How China Evergrande’s debt troubles pose a systemic risk, BFSI News, ET BFSI

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HONG KONG: China Evergrande Group has supplied funds to pay interest on a dollar bond, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday, days before a deadline that would have seen the developer plunge into formal default.

News of the remittance will likely bring relief to investors and regulators worried about a default’s wider fallout in global markets, adding to reassurance from Chinese officials who have said creditors’ interests would be protected.

WHAT IS EVERGRANDE?

Chairman Hui Ka Yan founded Evergrande in Guangzhou in 1996. It is China’s second-largest property developer, with $110 billion in sales last year, $355 billion in assets and more than 1,300 developments nationwide. It listed in Hong Kong in 2009.

Evergrande grew rapidly through a loan-supported land-buying spree and selling apartments quickly at low margins. It employed 163,119 staff as of June-end, its interim report showed.

Slowing growth has seen it branch into businesses such as insurance, bottled water, soccer and electric vehicles (EVs).

HOW DID CONCERNS ARISE OVER DEBT?

In September last year, a leaked letter showed Evergrande pleading for government support to approve a now-dropped backdoor stock market listing. Sources told Reuters the letter was authentic; Evergrande called it fake.

In June, Evergrande said it did not pay some commercial paper on time, and in July a court froze a $20 million bank deposit held by the firm at the bank’s request.

The firm in late August said construction at some of its developments had halted due to missed payments to contractors and suppliers. It sought repayment extension for a trust loan in early September, sources told Reuters, and media reports said Evergrande would suspend interest payments due on loans to two banks that month.

Liabilities, including payables, totalled 1.97 trillion yuan ($306 billion) at end-June – equivalent to 2% of China’s gross domestic product.

HOW HAS EVERGRANDE REDUCED DEBT?

Evergrande accelerated efforts to cut debt last year after regulators introduced caps on three debt ratios, dubbed the “three red lines”. It has been aiming to meet those requirements by the end of 2022.

It offered steep discounts on residential developments to spur sales and sold the bulk of its commercial properties. Since the second half of 2020, it has had a $555 million secondary share sale and raised $1.8 billion by listing its property management unit, while its EV unit told a $3.4 billion stake.

On September 14, it said asset and equity disposal plans had failed to make material progress.

WHAT’S THE RISK?

China’s central bank said in 2018 companies including Evergrande might pose systemic risk to China’s financial system.

The firm’s liabilities involved as many as 128 banks and over 121 non-banking institutions, the leaked letter showed.

Late repayments could trigger cross-defaults as many financial institutions are exposed via direct loans and indirect holdings through different financial instruments.

OPERATIONS OUTSIDE MAINLAND CHINA?

In Hong Kong, Evergrande owns an office tower and residential development as well as two nearly completed residential developments, plus a vast undeveloped land parcel.

It has spent billions of dollars acquiring stakes in automobile technology developers, including Sweden’s NEVS, the Netherlands’ e-Traction and Britain’s Protean. It also has joint ventures with Germany’s Hofer and Sweden’s Koenigsegg.

WHAT DO REGULATORS SAY ABOUT EVERGRANDE, PROPERTY?

In comments reported by state media Xinhua and echoing words from the central bank, Vice Premier Liu He told a Beijing forum on Wednesday that the risks were controllable and that reasonable capital demand from property firms was being met.

The chairman of China’s securities regulator, Yi Huiman, said the authorities would properly handle the default risks and look to curb excessive debt more broadly.

Central bank Governor Yi Gang said on Sunday the world’s second-largest economy is “doing well” but faces challenges such as default risks for certain firms due to “mismanagement.”

Yi said China will fully respect and protect the legal rights of Evergrande’s creditors and asset owners, in line with “repayment priorities” laid out by China’s laws.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR EVERGRANDE?

Evergrande remitted $83.5 million to a trustee account at Citibank on Thursday, the source told Reuters, allowing it to pay all bondholders before the payment grace period ends on Saturday.

