Ratings

Moody’s ups six Nordics as new criteria reflect strengths

Jun 18th, 2015
HandelsbankenFlickr_cropped

Moody’s upgraded six Nordic issuers yesterday (Wednesday) – Danske, DNB, Handelsbanken, Nykredit Realkredit, SEB and Swedbank – citing strong macro profiles, healthy and strengthened core financial ratios and benefits of the introduction of bail-in regimes across the region.



Aktia REMB covered bonds achieve highest rating

May 29th, 2015
Aktia

Moody’s upgraded the rating of covered bonds issued by Aktia Real Estate Mortgage Bank (REMB) from Aa2 to Aaa yesterday (Thursday), following the introduction of Counterparty Risk (CR) assessments to its methodology.



QE trumps fundamentals, Vikings tell Fitch

May 1st, 2015
ECB new premises image

A clear majority of delegates at a Fitch Rating Viking Tour 2015 expect the European Central Bank’s quantitative easing programme to be the driver of European credit market performance this year, the rating agency found.



Moody’s positive on Norwegian, Swedish FSA amortisation moves

Mar 27th, 2015
Norwegian FSA

Regulatory proposals from the Norwegian and Swedish FSAs that detail amortisation requirements would be credit positive for the respective covered bonds, according to Moody’s, which cited the substantially lower default expectations of mortgages with the LTV levels that borrowers would have to amortise down to.



S&P sees risks looming for Norway and Finland

Mar 13th, 2015
Nordic Flags

Increasing economic risks may lead to bank downgrades in Norway and Finland, Standard & Poor’s has warned, while the introduction of bail-in regulation is putting pressure on banks across the Nordics. However, it sees positive signs for Icelandic banks.



Eiendomskreditt covered upped to AA+ by S&P

Feb 13th, 2015
Eiendomskreditt

Standard & Poor’s upgraded a covered bond programme of Norway’s Eiendomskreditt AS backed by commercial mortgages from AA to AA+ on Tuesday, on negative outlook, after applying recently-revised rating criteria.



Scope warns on Swedish real estate overvaluation

Jan 30th, 2015
Riksbank image

Concentrated exposure to domestic real estate is a key risk factor and a negative driver of Swedish bank ratings, Scope Ratings said yesterday (Thursday), warning that the Swedish property market is overvalued by 20%-30%.



First Scope Nordic bank ratings in A+ to A- range

Nov 21st, 2014
Nordeaheadquarter200

Rating agency Scope has published its first ratings of financial institutions in the Nordic region — covering Danske, DNB, Nordea and Swedbank — and noted strong prudential and credit metrics supported by stable funding — notably through covered bonds — but also overheating housing prices in Norway and Sweden.



Issuer ratings out, Art 129(7) added in new LCR draft leak

Jul 24th, 2014
Drapeaux européens devant le Berlaymont

Issuer ratings look set to have been scrapped as LCR eligibility criteria for covered bonds and a transparency requirement introduced, according to a leaked EC document on the delegated act that the Commission is likely to finalise in September.



Differing capital rules ‘confusing’

Jul 17th, 2014
Finansinspektionen

Differing capital requirements being set by Nordic financial supervisory authorities will make comparing banks’ capitalisation across the region increasingly challenging, Standards & Poor’s said yesterday (Wednesday).