Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 2000s - A new dimension
In 2001, the regional banks, the majority shareholders of Caisse Nationale de Crédit Agricole, decided to open up its capital to the public.
It became Crédit Agricole S.A. when it was listed on the Paris stock exchange. The regional banks still hold more than 50% of its capital, but by opening up to other shareholders, the listed vehicle could grow through mergers and acquisitions. Major acquisitions were made during this decade.
Poster promoting the listing of Crédit Agricole S.A. (2001)
Crédit Agricole acquired two major companies in consumer credit, which rounded out its offering and developed its expertise in this area. Then, in 2003, Crédit Lyonnais joined the Crédit Agricole Group. Its branch network was renamed LCL in 2005 while its corporate and investment banking business was transferred to Crédit Agricole Indosuez to form Calyon - renamed Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank in 2010.
Following these major acquisitions and this vast expansion, the Group organised itself by creating entities for each business line: Amundi for asset management, CACEIS for investor services, Crédit Agricole Payment Services for means of payment, Crédit Agricole Assurances for insurance, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank for corporate and investment banking, Crédit Agricole Leasing and Factoring for leasing and factoring, and Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance for consumer credit.
Internationally, the Group decided to expand in Europe while maintaining strong positions on other continents.
Lastly, always paying attention to changes in society, Crédit Agricole started to put in place structures aimed at promoting agri-food, social and environmental transitions.
In the same series
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Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 2025 until todayCrédit Agricole is now an original model of universal retail banking. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 2010s - The expression of our “Raison d’être”At the beginning of this decade, Crédit Agricole: included 39 regional banks, fully-fledged banks and the majority shareholders of the central institution Crédit Agricole S.A.; was active in all banking businesses; provided services to all types of customers, from individuals to corporates and institutional investors, from the most vulnerable to the wealthiest; included a second retail banking network, LCL; was present throughout France and on all continents. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 1990s - A growing groupCrédit Agricole, no longer under government supervision, was now in control of its destiny. It completed its goal of becoming a universal bank with the ambition of being useful to all. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 1980s - The beginnings of universal bankingIn the early 1980s, Crédit Agricole operated throughout France, including in the largest urban areas. It also began to develop its international network with a growing number of new locations (Frankfurt, Milan, Cairo, Singapore, etc.). -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 1970s - From rural to internationalFrom 1971, Crédit Agricole’s geographical scope gradually expanded. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 1960s - A decade of renewalSince 1897, Crédit Agricole received advances from the government each year, which it had to repay. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 1950s - Expansion of the networkIn the early 1950s, Crédit Agricole developed savings inflows to boost financing for French farmers. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 1940s - War and reconstructionThe Second World War disrupted the organisation of Crédit Agricole. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history : 1930s - Helping farmers through the crisisThe 1929 crisis that began in the United States reached France in the following years. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history : 1920s - Electricity and housingThe birth of the Caisse Nationale de Crédit Agricole -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history : 1910s - Serving the entire countryAt this time, two important measures strengthened Crédit Agricole’s action in its fight against rural depopulation. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history : 1900s - First extension of the scope of actionThe first decade of the 20th century saw Crédit Agricole establish a lasting presence in the regions. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history : 1890s - A bottom-up organisationCreation of the local banks -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history : 1880s - Creation in the JuraOur story begins in 1885 in Salins-les-Bains in the Jura.