Still, the developer will need to make payments on a string of other bonds, with the next major deadline to avoid default only a week away and little known about whether it is in a position to pay those debts.

Evergrande missed coupon payments totalling nearly $280 million on its dollar bonds on September 23, September 29 and October 11, beginning 30-day grace periods for each.

After a grace period ends, non-payment would result in formal default and trigger cross-default provisions for its other dollar bonds. Evergrande’s next payment deadline is Oct. 29, with the expiration of the 30-day grace period on its Sept. 29 coupon.



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The domestic equity market was in a cheerful mood on Friday as the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee decided to maintain status quo on key policy rates and retain an “accommodative” stance till evidence of durable growth appears.

It was RBI Governor Das’s comments on the future course of monetary policy action, ramping up of economic growth and elevated inflation that cheered investors.

The benchmark indices extended rally for second consecutive session on Friday, and as a result the market closed higher in four out of five sessions this week.

Festival demand outlook, RBI monetary policy, Q2 earnings data backed by recovery in economic activity, US President’s recovery, weak cues from Asian markets, Evergrande crisis, developments around US economy and strong vaccination numbers were key driving factors this week.

Monday Closing bell: Benchmark indices snap four-day losing streak, end almost 1% higher each

Dalal Street staged a strong comeback on Monday, recouping some of last week’s losses, as benchmark indices each ended almost 1% higher. At close, the Sensex and Nifty50 were up 0.91% at 59299 and 17691, respectively.

The broader markets, too, ended the day in the positive territory, with the BSE Midcap gaining 1.51% and BSE Smallcap 1.71%.

The Nifty PSU Banks outperformed gaining 2.10%, the Nifty Bank ended 0.95% higher at 37,579, and the Nifty Financial Services ended 0.96% higher at 18,312. Bajaj Finserv, SBI and Bajaj Finance were among the top gainers.

Tuesday Closing bell: Indices volatile, each end nearly 1% higher

Domestic equity indices started the day flat with negative bias but bulls asserted control as the day progressed, forcing headline indices to surge higher. S&P BSE Sensex closed 0.75% higher at 59,744, while the Nifty50 jumped 0.74% to end at 17,822.

The broader markets underperformed, with the Midcap index almost unchanged and Smallcap index ending with gains of 0.4%.

After a volatile session, the Nifty PSU Bank index ended 0.44% lower at 2,542 points, breaking its six-day winning streak. The Nifty Bank gained 0.43% to close at 37,741, while Nifty Financial Services ended 0.30% higher at 18,367. IndusInd Bank soared 5% to end as the top Sensex gainer, while Bajaj Finance and Bajaj Finserv were among the top laggards.

Wednesday Closing bell : Benchmark indices fell 1% amid weak global cues

Domestic benchmark indices traded with gains most of Wednesday but failed to sustain the highs and closed deep in the red. At close, the Sensex was down 0.93% at 59,189 and the Nifty was down 0.99% at 17,646.

Broader markets were also volatile, with BSE Midcap index falling 0.5% and Smallcap index ending with more than 1% loss.

The Nifty PSU Bank highly underperformed the day, losing 1.94%, while Nifty Bank slipped 0.58% ending at 37,521. Nifty Financial Services closed 0.32% lower at 18,309.

Only three of thirty Sensex constituents closed with gains. HDFC Bank was the top gainer, jumping 1.24%, followed by Bajaj Finance and HDFC. Deep down in red was IndusInd Bank, down over 3%.

Weekly Market Wrap Up: Know how banks, financials performed this week

Thursday Closing bell: Nifty ends near 17,800, Sensex jumps 0.80% ahead of RBI policy

The Nifty had a sharp bounce after a steep decline the previous day. After opening in the green, Nifty maintained the lead and closed with a gain of 0.85% at 17,796, while Sensex ended the day with a gain of 0.80% at 59,667.

Except oil and gas, all other sectoral indices ended in the green, the BSE midcap and smallcap indices outperformed adding over 1% each.

