Share the article
twitter-iconcopy-link-iconprint-icon
share-icon

Top 1000 World Banks – European lenders soar in highest movers table

Bank of Cyprus's astonishing 1888.23% increase in Tier 1 capital sees it top this year's highest movers table, with other European banks filling the top four spaces.
Share the article
twitter-iconcopy-link-iconprint-icon
share-icon
Top 1000 World Banks Ranking 2014 – Highest movers

The highest mover in the 2014 Top 1000 World Banks ranking – Bank of Cyprus – has had a dramatic capital increase of 1888.23% to a Tier 1 capital of $3.15bn. This figure seems even larger when it is compared with last year’s highest mover, which was Switzerland’s J Safra Sarasin Holding with a Tier 1 capital change of 226.21%. 

Philip Alexander reports on the full results of The Banker’s Top 1000 World Banks ranking 2014, in the story Top 1000 World Banks 2014: Back on track?

Bank of Cyprus’s growth, however, has not come out of organic growth but instead from a recapitalisation, which is also the reason why the bank features highly – in fifth place – in the new arrivals table. Last year’s highest mover topped the ranking because the Brazilian-Swiss private bank J Safra Holding acquired a majority stake in Swiss Bank Sarasin & Co. 

Tinkoff Credit Systems (TCS) from Russia, also features in the new arrivals table and ranks second in this highest movers chart. With a change of 307.45% to a Tier 1 capital of $612m, the Russian bank’s growth pales into comparison to that of Bank of Cyprus. There is one other Russian bank in the highest movers table: Otkritie Financial Corp, which is the sixth highest mover and is ranked 416 in the world, with a Tier 1 capital change of 147.21%.

After TCS, many entities from other European countries feature, such as Poland, Greece and Spain. Iran’s Bank Maskan is the only bank in the highest movers ranking from this country, in fifth position with a Tier 1 capital change of 198.42% to $2.97bn. The only other bank from the same region is Qatar’s Doha Bank, which is the 25th highest mover and had a capital change of 62.24% to $2.52bn. This places Doha Bank in 336th in the Top 1000 rankings. 

The mix of countries represented in the highest movers table is similar to the new entrants ranking, with there being many European and Chinese banks. In the top 25 highest movers, there are seven Chinese banks. There were only four Chinese banks in this table last year, when the top 25 highest movers showed growth across other regions aside from China. Two years ago, in the 2012 Top 1000 World Bank rankings, the highest movers table was dominated by Chinese banks, with 16 out of 25 featuring in the top 25 table.

While more Chinese banks feature in the top 25 this year, they come further down the table, with the top Chinese bank in this table being the 12th highest mover. Jilin Jiutai Rural Commercial Bank – in 12th place – is followed by Leshan City Commercial Bank in 13th and Bank of Lanzhou in 14th. Three of the Chinese highest movers are also new entrants this year: Jilin Jiutai, Leshan City and Urumqi City Commercial Bank, which have entered the Top 1000 with global rankings of 759, 833 and 709, respectively. 

Aside from the Chinese banks, the other Asian banks that feature in the highest movers table are from the Philippines and from Vietnam. In last year’s rankings there was a greater representation from additional Asian countries such as South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan. In this year’s highest movers table, Philippine National Bank is ranked eighth and had a Tier 1 capital change of 130.12% to $1.39bn and Vietnam’s VietinBank in 17th place had a Tier 1 capital change of 73.02% to $2.28bn. 

This year, two banks from Venezuela have made it into the highest movers table. Ranked as the 15th highest mover, and moving from a world ranking of 845 to 659, is Banco Occidental de Descuento, which had a Tier 1 capital change of 74.67%. Also from Venezuela, Mercantil Servicios Financieros is the 19th highest mover and had a Tier 1 capital change of 67.62% to $3.51bn. 

Was this article helpful?

Thank you for your feedback!