- BNP Paribas reaffirms its commitment to supporting the financing of companies in the defence sector, mainly within NATO countries, and particularly those in Europe.
- This support to large corporate groups as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the sector takes various forms: credit, guarantees, bond issuances, export finance, asset management and direct equity investments.
- As the leading bank to European corporates, BNP Paribas is fully committed to support the developments expected in the defence sector.
In this context, BNP Paribas deployed EUR 24 billion at the end of 2024 to large corporate groups as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, of which EUR 12 billion was directly attributable to the defence sector.
BNP Paribas’ activity mainly serves industrial companies in NATO countries:
- 70% of these companies are European of which 40% are French
- 25% are North American.
The Group is a leader in capital markets, allowing it to support financing defence sector corporates.
BNP Paribas actively participates in the main bond issuances of companies within the sector, with a total of EUR 55 billion over the last three years, of which EUR 33 billion was issued in 2024.
In equity markets, BNP Paribas’ direct contribution in primary equity issuances to defence sector companies was EUR 2.2 billion between 2023 and 2024.
At the end of 2024, BNP Paribas also managed EUR 2.5 billion of assets in defence companies. This corresponds to:
- assets invested in equity through BNP Paribas Développement, serving 46 French small and medium-sized enterprises (EUR 200 million),
- investments for third parties through the funds of BNP Paribas Asset Management (EUR 1.7 billion) and BNP Paribas Cardif (EUR 500 million)
Thanks to its expertise and savoir-faire, BNP Paribas is fully committed to support the expected developments in the defence sector and to meet the future needs of its clients in this area.
BNP Paribas is the European Union’s leading bank and key player in international banking. It operates in 63 countries and has nearly 183,000 employees, including more than 145,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Commercial, Personal Banking & Services for the Group’s commercial & personal banking and several specialised businesses including BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Arval; Investment & Protection Services for savings, investment and protection solutions; and Corporate & Institutional Banking, focused on corporate and institutional clients. Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, BNP Paribas has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. The Group is rolling out its integrated commercial & personal banking model across several Mediterranean countries, Turkey, and Eastern Europe. As a key player in international banking, the Group has leading platforms and business lines in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific. BNP Paribas has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility approach in all its activities, enabling it to contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, while ensuring the Group's performance and stability.
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