The Nifty PSU Bank Index recovered from the previous day’s losses to end 0.64% higher at 2508. Nifty Bank was able to end above the 37,700-mark, gaining 0.62% to close at 37,753, while Nifty Financial Services closed 0.15% flat with positive bias at 18,336. Induslnd Bank made its way back among the top gainers, while HDFC was among the worst performing Sensex constituents.

Friday Closing Bell: Sensex ends above 60,000 post RBI MPC meet outcome

Benchmark indices ended over half a percent higher each on Friday as investors cheered the outcome of the RBI MPC meet. BSE Sensex ended 0.64% up at 60,059, while the NSE Nifty 50 settled at 17,895, up 0.59%.

The Nifty PSU Banks outperformed and soared 1.65% to end at 2,550. The Nifty Bank ended flat, with a positive bias at 37,755, up 0.06%, while the Nifty Financial Services index ended in the red at 18,289, down 0.34%. Piramal Enterprises was the worst performing Sensex stock, down more than 5%, followed by ICICI Prudential and Kotak Mahindra Bank. Axis Bank and Bajaj Finserv were among top gainers.

Key Takeaways

RBI keeps key policy rates unchanged in Oct MPC meet

The Reserve Bank of India today decided to maintain status quo on key policy rates, for the eighth time in a row, in its bi-monthly Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

The repo rate remains unchanged at 4%, while the reverse repo rate at 3.35%. The central bank also decided to maintain accommodative stance.The central bank has also kept the MSF and bank rates steady at 4.25 percent.

The central bank has cut CPI inflation forecast for FY22 to 5.3 percent from 5.7 percent, while it has retained FY22 GDP growth forecast at 9.5 percent.

For Q2FY22, RBI expects GDP at 7.9 percent, up from 7.3% earlier, for Q3 , at 6.8%, up from 6.3%, while for Q4 and Q1FY23, RBI has retained its projection of 6.1% and 17.2%, respectively.

For CPI inflation, RBI expects 5.1%, from 5.9% earlier in Q2, while 4.5% from 5.3% in Q3, and retained the projection at 5.8% for Q4. For the first quarter of FY23, RBI sees CPI at 5.2%, up from 5.1% projected earlier.

Life insurance companies poised for strong Q2

Weekly Market Wrap Up: Know how banks, financials performed this week

Indian life insurance companies are poised to post up to 34% growth in the value of premiums, paced by higher volumes, group insurance coverage and sale of fixed-income linked coverage products.

However, margin expansion could be restrained due to a rise in reinsurance rates. Analysts are also monitoring residual Covid-linked claims in the second quarter after a sharp jump in the first quarter that led to a rise in provisions.

Elara Securities expects the top four life insurers – HDFC Life, ICICI Prudential Life, Max Life and SBI Life – to post an annualised premium equivalent (APE) growth of between 14% and 34% in the second quarter.

RBI moves NCLT against SREI Equipment Finance and SREI Infra

The Reserve Bank of India has taken the Srei Infrastructure Finance and Srei Equipment Finance to the National Company Law Tribunal’s Kolkata bench on Friday, a day after the Bombay High Court rejected a writ petition by Srei group promoter Hemant Kanoria against the central bank move to supersede the boards of the company.

This is on expected line as the central bank had announced on October 4 that it would take steps to refer the Srei case to the bankruptcy court.

Govt may allow 20% foreign investment in LIC IPO

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India is considering a proposal for foreign investors to own as much as 20% in Life Insurance Corporation, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, which would enable them to participate in the nation’s biggest initial public offering.

Under discussion is a plan to amend FDI rules so that investors can pick up the stake without the government’s approval under the so-called automatic route, the person said, asking not to be identified as the deliberations are private.

While FDI of as much as 74% is permitted in most Indian insurers, the rules don’t apply to LIC because it is a special entity created by an act of parliament.

Insurers can maintain current a/cs in appropriate number of banks: Irdai

Insurance regulator Irdai on Wednesday said insurers can maintain current accounts in an appropriate number of banks for premium collection and policy payments for the convenience of policyholders and ease of doing business. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has issued the clarification in the backdrop of the RBI’s circular on “Opening of Current Accounts by Banks – Need for Discipline”.

