Vítor Constâncio ECB Financial Stability Review May 214 28 May 214 Press conference presentation
Rubric Recent developments Measures of banking system stress have eased further as banking union preparations have gathered pace and banks have improved balance sheets Little sign of stress also across the broader financial system Measures of financial market and banking sector stress in the euro area (Jan. 211 16 May 214) probability of default of two or more LCBGs (percentage probability; left-hand scale) composite indicator of systemic stress (CISS) (right-hand scale) 28.7 November FSR 24 2 16.6.5.4 12 8 4 Jan-11 Jul-11 Jan-12 Jul-12 Jan-13 Jul-13 Jan-14.3.2.1. Source: Bloomberg and ECB calculations. Note: Probability of two or more of a sample of 15 large and complex banking groups (LCBGs) defaulting simultaneously over a one-year horizon. 2
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Risk 1- Abrupt reversal of the global search for yield amid pockets of illiquidity and likely asset price misalignments Financial markets have seen a further compression of risk premia Cumulative changes in bond yields since May 213 (2 May 213 16 May 214; cumulative change in basis points since 2 May 213; ten-year sovereign bond yields) 16 12 8 4-4 -8-12 emerging markets United States Germany euro area high-yield bonds -16 May-13 Jul-13 Sep-13 Nov-13 Jan-14 Mar-14 May-14 Source: Bloomberg. Nov. FSR average for Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain with spreads on high-yield global corporate bonds falling to pre-crisis levels Global high-yield corporate bond spreads (Jan. 27 16 May 214; basis points) 16 14 12 1 8 6 4 2 euro area United States United Kingdom 27 28 29 21 211 212 213 214 Source: Bank of America Merrill Lynch.. 4
Risk 1- Abrupt reversal of the global search for yield amid pockets of illiquidity and likely asset price misalignments Investors have rotated out of investment grade bonds into high-yield bonds and equities Cumulated equity and bond portfolio flows (22 May 213 16 May. 214;percentage of total assets invested at 26 May 213) 3 2 1 euro area other advanced economies emerging markets Increase in bonds and decrease in equities Increase in bonds and equities ES Global investor flows into selected funds (Jan. 24 May 214; USD billions) 16 14 12 1 high-yield bond funds (left-hand scale) sovereign bond funds (left-hand scale) equity funds (right-hand scale) 4 35 3 25 Bonds -1 SI LV DE US UK AT FI NL PTBE IE FR IT GR 8 6 4 2 15 1-2 2 5-3 Increase in equities and -4 Decrease in bonds and equities decrease in bonds -25-15 -5 5 Equities 15 25-2 -4 24 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 212 213 214-5 -1 Sources: EPFR and ECB calculations Notes: The data cover both traditional and alternative funds domiciled globally with $23.5 trillion in total assets. Investment in high-yield funds continued to increase suggesting that outflows were from investmentgrade funds. 5 Source: EPFR. Notes: The data cover both traditional and alternative funds domiciled globally with $23.5 trillion in total assets.
Risk 1- Abrupt reversal of the global search for yield amid pockets of illiquidity and likely asset price misalignments Money market and investment funds are most directly exposed to global bond market corrections 8 6 Euro area institutional investors debt securities holdings (Dec. 213; percentage of total assets) non-euro area debt securities euro area non-bank private sector debt securities euro area government debt securities euro area bank debt securities Sustainability of demand for euro area asset rests on 3 key drivers Sustainability of the ongoing euro area economic recovery Geopolitical developments and concerns regarding Chinese vulnerabilities 4 2 Relative value considerations continuation of portfolio rebalancing and outflows from emerging markets Money market funds Investment funds (non-mmf) Sources: ECB and ECB calculation. Insurers and pension funds Banks 6
Risk 2 - Continuing weak bank profitability and balance sheet stress in a low inflation and low growth environment Euro area banks continue to operate in a low profitability or loss-making environment mainly due to high loan loss provisioning needs Pre- and post-provision return on assets of euro area significant banking groups and global banks (H1 27 H2 213; percentages) Impaired loans of euro area banks (28 213; percentages; 1th and 9th percentile and interquartile range distribution across SBGs) 2. 1.6 Pre-provision return on assets euro area banks global banks Return on assets 1.2.8.4. 27 29 211 213 27 29 211 213 Sources: SNL Financial and ECB calculations. Source: SNL Financial. Note: Based on publicly available data on SBGs, including LCBGs, that report annual financial statements and on data on a subset of those banks that report at least on a semi-annual basis. 7
Risk 2 - Continuing weak bank profitability and balance sheet stress in a low inflation and low growth environment but continued progress has been made in cleaning up bank balance sheets and bolstering capital positions Decomposition of changes in euro area banks aggregate core Tier 1 ratio (211 213; percentages and percentage points) Balance sheet strengthening by euro area significant banking groups since July 213 (EUR billions) 13 12 11 1 9 8 7 6 5 change in capital change in total assets change in average risk weight 1. -.2 12.1.3.6 11..6.1 9.7 45 4 35 3 25 2 15 1 5 4 CT1 ratio 211 CT1 ratio 212 CT1 ratio 213 Equity issuance One-off provisions CoCo issuance Capital gains from asset disposals Source: SNL Financial. Notes: The aggregate core Tier 1 ratio is based on publicly available data for a sample of 69 SBGs. The positive contributions of changes in total assets and average risk weight represent deleveraging and de-risking respectively. 8 Sources: SNL Financial, Dealogic, banks financial reports, market research and ECB calculations. Note: One-off provisions include provisions related to reclassifications and on extraordinary items identified by banks as being related to the asset quality review.
Risk 3 - Re-emergence of sovereign debt sustainability concerns, stemming from insufficient common backstops, stalling policy reforms, and a prolonged period of low nominal growth Sovereign tensions have eased amid further fiscal adjustment but sovereign borrowing costs and banks sovereign bond holdings are vulnerable to abrupt reversal of the search for yield General government debt and deficits in the euro area (percentage of GDP) General government debt 18 16 14 12 1 8 6 4 High debt Germany Greece Italy Belgium euro area Austria Ireland France Malta Netherlands Finland Slovakia Latvia Portugal Source: European Commission. Slovenia Cyprus Spain High debt and high deficits 214 213 2 Luxembourg High Estonia deficits -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 11 12 13 14 15 Public deficits Domestic sovereign bond holdings by banks (Jan. 1998 Mar. 214; percentage of total banking sector assets) 25 2 15 1 5 1998 2 22 24 26 28 21 212 214 Slovakia Japan United States Slovenia Italy Spain euro area Sources: ECB, Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan. Notes: Data for the United States include sovereign bonds and agencybacked mortgage-backed securities. 9
Rubric Conclusions Financial stability has improved but risks remain which can be grouped into two broad categories: Legacy issues from the global financial crisis have receded somewhat but still remain Mainly relate to unfinished progress in the banking and sovereign domains and to the still relatively weak (albeit improving) and uneven economic outlook But action to address legacy risks from the crisis continues for both banks and sovereigns The challenge ahead is to ensure that efforts are sustained to finalise and implement necessary reforms and to ensure that the crisis conditions do not re-emerge Emerging issues which has left the financial system more vulnerable to an abrupt reversal of risk premia A growing search for yield has progressively become more pervasive across regions and market segments The sustainability of investor demand could be negatively impacted should, for example, the economic recovery slow down or geopolitical and emerging market vulnerabilities be unearthed Financial institutions need to have sufficient buffers and/or hedges to withstand a possible re-assessment of risk premia 1