DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Spain's BBVA announces $13 billion hostile takeover bid for Sabadell
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The headquarters of the Spanish bank BBVA are seen in Madrid, Spain. Spanish bank BBVA on Thursday presented a 12.23 billion euro ($13.11 billion) takeover bid for rival Sabadell directly to shareholders, even though Sabadell's board this week already rejected the proposal on the same terms. BBVA's decision follows Sabadell's board on Monday saying the unsolicited bid significantly undervalued the bank's potential and growth prospects. BBVA, Spain's second-biggest bank by market value after Santander, offered an exchange ratio of 1 newly issued BBVA share for every 4.83 Sabadell shares, a premium of 30% over April 29 closing prices. Spanish banks have been looking for ways to increase revenue as a boost from high interest rates begins to fade.

Persons: Carlos Torres Vila Organizations: BBVA, Sabadell, Banco, Hostile, UBI Banca, Spain's, Santander Locations: Spanish, Madrid, Spain

☆ Intesa Sanpaolo aims to reinforce its wealth management and protection attitudes, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIntesa Sanpaolo aims to reinforce its wealth management and protection attitudes, CEO saysCarlo Messina, CEO of Intesa Sanpaolo, discusses the bank's earnings and the outlook for the European banking sector.

Persons: Carlo Messina, Intesa Sanpaolo

☆ ING: We are comfortable regardless of interest rate environment
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailING: We are comfortable regardless of interest rate environmentTanate Phutrakul, CFO of ING, says a banking union is necessary for competitiveness in European banking.

Organizations: ING

☆ Federated Hermes: European banking was 'about cost control' over the last year
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFederated Hermes: European banking was 'about cost control' over the last yearFilippo Alloatti of Federated Hermes discusses the outlook for the European Central Bank's monetary policy.

Persons: Filippo Alloatti, Federated Hermes Organizations: Federated, Central

☆ Europe's banking situation is now 'much more resilient and stable,' ESM chief says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEurope's banking situation is now 'much more resilient and stable,' ESM chief saysPierre Gramegna, managing director of the European Stability Mechanism, discusses the eurozone and the European banking sector.

Persons: Pierre Gramegna

☆ 'This stock could double': Fund manager loads up on shares of two banks amid the volatility
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

There are opportunities in the banking sector despite a rise in volatility and concern over steep losses at some lenders, according to fund manager Cole Smead. The stock makes up 1.36% of the Smead Value Fund . He believes UniCredit's share buybacks while the shares trade below book value will drive book value growth higher than the current 8% return on equity. "When you buy back shares below book, there is a multiplier effect on book value growth," Smead explained. The fund manager expects UniCredit will trade above book value over the next 12-18 months and use its stock to pursue further acquisitions.

Persons: Cole Smead, Switzerland's, Julius Baer, Smead, CNBC's, RoE, UniCredit Organizations: Smead Capital, Western Alliance Bank, KBW, New York Community Bancorp, Investors, Western Alliance Bank's, CNBC Pro Locations: Europe, U.S

☆ Bank's net interest income to be 'squeezed more and more,' Opimas CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBank's net interest income to be 'squeezed more and more,' Opimas CEO saysOctavio Marenzi, CEO at Opimas, weighs in on UniCredit's latest earnings report and the outlook for the European banking sector.

Persons: Octavio Marenzi

☆ UniCredit CEO: Europe needs banking M&A to propel economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailUniCredit CEO: Europe needs banking M&A to propel economyAndrea Orcel, group CEO of UniCredit, makes his case for increasing mergers and acquisitions in European banking, how European banks can compete with their U.S. peers, and how an EU banking union would revolutionise the sector.

