Bank atlas 1999: The world’s biggest banks
Top 50 by market capitalisation
The 1999 Bank Atlas was compiled by Fitch IBCA Limited from commercial banks – annual reports and financial statements for 1998 and 1997. This year the ranking of the world’s top 200 banks uses 1998 figures only, received by Fitch IBCA before our cut-off date of May 14. We have also included a table of top 200 banks using 1997 figures for comparison.
Where possible, figures are presented in consolidated form. Banks owned by other financial institutions are not listed separately. Subsidiaries and branches are not shown either.
Criteria for inclusion:
G10 countries: minimum shareholder equity $1 billion (maximum 50 banks per country)
OECD countries outside G10: minimum shareholder equity $300 million
Other countries: minimum shareholder equity $200 million, except where information is only available on a small number of emerging markets banks
Notes:
Germany: Genussscheine (participation certificates) are excluded.
Indonesia: Unaudited figures are shown. Equity and asset growth are year-on-year. Net income growth is based on the same period of previous year. A constant exchange rate of Rp8025 to the dollar was used (rate of 31/12/98).
Japan: where banks are engaged in trust business, deposits include banking-type trust funds.
Korea: three major banks were excluded from the ranking owing to low equity at end of 1998: Cho Hung Bank, Korea First Bank and Seoulbank.
Russia: there is no listing of Russian banks in this issue.
Turkey: international accounting standards are shown unless otherwise indicated.
The following countries are excluded from the ranking, as 1997 or 1998 data were not available in time for publication: Aruba, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, French Polynesia, Haiti, Iran, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Tajikistan, Uganda.
Definitions
Shareholder equity: the sum of issued common stock, capital surplus/premium, statutory reserve, legal reserve, revaluation reserve, contingency reserves (including EU “fund for general banking risk”), retained earnings, net profit for the year and minority interest. Own shares held and distributions payable are subtracted from the total. Where consolidated data are used, shareholder equity includes group equity attributable to minorities.
Total assets: as reported in financial statements, net of contra accounts and of eliminations, such as deduction of own shares held.Net income: as reported in financial statements before appropriation.
Return on average equity: net income divided by average equity. In some cases no comparative figures are available for the previous fiscal period. In these instances, this column represents return on equity at year end.
Market capitalization: number of ordinary shares currently in circulation multiplied by current share price.
