Greek Banks: take a bow (Alpha downgraded to HOLD, Eurobank stays HOLD, NBG stays BUY and Piraeus upgraded to BUY)
The Greek banking index has risen by 53% (62% with dividends), driven by higher P/E multiples and EPS upgrades since our April 2024 reinitiation. In this report, we raise our average normalised EPS forecasts for the big four Greek banks under our coverage by 10% for 2025E and 11% for 2026E, due mainly to stronger fees and lower COR. Our NII estimates for 2025-26E remain broadly unchanged, despite the lower-than-expected interest rates. The banks have also maintained their 2025-27E targets in the face of Euribor evolving lower than expected. However, we believe the lower-than-expected rates may still constrain the upside potential for earnings. In this environment, we see room for the banks to adjust their risk appetite towards underserved retail. We downgrade Alpha to HOLD (price target (PT) EUR 3.12), maintain our HOLD on Eurobank (PT: EUR 3.07) and our BUY on NBG (PT: EUR 13.12), and upgrade Piraeus to BUY (PT: EUR 6.96).Alpha Bank is a banking and financial services group which is based in Greece. Co. is engaged in offering a range of services including retail, SME and corporate banking, credit cards, asset management, investment banking, private banking, brokerage, leasing and factoring. Co. is also active in international financial market, with a presence in Cyprus, Romania, London, Serbia, Albania, Jersey (Channel Islands), Bulgaria, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and New York. Co. maintains a focus on retail banking in Greece and particularly loans to individuals and small business loans, and overall expansion in Southeastern Europe. Co.'s activities are divided into retail and wholesale banking.
Eurobank Ergasias and its subsidiaries are organized in the following reportable segments: Retail. which incorporates customer current accounts, savings, deposits and investment savings products, credit and debit cards, consumer loans, small business banking and mortgages; Corporate, which incorporates direct debit facilities, current accounts, deposits, overdrafts, loan and other credit facilities, foreign currency and derivative products; Wealth Management, which incorporates private banking services; Global and Capital Markets, which incorporates investment banking services; and International, which incorporates operations in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Cyprus, Ukraine and Luxembourg.
WOOD & Company is the leading investment bank in Emerging Europe. Founded in 1991 and head-quartered in Prague, our footprint spans the region and touches investors around the globe.
A pioneer in Emerging Europe, WOOD executed many of the first CEE equity trades and landmark investment banking transactions. Our electronic trading platform was the first in the region, and remains the best. We are continually expanding our relevance and reach in these ever-evolving markets.
Our equity market share reflects our stature: 7% in Warsaw, 20% in Bucharest, 16% in Hungary, 40% in Prague and 5% in Vienna. Our distribution is unparalleled, with the largest salesforce in the region, servicing a uniquely diverse investor base.
We couple local expertise with a truly international perspective. With offices on the ground in the region, and in key financial hubs such as London and Milano, we are never far from our clients and we remain at the forefront of what’s afoot in the CEE emerging and frontier landscape.
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