The Danish group UNIDANMARK (UNIBANK and TRYG-BALTICA; taxable profits of EUR 695.56 million in 1999 with 14,371 employees) and the Finnish-Swedish group MERITANORDBANKEN (NORDBANKEN and MERITA BANK; taxable profits of EUR 1.386 billion in 1999 with 18,896 employees) will create the number one Nordic financial group, with stock market capitalisation of EUR 15.6 billion and 8.5 million individual clients, controlling 40% of the market in Finland, 25% in Denmark and 20% in Sweden. With total assets of EUR 186 billion, the new venture will be called NORDIC BALTIC HOLDING and will include two branches: a banking branch comprising UNIBANK, MERITA BANK and NORDBANKEN and an insurance branch, whose parent company will be TRYG-BALTICA. Shareholders in UNIDANMARK will own 30% of the venture and MERITANORDBANK's the remaining 70%.