BNP Paribas, Corporate & Investment banking

Our roots can be traced back to the early 1820s when two European banks were established and merged together to become the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas (often known simply as Paribas).

So where does BNP fit in?

At the start of the 20th century, a number of major banks were founded. They quickly expanded in both France, and overseas. In the years after the Second World War, a series of reforms meant several banks were nationalised, restructured and merged. Those that went forward into the 1980s included the Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP), Compagnie Bancaire (CB) and the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas, which became Compagnie Financière de Paribas, Banque Paribas.

Application questions

In 1998, Compagnie Financière de Paribas, Banque Paribas merged with CB to create a group simply called Paribas. Then in 2000, BNP and Paribas merged to create the new BNP Paribas Group. History was made.

What next?

In 2006, we acquired Italian bank Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL) which has given us the opportunity to build a second European home market in Italy. Now we aim to develop our activities for the greater benefit of our shareholders, customers and employees, and to build the ‘bank of the future’ by reinforcing our major worldwide presence.

In Corporate & Investment Banking, we aim to become a recognised leader across Equity & Derivative activities in America, to continue diversifying our client base and to increase the size and scope of our trading activities. We’re already number two in Europe in terms of our 2006 pre-tax profits and we’re committed to growing our revenues by 20% per year.

Our early roots

In the early 1820s, Louis-Raphaël Bischoffsheim founded a private bank in his own name in Amsterdam. The bank soon expanded to Antwerp, Paris and London and, in 1863, merged with the Banque de Crédit et de Dépôt des Pays-Bas. Meanwhile, in 1869 a group of bankers and investors founded the Banque de Paris.

1848 – Two discount banks are established following a Government decree – the Comptoir National d'Escompte de la Ville de Paris (CNEP) and Comptoir National d'Escompte de Mulhouse (CNEM, which becomes CEM after being released from state control in 1854).

1872 – The Banque de Crédit et de Dépôt des Pays-Bas and the Banque de Paris merge to form the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas (often known simply as Paribas).

1901 – Banque Française pour le Commerce et l'Industrie (BFCI) is founded. The Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas, CNEP and Société Générale are all involved in its creation.

1913 – Banque Nationale de Crédit (BNC) is established as an independent subsidiary of CEM. (In 1922, BNC goes on to absorb BFCI.)

1920s – BNC continues to expand both in France and overseas. CNEP is also undergoing massive domestic and international expansion.

1930 – BNC absorbs its parent company, CEM.

1932 – BNC falls victim to the worldwide depression and The Banque Nationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie (BNCI) is built on what remained.

1945 – A law decrees the nationalisation of the Banque de France and the four leading French retail banks: BNCI, CNEP, Crédit Lyonnais and Société Générale. As a merchant bank, the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas avoids nationalisation and goes on to bolster its global presence.

1959 – Compagnie Bancaire (CB) founded, becoming Europe's first specialised financing group in the post-war period. The biggest shareholder is Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas.

1965 – CNEP now has 850 branches and offices.

1966 – The French Ministry of Finance issues a statement announcing the merger of BNCI and CNEP into a single financial institution to be known as the Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP).

1968 – President Jean Reyre carries out a major reorganisation of the bank and its legal structure. The BNP group is now controlled by a holding company, Compagnie Financière de Paris et des Pays-Bas, with interests divided among four specialised subsidiaries:

• The Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas takes over the banking and financial activities of the former bank
• Omnium de Participations Financières et Industrielles holds the Group's interests in industrial and commercial businesses in France
• Omnium de Participations Bancaires takes over the French holdings in banking and financial establishments
• Paribas International takes control of the banking establishments and other investments outside of France.

1982 – Paribas is nationalised. CB escapes because its total deposits are under one billion francs. Meanwhile, the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas becomes Compagnie Financière de Paribas, Banque Paribas.

1998 – Compagnie Financière de Paribas, Banque Paribas merges with CB to create a group simply called Paribas. (Today, the companies that made up CB – Cetelem, Cardif, Cortal, Arval, Klépierre and UCB – have merged with former BNP units.)

2000 – BNP and Paribas merge to create the new BNP Paribas Group.