In the August 2020 circular, the RBI had instructed banks not to open current accounts for customers who have availed of credit facilities in the form of cash credit (CC) / overdraft (OD) from the banking system.

Moody’s affirms ratings of 9 Indian Banks, changes outlook to stable

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Global rating firm Moody’s on 6 October, affirmed the long-term local and foreign current deposit ratings of Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI and State Bank of India at Baa3, following sovereign rating action. At the same time, their rating outlooks have been changed to stable from negative.

This rating action is driven by Moody’s recent affirmation of the Indian government’s Baa3 issuer rating and change in outlook to stable from negative.

Moody’s also affirmed the long-term local and foreign currency deposit ratings of Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank and Union Bank of India. The rating outlooks of these banks has also been changed to stable from negative.



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What’s behind the demand for Indian high-yield dollar bonds?, BFSI News, ET BFSI

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There are no takers in India for corporate notes with even a whiff of credit risk. But such is the fear among global investors around China’s overleveraged property developers that money can’t stop pouring into Indian high-yield dollar bonds.

Domestic debt issuances by all except the top-rated borrowers have shrunk since the collapse of the IL&FS Group, a major infrastructure financier, in September 2018. Firms rated below AA have managed to garner just 382 billion rupees ($5.2 billion) this year, a far cry from their 2017 haul of 2.1 trillion rupees.

The situation in the international market is the exact opposite. Junk-rated nonfinancial firms from India have scooped up a record $9 billion this year, almost three times the year-earlier period. JSW Steel Ltd. alone raised $1 billon last month. Tycoon Gautam Adani has pipped even historically trusted public-sector issuers, such as Power Finance Corp. and Export-Import Bank of India. Firms linked to Asia’s second-richest man have raised $9 billion in the past five years, more than any other Indian borrower.

For investors wary of China, looking at India makes sense. At more than $300 billion, China Evergrande Group’s liabilities alone are more than twice the size of India’s entire corporate bond market. While nobody knows which sector or private business in the People’s Republic will get punished next by Xi Jinping’s “common prosperity” campaign, overseas investors have a fair idea which Indian corporate groups have a good relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

Still, policy makers in New Delhi and Mumbai would prefer fund-raising to take place locally, in their home currency. After all, they’re running a fully stocked liquidity bar, with the surplus in the banking system ranging between $90 billion and $130 billion since end-June. It’s a risky ploy. With the Federal Reserve close to reining in generous monetary support for the pandemic-hit U.S. economy, India’s happy hours can’t go on indefinitely. To boost anemic investment and jobs, the authorities want credit to perk up. But how long can they wait when easy money is only going into overpriced equities? Leaving aside the local bond market, even bank lending to the corporate sector is refusing to budge.

The central bank can point to 5.3% inflation, within its target range, to postpone the inevitable tightening in its monetary-policy meeting today. Granted, soaring global oil prices will bring discomfort to a country that imports most of its energy. An acute coal shortage at power plants may push inflation higher as steelmakers pay more for the commodity. It may also add to the record September trade deficit of nearly $23 billion. The reassuring news is that India isn’t living hand to mouth, having nearly $650 billion in foreign-exchange reserves, and an overall balance-of-payments that HSBC Holdings Plc expects to remain in surplus for years. Knowing they’re unlikely to lose money from a sudden rupee depreciation, foreigners may keep coming for India’s stocks and bonds.

But the extra dollars arrive with a cost. A rupee that’s too strong compared with trading partners’ inflation-adjusted currencies leads to a loss of competitiveness. That’s probably what’s going on in India. “In a version of the Dutch disease, an overvalued rupee could impede growth in domestic manufacturing and jobs,” says Observatory Group analyst Ananth Narayan.

Surging gold imports often signal nervousness. Some of the heightened demand can be attributed to jewelers. With the virus in retreat, they’re stocking up for the Hindu festive season, which has just begun. But could it also be that having made their money in stocks, rich Indians are buying the yellow metal and Bitcoin because they know that the ultimate source of demand in the economy is weak, and that the currency is artificially high?