Persons: Andrea Orcel

☆ ECB's Schnabel defends smaller balance sheet as debate heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Balazs Koranyi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

She said her "demand-driven" approach fitted the euro zone, whose 20 countries vary in economic strength and have separate banking systems. "A demand-driven system is well-suited for a heterogeneous currency union that may be prone to fragmentation," Schnabel said in an interview. "Such a system also likely limits the size of the central bank balance sheet." She conceded, however, that "it could make sense to have a mix of different tools", suggesting policymakers may be looking for a compromise in this complex yet crucial debate for the euro zone financial system. Loans to banks or a structural bond portfolio would come on top of this.

Persons: Isabel Schnabel, Ralph Orlowski, Schnabel, Philip Lane, Schnabel's counterargument, Francesco Canepa, Catherine Evans Organizations: Frankfurt, Banking Congress, Old Opera, REUTERS, European Central Bank, ECB, Reuters, Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, FRANKFURT

Its 2022 annual report, filed on January 19, said the deal desk should review any deals greater than $500,000. SUSE sales growth was slowing at the time. Reuters could not determine if the deal was vetted by the deal desk nor how many deals have been going through the unit. SUSE and Reuters parent company, Thomson Reuters, are involved in litigation over the use of SUSE software products. SUSE claims that Thomson Reuters breached the terms that allegedly governed its use of SUSE software products.

Persons: SUSE, Reuters wasn't, EQT, Melissa Di Donato, Di Donato greenlighted, Di Donato, Eskom, BNY, BNY Mellon, Di, Christian Strenger, Di Donato's, Thomson, Karin Strohecker, Stefania Spezzati, Emma, Victoria Farr, Elisa Martinuzzi, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Microsoft, BMW, Sales, Reuters, Bank of New York Mellon, BNY Mellon, BNY, Corporate Governance Institute, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, Thomson Reuters, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt

The latest proposal from EU cybersecurity agency ENISA concerns an EU certification scheme (EUCS) which vouches for the cybersecurity of cloud services and determines how governments and companies in the bloc select a vendor for their business. The document retains key provisions contained in earlier drafts such as a requirement that U.S. tech giants set up a joint venture with an EU-based company to qualify for the EU cybersecurity label. Another provision states that cloud service must be operated and maintained from the EU, while all cloud service customer data must be stored and processed in the EU, with EU laws taking precedence over non-EU laws regarding the cloud service provider. The latest draft sets out the possibility for these tough requirements to be extended to the third highest security level. EU countries are now reviewing the latest draft after which the European Commission will adopt a final scheme.

Persons: OpenAI's, CCIA, ENISA, Alexandre Roure, Foo Yun Chee, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: European, Google, Microsoft, Big Tech, EU, Tech, European Banking Federation, European Savings Banks Group, Association for Financial Markets, Federation, Insurance, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, European Union, EU, Europe

☆ Italy raises $1 bln as reduces Monte dei Paschi stake
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NOVEMBER 2007 - MPS buys Antonveneta from Santander (SAN.MC) for 9 billion euros in cash, months after the Spanish bank paid 6.6 billion euros for it. JULY 2011 - MPS raises 2.15 billion euros in a rights issue ahead of European stress test results. JUNE 2014 - MPS raises 5 billion euros in a rights issue and repays the state 3.1 billion euros. JUNE 2015 - MPS raises 3 billion euros in cash after a 5.3 billion euro net loss for 2014 on record bad loan writedowns. It repays the remaining 1.1 billion euro state underwritten special bond.

Persons: Valentina Za, Keith Weir Organizations: MILAN, Monday, MPS, JPMorgan, Treasury, Bank of Italy, Antonveneta, Italy's, ECB, EU Commission, Thomson Locations: Italy, Siena, Santander, Europe

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene says she isn't antisemitic because Jesus was 'a Jewish carpenter'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

She claimed that her controversial Jewish space laser comments were "sarcastic." AdvertisementRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene addressed her controversial comments about Jewish space lasers and said that she is not antisemitic because her "Savior," Jesus, was a Jewish carpenter. Greene made a widely ridiculed claim in 2018 that a Jewish-financed space laser had caused the worst wildfires in California's history. "My Savior is a Jewish carpenter who died on the cross for my sins, and I have no antisemitic sentiments whatsoever." She also said that she has donated to the Temple Institute in Israel, an organization that aims to rebuild the Jewish temple on the Temple Mount and reinstate animal sacrificial worship.

