. Average daily traded volume was 72k in the last 4 weeks. The volume of TBCG shares traded was at 0.71% of its capitalizationGeorgia Capital (CGEO LN) shares closed at GBP 39.70/share (-5.59% w/w and +3.66% m/m). More than 176k shares traded in the range of GBP 39.30 - 42.40/share. Average daily traded volume was 67k in the last 4 weeks. The volume of CGEO shares traded was at 0.51% of its capitalization. 

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