As is becoming a pattern, the big Chinese banks marked another year of above-average rises in Tier 1 capital. The big four state-owned banks – in the same top four places in the 2017 ranking – all increased their capital by between 12% and 20.5%.
China’s largest bank, ICBC, increased its capital by 15.24%, or $43bn, to $324bn. China Construction Bank in second place raised its capital by 20.54%, or $46bn, to keep pace, and there was a 12.68% uplift at third placed Bank of China and 15.63% at fourth placed Agricultural Bank of China.
