Antonio Ramirez

Spain Said to Partly Nationalize BFA-Bankia, Tighten Provisions

Spain plans to partly nationalize BFA- Bankia group as Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy tries to restore investor confidence with his second overhaul of lenders in three months, a government official said.

Bankia Shake-Up No Spain Panacea Without Action on Assets

Bailing out Bankia again after replacing top management may not be sufficient to persuade investors that Spain is doing enough to repair a banking system burdened by bad loans and real estate.

Spain’s Surging Bad Loans Cast New Doubts on Bank Cleanup

Spain’s surging bad loans are spurring doubt on whether the government can persuade investors that it can clean up the country’s banks without further damaging public finances.

Deposit Flight at European Banks Means Risk Piling Up at ECB

European banks are losing deposits as savers and money funds spooked by the region’s debt crisis search for havens, a trend that could worsen economic and financial conditions.

Spain Foreclosures Stymied by Nun Make Debt Investors Skittish: Mortgages

Sister Inmaculada Torano, a 47-year- old Spanish nun, stepped in to negotiate when Bankia SA tried to repossess the home of a student at the school where she works over missed mortgage payments.

Portuguese Banks May Report 2011 Losses on Higher Impairments

Portuguese lenders Banco Comercial Portugues SA, Banco Espirito Santo SA and Banco BPI SA may report losses for 2011 after an increase in impairments related to pension liabilities, Greek bonds and bad loans.

Santander to Buy KBC’s Kredyt Bank to Boost Polish Business

Banco Santander SA, Spain’s biggest lender, agreed to buy KBC Groep NV’s Kredyt Bank and combine it with its Polish division to create the country’s third-biggest lender valued at about 5 billion euros ($6.7 billion).

Sabadell Purchases CAM for 1 Euro as Spanish Banks Pay for Caja’s Rescue

Banco Sabadell SA agreed to acquire stricken Spanish lender Caja de Ahorros del Mediterraneo for one euro in a deal financed and guaranteed by Spain’s commercial lenders to shield the national budget from losses.

Spanish Banks' Surging Debt Costs Spur Doubt on Ability to Sustain Profit

Spanish banks have more than 30 billion euros ($39 billion) in debt coming due in the next four months. That’s spurring investor doubt on their future profitability as higher financing costs eat into margins.

Spain’s Cabinet Approves Steps to Counter Bank Deposit War

Spain’s cabinet approved new rules to limit what regulators see as over-aggressive competition among banks to attract customer deposits.

"The conclusion is that it's positive to have higher loss recognition for real estate, but this is still not enough for the bears."

- Antonio Ramirez on May 14, 2012

Spain

London

Madrid

European Central Bank

S&P 500 Swings Between Gains, Losses Amid Greece Woes

Apple Said to Plan Thinner Mac Laptops With Intel Chips

Greek President Proposes Government of Non-Politicians

JPMorgan Said to Consider Clawing Back Bonuses After Loss

LightSquared Files Bankruptcy After Network Blocked