banks

Total interest income at Luxembourg’s 120 credit institutions last year surged 39 percent as most banks were able to boost their margins from borrowing and lending activities on the back of higher central bank interest rates, according to data posted by financial supervisor CSSF. The supervisor also said, like last year, that 23 banks in the grand duchy were not profitable.

Banks are vulnerable to damage from climate change, which could particularly affect their balance sheets and asset holdings. Banks in southern Europe are more vulnerable than average: they face increased physical risks for more than 60 per cent of their corporate loans. Transition risks mainly involve loans to carbon-intensive sectors, which are included in the portfolios of a limited number of banks.

The number of complaints received about financial services in Luxembourg last year rose by 25 percent, with clients in Germany and the U.K. accounting for almost half of them, according to the latest CSSF annual report.

Luxembourg has decided to raise charges for supervising financial institutions by approximately 10 to 15 percent this year, according to an analysis of the Grand Duchy’s recent government decision. The increase was roughly 15 percent for banks, while investment firms were informed of increases of around 10 percent for 2022.

The share prices of European banks have been rising in recent months, and their rally has further to go. In the long term though, structural underperformance will continue, believes Jonathan Fearon (pictured), investment director European Equities at Aberdeen Standard Investments.

 The prices of European banking stocks have fallen to their lowest level in more than 30 years. The banks are weighing on a further recovery of the European indices, which have too few ‘asset light’ business models.

Until 30 September, the return of the European banking index stood at -43.66%. Over the past three years, the return is -24.39% and over the past five years it’s -13.36%.

European banks are focusing their innovation efforts on customer experience, a study by PwC Luxembourg has found. Though the study was conducted before the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, PwC’s Banking Industry Leader Roxane Haas believes Covid-19 will lead to a further acceleration of innovation in the field.

Luxembourg’s banks are not yet reaping the benefits of Brexit as Brexit-related additional costs are outstripping the rise in revenues. This has led to a year-on-year decline of 5.4% in banks’ profits in the third quarter of 2019, according to CSSF figures.