* Completes 3 new loan securitisations totalling 3.5 bln eur
* All are eligible collateral for ECB refinancing
* Total issuance so far this year 5.1 bln eur
(Adds details)
ATHENS, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Piraeus Bank, Greece's fourth-argest lender, said on Tuesday it had completed three new loan securitisations totalling 3.5 billion euros ($4.94 billion) to improve its liquidity.
The bank said the class A notes of these securitisations were eligible collateral for ECB refinancing purposes.
Together with two other securitisations completed in the second quarter, that totalled 1.625 billion euros, the group's total issuance since the start of the year has reached 5.1 billion, it said.
Piraeus said it securitised 540 million euros of leasing loans of subsidiary Piraeus Leases SA on Aug. 14, issuing notes through special purpose vehicle GAIA Lease Plc. UBS was the arranger of the issue. Class A notes representing 51 percent of the total securitised portfolio were rated Aaa by Moody's.
Also on Aug. 14 the bank securitised 538 million euros of consumer loans, issuing notes through PRAXIS II Finance. Morgan Stanley was the arranger.
On Aug. 17, Piraeus securitised 2.352 billion euros of business loans, issuing notes via AXIA III Finance with Citigroup being the arranger of the issue.
(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos; editing by Simon Jessop)