Monday 15 February 2016

Mario Draghi Tries to Calm Fears over European Banks



European banking stocks have lost almost a quarter of their value since the beginning of 2016 and Mario Draghi is trying to calm fears about their health after the sharp drop.
Mr Draghi said banks were now better protected from a collapse than before the financial crisis.
Individual banks and the financial system as a whole are more resilient, he told European Parliament members.
His comments come as stocks including Deutsche Bank and Societe Generale fluctuated wildly last week.
"The sharp fall in bank equity prices reflected the sector's higher sensitivity to a weaker-than-expected economic outlook," Mr Draghi said.
Investors were also worried that banks would be hit by low commodity prices, tighter regulations and low interest rates, he said.
However, Mr Draghi said banks had better "capital buffers" than they did during the eurozone banking crisis four years ago.
"In the euro area, the situation in the banking sector now is very different from what it was in 2012," he said.
Speaking in the European Parliament, Mr Draghi also said the ECB was "ready to do its part" to strengthen the wider Eurozone economy: "We will not hesitate to act."
He hinted at further monetary stimulus next month as the eurozone battled weak investment, sluggish manufacturing growth, geopolitical risks and heightened uncertainty about the health of the global economy.
The euro fell nearly 1% against the US dollar to $1.1141 following Mr Draghi's comments.

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