Shifting momentum Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets Deleveraging Europe H1 2017 Financial Advisory Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets Contents
Introduction 01 Market overview 03 European NPLs – The clash of politics and the markets 09 David Edmonds Andrew Orr Italy 13 Global Head of PLAS Partner & UK Head United Kingdom & Ireland 16 Spain & Portugal 20 Germany & Netherlands 25 Greece & Cyprus 29 Will Newton David Lane Austria & CEE 31 Partner & Head of Partner Strategic Advisory France 34 Nordics 36 Emerging markets 37 China 38 Benjamin Collet Indonesia 38 Partner Thailand 39 India 39 Middle East 40 Brazil 41 Deloitte Portfolio Lead Advisory Services 42 Contacts 43 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets Introduction
The European loan portfolio market had a slow start in the first half of 2017 compared to the same period last year, as sellers and investors pushed deals into the second half of the year. But with a large number of ongoing deals still in the pipeline for the second half, the total market for 2017 is currently set to exceed the record deal making of the previous two years when over €100 billion of deals were concluded.
The pipeline is busy Regulatory influence Headline facts and figures At the mid-year point €42 billion of One element that has tempered the A tivity by year bn deals had been completed in Europe pace of deals in 2017 has been the heavy (compared to €45 billion last year) with regulatory load on potential NPL sellers in 2014 €82.9 €82.9 another €3 billion in emerging markets, and 2017. They are dealing with the European 2015 €104.3 €104.3 €87 billion of deals were ongoing. The only Central Bank’s new guidelines on NPL market that has currently outperformed recognition and disposal strategy, the 2016 €103.3 €103.3 last year is the UK, where the forthcoming adoption of IFRS 9 standards 2017 €42.0 €86.5 €20.2 billion of completed sales is which will push banks towards a more €128.5 accounted for almost entirely by a single forward-looking and rigorous approach to Completed Ongoing sale of a residential mortgage portfolio loss provision, and the European Banking from the UK wind-down institution UKAR. Authority’s 2017 Transparency Exercise, Number of ompleted deals H1 2017 The rate of deal completions in Ireland, which draws data from all significant the Netherlands and Germany has been eurozone banks on current NPL exposure. modest given the strong momentum built The first two of these regulatory changes 7 12 12 1 2 up in 2016, while Spain and Italy – the have created a heavy workload for banks. 1 3 busiest markets in Europe last year – has They have had to hire new staff and 2 18 seen €4.7 billion and €9.3 billion of deals create new divisions to identify NPLs in 15 completed respectively by mid-2017 considerable granular detail, and to report (excluding the €26.1 billion loan portfolio back to the ECB on exposures and disposal that was transferred to Intesa as part of its strategies. In some cases, they have simply Italy Spain Austria & CEE Portugal acquisition of Banco Popolare di Vicenza been too busy to sell. Germany Netherlands Ireland and Veneto Banca). With a total of €75 UK France Emerging markets billion in ongoing deals these two markets have busy times ahead. Data as of 30 June 2017
01 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
But these regulatory initiatives are positive however sourcing and delivering data “We continue to believe for the market. Unaddressed NPLs in high on these loans remains a challenge for NPL-ratio economies such as Portugal, some sellers. Markets are considering that it will take five or Greece and Cyprus are likely to come to securitisation funding for some loan more years of bank market. Markets that have paused in early sales both in the performing and non- 2017 are likely to see many more deals than performing categories, something which restructuring and risk in the past, like Ireland. we take as a sign of returning broad reduction before the confidence and a lack of product and yield Emerging markets in traditional ABS markets. Securitisation demands of regulators As the European portfolio market evolves is attractive because of its ability to spread and the capital resources and matures the focus of investors risk, and to appeal to a wider range of gradually widens to include markets in potential buyers which enlarges the of banks reach a point of the east. In several western European funding base of distressed debt market. equilibrium.” economies such as the UK, Ireland and the Its success is largely dependent on good Netherlands, the large distressed portfolio quality data being available. trades have already taken place, but more deals are yet to come. Investor appetite So while the European loan portfolio for portfolio trades remains exceptionally market is changing, it also still has some high – the stock of dry powder in distressed considerable way to run. We continue to debt buyout funds combined with leverage believe that it will take five or more years means that in Europe there is c. €300 of bank restructuring and risk reduction billion waiting to be deployed – but the before the demands of regulators and the search for greater risk adjusted returns capital resources of banks reach a point continues. There has been an increase in of equilibrium. Meanwhile the European emerging NPL markets such as India, China, Banking Authority estimated in its last Thailand, Indonesia and Brazil. eurozone ‘Transparency Exercise’ that there are just over €1 trillion of NPLs still on The market matures banks’ books in the eurozone; we estimate The market continues to mature in other that when non-eurozone and non-core ways. In most markets loan sales have assets are included in the total there is already moved from unsecured loans to around €2 trillion in European loans that more difficult-to-price secured assets, could come to market. This is despite the often SME and corporate loans. Banks and many years of deleveraging we have seen buyers are getting better at understanding to date. There are busy years ahead. what is required to accurately price loans,
02 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets Market overview
Deloitte prediction: Italy will be the busiest market in Europe for the second year running. New European markets that have not seen much activity in the recent past will now emerge, especially Portugal and Greece where momentum for significant deleveraging is building. Overall volumes in Europe are likely to exceed the record years of 2015 and 2016.
