Numerous indicators in the U.S. and around the world are signaling a slowing economy at best and a near-term recession at worst. The slowing global economy, along with low interest rates, ongoing trade tensions, and intensifying Brexit uncertainty will weigh on banks’ profitability for the foreseeable future. In the US, whatever benefits banks derived from Trump’s tax reform, if any, are long gone.
Global Macroeconomic Outlook for the G-20
Moody’s Global Macroeconomic Outlook, August 2019
Last week’s announcement from Coalition that American and European investment banks’ capital markets and advisory’s revenues hit a thirteen-year low is likely to be the beginning of more challenges to come. Even before that announcement, Moody’s Investor Services had changed its positive outlook on global investment banks to stable precisely due to slower economic growth and lower interest rates.
Drivers of Moody’s Stable Outlook for Global Investment Banks
Moody’s Investors Services
As a recession comes closer, bank risk managers, investors, regulators, and rating agencies will be monitoring banks’ loan impairments carefully. According to the Fitch Ratings’ Large European Banks Quarterly Credit Tracker – 2Q19, released last week, “The economic slow down in Europe has not resulted in material new impaired loans yet, but the substantially weakened economic outlook has increased the likelihood of an at least modest increase in impaired loans.”
Impaired Loans/Gross Loans
Fitch Ratings, Large European Banks Quarterly Credit Tracker
Banks’ high holdings of leveraged loans and below investment grade bonds and securitizations, especially those that are less liquid and harder to value, will also weigh on their earnings as the global economy slowdown intensifies. Fitch Ratings’ recent ‘U.S. Leveraged Loan Default Insight’ shows that its “Top Loans and Tier 2 Loans of Concern combined total jumped to $94.1 billion from $74.5 billion in July. The Top Loans of Concern amount ($40.9 billion) is the largest since March 2017, with six names added to the list and nearly all bid below 70 in the secondary market.” Unfortunately, underwriting continues to deteriorate. The Federal Reserve Senior Loan Officer Survey showed a modest loosening of lending standards on corporate loans for the second consecutive quarter.
A slowing economy and low interest rate environment are outside of bank managers’ control. Yet, cost efficiency, is something that banks can influence; it needs to improve for banks to be more profitable. European banks’ median/cost income ratio, for example, is 66%. “The sector’s structural cost inefficiency will eventually have to be addressed given the persistently weak rate and revenue outlook. Improving cost efficiency faster and developing fee-generating businesses are crucial to sustain profitability in 2H19 and beyond.”
Global investment banks will also have to be very attentive to what changes need to be made to their business models. While there will be demand for their advisory and distribution services, the demand will slow down in what is likely an upcoming recession.
Moreover, as banks continue to lay-off front office professionals, some top latent to effect deals well will be lost. Volatility from Trump’s multiple front trade wars and Brexit will put a lot of pressure on banks with capital market activities.
Aggregate capital markets revenue first-half 2009-19 (USD billions)
Moody’s Investor Services
Banks in emerging markets are also under profit pressure. Many of the banks in Latin America already have a negative outlook by ratings agencies, particularly due to a slowdown in Mexico and recessionary pressures in Brazil. Asian banks are particularly sensitive to US-Chinese trade tensions.
Emerging Markets: Median GDP Growth by Region
Fitch Ratings
More than ever, to increase profitability, bank executives will need to find ways to diversify their revenue streams in all parts of their banks, commercial, investment bank, asset management as well as in custody and clearing services. Banks need to be profitable to be liquid and to be well capitalized to sustain unexpected losses. What worries me is that a slowing global economy, coupled with increasing deregulation in the US, such as the recent gutting of the Volcker Rule, will embolden banks to chase yield even more and take excessive risks that could imperil depositors and taxpayers. More than ever, investors, bank regulators, and rating agencies should remain vigilant so as to spare ordinary citizens the pain of when banks run into trouble.
