Top 1000 World Banks - French banks on the rise in western Europe

For western European lenders, the 2019 Top 1000 World Banks ranking marks a departure from the buoyant performance they enjoyed in the 2018 edition. A number of the region’s leading banks have seen their capital positions fall, contributing to a wider decline in the total Tier 1 capital of the top 25 institutions.

In the 2019 ranking this number is $1388.59bn, compared with $1454.46bn in the 2018 ranking. The UK’s HSBC, which once again tops the western Europe table, has experienced a small drop in its Tier 1 capital position, coming in at $147.1bn. This is down from the $150.9bn it posted in the 2018 edition.

Indeed, all of western Europe’s top five banks, barring France’s Groupe BPCE, have registered contractions in their Tier 1 capital position in the 2019 ranking. This includes Credit Agricole and BNP Paribas from France and Spain’s Banco Santander. Groupe BPCE, the exception, saw its Tier 1 Capital marginally increase to $71.8bn in the 2019 ranking, up from $71.6bn in the 2018 ranking.

In doing so, Groupe BPCE secures fifth spot in the 2019 western Europe ranking, leapfrogging the UK’s Barclays to ensure that three French banks are included among the top five lenders. Barclays, meanwhile, drops into sixth position, with its Tier 1 capital decreasing to $67.1bn, down from the $72.8bn it recorded in the 2018 ranking.

Elsewhere in the western Europe ranking, French lenders have scored notable successes. This includes Société Générale taking the eighth spot from Italy’s UniCredit. In addition, Credit Mutuel rises to 10th place, overtaking Spain’s BBVA. The French lender’s Tier 1 capital has increased marginally to $56bn, up from $54.9bn.

Meanwhile, UK banks feature strongly in the new entrants table. These include CYBG, Paragon Banking Group and Charter Savings Bank.

Top 25 Western Europe ($M)

Highest movers: Western Europe

Top five ROC: Western Europe

New Entrants: Western Europe