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☆ Ukraine banks’ robust health masks big challenges
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Pierre Briancon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Across the banking sector, deposits are as abundant as they’ve ever been, and the country’s lenders have found ways to remain profitable. The National Bank of Ukraine, the country’s central bank, deserves plaudits for both its preparations before the war and after it began. NPLs crept up to 38% of total sector loans as of January 1 this year, according to the central bank. It has the equivalent of $4.8 billion in non-performing loans, a staggering 67.5% of its loan portfolio, according to central bank numbers. The fact that Ukraine’s banks not only still exist but are thriving is an achievement in itself.

☆ China's mounting such a strong attack on the dollar's dominance that it's paying for almost all of its Russian oil imports in the yuan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Much of the trade was done in the Chinese yuan, per Reuters. China has ramped up the use of the yuan to buy commodities such as oil and coal from Russia. The country has been using its own currency — the yuan — for almost all of the Russian oil it bought over the past year, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing multiple trading executives with direct knowledge of the matter. The executive was likely referring to Russian crude being subject to a $60-a-barrel price cap imposed by a G7-led coalition. To contextualize this, China imported $88 billion worth of major commodities including crude oil and fuel oil from Russia in 2022 — up 52% in value from 2021.

☆ Rebuilding Ukraine depends on luring private money
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Pierre Briancon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

KYIV, May 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Oleksandr Gryban is already thinking of the moment when Ukraine can build again. But the real challenge is to convince sceptical private investors both at home and abroad that Ukraine is a good destination for their cash. Investors can take solace that the team tasked with rebuilding Ukraine has proven competent and resourceful. There is a bull case for private investment in Ukraine. The other factor that might lure private capital involves Ukraine helping itself, by completing reforms initiated in the last few years.

☆ Italy's Poste CEO says firms to use balance sheet in Eurovita rescue
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, May 4 (Reuters) - Italian banks and insurers that are being called upon to rescue struggling life group Eurovita will help by using their balance sheet, Poste Italiane's CEO said on Thursday, without elaborating. The Poste Italiane chief executive said all the main Italian insurers and banks distributing products by Cinven-owned Eurovita were working on a possible solution. "Everybody would use their balance sheet instead of funding a recapitalisation," he said, adding he could not explain more. Italian authorities have taken over management of Eurovita and are working on brokering a rescue after strong-arming Cinven into pumping 100 million euros of capital into the insurer. For insurers that rely on banks and financial advisers for their distribution, redemptions totalled 119% of premiums.

☆ Credit Agricole has no plans to raise stake in Italy's Banco BPM
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Credit Agricole emerged as Banco BPM's single biggest investor a year ago, shortly after UniCredit (CRDI.MI) ditched a buyout offer for the smaller rival. Credit Agricole recently increased its initial 9.2% stake, but it would need supervisory clearance to cross the 10% threshold. When asked whether Credit Agricole could help shield Banco BPM from potential takeovers, Maioli said: "We don't play that part. Credit Agricole Italy two years ago spent 855 million euros ($941.36 million) to buy regional Italian bank Creval, after agreeing to rescue three small ailing lenders in 2017. "I think the priority of all the parties involved should be that of strengthening Italian banks," he said.

☆ India's Kotak Mahindra Bank beats expectations with 26% net profit rise in Jan-March
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, April 29(Reuters) - India's Kotak Mahindra Bank (KTKM.NS) on Saturday reported a better-than-expected 26% increase in net profit for the January-March quarter, helped by higher net interest income and strong loan growth. The private lender's standalone net profit, excluding subsidiaries, rose to 34.96 billion rupees ($427.8 million) in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year from 27.67 billion rupees in the same period last year. The result beat analysts' forecast of 29.13 billion rupees, according to Refinitiv data. Net interest income - the difference between interest earned and interest expended - increased 35% to 61.03 billion rupees from 45.21 billion rupees a year ago. Thanks to strong credit growth, large private banks such as HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank reported a double-digit profit growth for the Jan-March quarter.

