Search results for

Liquid real estate Issue 06

Liquid real estate Issue 05

In Ecuador, choosing the best bank is easy. Banco Pichincha stands out as a clear winner in this relatively immature market.

Banco Popular Dominicano continues to excel in the Dominican Republic and is the leader in the retail market. In 2007, the bank completed a subordinated debt issue raising RD$4.1 billion ($125 million) and carrying a 10-year tenor. The decision to raise money was driven by an interest in increasing its capital base to support growth. The deal is the largest issue made by a financial institution in the Dominican Republic and enabled the bank to grow its loan portfolio and achieve a capital adequacy ratio of 14.3%.

The Dutch banking market has experienced unprecedented change with Fortis’s acquisition of ABN Amro’s local businesses and ING’s decision to merge its Postbank and ING brands.

Last year BDO-EPCIB won the best bank in the Philippines award from perennial contender Bank of the Philippines Islands in recognition of the former’s strong results and the ambition of its merger, the largest in the country’s banking history. The newly merged entity, now called BDO, has almost completed the integration of Equitbale PCI bank and looks to be making a real success of the historic deal.

Raiffeisen Bank maintains its position at the top of the banking pile in Bosnia & Herzegovina. It is able to serve all sections of the community throughout both the Srpska Republika and the Croat-Muslim Federation and is the largest individual bank in the entire country. In 2007, it increased its corporate customer base by 13%, and retail clients rose by 17%. These increases allowed Raiffeisen to grow its assets by 18.8% in 2007, thanks to strong loan growth, especially in the corporate sector, where it increased by 43%, far above the market average. Thanks to its 99 branches the bank also performed strongly on the retail side, accounting for 21.43% of lending, while it maintained its number one position in the card issuance business on the back of the expansion of its ATM and point-of-sales network.

Butterfield Bank Group reported a 2008 first-quarter net income of $36.3 million, the second highest on record for the group and up 1.8% year on year. Total operating revenue grew year on year by $16.2 million, or 14.6%, to $127.1 million. The loan portfolio increased year on year by 11%, or $419 million, to $4.2 billion. This increase reflected increased loan demand across the banking group, in particular in Bermuda, up 15.8%, Barbados, up 11% and the Bahamas, up 104.3%. The group’s balance sheet remains highly liquid, with a loan to customer deposits ratio of 37.8% compared with 39.2% a year ago. Deposits with banks and investments increased year on year by 14% to $8.1 billion and amount to 62.9% of total assets.

Nuevo Banco Comercial (NBC) is the largest commercial bank in Uruguay, with $1.4 billion in assets. The bank serves more than 200,000 retail and corporate customers and leads the credit card market.

As the second largest financial institution in Montenegro, NLB Montenegrobanka is a key player in the country’s burgeoning banking sector, serving a growing number of retail and corporate customers through its 15-strong branch network. In 2007, the bank nearly tripled its profits to €3.4 million. As a member of Slovenia’s NLB banking group, NLB Montenegrobanka has helped to forge important economic links between Slovenia and Montenegro. By providing consumer loans for goods manufactured by Slovene producers, the bank has helped Slovene companies to enter the Montenegrin market. At the same time it provides loans and other forms of export financing to Montenegrin companies exporting to Slovenia.

Political volatility, swaying on president Hugo Chávez’s whims, popular unrest, and a distinct lack of foreign investment have not scared off BBVA Banco Provincial. The Spanish bank’s subsidiary has ploughed on stoically, and despite the Venezuelan financial system having a new set of regulations on rates, legal reserve and commissions, as well as a liquidity decrease, BBVA Provincial reported record results this year.

Nordea remains the market leader in Sweden, with assets not far off those of second- and third-placed SEB and Handelsbanken combined. But SEB had the better year, with assets increasing by 21.2%, operating profit up by 9%, net profit 8% higher and return on equity of 19.3%. Moreover, despite a poor share performance in 2007 – in line with almost all banks globally – compound five-year growth in total shareholders’ equity is 10.76%: higher than Nordea’s 7.58%.