Persons: Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jesus, —, Greene, Rothschild Organizations: Christian, Service, Rothschild Inc, Temple Institute Locations: Jewish, Georgia, Israel

☆ ECB's Lagarde: Increasing signs that the global economy is fragmenting into competing blocs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Matt Clinch | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde looks on as she attends the European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, at the European Parliament, in Brussels, Belgium September 25, 2023. Yves Herman | ReutersEuropean Central Bank President Christine Lagarde on Friday said that Europe is now at a critical juncture, with deglobalization, demographics and decarbonization looming on the horizon. "There are increasing signs that the global economy is fragmenting into competing blocs," she said at the European Banking Congress, according to a transcript. "As our societies age, we will need to deploy new technologies so that we can produce greater output with fewer workers. And as our climate warms, we will need to advance the green transition without any further delays."

Persons: Christine Lagarde, Yves Herman, Lagarde Organizations: European Central Bank, European Parliament's, Economic, Monetary Affairs, Reuters, Central Bank, European Banking Congress Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Europe

☆ 'No common capital market a big problem for the euro zone,' strategist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'No common capital market a big problem for the euro zone,' strategist saysMathieu Savary, chief European strategist at BCA Research, dissects the speech of ECB's Christine Lagarde during the annual European Banking Congress.

Persons: Mathieu Savary, ECB's Christine Lagarde Organizations: BCA Research, European Banking Congress Locations: European

☆ UniCredit CEO Orcel's 'bank of Europe' ambition tough to realise
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Valentina Za | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

However, his aspirations to make UniCredit the "bank of Europe" are proving trickier to realise with the CEO setting a high bar for mergers and acquisitions in the euro zone's fractured capital markets, despite having what he describes as the biggest war chest among European lenders. UniCredit bought Greece's 9% stake in Alpha Bank (ACBr.AT) and struck a commercial partnership with the Athens-based lender, also acquiring most of its Romanian operations. The CEO works closely with a small M&A team he set up within UniCredit which constantly reviews potential deals in the markets and businesses where the bank operates, people with knowledge of the matter said. But uneven regulation across the euro zone, where progress towards a single banking market has stalled, complicates cross-border deals. Calling on Europe to follow his lead, Orcel says he has unlocked UniCredit's potential by giving it a unified strategy across its 13 markets.

Persons: Andrea Orcel, Merrill Lynch, Orcel, He's, Cole Smead, ALPHA Orcel, Siena, UniCredit, Smead, Jean, Pierre Mustier's, Mustier, it's, Carlo Franchini, Danilo Masoni, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Discount, MILAN, UBS, Smead Capital Management, Fund, ALPHA, Banco, Alpha Bank, Alpha, Banca Ifigest, Thomson Locations: buybacks, Europe, Arizona, Ukraine, Athens, HVB, Berlin, Milan

☆ EU watchdog sets out capital, liquidity rules for stablecoin issuers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The bloc is deploying the world's first comprehensive set of rules for cryptocurrency and stablecoin markets, and the European Banking Authority (EBA) proposed minimum capital and liquidity requirements for issuers of stablecoins and other types of digitised tokens. The EBA launched public consultations on liquidity requirements for the reserve of assets that back a stablecoin, meaning that only eligible assets of high enough quality can be used. The EBA said that issuers of stablecoins backed by a currency must be able to offer full redemptions at par to investors. Banks may be exempt from liquidity requirements in some instances, given that they already hold liquidity buffers under existing EU bank capital and liquidity rules, the EBA said. The proposed liquidity rules ensure that issuers of stablecoins, which can be non-bank institutions, meet the same safeguards, and also avoid unfair capital or liquidity advantages over banks.