☆ Russia's top spy agency is worried that domestic banks don't have enough foreign currency, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's top spy agency is worried that domestic banks don't have enough foreign currency. Russia's FSB also urged that any business deals with Chinese firms be kept secret. The Federal Security Service, or FSB, is worried that domestic banks don't have enough foreign currency, the leaked intel assessment said. After Vladimir Putin launched his war on Ukraine last year, Western sanctions froze Russia's foreign-currency reserves. The leaked documents also said that US intelligence officials believe Russia can continuing paying for its war on Ukraine for at least another year.

☆ Russia's VTB reports profitable Q1, on track for sharp recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Elena Fabrichnaya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in UkraineMOSCOW, April 27 (Reuters) - Russia's No. 2 lender VTB (VTBR.MM) on Thursday posted first quarter net profit of 146.7 billion roubles ($1.8 billion) and kept its forecast for record profits this year as the bank recovers from a $7.7 billion sanctions-induced loss in 2022. Pyanov said the final price of VTB's second additional share issue will be determined in May. He said the 2022 loss excluded the bank from participating under the current version of the draft law. ($1 = 81.8500 roubles)Reporting by Elena Fabrichnaya; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India's Axis Bank reports wider-than-expected Q4 loss on Citi deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Axis reported a loss of 57.28 billion rupees ($700.1 million) for the three months ended March 31, compared to a profit of 41.18 billion rupees a year earlier. Analysts had forecast the bank to report a loss of 8.06 billion rupees, according to Refinitiv IBES data. It reported a standalone operating profit, which excludes provisions and contingencies, of 91.68 billion rupees, compared to 64.66 billion rupees a year earlier. The bank's net interest income, the difference between interest earned and expended, grew 33% to 117.42 billion rupees. Provision and contingencies for the quarter stood at 3.06 billion rupees, down from 9.87 billion rupees a year ago.

UNITED NATIONS – The basic food security of tens of millions across the globe is hanging by a thread as Russia mulls whether it will preserve a deal that has permitted Ukrainian grain to move through the Black Sea. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday renewed threats of abandoning the Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement that allows the safe wartime export of agricultural products from besieged Ukrainian ports. Lavrov also said that the deal is currently one-sided since Russian fertilizers have not been able to transit the same way Ukrainian grain has. "It was not called the grain deal it was called the Black Sea Initiative and in the text itself the agreement stated that this applies to the expansion of opportunities to export grain and fertilizer," Lavrov told reporters during a press conference. Lavrov said there are dozens of Russian cargo vessels carrying some 200,000 tons of fertilizer stuck at European ports.

☆ Italy's FSI invests up to $110 million in debit card operator BANCOMAT
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, April 26 (Reuters) - Italian investment fund FSI has agreed to invest up to 100 million euros ($110 million) in debit card operator BANCOMAT to support its expansion in Europe. Under a new business plan drawn up by the company, its main shareholders and FSI, BANCOMAT will complete targeted acquisitions and build a new platform to offer clients a wider range of services and products. In early 2022, it invested in the payments business of cooperative banking group BCC ICCREA, acquiring a 60% stake in electronic payment company BCC Pay. The payments sector has been swept up in a wave of mergers and acquisitions as it seeks the financial muscle to keep up with technological advances while contending with the threat from new entrants. The accord comes after FSI last year signed a preliminary deal for an investment in BANCOMAT.

Unsecured loans – mostly personal loans and credit cards – do not carry any collateral and therefore pose higher risk. Indian banks have been growing their unsecured lending portfolio as the pandemic-induced stress began to ease. "Risks in unsecured lending has been on the RBI's radar," said a senior official at a private bank. This has pushed up the weighted average lending rate of banks by 95 bps in the same period. "It is trying to identify early warning signals in unsecured lending to not be caught off guard later."

