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The common eurozone sovereign bond keeps rearing its head as a supposed solution to the monetary union’s problems. -
Metro Bank, the dog-friendly UK challenger bank which is launching branches while others close them, has had a rough time recently — with faults mainly of its own making. But whatever you think of the bank’s business model, it’s got one thing right.
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ABN Amro, one of the banks at the centre of the global financial crisis in 2008, hopes that a new structure designed to deliver on a corporate and institutional banking (CIB) strategy anchored closer to home will allow it to prosper.
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The EU’s first piece of sustainable finance legislation sets rules for green investment indices. That is all well and good, but more promising is a hint that all the ordinary indices may have to admit how un-green they are.
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It is richly ironic that incoming measures meant to take Europe one big step closer to completing its Banking Union have ended up recognising that nothing of the sort actually exists.
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Even credit geeks relegate accounting geeks to the back corners of the classroom. It’s proverbially dry, and shouldn’t affect real world issues, such as whether a company can deliver returns for its shareholders and pay its debts. But seemingly esoteric accounting changes can mean major real world consequences. It’s not just for the geeks; it’s time to get real about IFRS.
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Of all the parts of the EU Sustainable Finance Action Plan, the Taxonomy is closest to the heart of the green bond market.
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The UK banking sector has more links to China than the equivalent sectors in the US, Japan, the euro area and South Korea do combined. Analysts are warning that China's growth is slowing, and HSBC’s poor results have been linked to this. But those espousing that view are overstating the connection.
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Covered bonds offer a way for Baltic banks to develop a new seam of long-term standalone wholesale funding. But a successful conclusion to this project will depend on whether investors are convinced there is an effective mechanism for cross-border recognition of assets.
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As investors and service providers pour into the market for Greek non-performing loans, authorities in the country have proposed two schemes to help the country's banks meet their ambitious targets for selling off these assets and cleaning up their balance sheets. Only one of them deserves serious consideration.
