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In Europe 21st May 2012

Germany must let the ECB print euros as soon as possible, says Nordkapp

By Tania Suárez, in Madrid | Pablo Diez, from the asset management department at Nordkapp, explained in a conversation with The Corner that Spain’s unemployment ratio distorts the image the market has about the country’s economy as a whole, and investors believe Spain is at higher risk of default than other euro peripheral countries. He also said that “Spain should be provided with an injection of money issued by the European Central…

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Spanish economy 15th May 2012

Tuesday’s chart: real estate asset coverage in Spain’s banks

Performing real estate assets in Spanish banks must now be provisioned at 30 percent of its book value, which will raise the average coverage ratio for all real estate assets to 45 percent. Then, troubled and toxic real estate assets will be transferred to an asset management company (sociedad de gestión de Activos) and the rest of the portfolio will be independently audited. The picture of the situation within the banking system in…

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Companies 14th May 2012

Santander details provisions in bid to reassure shareholders over €0.6 dividend

MADRID | Banco Santander on Monday announced that the banking group in Spain, including Banesto, will require €2.7 billion before taxes to comply with the new legislation passed last May 11 on real estate asset provisions. These charges are in addition to the reserves already made compulsory by a decree-law in February, of which €2.3 billion before taxes are still pending, as stated in a filing sent to the Spanish regulator…

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Markets 10th May 2012

Lies, damned lies and BFA accounting

MADRID | Ever since double entry accounting was developed in Middle Age Italy, banks have been able to mask shortcomings till the very verge of their implosion. After all, in every single balance sheet, assets always match liabilities to the last penny. The figures’ real value just becomes a matter of opinion, as recent discomfitures have shown. Lehman Brothers led the way many others have followed. The turn has come now…

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Spanish economy 9th May 2012

BANKIA rescue does lift uncertainties, for the moment being

MADRID | Rescuing BANKIA will contribute to cut short doubts on short-term Spanish banking solvency. It was no secret that BANKIA was thrown in deep waters by the demanding government requirement to uplift real estate portfolio, having the dubious merit to top the list of entities laden with bad loans. Its intention to mend this state and play on its own gathered widespread disbelief, as big potential partners turned their backs…

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Markets 8th May 2012

Foreign private equity funds feed on Spain’s real estate crisis

MADRID | The severe crisis in Europe and especially in Spain, Italy and Portugal has attracted some of the main actors of the private equity scene. According to Capital Madrid, one of the biggest firms in the sector, Apax Partners, has put its focus on the financial assets accumulated by the Spanish banks and that will shortly be going out for sale. Indeed, the difficult time many Spanish banks go through…

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World economy 27th April 2012

The British multi-million pound property market heats up: crisis, do you say?

LONDON | Although less than 0.5% of homes in Britain would be affected by the increase in the stamp duty rate for multi-million pound homes announced in the 2012 budget, according to research by Lloyd, the very top end of the market just hit a historic high in sales. Does it need cool down? The total number of sales of properties that cost at least one million pounds in Great Britain was…

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Spanish economy 26th April 2012

The case against Spanish banks: how the New York Times got it wrong

NEW YORK | When one of the world’s most prestigious newspapers quotes a blogger as the main source of a story on international economy, sure that blogger’s words do get a boost. The New York Times Business front page recently spoke of “Spain’s weak spot“, saying that “A rising portion of Spain’s €663 billion, or $876 billion, in home mortgages at risk of default could lead the country’s banks to a…

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World economy 10th April 2012

UK commercial real estate as depressed as the economy

LONDON | The retail property market in the UK continues to struggle, as demand for retail premises stuttered again in the first three months of 2012. This lack of interest in the sector combined with growing availability resulted in a further drop in rental expectations, the latest RICS UK Commercial Market Survey showed on Tuesday. Interest from potential tenants of retail space continued to fall in the first quarter of the…

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Spanish economy 26th March 2012

AXA Real Estate: growth in lettings in Spain fuels plans for property buys

LONDON | Asset manager company AXA Real Estate said Monday it signed 68 leases on behalf of its clients representing a total of 113,350 sqm of space across its Spanish portfolio in 2011. This marks an increase of around 90% compared to 2010, when 60,855 sqm of space was let across 42 leases. Of the 68 lettings, 23 representing 10,707 sqm, were new leases, while the remaining 45, accounting for 102,643 sq m of space, comprised lease…