As long as the rupee doesn’t roll over, India will get some of the capital fleeing China. But love in the time of Evergrande isn’t forever. The local credit market needs to turn a little less grumpy. Once the Fed starts tapering its balance sheet, the moment may be lost.



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Gold prices dip on rising dollar, bond yields, BFSI News, ET BFSI

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Gold prices eased on Tuesday, hurt by a stronger dollar and rising U.S. Treasury yields, while investors awaited more cues from Federal Reserve officials on the central bank’s monetary policy shift.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold fell 0.1% to $1,748.01 per ounce by 0115 GMT, while U.S. gold futures were down 0.3% to $1,747.50.

* The dollar index was up 0.1%, making gold more expensive for holders of other currencies.

* Overnight, benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yields rose to their highest level in three months.

* U.S. Federal Reserve officials on Monday tied reduction in the Fed’s monthly bond purchases to continued job growth, with a September employment report now a potential trigger for the central bank’s bond “taper.”

* Fed Chair Jerome Powell is due to testify later in the day before Congress on the central bank’s policy response to the pandemic.

* In prepared remarks, Powell said the U.S. central bank would move against unchecked inflation if needed.

* While gold is often considered a hedge against higher inflation, a rate hike would increase the opportunity cost of holding gold, which pays no interest.

* China’s central bank vowed to protect consumers exposed to the housing market on Monday and injected more cash into the banking system as the Shenzhen government began investigating the wealth management unit of ailing developer Evergrande.

* SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 0.3% to 990.32 on Monday.

* Poland’s central bank has more than 230 tonnes of gold and plans to expand its reserves, the head of Poland’s Central Bank said on Monday.

* Silver fell 0.8% to $22.47 per ounce.

* Platinum dropped 0.5% to $976.07, while palladium was down 0.6% at $1,952.44.

DATA/EVENTS (GMT) 0130 China Industrial Profit YTD, YY Aug 1400 US Consumer Confid. Final Sept



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The Indian market seems to be in roaring bull phase, with the BSE Sensex hitting 60,000 points for the first time ever on Friday. However, the market did face some volatility this week, but investors were prompt to take the corrections as a buying opportunity.

The Sensex completed a 10,000-point journey to the 60,000-mark within months, having hit 50,000 in intraday trade for the first time in January 2021.

This is almost a global phenomenon, with China, Hong Kong and a few other countries being among exceptions as they reel in the budding Evergrande crisis. The mother market US, is leading the bulls, dismissing tapering indications from the US Federal Reserve.

Stock-specific moves, developments around China’s economy, US Fed meeting, revival of activity in Europe, improving economic data, strong vaccination numbers and healthy pick up in daily inoculations were considered to be key driving factors this week.

Monday Closing bell: Dalal Street painted red, banks and financials highly underperform

The BSE Sensex closed the day 525 points lower at 58,491. During the day, it touched a high of 59,203 and a low of 58,390. Only six of the 30 Sensex stocks ended in the green, while the Nifty50 fell 1.07% to end below the 17,400-mark at 17,396.

Broader markets also languished in trade, ending the day with deep cuts. The BSE MidCap fell 1.79% and SmallCap was down 1.84%.

The Nifty PSU Bank index majorly underperformed, closing down 4.18%. Nifty Bank ended 1.76% lower at 37,175, while Nifty Financial services ended 1.61% lower at 18,177. Bajaj Finserv was among the top Sensex gainers while SBI, Induslnd Bank and HDFC were top laggards.

Tuesday Closing bell: Indices witness smart recovery, end in green

The Indian market witnessed a smart recovery after Monday’s fall on the back of a recovery in US futures and Europe markets. At close, the Sensex was up 0.88% at 59,005, and the Nifty50 was up 0.95% at 17,562. BSE MidCap index rose nearly 1%, while the SmallCap ended flat with a positive bias.

