The European Central Bank has helped assuage fears of an imminent eurozone breakup, but sovereign, supranational and agency debt management officials must still contend with ratings downgrades and difficult political and fiscal situations in a number of countries. The Banker hears from a range of EU issuers both inside and outside the eurozone.
The Banker has identified 13 banks to keep an eye on in the coming year based on a variety of factors. German-based Fidor Bank has been selected for its forward-thinking business model, which is based on Web 2.0 and social media, e-commerce, games and mobile internet.
The concepts on which a European banking union is based are flawed. Basing this union on the principles upon which the German savings banks model is founded – a model that has remained stable in recent years of crisis – would be a more sensible option.
The eurozone sovereign debt crisis has not just affected national treasuries, but also European supranationals and government-related entities. Philip Alexander hears from a range of larger and smaller borrowers across the eurozone and beyond.
In response to the suggestion – put forward by bankers and central bankers in the UK – that a temporary cut in capital adequacy requirements would stimulate new lending and economic growth, The Banker has simulated how a 1% lower Basel requirement might affect various major world economies.
Commerzbank’s bold liability management exercise – the first to address Basel III at both ends of the capital structure – shows that banks need not wait for national and European regulators to finalise minimum capital requirements. It also serves as a possible blueprint for Germany’s other banks to strengthen their capital base.
Rescue packages and a rebounding economy have stabilised the German banking system. But it remains vulnerable to weak profitability, low-quality capital and exposure to cyclical industries abroad. Moreover, some believe that even the crisis has failed to force structural change. Writer Geraldine Lambe
Deutsche Bank's co-head of global client coverage and chairman of the corporate finance executive committee explains how the bank's performance during the crisis has opened new doors for it both in Europe and the crucial US market. Writer Geraldine Lambe