Are banks in the euro zone or in France selling below cost?
A bank that sells below cost uses interest rates on the loans it grants that do not cover its costs (which include the funding cost and the cost of risk, i.e. the premium needed to cover borrower defaults). In the rest of the economy, it is not allowed to sell below cost (by companies, by retailers). As regards euro-zone and French banks, we are seeing : Selling without margin in the euro zone; Selling below cost in France. This obviously worries investors.