Nifty PSU Bank ended flat with a negative bias, down by 0.05%. Bank Nifty staged a recovery to end at 37,235, with gains of 0.24%, while Nifty Financial services ended 0.73% higher at 18,310. Bajaj Finance was the top Sensex gainer on closing, up 5%, followed by IndusInd Bank and Bajaj Finserv were top Nifty gainers.

Wednesday Closing bell : Indices end flat with negative bias, banks, financials underperform

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty50 witnessed a tug-of-war between bulls and bears on Wednesday before closing with marginal losses. On the closing bell, BSE Sensex settled at 58,927, down 0.13% while the NSE Nifty50 closed at 17,546, slipping 0.09%.

The Nifty PSU Bank finished the day with 0.48% gains. Bank Nifty slipped 0.78% giving up 37,000 mark at 36,944, while Nifty Financial Services closed 0.86% lower at 18,152. HDFC was the worst-performing Sensex constituent, falling 1.39%, followed by ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and HDFC Bank.

Weekly Market Wrap Up: Know how banks, financials performed this week

Thursday Closing bell: Indices end at all-time highs; banks, financials gain over 2% each

Indian benchmark indices extended early gains and hit record high levels with the Sensex closing at 59,885, up 1.63%, and Nifty50 at 17,823, up 1.57%. The broader market outperformed the benchmarks, as BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices rose 1% each.

Bank Nifty surged 2.24% to close at 37,771, while Nifty Financial Services closed 2.28% higher at 18,566. Nifty PSU Banks finished the day with 1.19% gains. Bajaj Finserv, HDFC, Axis Bank, IndusInd Bank, State Bank of India were top Sensex gainers

Friday Closing Bell: Fresh record closing highs; Nifty ends above 17,850, Sensex crosses 60K.

The BSE Sensex crossed 60,000 for the first time ever, while the Nifty50 closed above the 17,850 level. At close, the Sensex was up 0.27% at 60,048 and the Nifty50 was 0.17% higher at 17,853. BSE MidCap index fell 1%, while smallcap index was down 0.3%.

Bank Nifty gained 0.16% to end at 37,830, while Nifty Financial Services ended at 18,630, up 0.34%. HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and HDFC were among the top index gainers. SBI, Axis Bank and Bajaj Finance were among top laggards. The Nifty PSU Bank index shed 1.62%, dragged by losses in shares of Bank of Baroda and Canara Bank.

Key Industry takeaways

Kotak Mahindra Bank forays into healthcare financing

Weekly Market Wrap Up: Know how banks, financials performed this week

Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMBL) on Tuesday announced that it has launched healthcare financing solutions, ranging from healthcare infrastructure loans, medical equipment finance and unsecured healthcare loans, aiming to cater to key stakeholders.

KMBL has introduced the offerings at attractive interest rates, and includes lending facilities such as the Insta Programme for quick approval of loans up to Rs 50 lakh.

Retail depositors earning negative returns; equities boom gives leeway to raise rates: SBI

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The current bull run in financial markets is possibly a break from the past as households and now the opportune time to revisit the taxation of interest on bank deposits, said SBI.

Economists believe that, Retail depositors are earning negative returns on their bank deposits and hence, there is a need for reviewing taxes on interest earned.

If not for all the depositors, the taxation review should be carried out for at least the deposits made by senior citizens who depend on the interest for their daily needs, the economists led by Soumya Kanti Ghosh said in a note, which pegged the overall retail deposits in the system at Rs 102 lakh crore.

IIFL Finance to raise up to Rs 1,000 crore via secured bonds

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Fairfax-backed IIFL Finance plans to raise a Rs 1,000-crore public issue of secured bonds on September 27 for business growth and capital augmentation. The bonds offer up to 8.75% yield and are rated AA/Stable by Crisil and AA+/negative by Brickwork.

The size of the issue is Rs 100 crore, with a green-shoe option to retain over-subscription up to Rs 900 crore (aggregating to a total of Rs 1,000 crore).

“The funds raised will be used to meet the credit need of more such customers and accelerate our digital process transformation to enable a frictionless experience,” IIFL Finance CFO Rajesh Rajak said.

