Relief that Deutsche Bank AG and Credit Suisse Group AG cleared legal hurdles is likely to soon give way to concern over a bigger problem: European lenders are still struggling to make money. While the combined $12.5 billion in settlements the two agreed to pay to resolve U.S. investigations into sales of toxic debt put one dispute behind them, they also highlighted how handicapped their businesses are in generating increased profits — nowhere more than in Italy, which agreed overnight to pump 20 billion euros into its banks.
Category: Banking
CEO’s Winning Gamble May Keep Scrooge From Deutsche Bank Bonuses
Deutsche Bank AG employees may owe their cash bonuses for 2016, however modest, to a last-minute bargain by Chief Executive Officer John Cryan. The beleaguered German bank, long embroiled in negotiations with the U.S. Justice Department, was inching closer in recent weeks to a resolution over its sale of defective residential mortgage-backed securities that fueled the financial crisis.
Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse Settle U.S. Subprime Probes
Deutsche Bank AG and Credit Suisse Group AG agreed to pay a combined $12.5 billion to resolve U.S. investigations into sales of the toxic debt that fueled the financial crisis, putting behind them a major dispute that undermined confidence in the banks and raised questions about their turnarounds. Deutsche Bank will pay $7.2 billion and take a $1.2 billion pretax charge this quarter, while Credit Suisse agreed to a $5.3 billion deal and will recognize a $2 billion hit to earnings, the banks said in separate statements early Friday.
Deutsche Bank Reassures Staff of Strength After U.S. Settlement
Deutsche Bank AG moved to reassure employees of its financial strength after reaching a $7.2 billion settlement with U.S. regulators over toxic subprime debt, and said it found no evidence the firm had breached sanctions against Russia in a separate probe. The lender, which saw its stock plunge this year amid legal concerns on multiple fronts, said in a memo to staff Friday that it doesn’t expect the settlement to affect its credit rating or its ability to operate in the U.S., and it anticipates paying the coupons on all its debt instruments.
S&P 500 Analyst Moves: BAC
The latest tally of analyst opinions from the major brokerage houses shows that among the components of the S&P 500 index, Bank of America is now the #107 analyst pick, moving up by 29 spots. This rank is formed by averaging the analyst opinions for each component from each broker, and then ranking the 500 components by those average opinion values.
A Sudden Burst of Activity on Mortgage Litigation
In the span of just 12 hours, three U.S. enforcement matters left over from the financial crisis made significant progress: Deutsche Bank AG and Credit Suisse Group AG separately announced that they would pay a combined $12.5 billion to resolve U.S. investigations into their sales of toxic mortgage debt, whereas Barclays Plc chose to roll the dice and let the Justice Department file a fraud lawsuit over its debt sales. Before these latest two deals, the U.S. investigations had already yielded more than $46 billion from six U.S. financial institutions.
Deutsche Bank to Settle U.S. Mortgage Probe for $7.2 Billion
Deutsche Bank AG said it reached a $7.2 billion agreement to resolve a years-long U.S. investigation into its dealings in mortgage-backed securities, removing a legal hurdle that fueled investor angst. Deutsche Bank will pay a $3.1 billion civil penalty and provide $4.1 billion in relief to consumers under a settlement in principle with U.S. authorities, according to a statement early Friday.
Deutsche Bank agrees $7.2bn penalty with US regulators
Germany’s Deutsche Bank says it has agreed a $7.2bn settlement with US authorities over an investigation into mortgage-backed securities. The sum, which needs final approval, is far lower than the $14bn the US had asked the bank to pay in September.
Nobody Traded When JPMorgan Put Chicago School Debt Up for Sale
JPMorgan Chase & Co. offered a crucial lifeline to the ailing Chicago Public Schools by purchasing almost $1 billion of short-term notes from the junk-rated system in the last four months.
10 Popular Bank Stocks Ranked by Stock Price
When it comes to bank stocks it’s important to distinguish between price and value. Image source: iStock/Thinkstock.
BofA’s Moynihan Says Businesses Are Friskier After Trump Victory
Bank of America Corp. doesn’t expect Donald Trump’s election to jolt the U.S. economy next year, but its corporate customers are enthusiastic and already seeking funds to expand, according to Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan. Mid-sized companies “are friskier, they’re more active,” Moynihan, 57, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s David Westin for broadcast Thursday.
China’s Uber for Trucks Huochebang Said to Raise $115 Million
Truck Alliance Inc., an Uber-type service for trucks known in China as Huochebang, raised about $115 million in a financing round that valued the startup at $1 billion, according to two people familiar with the matter. The two-year-old company backed by Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Hillhouse Capital secured the capital in a round led by new investors International Finance Corp. and All-Stars Investment Ltd., the people said.
