J.L. M. Campuzano (Spanish Banking Association) | Según los datos publicados la semana pasada por el Banco de España la tasa de morosidad cayó en octubre hasta un 6,08%, 1,7 puntos más baja que en diciembre y muy por debajo del 8,41% de hace un año.
The certainty that we are on the threshold of a phase of consistent interest rate rises – the Fed could implement two or three further hikes this year – is spurring the European banks to endow themselves with liquidity from the ECB, at low prices.
One of the pending adjustments involved in the process of exiting the crisis is related to damaged assets, mainly property. This phenomenon has prevented the Spanish banks from showing off the huge restructuring efforts they have made with better figures.
The Italian banks’ share prices have taken a beating recently on rumours – partially confirmed – that the ECB has contacted some of them regarding their bad loans. And now some of Spain’s domestically-focused lenders are suffering from a contagion effect, posting losses and underperforming as the scepticism spreads to their own NPLs situation. Banc Sabadell analysts highlight that “the risk of the ECB introducing new provisions or reclassifying NPLs would, in general, not make a lot of sense.”