Govt may block Chinese investment in LIC IPO as company a ‘strategic asset’

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The government wants to block Chinese investors from buying shares in Life Insurance Corp (LIC), underscoring tensions between the two nations. State-owned LIC is considered a strategic asset, commanding more than 60% of India’s life insurance market with assets of more than $500 billion.

India has sought to limit Chinese investment in sensitive companies and sectors, banned a raft of Chinese mobile apps and subjected imports of Chinese goods to extra scrutiny.

“With China after the border clashes it cannot be business as usual. The trust deficit has significantly widen(ed),” a government official said, adding that Chinese investment in companies like LIC could pose risks, according to a report.

Govt extends Uday Kotak’s term as IL&FS chairman by 6 months

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The government on Wednesday extended the term of Uday Kotak as non-executive chairman of debt-ridden IL&FS group by another six months.

The government through a gazette notification extended the term of Kotak, who is also the managing director and chief executive officer of Kotak Mahindra Bank, till April 2, 2022.

The notification was issued by the department of financial services in the ministry of finance dated September 21, 2021.



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HSBC and Standard Chartered could face spillover damage to their profits and balance sheets from the debt crisis enveloping China‘s Evergrande Group even though the two banks say they have limited their direct exposure, analysts have warned.

Other banks and insurers could also suffer indirect effects such as loss of fees or a devaluation of their investments.

HSBC and StanChart make a big chunk of their profits in China and Hong Kong and they have been the foreign banks most involved in underwriting syndicated loans for developers there.

That means they are likely to face the most immediate second-order impacts, analysts at JPMorgan said in a research report.

HSBC and Standard Chartered both declined to comment on the report.

Evergrande has left global investors guessing over whether it will make a key interest payment, adding to fears of big losses for bondholders and sending tremors through China’s property sector and economy.

Hong Kong and mainland China accounted for around 84% of HSBC’s profits in 2020 while Greater China and North Asia contributed 81% of StanChart’s profits last year, according to a Reuters analysis of filings by the two companies – underscoring the region’s importance to their overall businesses.

The two have the most direct lending exposure among foreign banks to China’s property sector – $17 billion or 1.5% of group assets for HSBC and $1.3 billion or 0.5% of group loans at StanChart, according to JPMorgan.

The property sector contributes 14% of China’s GDP or 25% if indirect contributions are included, JPMorgan said, and property loans are worth some 6.6% of total loans, meaning a hit to the sector could have significant wider economic impacts.

HSBC and Standard Chartered have both said they have no direct exposure to Evergrande, and that they have taken steps in recent years to carefully manage their exposures to any one sector.

HSBC has already sold all positions in its China bond or Asia credit portfolios with exposure to Evergrande, a source at the bank said.

Citing Dealogic data, JPMorgan said HSBC has been involved in underwriting 39 outstanding syndicated loans for Chinese developers while StanChart has worked on 18 such deals, which could come under pressure if there are wider property sector defaults.

In a syndicated loan banks typically underwrite the deal and then sell the debt to other investors, but may keep some of the exposure on their books.

“There is a risk that this is not an idiosyncratic event but an industry-wide problem which could result in significant spillover damage,” JPMorgan said.

The US bank said it estimates there could be a further 11 defaults worth some $30 billion this year across the Chinese high-yield property sector, amounting to a 23% default rate.

Market chill

Other European financial firms also face a negative impact on business lines such as capital markets, asset management and private banking, said Dierk Brandenburg, head of financial institutions at ratings agency Scope.

“These will impact the profit and loss figures of Europe’s globally active banks in the coming quarters, as could the ensuing regulatory crackdown by Chinese authorities,” he said.

Chinese real-estate companies have tapped the public US dollar bond market for $274 billion in the past five years, Scope analysts said, citing Bond Radar data, suggesting foreign banks could lose out on fees if such deals dwindle.

Insurers’ investment portfolios could also be affected, said Volker Kudszus, Sector Lead for EMEA Insurance at S&P Global Ratings.

