EU’s low growth hits financials
MADRID | By JP Marín Arrese | Central banks all over Europe bombastically hailed the stress tests results as solid evidence the banking system enjoyed enviable health. Their diagnosis utterly failed to impress the markets. Ten days later, financials are plunging to fresh lows as low growth rates signify dire prospects ahead. Investors feel increasingly uneasy faced with dwarfish interest rates and dwindling intermediary receipts, leading to chronic underperformance and under-sized profits. Many fear that an inability to raise their own funds to plug gaps in their balance sheets might weigh on mounting impairment, sending shivers down the spine. Banks may face rough times ahead should deflationary bouts keep the European economy close to stagnation.