Report
Nicolas McBeath
EUR 455.19 For Business Accounts Only

Lower rates to drive higher multiples

We expect Q3 to see an accelerated NII decline and profitability pressure driven by central bank rate cuts. However, we still see attractive return potential in the sector, underpinned by high total sector yields of >10% in 2024–2026e and likely multiples expansion from a currently depressed sector P/E of c8.5x. We prefer the banks with more resilient profitability trends and the strongest capital distribution outlooks. On this basis, Nordea and Handelsbanken remain our top sector picks.
Underlyings
Nordea Bank AB

Nordea Bank is a financial services group based in Sweden. Co. has three business areas: retail banking, wholesale banking, and wealth management. Retail banking conducts a full service banking operation and serves household and corporate customers in the Nordic markets as well as the Baltic countries. Wholesale banking provides banking and other financial solutions to large Nordic and international corporate, institutional and public companies. Wealth management provides investment, savings and risk management products. It also manages customers' assets and provides financial advice to individuals and institutional investors.

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB Class A

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken provides corporate, retail, investment and private banking services, as well as asset management and life insurance services. Merchant Banking provides wholesale and investment banking services to corporations and institutions. Retail Banking provides products mainly to private customers and small and medium-sized corporate. Wealth Management performs asset management and private banking activities and Life provides life, care and pension insurance. Division Baltic provides retail, asset management and private banking services in the Baltic countries. As of Dec 31 2013, Co. had total assets of SEK1,904.16 billion and total deposits of SEK821.47 billion.

Svenska Handelsbanken

Swedbank AB Class A

Swedbank provides financial services and products in its home markets of Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Co. has four segments: Swedish Banking, which is responsible for all its Swedish customers except corporates and financial institutions; Large Corporates and Institutions, which is responsible for large corporates, financial institutions and banks as well as for trading and capital market products; Baltic Banking, which operates in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; and Group Functions and Other. At Dec 31 2013, Co. had 731 branches and 1,396 automated teller machines. Also as of such date, Co. had total assets of SEK1.82 trillion and deposits of SEK620.85 billion.

Provider
DnB Markets
DnB Markets

DNB Markets is the investment banking arm of DNB Bank ASA and is focused primarily on the Nordic region, as well as internationally on niches such as global shipping, energy and related services, and seafood. DNB Markets offers services in FICC, Equities and Investment Banking advisory from offices in Oslo, Stockholm, London, Singapore and New York. Equity research coverage is offered on c250 Nordic companies. DNB was ranked no.2 in Extel Nordic Research 2017. The DNB Markets’ Credit and FICC Macro & FX Research teams are repeatedly highly rated by Prospera Nordic Institutional Investor Surveys.

 

Analysts
Nicolas McBeath

ResearchPool Subscriptions

Get the most out of your insights

Get in touch