1. Investment property

Land and buildings, including buildings on third-party land, held as long-term investments to generate rental income and/or for the purpose of capital appreciation are measured in accordance with the cost model. The investment property held as financial investments is subject to straight line depreciation over the useful life of 10 to 77 years and is recognised under the item “Net investment income”.

The fair value is determined using reports prepared by independent experts. These experts’ reports are prepared based on earned value and asset value methods or by weighted earned value and net asset value. It requires making assumptions about the future, principally concerning the discount rate, the exit yield, the expected utilisation (vacancy rate), the development of future rental charges, and the condition of the land and buildings. The construction and property value, location, useable area and usage category for the property are also taken into account. For this reason, all measurements of the fair value for the land and buildings come under Level 3 of the hierarchy in accordance with IFRS 13. The valuation techniques respond to the underlying assumptions and parameters. For instance, any reduction in the discount rate applied would result in an increase in the values ascertained for the land and buildings if the other assumptions and parameters remained unchanged. Conversely, any reduction in the expected utilisation or the expected rental charges would, for instance, result in a decrease in the values ascertained for the land and buildings if the other assumptions and parameters remained unchanged. The measurement-related assumptions and parameters are ascertained at each key date based on the best estimate by management with due respect to the current prevailing market conditions.