Persons: Stablecoins, Banks, Huw Jones, Louise Heavens Organizations: European Banking Authority, EBA, Thomson

The Swiss National Bank and the Swiss Finance Ministry are part of the conversations with lenders, one source said. A representative for the finance ministry said that the issue of bank runs is part of an overall evaluation of the too-big-to-fail regulatory framework in Switzerland. Regulators worldwide have since been grappling with the risk of bank runs, which in the era of digital banking have accelerated in speed. Financial regulators will need to make sure that banks retain adequate financial buffers as advances in technology increase the risk of bank runs, Bank of England executive director for markets, Andrew Hauser, said on Friday at a conference in London. They risk penalizing Swiss banks if they were to be introduced only in Switzerland, one of the sources said.

Persons: SNB, Zürcher, PostFinance, Raiffeisen, Andrew Hauser, Thomas Jordan, Stefania Spezzati, Oliver Hirt, Elisa Martinuzzi, John O'Donnell, Paritosh Bansal, Nick Zieminski Organizations: UBS, Swiss National Bank, Swiss Finance Ministry, Reuters, Swiss, Raiffeisen, Credit Suisse, Regulators, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: ZURICH, Switzerland, Swiss, Zurich, U.S, London, Bern

☆ JPMorgan strategists advise opening a short in European banks, upgrade healthcare
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Strategists at JPMorgan have advised opening a 'short' position in European banks, and moved the sector from 'neutral' to 'underweight', they said in a note published on Monday. "If the bond yields are in the process of peaking this quarter, as we suspect ... then Banks could start to struggle," JPM strategists, led by Mislav Matejka, said. European banking shares have been some of the best performing in Europe in 2023, with the STOXX Europe 600 Banks Index (.SX7P) rising almost 8% year-to-date versus a 1% for the broader STOXX 600 (.STOXX). JPM "used the funds" to upgrade the healthcare sector from 'neutral' to 'overweight', saying the sector could benefit from "higher U.S. dollar exposure, low beta and the long duration angle". The STOXX Europe 600 Healthcare Index (.SXDP) is down around 0.4% year-to-date having touched its lowest level in seven months on Friday.

Persons: Ralph Orlowski, Banks, Mislav Matejka, Samuel Indyk, Alun John Organizations: Deutsche Bank, REUTERS, JPMorgan, Banks, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Europe

☆ Spain's Sabadell lifts 2023 outlook for lending income and profitability
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Jesús Aguado | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Sabadell bank is displayed in Barcelona, Spain, March 16, 2023. Its net interest income (NII), earnings on loans minus deposit costs, rose 29% year-on-year to 1.24 billion euros. Higher lending income also helped the bank lift its 2023 target for return-on-tangible equity ratio (ROTE), a measure of profitability, to around 11.5% from 10.5%. Sabadell finished the quarter with a ROTE of 11.59% after net profit rose 46% year-on-year to 464 million euros, beating the 383 million analysts expected. Sabadell also announced an interim dividend of 0.03 euros per share in cash, up 50% versus last year.

Persons: Nacho, JP Morgan, Jesús Aguado, Varun, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Sabadell, British, TSB, Barclays, Thomson Locations: Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain, MADRID

[1/3] The Standard Chartered bank logo is seen at their headquarters in London, Britain, July 26, 2022. The broader European banking index (.SX7P) fell as much as 2.4% to its lowest in four months by 1017 GMT. Top fallers on the index were Standard Chartered, down 9%, Swedbank (SWEDa.ST), down 7% and BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA), down around 4%. Concerns about China's economic fragility are also hitting some European banks with major operations in Asia. Sabadell (SABE.MC) rose around 3.7% after raising its outlook for 2023 net interest income growth on the back of higher interest rates.

