Hypo Alpe-Adria Bank Banjaluka has already placed approximately EUR 600,000 through its “Loans for purchase of shares” campaign. “This credit product provides for the purchase of shares that are already listed in the Banjaluka Stock Exchange, and can be used by Bosnian nationals who already own shares form the Shares of the Banjaluka Stock Exchange”, Bratoljub Radulovic, head of the Hypo Broker and investment banking center with the bank said. Radulovic added that the minimal amount of a 12-month loan was EUR 5,000 with annually interest rates at 9.8 percent. A significant number of investors have already opted for this product, with a constantly growing interest. Raiffeisen Bank has offered its individual clients from the entire territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina two different loan programs for the purchase of stock and shares. “We offer short-term loans of up to 12 months with the possibility of extension to five years and long-term loans of 8 years”, Raiffeisen representatives said, adding the interest rates ranged from 8.9 to 9.4 percent. The collateral for such loans is most often provided by a mortgage against the securities already owned or those purchased. “We don’t provide loans for the purchase of shares, but due to the citizen’s huge interest, we plan to, in two to three months, start allowing loans to investors, legal and physical entities who wish to buy in the stock market”, Komercijalna Bank director Srdjan Suput said. The deadline for the loans will be 12 months, while that bank plans establishment of an advisory investment banking sector. Zepter Bank director Ranko Labovic said his bank offered general loans to its clients that could be used to purchase shares.