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Strategies & Market Trends : 2026 TeoTwawKi ... 2032 Darkest Interregnum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Hawkmoon who wrote (44127)12/20/2008 11:28:02 PM
From: TobagoJack  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 217752
 
re german banks, just in in-tray

Subject: Fw: Commerzbank May See Losses on Shipping Loans, Analysts Say

Commerzbank AG, the German lender buying Dresdner Bank AG, faces potential losses on more than 22 billion euros ($32 billion) in shipping loans as world trade volumes plunge, analysts from banks including Nomura Holdings Inc. said.

Writedowns and provisions for assets including shipping loans may increase if the global recession worsens, Doreen Schmidt, a London-based analyst at Nomura, wrote in a note to investors on Dec. 5. The Frankfurt-based bank will have 22.1 billion euros in ship loans after combining with Dresdner, said Carsten Werle, an analyst at Sal. Oppenheim in Frankfurt.

Commerzbank will double its stake in ship financier Deutsche Schiffsbank AG to 80 percent after it completes the Dresdner purchase in January. Half of commodity shipping lines are likely to breach loan terms in the months ahead as rental rates and vessel prices fall, Nordea Bank AB, the world’s largest arranger of loans to the industry, said last month.
“The shipping loans could hide risks that have gone unnoticed until now,” said Konrad Becker, a Munich-based analyst at Merck Finck & Co. “The drastic fall in shipping rates and global trade amid the economic downturn means the worst is yet to come.”

Stefan Roberg, a spokesman for Commerzbank in Frankfurt, declined to comment.

The Baltic Dry Index, a measure of commodity shipping costs, has fallen about 93 percent to near a 22-year low since reaching a record in May as the recession saps demand for raw materials. Banks finance ship construction and purchases.
Repricing Loans

Norway’s Dnb NOR Bank ASA said on Nov. 24 it would use breaches of loan accords to reprice loans, renegotiate terms and block dividend payouts. HSH Nordbank AG, a German competitor that does most of its ship lending to container shipping lines, had its long-term debt and deposit ratings lowered on Nov. 20 by Moody’s Investors Service, which cited “accelerated weakening” in the shipping business.

“The dramatic decline in prices for ship’s freight implies high default risks in the industry,” said Werle in a note to investors on Dec. 12. The amount of ship loans held by Commerzbank will be near that of market leader HSH Nordbank after it combines with Dresdner, he said, citing a trade magazine.

“Overall, we consider commercial real estate, the large corporate business and shipping exposure the most likely sources of negative surprises in risk provision,” Werle said.




To: Hawkmoon who wrote (44127)12/21/2008 3:43:34 AM
From: elmatador  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 217752
 
Germany is a minnow. Has max. 5 years as rich country. Then will return to tiny natural size. The OECD future is only one: Serve as carry trading providers. Like Japan has been doing.



To: Hawkmoon who wrote (44127)12/21/2008 4:04:04 AM
From: Haim R. Branisteanu  Respond to of 217752
 
Hawk, you can not compare one state in the EU with the US. It is a tricky situation but best compare the major banks in the US including the GSA and AIG etc. with the EU banks.

BTW Fortis is also an insurance company