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☆ UniCredit's Orcel could still sweeten his bid and take on a double M&A offensive
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-06 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Divided between two takeover courtships, UniCredit's Andrea Orcel still has room to sweeten his bid for Italy's Banco BPM, analysts say, while political turmoil stalls a deal with Germany's Commerzbank . Until recently, the latter had been the subject of speculation as a potential merger partner for Germany's largest lender, Deutsche Bank. "There is scope for increasing the [Banco BPM] offer," Johann Scholtz, senior equity analyst and Morningstar, told CNBC. "Remember, that's the second attempt from Orcel to buy [Banco] BPM ... Orcel last month labeled Banco BPM as a "historical target" — stoking the flames of media reports that UniCredit had previously sought a domestic union back in 2022.

Persons: UniCredit's Andrea Orcel, Germany's Commerzbank, Orcel, Olaf Scholz's, — UniCredit, Giancarlo Giorgetti, UniCredit —, Johann Scholtz, Morningstar, Scholtz, Filippo Alloatti, Federated Hermes, UniCredit, Alloatti, Rome, Anima Organizations: Italy's Banco, ABN Amro, Deutsche Bank, Economy, Ansa, Banco, CNBC, Federated, Anima Holding Locations: Commerzbank, Monte dei, —

☆ UniCredit tops profit forecast, buys cloud-based bank
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Italian bank UniCredit on Wednesday posted better-than-expected second quarter profit and said it was buying a Belgian digital bank with its own cloud-based IT platform for 370 million euros ($401 million). UniCredit said the purchase of Belgian bank Aion and its cloud-based core banking system Vodeno would add a team of 200 engineers, developers and data scientists. To address this, UniCredit's rival Intesa Sanpaolo for example is partnering with British cloud banking technology provider ThoughtMachine. "The transaction represents one of the first moves by a bank to acquire full ownership of a new technology (without any dependencies from third party core banking providers)," UniCredit said. Net profit in the second quarter rose 5% from the previous three months to 2.7 billion euros, surpassing a 2.4 billion euro average forecast from analysts polled by the bank as revenues held up better than anticipated.

Persons: Andrea Orcel, UniCredit, Banks, Intesa Sanpaolo Organizations: UniCredit, UBS, Banco, Belgian Locations: Belgian, Aion

☆ Italy's Banco BPM lifts 2023 profit goal after solid quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A woman walks in front of the Banca Popolare di Milano (BPM) bank in downtown Milan, Italy, January 29, 2016. REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo/File PhotoMILAN, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Italian bank Banco BPM (BAMI.MI) on Wednesday joined bigger peers in lifting its 2023 net profit goal - the third such upgrade in as many consecutive quarters - as the sector reaps the benefits of higher interest rates. Italy's third-largest bank said it now expects a full-year net profit of at least of 1.2 billion euros, or 80 euro cents per share up from a previous 75 euro cents per share. Banco BPM said net profit for April-June came in at 359 million euros, above a 335 million analyst consensus compiled by Reuters. The bank said it would update its shareholder reward targets when it presents a new business plan by the end of December.

Persons: Alessandro Garofalo, MILAN, Andrea Mandalà, Valentina Za Organizations: Banca Popolare, REUTERS, Banco, Wednesday, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Milan, Italy

☆ Italy's Banco BPM enters payments deal with Gruppo BCC Iccrea and FSI
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

July 14 (Reuters) - Italy's third-largest bank Banco BPM (BAMI.MI) said on Friday it agreed together with Gruppo BCC Iccrea and domestic private equity fund FSI to create the country's second largest player in the payments business. FSI, founded by former Merrill Lynch banker Maurizio Tamagnini, and unlisted bank Iccrea jointly run the BCC Pay payments business. Banco BPM partners with NEXI (NEXII.MI), Europe's biggest payments company by volume of transactions. On completion of the deal, Banco BPM said it and Iccrea will control 28.6% each of Pay Holding - which controls BCC Pay - and FSI will hold 43%. The venture will have a domestic market share of more than 10%, Banco BPM said.

Persons: Merrill Lynch, Maurizio Tamagnini, Baranjot Kaur Organizations: Banco, Gruppo BCC Iccrea, Pay, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ 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.