“We are not concerned by direct exposure of European insurers to Evergrande, but indirect exposure, e.g. through investments in the Chinese equity or real estate market, might see some volatility,” Kudszus said.

Insurers Prudential, Ageas and Swiss Re were likely to have the most exposure to Chinese real estate, Morningstar analysts said this week.

Ageas said its Chinese joint venture company had no direct exposure to Evergrande but around 2% of the corporate bond portfolio was invested in highly-rated Chinese real estate debt.

“Only further widespread spillover to the general stock markets would have an impact on our results,” an Ageas spokesperson said.

Prudential Chief Executive Mike Wells told CNBC this week that the insurer’s exposure to Evergrande was “de minimis”, and that less than 5% of the insurer’s bond holdings were in Chinese real estate.

Prudential also has a joint venture in China.

Swiss Re did not have direct investments in Chinese property in its real estate portfolio, a spokesperson said.



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Chinese banks try to calm fears about developer’s debts, BFSI News, ET BFSI

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Seeking to dispel fears of financial turmoil, some Chinese banks are disclosing what they are owed by a real estate developer that is struggling under $310 billion in debt, saying they can cope with a potential default.

The announcements came as Evergrande Group promised to talk with some individual investors who bought its debt while creditors waited to see whether Beijing will intervene to oversee a restructuring to prevent financial disruptions.

Evergrande‘s struggle to meet government-imposed debt limits has prompted fears a default might disrupt the Chinese economy or global financial markets. While ratings agencies say a default appears likely, economists say Beijing can prevent a credit crunch in China but wants to avoid bailing out Evergrande while it tries to force companies to reduce debt levels.

One of Evergrande’s biggest lenders, Zheshang Bank Co. said it is owed 3.8 billion yuan ($588 million) and has “sufficient collateral.”

“The overall risk is controllable,” the bank said in a written answer to questions on a website run by the Shanghai Stock Exchange. It said a “risk situation… will not have a significant impact” on the bank.

Others, including Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Ltd., gave no financial figures but said their lending was small, tied to individual projects and secured by claims to land. The Pudong bank said it was in “close communication” with Evergrande.

Changshu Rural Commercial Bank Co. in the eastern province of Jiangsu said it had 3.9 million yuan ($600,000) in outstanding loans to Evergrande, secured by land. The biggest state-owned commercial lenders including Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. didn’t respond to questions.

Evergrande was caught by stricter borrowing limits imposed on real estate last year by regulators who are trying to reduce surging debt levels the ruling Communist Party worries might drag on economic growth that already is in long-term decline.

Regulators have yet to say what Beijing might do, but economists say if the ruling party gets involved, it probably will focus on making sure families get apartments they already have paid for, rather than trying to bail out banks or other creditors.

Evergrande is one of China’s biggest private sector conglomerates, with more than 200,000 employees, 1,300 projects in 280 cities and assets of 2.3 trillion yuan ($350 billion). It owes creditors some 2 trillion yuan ($310 billion).

Other major developers such as Vanke Co., state-owned Poly Group and Wanda Group have not reported similar problems. But hundreds of smaller developers have shut down since regulators in 2017 started tightening control over financing.

On Friday, investors in Evergrande debt who gathered at its headquarters in the southern city of Shenzhen said the company agreed to hold a phone meeting with them. Dozens of police officers with six vehicles stood guard outside the building.

Evergrande said earlier it negotiated details of an interest payment due Thursday to banks and other bondholders in China but gave no details.

The company has yet to say whether it will make an $83.5 million payment that was due Thursday on a bond abroad. It has 30 days before it is declared in default, but economists say the company appears to be focused on repaying creditors within China.

Meanwhile, Evergrande is offering to repay some investors in its debt with apartments and other property.

The offer applies to investors who hold a total of about 40 billion yuan ($6 billion) of debt issued by its Evergrande Wealth unit. News reports say they usually are retail customers, employees of Evergrande contractors and the company’s own workforce.

Evergrande said Thursday investors can apply online for available properties.



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