Big banks in Spain and Italy top stress test performers
SPAIN AND Italy’s leading banks were the strongest performers in last week’s European stress tests in a surprise result that could help relieve the funding pressure that had been building on them.
Read more on The Irish Times
European Banks Urged to Bolster Reserves Following Stress Tests
Eight banks failed and another 16 barely passed the much-anticipated stress tests, which measured whether they would be able to survive economic shocks.
Read more on New York Times
German banks agree to help Greece
Germany’s financial institutions will contribute €3.2-billion
Read more on The Globe and Mail
Brazilian Banks Beat Wall Street as Itau Shows Who Rules
Gerdau SA, the largest steel producer in the Americas, chose three Brazilian banks to manage a $3.5 billion share sale last month. U.S. firms JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc., which led previous deals for the company, weren’t in the mix.
Read more on BusinessWeek
Irish banks, bonds hit as EU eyes survival plan
Shares in Ireland’s banks hit record lows and national borrowing costs reached new euro-era highs as the government presented its latest plans for financial survival to the European Union’s economic commissioner, who has the power to order changes.
Read more on 3news
Gulf banks rebound despite ‘bad’ debts
AFP/Dubai Gulf banks have spent more than $20bn on provisions for bad debt and lost investments but are showing signs of returning to high profitability, Standard and Poor’s said yesterday.
Read more on Gulf Times
Ireland’s `Vicious Circle’ Leaves Banks Facing Higher Debt Financing Costs
Raising money just got a whole lot tougher for Ireland’s cash-strapped banks.
Read more on Bloomberg
Europe vows to help banks failing stress tests
European finance ministers sought Monday to ease market jitters over the health of Europe’s banking sector, vowing to help banks found by “stress tests” to be vulnerable to a new economic crisis.
Read more on Brisbane Times
Islamic finance to grow at double the pace of conventional banks
SINGAPORE: The Islamic finance sector, expected to grow at double the pace of conventional banking, will likely cross the US$1 trillion mark in total assets this year.
Read more on Channel NewsAsia
In Louisville, View of Banks’ Role in the Everyday
DAVID M. HERSZENHORN Main Street in Louisville is a visible reminder that high finance has a major presence in many communities, directly or through local relationships.
Read more on The Hendersonville Times-News