Source: Banks Around The World Face Significant Profits Pressure For The Foreseeable Future
We Ranked the Top 10 Richest Banks in the World Right Now!
• Read the full article here: http://www.alux.com/richest-banks-in-…
When you’re thinking about money and wealth is hard not to include in that equation Banks. Someone said: Money makes the world go round” and banks, well, that’s where money likes to hang out. Every Aluxer we’ve met has close relations to at least one bank which makes it possible for us to enjoy life to the fullest. #2 *** HSBC Holdings is previously known as The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation which was founded in 1865 in Hong Kong. However, in 1991-1992, after acquiring Midland Bank The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation moved it’s headquarters to London because it was much better from a financial and strategic point of view.
This is the moment when the bank kind of re-branded itself and became HSBC Holdings the bank that you know today. With that said, we’d like you to enjoy our latest video on: the top ten richest banks in the world. Here we’re answering questions like; • Which is the richest bank in the world?! • How much money do the top banks have?! • Is Bank of America the richest bank in the world?! • Who owns the richest bank in the world? • How much money does the richest bank have?! Say Hello on: https://www.instagram.com/aluxcom/ https://twitter.com/aluxcom https://www.facebook.com/EALUXE – SUBSCRIBE to ALUX: https://goo.gl/KPRQT8 WATCH MORE VIDEOS ON ALUX.COM! Most Expensive Things: https://goo.gl/09XcYJ Luxury Cars: https://goo.gl/eOUgfS Becoming a Billionaire: https://goo.gl/rRLgJI World’s Richest: https://goo.gl/m6emkX Inspiring People: https://goo.gl/KxqTdL Travel the World: https://goo.gl/g5BGmm Dark Luxury: https://goo.gl/20ZsSt Celebrity Videos: https://goo.gl/0cs6sx Businesses & Brands: https://goo.gl/otHsTB — Alux.com is the largest community of luxury & fine living enthusiasts in the world. We are the #1 online resource for ranking the most expensive things in the world and frequently refferenced in publications such as Forbes, USAToday, Wikipedia and many more, as the GO-TO destination for luxury content! Our website: https://www.alux.com is the largest social network for people who are passionate about LUXURY! Join today!
Here are two headlines. One was written by a human. One was written by a robot. Can you guess which?
Access cash from the equity in your home. Take a look.
It’s true–You can unlock cash from the equity in your home. Click to apply.
Both lines of marketing copy were used to pitch home equity lines of credit to JPMorgan Chase customers. The second garnered nearly twice as many applications, according to the Wall Street Journal. It was generated by Persado’s artificial intelligence tool.
This is why Chase just signed a five-year deal with Persado Inc., a software company that uses artificial intelligence to tweak marketing language for its clients. After a trial period with the company, Chase has found Persado’s bot-generated copy incredibly effective. “Chase saw as high as a 450 percent lift in click-through rates on ads,” Persado said in a statement.
Chase says it will use Persado’s tool to rewrite language for email promotions, online ads, and potentially snail mail promotions. It’s also looking into using the tool for internal communications and customer service communications.
When asked if this might lead to downsizing, a Chase spokesperson told AdAge: “Our relationship with Persado hasn’t had an impact on our structure.”
Persado’s tool starts with human-written copy and analyzes it for six elements (narrative, emotion, descriptions, calls-to-action, formatting, and word positioning). It then creates thousands of combinations by making tweaks to those elements.
Kristin Lemkau, chief marketing officer at JPMorgan Chase, is fully on board with Persado. Chase began experimenting with its software three years ago. Sometimes the tool would recommend a wordier headline, which goes against marketing 101. But that longer headline garnered more clicks.
“They made a couple of changes that made sense and I was like, ‘Why were we so dumb that we didn’t figure that out?'” she told the Journal.
Source: This A.I. Bot Writes Such Convincing Ads, Chase Just ‘Hired’ It to Write Marketing Copy
