MADRID | By Francisco López | Market watchers have something in common with journalists: they prefer criticism rather than compliments –as can be seen from the analysis of the European Central Bank’s stress tests. Criticism is growing, even though markets had already envisaged the results and neither the institution nor Mario Draghi is willing to defend the banking examination.
BRUSSELS | By Alexandre Mato | The outcome of the stress tests led by the ECB and EBA showed that there are important weaknesses in the Italian and Greek financial sectors. 7 out of the 13 institutions that had to raise capital come from both countries. Perhaps, the era of restructuring are not yet behind us and the sector needs still more integration.
MADRID | By JP Marín Arrese | Most banks have comfortably overcome the stiff hurdles raised by the EU-wide stress test unveiled on Sunday. A reassuring outcome was widely expected, as Europe cannot afford to destabilise its financial sector when economic performance looks so grim. Yet, securing a fair result fails to endorse banking resilience should the underlying assumptions underestimate key risks. This shortcoming was evident from the start. For, the stress test builds on potential shocks failing to reflect key vulnerabilities, thus hampering its ability for properly assessing financial stability in rough times.
MADRID | The Corner | The results of the stress test will presumably be positive for the 128 European entities, although some experts do not rule out new capital increases and Coco bonds issuances, not only to strengthen their balance sheets, but also to meet other capital requirements such as gone concern loss-absorbing capacity ratios (GLAC). If they finally were to reach 25%, the main European banks would have additional capital requirements of about €460 billion in the next five years, according to Santander analysts.
MADRID | The Corner | Banks feel nervous about the upcoming ECB’s AQR and stress tests. Despite the recent waves of capital raises, lenders still don’t know about the amount of expected recapitalization needs, nor how their provisions against loan losses will do. According to a interesting piece by Bruegel (check their graphs), which comments on the recent E&Y European Banking Barometer, almost one in three of the 294 respondents still expecting to raise Loan Loss Provisions. And, as we wrote not long ago, only 8% of respondents anticipate raising additional capital following the exercise, there is an additional 19% of respondents who a capital raise “might” be necessary.
MADRID | By Julia Pastor | The European banking sector needed to regain markets’ confidence after the crisis and before November stress tests. On Monday, ECB’s vice-president Vitor Constancio assessed their moves as very positive, pointing to a compendium of sale of assets as well as capital and debt issues that reached €104 bn last year.
A curated selection of links we hope can enlighten us all; some come from our corner, some do from other corners of the net. And as always, our comment widgets are anxious to get your suggestions. A weird US town teaches a lesson on small business survival La Camorra never sleeps European banks and capital reserves: never enough? Arguments inside the IMF Ha. Traders protest the system is not fair US…
MADRID | Original post on republica.com | The European government, which some now call ‘governance’, has not been doing well for quite a few years. The expansion of the club during the last two decades has caused chronic indigestion, and a loss of perspective and project steam. The Single European Act (last decade of the XX century) meant a decisive step forward for a united Europe at peace, free, and…
JP Morgan on Wednesday made a few hopeful remarks on EU banks’ financing needs by 2012 (not as dire as everyone believes) that our readers may want to savour. A couple of truths for a start, though: “Ideally, banks should use as little as possible repo windows such as the recent three months-dollar one because it would restore confidence, despite delivering in the short term a fix for dollar-funding problems…
JP Morgan on Wednesday made a few hopeful remarks on EU banks’ financing needs by 2012 (not as dire as everyone believes) that our readers may want to savour. A couple of truths for a start, though: “Ideally, banks should use as little as possible repo windows such as the recent three months-dollar one because it would restore confidence, despite delivering in the short term a fix for dollar-funding problems…