Banks struggle in a borrowers’ market

Banks with excess liquidity are desperate to lend but companies in Europe feel no compelling need to borrow. That's tough for pure commercial banks faced with razor-thin fees. Lenders are praying for an M&A revival soon. More worrying in the long term than declining margins may be weaker credit standards.

SYLVAIN DE FORGES, head of financial operations at Veolia Environnement, was speaking at the Euromoney Global Borrowers and Investors Forum in London last month. There are, he said, 31 banks in the company’s loan syndicate group, and about eight in its M&A group, yet many more than eight of the 31 lenders want a piece of Veolia’s advisory work. “This presents problems a few years down the road but no-one is addressing it,” he said, adding, “Sometimes I’m very pleased not to be a banker.

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