Following a difficult few years, Italy's banks received a windfall from the central bank after the institution revalued its share 'capital', but other eurozone lenders claim that this gives Italian players an unfair advantage in the upcoming asset quality review.
Mediobanca makes its move
September 2, 2013The rollercoaster ride that Italy's Mediobanca has embarked upon since the crisis hit has seen the bank change its leadership, embrace retail banking, look to shed its equity in a number of leading Italian companies, and seek to no longer tie up its stakes in shareholder pacts. David Lane assesses the impact of these moves.
World
/ Western Europe
/ Italy
How Monte dei Paschi made the wrong kind of history
March 1, 2013Management, shareholders and regulators all seem to carry some of the blame for allowing Monte dei Paschi to acquire Antonveneta, which created uncontrollable risks for what had previously been one of Italy's more conservative banks.
World
/ Western Europe
/ Italy
Italy's banking leaders see chinks of light amid the gloom
October 1, 2012Italy's banks are struggling. Many are weighed down by bad assets and an oversubscription to government bonds, while those with relatively healthy portfolios are battling against a difficult economy and the series of downgrades that has recently befallen them. Despite this, CEOs at the country's largest institutions remain optimistic.
World
/ Western Europe
/ Italy
The sorry and familiar story of Italy's debt crisis
September 1, 2011Huge public debts, lacklustre political leadership, teetering on the edge of an abyss... For Italy in 2011, read Italy in 1992, or Italy in the mid 1970s. The country has failed to learn the lesson of past crises and will have to make some unpopular decisions if it is to break this cycle.
World
/ Western Europe
/ Italy
What next for UniCredit after Profumo?
November 24, 2010The departure of UniCredit CEO Alessandro Profumo was not entirely unexpected, following rumours of his discomfort, but his sudden exit has still left many questions hanging over the future strategy of Italy's largest bank. Writer David Lane
World
/ Western Europe
/ Italy
Friends in need
May 5, 2010Italy's philanthropic foundations remain significant shareholders in the country's banks, which has helped them ease their way through the economic crisis and maintain a long-term growth strategy. Writer David Lane
Intesa Sanpaolo invests in Eastern promise: Looking East
May 5, 2009Intesa Sanpaolo rose to prominence as Italy's largest bank after a series of domestic mergers and takeovers, and has improved its status further with a raft of selective acquisitions in central and eastern Europe, writes David Lane in Rome.
World
/ Western Europe
/ Italy
Allegro Con Brio Fades for Italy
March 10, 2009Italian banks’ cautious approach has distanced them from the risky instruments and products at the heart of the economic crisis, yet prudence is more important than ever if they are to support the country’s ailing industries. Writer David Lane in Rome, Milan and Siena.
World
/ Western Europe
/ Italy
Italians reap the benefits of buyouts
October 6, 2008Two years of consolidation have transformed the landscape of Italian banking – and in the process the country’s financial institutions have become experts in extracting maximum value from merging companies. Writer David Lane.
