Rabobank Group is in a leading position in a large number of sectors of the Dutch financial services market. Rabobank has traditionally been closely associated with the food & agri sector. In addition, Rabobank Group has a strong presence in the Dutch savings, mortgage and SME markets.
In the first half of 2008 volumes on the mortgage market were substantially lower than in the same period last year. In terms of percentages, the market contracted by 13%. Thanks, in particular, to growth at Obvion, Rabobank Group increased its share of the mortgage market by 2 percentage points to 30%. In addition, the success of the new Rabo OpbouwHypotheek, an asset-building mortgage, allowed the local Rabobanks to increase its market share to 22.8% (22.4%). The market share of Obvion, the mortgage provider for the brokerage channel, climbed to 7.1% (5.3%).
In the first half of the year the volume of total savings deposits in the Netherlands grew by 4%, landing at EUR 246 (237) billion. At the domestic retail banking division, savings deposits rose by 3% to EUR 92.7 (89.6) billion and amounts due to customers saw a 7% increase to EUR 160.8 (150.9) billion. This increase allowed the domestic retail banking division to fund most of the growth in lending. In July 2008 there was a sharp increase of EUR 3.3 billion in amount due to customers at the local Rabobanks.
Despite more competition on the savings market, Rabobank Group managed to stabilise its share of that market at 41% (41%). The market share of the local Rabobanks dropped by 0.2 percentage points to 38.4% whereas the market share of Roparco, Robeco's savings bank, rose by 0.1 percentage point to 2.2%. The sale of Alex had a slight negative effect on the market share of Rabobank Group.
Rabobank Group's share of the SME market, as measured by the TNS NIPO market research agency, was stable at 38% (38%).
