Financial instruments measured at amortised cost

Financial instruments that are not measured at fair value are recognised at amortised cost or are in a hedging relationship. Amortised cost entails valuing balance sheet items after initially agreed cash flows, adjusted for impairment. Amortised cost will not always be equal to the values that are in line with the market assessment of the same financial instruments. This is due to different perceptions of market conditions, risk and discount rates.

Methods underlying the determination of fair value of financial instruments that are measured at amortised cost are described below:

Loans to and claims on customers
Current-rate loans are exposed to competition in the market, indicating that possible excess value in the portfolio will not be maintained over a long period. Fair value of current-rate loans is therefore set to amortised cost. The effect  of changes in credit quality in the portfolio is accounted for through collectively assessed impairment write-downs, therefore giving a good expression of fair value in that part of the portfolio where individual write-down assessments have not been made.

Individual write-downs are determined through an assessment of future cash flow, discounted by effective interest rate. Hence the discounted value gives a good expression of the fair value of these loans.

Bonds held to maturity
Change to fair value is calculated by reference to a theoretical valuation of market value based on interest rate and spread curves.

Loans to and claims on credit institutions, Debt to credit institutions  and debt to customers

For loans to and claims on credit institutions, as well as debt to credit institutions and deposits from customers, fair value is estimated equal to amortised cost.

Securities debt and subordinated debt
The calculation of fair value in level 2 is based on observable market values such as on interest rate and spread curves where available.

¹⁾ Fair value is determined by using different methods in three levels. See note 25 for a definition of the levels