Payment choices in Europe in 2020: Convergence at the till, reinforcement of national differences at the online checkout

The European banking sector is currently enjoying a sweet spot. Recent interest rate increases by central banks in most advanced economies combined with strong credit growth are having a pronounced positive impact on revenues, while loan loss provisions remain fairly low so far, although they have started to climb. Bottom line, growth in administrative expenses, individual banks’ tax and litigation payments as well as Russia-related losses have reduced net income, but the industry is still on track for a decent full-year result. More importantly, fundamentally higher-for-longer interest rates may support banks’ business prospects also in the medium term. [more]

House prices are cooling off after a pandemic surge. Some markets are more vulnerable than others. Adrian Cox gives a taste of what warning signs to look out for, why the crash of 2008 was different, and what this might mean for the broader economy. [more]

With all the talk of gas storage at 91%... new LNG terminals … and billions of public money to be spent on renewable energy… you might think Europe is on the brink of ending its dependency on Russian gas and moving to clean energy.
But we see 10 reasons why this will take longer than expected. [more]

Europe is in the middle of an energy crisis. It’s grappling with two big challenges at the moment – urgently weaning itself off Russian energy, particularly gas, and moving to a cleaner energy economy. At times, those two goals seem to be in opposition to each other. [more]

Energy prices have gone through the roof. Does Europe have enough gas to get through the winter? Adrian Cox explores how Europe has been on a breakneck drive to fill up its gas storage reservoirs this summer, piping gas in from Norway and the UK and shipping LNG from America. But will that be enough? Watch this new video to find out more. [more]

For the financial sector, sustainable finance is steadily moving up the priority list. It is about incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into finance. The global volume of ESG-labelled assets grew to USD 35 tr in 2020 and may reach USD 41 tr by the end of this year. Despite strong growth, sustainable finance still faces obstacles such as the absence of a universally accepted definition of ESG and a lack of data on ESG metrics. Regulation is trying to keep pace with market dynamics to facilitate the flow of funds into sustainable activities. Key initiatives include the establishment of taxonomies, disclosure rules and product-related regulation. In the short term, sustainable finance faces headwinds from adverse macroeconomic conditions and emerging regulatory requirements, but the fundamental growth drivers remain intact. [more]

In an unusual constellation, the banking industry is at the same time suffering and benefiting from the current difficult macroeconomic situation. Inflation is driving up expenses, but also triggering a monetary policy normalisation which has fuelled a jump in net interest income. Meanwhile, recession fears require higher loan loss provisions. The net effect has been manageable so far, but is hard to foresee in the second half of the year. The largest capital distributions to shareholders since the financial crisis have pushed the CET1 and leverage ratios lower, though they remain at robust levels. Balance sheet growth has accelerated due to buoyant corporate and mortgage lending, but this may not last given the looming economic slowdown and further interest rate increases. [more]

Rising mortgage rates and shortages of building materials led to a shock of uncertainty in the housing market over the last months. But there are many countervailing effects. Hence, it is not set in stone that the house price cycle comes to an end. [more]

Rising interest rates due to rampant inflation will have a mixed impact on the banking industry. They are a boon for net interest income but also cool down loan demand (currently still buoyant) and may lead to higher loan losses. This will probably be reinforced by a mild recession in Europe caused by macroeconomic and geopolitical headwinds. As a result, net income may decline yet banks should remain solidly profitable. From a comfortable starting position, capital ratios could come under pressure if risk-weighted assets continue to rise which would dampen prospects for further significant shareholder returns through dividends and share buybacks. Liquidity levels have stayed strong so far. [more]

Like the real economy, the European banking sector is facing headwinds due to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Nevertheless, balance sheets and profitability are strong; indeed, 2021 was banks’ most successful year since the financial crisis and capital ratios are at record highs. And while loan loss provisions may now rise from unusually low levels, net interest income should also benefit considerably from higher interest rates as central banks combat surging inflation. However, both geopolitical and macroeconomic policy uncertainty remain remarkably high. [more]

In 2021, stablecoins’ market capitalization increased multifold to USD 170 bn. More importantly, they are the most traded coins in the entire crypto space and crucial for decentralized finance (DeFi). In the future, stablecoins could also gain traction in the real world – adding to the competition in the fields of retail and corporate payments. Stablecoins differ considerably in their price stabilization mechanisms and can pose risks, which have come into the spotlight of regulators. [more]

In this short video, Sanjay Raja takes a brief look at the UK economic outlook for 2022, and why this year will be different, from growth, to inflation, and labour markets. [more]