UniCredit Draws a Line on Helping Banks Overloaded With Bad Loans -- Report
July 28 2016 - 4:41AM
Dow Jones News
Italy's largest bank UniCredit SpA (UCG.MI) won't pour
additional money in a backstop fund to help other Italian lenders
overloaded with bad loans, said Chief Executive Jean Pierre
Mustier.
In an interview with Il Corriere della Sera published Thursday,
Mr. Mustier confirmed that the lender will honor its commitment to
the fund Atlante--the fund orchestrated by the Italian government
earlier this year and financed by Italian banks, insurers and
pension funds. But he added that it is a "one-off commitment and
there won't be anything else."
"We drew a line," Mr. Mustier said. "Our shareholders, our
clients don't give us money for activities that are not linked to
UniCredit."
The Italian banking system is overloaded with bad
loans--totalling 360 billion euros, according to some estimates.
One of the worst-off banks is Monte dei Paschi di Siena but Mr.
Mustier stressed that UniCredit won't do anything else to support
it.
With the European Banking Authority's stress tests
approaching--and Monte dei Paschi di Siena seen as the likely worst
performer--the bank is seeking a solution to clean up its books and
raise capital.
Atlante is expected to take the worst-performing loans of the
bank, while private investments funds will take the better-quality
loans. Meanwhile, Banca Monte dei Paschi would raise as much as
EUR5 billion in capital to avoid a bailout by the Italian
government. The plan is now subject to the European Central Bank's
approval.
Write to Manuela Mesco at manuela.mesco@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 28, 2016 04:26 ET (08:26 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Unicredit (BIT:UCG)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Unicredit (BIT:UCG)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024