☆ Premarket stocks: The world's biggest banks are still pouring money into fossil fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Banks have pledged to go green, but last year they poured billions of dollars into expanding the capacity of fossil fuel production despite the accelerating climate crisis. While Canadian banks are providing a rising share of the money, US lenders still dominate the market and accounted for 28% of all fossil fuel financing in 2022, said the report. High prices have swelled profits for energy companies, leaving them flush with cash. The record profits come after the world’s 60 largest private banks provided $5.5 trillion in finance for fossil fuels over the past seven years, according to the report. The Banking on Climate Chaos report, which has been published for 14 years, examines the fossil fuel funding of the 60 largest banks in the world.

☆ Russia's Gazprombank deepens ties with Indian banks for bilateral trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Nidhi Verma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Trade between India and Russia has surged since the West imposed sanctions against Russia for its invasion last year of Ukraine, which has altered flows of oil and other goods. "Now we have infrastructure, we have payments from banks ... it is much better than it was three months ago," she added. Gazprombank is Russia's third-largest lender by assets and a key conduit of the Russian energy trade. Due to higher purchases of oil, the trade balance is tilted increasingly in favour of Russia. India last year implemented a broader framework to facilitate overseas trade in rupees and since then many foreign banks, including Gazprombank and other Russian institutions, have opened vostro accounts with Indian banks.

☆ India's HDFC is in fine shape for its big deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HDFC Bank’s (HDBK.NS) net interest income rose 20% year-on-year in the three months to March. The $116 billion financier’s mix of deposits points to some niggles. As interest rates rise, savers tend to move idle funds from low-yielding checking accounts to fixed deposits, where money is locked up for a specific period against juicier interest rates. For now, the hotly watched net interest margin, unchanged at 4.3% for the last nine months, is holding up. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ India HDFC Bank's net profit jumps 19.8% in January-March
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, April 15(Reuters) - HDFC Bank Ltd (HDBK.NS), India's largest private lender, on Saturday reported a 19.8% jump in net profit for the January-March quarter, aided by healthy net interest income and robust loan growth. The net profit however missed street estimates. Core net interest margin - a key indicator of bank's profitability - stood at 4.1% on total assets in the reporting quarter. Net NPA ratio was at 0.27% from 0.33% in October-December. Provisions and contingencies fell to 26.85 billion rupees from 33.12 billion rupees last year.

☆ TSX notches 6-week high as investors cheer US bank earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) rose 15.42 points, or 0.1%, to 20,579.91, its highest closing level since March 3. "Good bank earnings out of the U.S. spilled over into Canada," said Allan Small, senior investment advisor of the Allan Small Financial Group with iA Private Wealth. Canadian banks had been pressured in recent weeks by the banking stress in the United States and Europe. The Toronto market's heavily-weighted financials sector added 0.2%, while energy was up 0.3% as oil added to recent gains. Reporting by Shristi Achar A in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi MajumdarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

ET (1413 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) was up 26.71 points, or 0.13%, at 20,591.2. The heavily-weighted financials sector (.SPTTFS) added 0.4%, mirroring gains in big U.S. banks. "The read through to Canada is largely from the banks (in the U.S.) because the banks comprise about 20% of the weight of the Toronto Stock Exchange," said Brian Madden, chief investment officer at First Avenue Investment Counsel. "It is good news for the Canadian banks in general because they have operations in the United States, so that should bode well for their results in their US operations." Reporting by Shristi Achar A in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi MajumdarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ IMF urges Asia to keep monetary policy tighter for longer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Siphiwe SibekoSummarySummary Companies IMF revises up this year's Asia-Pacific growth f'castChina's reopening to underpin Asia's recoveryImpact of global banking stress on Asia limited - IMFWASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - Asian central banks may need to keep monetary policy "tighter for longer" to combat still substantial inflation risks, senior International Monetary Fund official Krishna Srinivasan said on Thursday. The latest forecast implies the region will contribute over 70% of global growth this year, Srinivasan said. The IMF expects China's economy to expand by 5.2% in 2023, higher than the previous year's 3.0% growth. "China's reopened economy is rebounding strongly, and this will generate positive spillovers to its trading partners, providing fresh momentum for Asia's growth," he said. "Unless strains increase and raise broad-based stability concerns, central banks should separate monetary policy objectives from financial stability goals," he said.

