(AFX UK Focus) 2009-01-09 11:23 Germany - no more banks asking govt to take stake
BERLIN, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Germany has received no further requests from banks for the state to take stakes in them, a Finance Ministry spokesman said on Friday. "There are no requests," ministry spokesman Torsten Albig told a regular news conference. The government said on Thursday it was taking a stake of 25 percent plus one share in Commerzbank. A government spokesman added that the government ...

Canadian Banks May Be Alone in Not Needing Bailouts, Clark Says
Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Canadian banks may stand alone among global lenders in not requiring government assistance to raise capital amid the credit crisis, Toronto-Dominion Bank Chief Executive Officer Edmund Clark said.

Germany - no more banks asking govt to take stake
BERLIN, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Germany has received no further requests from banks for the state to take stakes in them, a Finance Ministry spokesman said on Friday.

Banks cautious in building 2009 business plan
VietNamNet Bridge ? The low profit in 2008, which was equal to only 1/3 of that in 2007 for many banks, has reminded banks that they should not be too ambitious in building their business plans for 2009.

N.J. banks drop 30-year mortgages below 5%
Some New Jersey lenders have joined large banks such as J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co. in offering 30-year fixed-rate home loans below 5 percent as average rates fell this week to a new low.

'Banks still have long way to go in managing risks'
MALAYSIAN banks have improved their risk management practices tremendously over the years, but they still have a long way to go, says an expert from KPMG.

Qatar: Banks uneasy over staff lay-off
Qatar: Banks uneasy over staff lay-off

Banks rescue suicide billionaire's interests
Two days after the suicide of one of Germany's richest men -- who was apparently despondent over financial troubles -- banks agreed to rescue his business holdings, the companies said in a statement.

Japan lending more cash to banks
The Japanese central bank is providing banks with emergency loans in a new bid to stimulate its worsening economy.

Mid-valley banks part of bailout
Some banks doing business in the mid-valley have received funds through the Troubled Asset Relief Program, the main thrust of the government?s $700 billion economic bailout, but to date those funds have not been put to use.

Banks react to interest rate cut
Banks in Northern Ireland start to react to the latest cut in interest rates announced by the Bank of England.

Banks uneasy over staff lay-off
DOHA: Banks here remain liquid and face no immediate threat from the global financial crisis, but reports of staff lay-offs have them increasingly worried since many of those being retrenched have to pay back personal loans.

Banks borrow more, investment firms less from Fed
The Fed report shows commercial banks averaged $87.9 billion in daily borrowing over the week ending Wednesday. That was up from $86.6 billion in average daily borrowing logged over the week that ended Dec. 31.

Banks borrow more, investment firms less from Fed
By JEANNINE AVERSA Commercial banks borrowed more, while investment firms drew less over the past week from the Federal Reserve's emergency lending program. The Fed report, released Thursday, showed commercial banks averaged $87.9 billion in daily borrowing over the week ending Wednesday. That was up from $86.6 billion in average daily borrowing logged over the week that ended Dec. 31. ...

Banks borrow more, investment firms less from Fed
WASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve said commercial banks borrowed more, while investment firms drew less over the past week from its emergency lending program.

As big banks dwindle, the small survive
The credit crisis may hasten the banking industry's long-term trend toward consolidation. But while some of the largest banks emerge as even bigger players, partly as a result of headline-grabbing acquisitions, smaller firms will have opportunities to grow and thrive.

Canadian Banks Ask for Changes to Capital Rules, Globe Reports
Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Canadian bank chief executive officers want regulators to change the rules regarding capital so that banks can lend more, the Globe and Mail reported, citing unidentified people.

Interest rate cut 'will starve banks of cash', as savers are deterred
The lowest interest rate in the history of the Bank of England will deter savers from depositing money and further undermine troubled banks, it was claimed yesterday.

France preparing second round of aid for banks
The French government is planning to inject a second tranche of euro10.5 billion ($14.38 billion) into some of the nation's largest banks in an effort to spur lending. Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said Thursday the aid would be distributed by the end of...

Spend £1bn on IT, the banks are told
Banks have been told to spend almost £1billion upgrading their computer systems to ensure depositors get compensation quickly in the event more lenders fail.