Why there will be no real recovery until the banking sector is fixed...
July 20 (Bloomberg) -- Banks have failed to make adequate provision for the losses on loans and securities they face before the end of next year, Moody’s Investors Service said.
U.S. banks may incur about $470 billion of losses and writedowns by the end of 2010, which may cause the banks to be unprofitable in the period, the ratings company said in a report published today.
“Large loan losses have yet to be recognized in the banking system,” Moody’s said. “We expect to see rising provisioning needs well into 2010.”
Banks and financial firms worldwide have reported losses and writedowns of $1.5 trillion since the credit crisis began in 2007, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. New York-based Citigroup Inc. has reported $112 billion of writedowns, more than any other firm, the data show.
Any economic recovery is likely to be “weak and bumpy hook-shaped,” Moody’s said. Banks will also be challenged in an environment where government support is replaced by tighter regulation, the report said. Higher credit and funding costs may force a re-pricing of credit, Moody’s added.
“The fundamentals of financial institutions are still traveling on a downward slope,” Moody’s said. “No-one should consider recent improvements as assurance that the current rebound can be sustained.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aBURZpfwyFKc