☆ L&G's fund arm to back climate votes at U.S., Canadian banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Simon Jessop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LGIM, insurer Legal & General's (LGEN.L) fund arm, which manages more than $1.5 trillion, said it was going public ahead of the banks' meetings as part of an escalation strategy after backing several climate votes last year. "Accordingly, we believe our support of many of these resolutions – depending always on the specifics of their drafting language and advisory or binding nature – is warranted." It would also back votes calling for a report on how the bank is aligning its financing activities with its 2030 targets at Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD.TO), Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley. "We believe detailed information on how a company intends to achieve the 2030 targets they have set... can further focus the board's attention on the steps and timeframe involved and provides assurance to stakeholders," LGIM said. ($1 = 0.7993 pounds)Reporting by Simon Jessop Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Strategist names his favorite stock pick among Indian banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | 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 EmailStrategist names his favorite stock pick among Indian banksGurmeet Chadha, managing partner and CIO of Complete Circle, explains why his favorite stock pick among Indian banks.

☆ HDFC Bank vs. SBI? This strategist names his favorite stock pick among Indian banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Despite the benefits of heavy deposit flows and strong deposit growth in a slow growth environment, State Bank of India (SBI) has seen its stock price fall year-to-date due to its controversial exposure to Adani. The consensus price target of all analysts compiled by FactSet also points toward 717 rupees a share, which represents a 36% upside. SBIN-IN HDFCBANK-IN 1Y line SBI shares are also traded over the counter in the U.S. and the London and Frankfurt stock exchanges. HDFC over SBI If taking a more constructive long-term view on Indian banks as a whole, Chadha prefers HDFC Bank over SBI because it is merging with HDFC — which he describes as having "huge implications" — creating an almost $300 billion financial behemoth. HDFC Bank shares are up 4% this year and analysts' price target points to a further 13% upside over the next 12 months.

☆ Austrian banks unaffected by banking turmoil - finance minister tells NZZ
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

They are very well prepared," Brunner told Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung. He also defended Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) (RBIV.VI) which has come under fire for continuing to operate in Russia despite the war in Ukraine. "As for RBI, the bank complies with all international sanctions," Brunner told NZZ. "Incidentally, there are other European banks that continue to operate legally in Russia. The minister also said Austrian inflation, which fell to an estimated 9.2% in March, was still too high and called on the European Central Bank to do more to contain price increases.

☆ Austrian banks unaffected by banking turmoil, finance minister tells Neue Zuercher Zeitung
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

They are very well prepared," Brunner told Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung. He also defended Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) (RBIV.VI) which has come under fire for continuing to operate in Russia despite the war in Ukraine. "As for RBI, the bank complies with all international sanctions," Brunner told NZZ. "Incidentally, there are other European banks that continue to operate legally in Russia. "The European Central Bank (ECB) in particular can do something about this, as a member of the euro zone we are dependent on the ECB," Brunner said.

☆ Russia's Alfa Bank follows in VTB footsteps with record 2022 loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Alfa Bank had made a net profit of 136.6 billion roubles in 2021, a record year for Russian banking sector profits. Provision costs for possible loan losses jumped about five times to 167.4 billion roubles, Alfa Bank's report said. However, net interest income rose to 211.7 billion roubles from 175.8 billion roubles in 2021 and Alfa Bank's assets increased to 5.82 trillion roubles, from 5.62 trillion roubles. Alfa Bank did not respond to a request for comment. Sanctioned Russian businessmen Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven are in talks over selling their stake in Alfa Bank to their longtime business partner and its co-founder Andrei Kosogov.

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