☆ Worldline seeks more tech M&A as it beats Q4 sales estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 21 (Reuters) - French payment services company Worldline (WLN.PA) will keep looking for technology acquisition opportunities in Europe, it said on Tuesday after it beat fourth-quarter sales expectations. The group, which processes digital payments for clients from merchants to government agencies, produced organic sales growth of 10.7% in 2022 and forecast 2023 organic sales growth of between 8% and 10% for 2023. JPMorgan analysts said: "Overall we see the results as good, the guidance at best in-line but not better than market expectations." Its fourth-quarter organic sales growth of 8.3% beat an analysts' consensus estimate of 7.7% provided by the company, which was driven by market share gains and volume growth in its Merchant Services business. Worldline reaffirmed its 2024 ambitions, including the goal of becoming leading consolidator of the European payment industry.

☆ Credit Agricole strikes bancassurance deal with Italy's Banco BPM
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The deal allows the provision of non-life insurance products and related services through BBPM's networks for a 20-year period. It also stipulates that the French bank's Credit Agricole Assurances (CAA) division will buy from Banco BPM 65% of the share capital of both Vera Assicurazioni and Banco BPM Assicurazioni. "We are very pleased that our long-standing strategic partnership with Banco BPM will soon be strengthened," Credit Agricole CEO Philippe Brassac said in a statement. Credit Agricole has a 9.18% stake in Banco BPM, Italy's third-largest bank behind Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI) and UniCredit (CRDI.MI). Three weeks ago, Banco BPM picked Credit Agricole over a rival bid from French insurer AXA (AXAF.PA) to start exclusive talks over a non-life insurance partnership.

☆ French bank Credit Agricole strikes bancassurance deal with Italy's Banco BPM
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, Dec 23 (Reuters) - French bank Credit Agricole (CAGR.PA) said on Friday it had struck a long-term bancassurance partnership deal with Italy's Banco BPM (BBPM) (BAMI.MI) to provide non-life insurance products and related services through BBPM's networks. As part of the deal, the French bank's Credit Agricole Assurances (CAA) division will buy from Banco BPM 65% of the share capital of both Vera Assicurazioni and Banco BPM Assicurazioni. Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ European shares eye upbeat end to week on banks, healthcare boost
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Amruta Khandekar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies STOXX 600 rises 0.2%Banks, healthcare firms gainBavarian Nordic at the top of STOXX 600Italian business morale rises in DecemberDec 23 (Reuters) - Europe's STOXX 600 edged higher on Friday, with gains in healthcare firms and banks putting the index on course to end the last week before Christmas on an upbeat note. The region-wide STOXX 600 (.STOXX) rose 0.2% at 0915 GMT and was bound for a 0.8% weekly advance. Morale amongst Italian businesses and consumers rose in December, data showed on Friday, although the manufacturing sector was more downbeat. On the economic data front, a report showed Spain's economy expanded 0.1% in the third quarter, slowing from a 2.0% growth rate in the previous three-month period. Among STOXX 600 sectors, shares of retailers (.SXRP) rose 0.6% to lead gains.

☆ Credit Agricole Q3 profit beats forecasts on corporate loan growth
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Credit Agricole joined French and European peers in booking higher-than-expected third-quarter profit, driven mainly by corporate loans and consumer finance which more than offset withdrawals at asset manager Amundi and lower trading revenue. Net income came in at 1.35 billion euros ($1.35 billion), down 3.6% from a year earlier but above a 1.17 billion euro average forecast in a Refinitiv analyst poll, helped by one-off items such as the sale of the La Medicale insurance business. But Credit Agricole, like most European banks, managed to take advantage of rising interest rates to post a strong increase in corporate loans, up by 15.4%, and consumer finance, which rose 12.6%. "Globally we have a lower risk profile than rivals, which means we may profit less from volatility," said Credit Agricole Deputy Chief Executive Xavier Musca. It said it would not increase its stake in Credit Agricole beyond 65%.

☆ Credit Agricole, AXA to bid this week for Banco BPM's insurance deal-sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Andrea Mandala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Credit Agricole has bought 9.2% of Banco BPM this year with a view to expanding their strategic partnerships beyond consumer finance. Insurance and asset management, which Banco BPM has put at the core of its profit strategy, are seen as the obvious candidates. Banco BPM, AXA, Credit Agricole and Generali all declined to comment. Banco BPM CEO Giuseppe Castagna recently said the bank was in no rush to select an insurance partner. In August Banco BPM had indicated it would take a decision by the end of the year.

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