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Spanish banks

Spanish economy 4th November 2022

The ECB replies to the Treasury: the tax on banks is discriminatory, harms solvency and slows down credit

The opinion of the European Central Bank (ECB) on the new bank tax, which is currently before Congress, is already public. The banking supervisor has issued a tough and detailed opinion in which it warns of the negative effects that the tax, as it is designed, could have on the banking sector, such as damage to profitability, competition, solvency and the granting of credit, while warning of the risks of…

US banks trading income declines

World economy 22nd April 2022

Bond Portfolios Give US Banks Heavy Losses: From JPMorgan’s $7.4 Billion to BofA’s $3.4 Billion

Fitch explains that for large US banks “the sharp rise in interest rates across the curve led to unrealised losses in AFS (Available-for-Sale) securities portfolios with an estimated negative effect on CET1 ratios of 20-110bp”. Specifically, according to Bloomberg, JPMorgan reported latent losses of about USD 7.4 billion on a total of USD 313 billion of Treasuries and other bonds in its available-for-sale portfolio in the Q1’22 results announced last…

banks general 777x400

Spanish economy 23rd February 2022

Banking: From Confusion To Perplexity. A Question Of Transparency

Aristóbulo de Juan | The Spanish system lends itself to great confusion. It is therefore difficult to diagnose. This situation has been dragging on since the recent real estate bubble and the poor handling of the ensuing crisis. Perhaps as a consequence of the doctrine of deregulation. But this situation continues to be favoured by the existence of an ineffective regulatory framework, based on the elusive principle that it is…

climate change north pole

World economy 4th December 2021

What Banks Could Do With Their Lending To Reverse Climate Change

Andrew Fraser (Aberdeen Standards) | They talk, but they don’t do,’ this is how the Queen expressed her frustration with world leaders on the eve of COP26. The same accusation could be levelled at the world’s major banks. They finance the world’s largest companies and have a huge role to play in halting climate change. But the opportunity has yet to be fully grasped. Banks could take a major part…

bank generico

Spanish economy 24th November 2021

“Without Numbers You Will Perish”

Aristóbulo de Juan | Visiting the basilica of San Isidoro in León some time ago, I came across a series of tombstones with their inscriptions. One of them carried this statement: “Without numbers you will perish”. It stuck with me. Now, amid the pandemic and its impact on the economy, on banks and on the tolerance of all regulators, we live in a time of great confusion. Banks in good…

bank spain

Spanish economy 26th August 2021

Spanish Banks’ Non-Performing Loans Fall To 4.4%, The Lowest Since 2009

Non-performing loans granted by credit institutions to companies and individuals fell to 4.4% in June, compared with 4.55% in May and 4.67% a year earlier, according to provisional data from the Bank of Spain. This is its lowest level since April 2009, when the NPL ratio began its climb – which reached 13% in 2014 – as a result of the financial crisis. Total credit to the private sector increased…

BCE exterior

European economy 29th July 2020

ECB Tests Found That Eurozone Banks Are Able To Withstand The Stress Caused By The Pandemic

Santander Corporate & Investment | The ECB published on Tuesday the aggregate results of its vulnerability analysis of the 86 banks directly supervised under the Single Supervisory Mechanism. This shows that “the euro area banking sector can withstand the stress induced by the pandemic but, if the situation worsens, the decline in bank capital would be significant. Furthermore, the ECB has extended its recommendation that banks should not distribute dividends until 2021.

bank antonviolin sstock

European economy 22nd June 2020

The Appeal Of Investing In Banks Is Very Strong: Expectations For Revaluation Are Close To 100% In A 1-2 Year Period

Ofelia Marín-Lozano (1962 Capital SICAV) | The starting point is much more solid than in 2008, when the banks emerged from many years of double-digit credit expansion and high rates. In addition, European banks have significantly improved their equity base, which is double, or even almost triple, the levels reached a decade ago in all their solvency ratios. The ratio of higher quality capital to risk-weighted assets, (CET1 or common equity tier 1) has risen from levels below 6% in 2011 to over 14% today. 

NYSE bull

Markets 24th February 2020

Global Financials: Upgrade From Neutral To Overweight

Patrik Lang (Head Equities & Global Equity Strategy, Julius Baer) | Global financials typically outperform when purchasing managers’ indices and bond yields rise. Growing scepticism with regard to the negative interest rates and increasing chances for the beginning of tangible fiscal easing are also potential positives.