FINRA Fines Wells, Others $14M for Records’ Changeable Format
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority said it fined several Wells Fargo & Co businesses, RBC Capital Markets, LPL Financial and others a combined $14.4 million on Wednesday for record-keeping problems that may have allowed company and customer documents to be altered. The securities industry’s self-regulator found that the firms failed to keep hundreds of millions of electronic documents in a “write once, read many” format, which would have made it impossible to alter or destroy records after they were written.
Spanish Banks Lose EU Case Over Mortgage Interest Repayments
Spanish banks, including Banco Popular Espanol SA and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA, may have to give back billions of euros to mortgage customers after a final ruling by the European Union’s top court. Bank shares tumbled by as much as 10 percent.
Oil Extends Gain as Industry Report Said to Show Supply Drop
Oil extended a gain in New York as an industry report was said to show U.S. crude stockpiles fell last week. February-delivery futures rose 30 cents after the American Petroleum Institute said late Tuesday that nationwide crude inventories sank 4.15 million barrels last week, according to a person familiar with the data.
Credit Suisse Nearing U.S. Mortgage Settlement, Reuters Says
Credit Suisse Group AG may reach an agreement as soon as this week to settle a U.S. investigation into its handling of mortgage-linked securities before the 2008 financial crisis, Reuters reported. Switzerland’s second-largest bank is confident it can reach a resolution for less than the $5 billion to $7 billion that the Department of Justice has demanded, the publication quoted an unidentified person familiar with the talks as saying, without specifying when that request was made.
Credit Suisse Nearing U.S. Mortgage Settlement, Reuters Reports
Credit Suisse Group AG may reach an agreement as soon as this week to settle a U.S. investigation into its handling of mortgage-linked securities before the 2008 financial crisis, Reuters reported. Switzerland’s second-largest bank is confident it can reach a resolution for less than the $5 billion to $7 billion that the Department of Justice has demanded, the publication quoted an unidentified person familiar with the talks as saying, without specifying when that request was made.
This Bank Stock Is Getting Way Too Expensive
But the downside to such a sterling and well-deserved reputation is that shares of the Minneapolis-based bank have gotten to be expensive. U.S. Bancorp’s stock has gained nearly 17% since the beginning of November, with the presidential election serving as the catalyst.
Smaller U.S. Banks Dodge Fed Crackdown on Short-Term Debt Funding
The Fed’s new rule requiring banks to issue more long-term debt is in line with recent decisions to alleviate the burden on mid-size lenders. As the Federal Reserve races to tighten financial industry regulations prior to the U.S. presidential handover, smaller banks are catching a break.
Top Yen Analysts Discuss Bull-Versus-Bear Outlook for 2017: Q&A
Japan’s currency went on a roller-coaster ride this year, soaring against the dollar for much of 2016 then sliding back down. When it comes to the outlook for 2017, it turns out the market’s top two analysts have views that could hardly be further apart.
Deutsche Bank Said Last Lender to Stop Angola Dollar Clearing
Deutsche Bank AG stopped providing dollar clearing in Angola, leaving one of Africa’s biggest oil-producing nations without a lender to supply the service, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. The company ceased dollar clearing for Angola in mid-November, said two of the people, who asked not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak to the media.
Deutsche Bank Admits Misleading Clients in Dark Pool Trades
Deutsche Bank AG agreed to pay $37 million and admit to misleading customers about its dark pool stock-trading platforms to settle a joint state and federal probe, bringing the bank a step closer to resolving several potentially costly legal challenges in the U.S. The bank will admit to violating state and federal securities laws over a two-year period by failing to address known technical problems with its proprietary dark-pool ranking model, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Friday. “Misleading and self-serving statements that defraud investors will not be tolerated,” Schneiderman said.
Citi Revives Popular Leveraged Oil ETNs Credit Suisse Killed
Citigroup Inc. rolled out a couple of risky triple-leveraged exchange-traded notes tied to oil on Friday after Credit Suisse Group AG delisted two eerily similar ETNs. The notes had gained attention earlier in the year as oil prices plummeted and investors, particularly millennials, starting pouring cash into them.
Wells Fargo Wants a Quiet End to Its Scandal, Risking More Noise
Wells Fargo & Co.’ s attempt to force aggrieved customers into closed-door arbitration over its fake-accounts scandal is drawing a legislative backlash in its home state of California and risks subjecting the bank to another round as a public punching bag.
Wells Fargo Ex-Managers’ Suit Puts Scandal Blame Higher Up Chain
The lawsuits piling up against Wells Fargo & Co. over its fake accounts scandal have expanded to include three former branch managers alleging that an area president ordered employees to open bogus accounts to juice sales.