Persons: Peter Nicholls, Chris Hiorns, Banks, Hiorns, Angelo Meda, Meda, Iain Withers, Naomi Rovnick, Joice Alves, Jesus Aguado, Danilo Masoni, Amanda Cooper, John Stonestreet, Toby Chopra Organizations: Chartered, REUTERS, BNP, European Central Bank, Traders, SIM, Sabadell, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, LONDON, Milan, Asia, Madrid

☆ Bargain hunters dig in to 'cheap' European banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Naomi Rovnick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Just before earnings season kicks off, European bank shares are sporting a dividend yield of almost 8%, making them cheaper on this basis than during the 2008 global financial crisis. European banks, which struggled during 2014 to 2022 as the ECB kept rates below zero, have had a major boost from hiking their loan costs in line with central bank rates. Analyst forecasts collated by European asset manager Amundi show European banks are expected to grow adjusted earnings per share by 25% this year, followed by a 6% gain in 2024. Generali's Morganti said he has moved his position on European banks from negative to neutral and was likely to add more. He did not forecast quick gains for European banks ahead, however.

Persons: Guy de Blonay, Sebastiano Pirro, Roger Lee, Amundi, LSEG, Michele Morganti, Italy's Unicredit, Banks, Pirro, Generali's Morganti, Naomi Rovnick, Joice Alves, Dhara Ranasinghe, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Reuters Graphics Banks, Jupiter Asset Management, Algebris Investments, European Central Bank, Reuters, ECB, Bank, Generali Investments, Monetary Fund, Thomson

☆ Jean-Pierre Mustier enters Atos last chance saloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Atos (ATOS.PA) is ending its long-running governance farce by starting at the top. Former UniCredit (CRDI.MI) CEO Jean-Pierre Mustier is taking over as chairman of the 540 million euro French IT group. Mustier, who led a recapitalisation for UniCredit in 2017, has his work cut out. On Monday, Atos also delayed the split until the second quarter of 2024, sending its shares down as much as 4%. Atos’s growing cybersecurity unit Evidian, which accounts for two-thirds of its current operating profit, will remain listed after the split.

Persons: Jean, Pierre Mustier, Mustier, Atos, Daniel Kretinsky, Pierre Briancon, Neil Unmack, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, HSBC, UBS, X, Infosys, Thomson Locations: UniCredit, Czech, Europe

☆ Take Five: War and peace of mind
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 28, 2023. U.S. retail sales increased more than expected in August as a surge in gasoline prices boosted receipts at service stations. Bar chart with data from LSEG I/B/E/S show the projected year-over-year growth in Q3 2023 earnings of S&P 500 industries. There have been reports the government is looking to increase its budget deficit to meet this year's 5% growth target. That said, inflation is still over three times the BoE's 2% target and growth isn't exactly stellar.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Kevin Buckland, Lewis Krauskopf, Naomi Rovnick, Karin Strohecker, Amanda Cooper, Goldman Sachs, Johnson, Philip Morris, It's, Banks, Amundi, BoE, it's, Sumanta Sen, Prinz Magtulis, Vineet, Pasit, Jayaram, Mark Potter Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Hamas, Bank of America, Johnson, Netflix, Philip Morris International, Investors, HK, Law, Justice, Reuters, The Bank of England, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Israel, Palestinian, China, Britain, Tokyo, New York, London, LSEG, Beijing, Europe's, Brussels, Europe

☆ EU watchdog piles pressure on banks to better quantify climate risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Other "enhancements" to capital rules include adding environmental and social factors to external credit assessements of banks by credit rating agencies. Banks would also be required to identify whether environmental and social factors are triggers of operational risk losses, EBA said. "Improving the quality of data on environmental risks is a key priority as most recent data may not yet reflect environmental risks in full...," EBA said. The watchdog will develop in-house "metrics" to help it supervise environment-related risks at banks. More comprehensive revisions to capital rules to reflect climate risks will be considered for the medium to long term, EBA said.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis, Banks, Huw Jones, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, European Banking, European Banking Authority, prudential, EBA, Thomson Locations: Provatonas, Evros, Greece

Search resuls for: "European Banking"

25 mentions found