The former head of Banco Espírito Santo’s investment arm, José Maria Ricciardi, talks to Stefania Palma about the parent bank’s turbulent last days and how he hopes to exploit its established European network in his new position as the chief executive of Haitong Bank.
Portugal's economy has endured a torrid few years and this has been reflected in its activity in the capital markets. However, the past 12 months have seen reasons for optimism, with the benchmark 10-year debt yield dropping significantly from an all-time high in 2012 and economists cautiously welcoming the new government's financial policies.
After years of unprofitability, the Portuguese banking sector is finally getting back on its feet. But, with the sale of Novo Banco by the Bank of Portugal still outstanding and other lenders vulnerable to takeover, the sector may not be out of the woods yet.
Two months after finalising Haitong Securities' acquisition of Novo Banco's investment banking unit, now called Haitong Bank, the parent company's deputy CEO and the UK head of the new bank talk about the acquisition, their international growth plans and what a jittery renminbi means to them.
Concerns over the health of Banco Espírito Santo, Portugal's largest listed bank by assets, set familiar-sounding alarm bells ringing across Europe. While short-term fears over the lender's future have been allayed, its ownership structure and ties with its parent company are coming under increasing scrutiny.
In the three years since its bail-out, Portugal has impressed many onlookers with its efforts to turn its economy around. Now it is on track to make a clean exit from its rescue programme in May, but the question is will the progress made over the past three years continue?
While Portugal has moved out of recession – just – its recovery seems tentative at best. Its economy minister, however, is optimistic about the country's future, and tells Silvia Pavoni that its strong exports to countries outside of the eurozone in particular point to better times ahead.
Unlike their counterparts in Ireland and Spain, banks in Portugal are the victims rather than the perpetrators of the country's debt crisis. This should put them in a good position to recover, but limited access to funding and increasing capital ratio requirements are forcing them to change their previously profitable business models.