The UK market has begun to A securitised market is also emerging Deal flow fell in theNetherlands recover from the pause induced in Ireland, with various Residential although that mainly reflects the very by the Brexit vote in mid-2016; Mortgage Backed Securities placed large sale of the Propertize loan book in already this year we have seen a €19 billion in the last 12 months. 2016. Nevertheless Rabobank, its sale of a mortgage portfolio from UK Asset subsidiary FGH Bank and Propertize all Resolution (UKAR). Future mortgage Deals in Germany this year are likely to have loan sales under negotiation in the portfolios from UKAR are likely and be c. €3 billion, less than the completed second half of 2017. Rabobank in challenger banks continue to be significant deals of €10 billion in 2016. Nevertheless particular is likely to sell more portfolios players in the UK market, but overall the regulatory pressure from the ECB will as part of its plan to remove €150 billion UK deal flow is likely to continue to be likely start to prompt more deals, as in non-core assets from its balance dominated by residential assets. German banks held €67 billion in NPLs sheet by 2020. Alternative assets such as student loans according to last year’s EBA data, and the and Public Finance Initiative (PFI) loans two German ‘bad banks’ EAA and Activity in France is expected to rise. may begin to appear as well as potential FMS-WM also hold around €130 billion in Banks are gradually moving from their sales from other Ireland based lenders. non-core assets, with mandates to wind preferred model of internal workouts for down these portfolios by 2027 and 2020 secured NPLs to sales of portfolios such Irish sales have been c. €1 billion in 2017 respectively. It remains the case that as residential mortgages. Investors are to date. But the beginning of the seller price expectations are higher in also committing more resources to the re-privatisation of Allied Irish Banks, one Germany than elsewhere in Europe. French market. Despite a relatively low of the pillar banks nationalised at the height of the financial crisis, is likely to “The float of AIB could trigger substantial sales of create a new deal flow as well as potential sales from other Ireland based lenders. residential and corporate loan portfolios in Ireland, The float of AIB could trigger substantial while the UK market is likely to be continue to be sales of residential and corporate loan portfolios (AIB holds €16 billion in NPLs). dominated by residential assets.”
03 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
NPL ratio the large size of the financial “The takeover of Banco Popular by Santander in a market means that the potential NPL deal flow could also be large. The adoption of previously unseen process supervised by the EU's IFRS 9 is also pushing banks towards a Single Resolution Board means that Santander now has better recognition that their NPL holdings are a practical and strategic burden, and over €50 billion of NPLs to deal with.” we expect a rise in deal making over several years. The fall in deal making in and a steady flow of improvements to the least 20 portfolio deals currently under Spain which has the third largest stock of legal and recovery environment is negotiation. All these deals are CEE deals; NPLs in Europe does not fully reflect the building confidence in a market that is although several involve Austrian banks pace of underlying activity in the market. becoming more efficient at processing there have been no sales of Austrian €4.7 billion of deals were completed in large, complex deals. assets. Significantly Raiffeisen, the the first half compared to €6.2 billion in Austrian cooperative banking group H1 2016; however, the takeover of Banco A deal pipeline is now established in which has the largest unaddressed NPL Popular by Santander in a previously Portugal – over €2 billion of deals were stock of all Austrian banks has begun unseen process supervised by the EU’s completed last year, with roughly the to sell. Single Resolution Board means that same either completed or ongoing this Santander now has €53.2 billion of NPLs year. There is also a prospect of two very Investors have been waiting a long time to deal with. Santander has already significant changes to the market, with the for the Greek NPL market to take off; initiated the sale process of a 51% stake in likely sale of Novo Banco (the ‘good bank’ there are now signs that is happening. an SPV that would house approximately successor to Banco Espirito Santo which Greek banks have already disposed of €30 billion of NPLs and REOs. has Portugal’s largest NPL stock at €12.8 most of their non-Greek assets in Central billion) to Lone Star, and the possibility the and Eastern Europe and portfolio sales in Although the rate of completed creation of a ‘bad bank’ solution to some Greece are beginning. There have also transactions in Italy fell in the first half of of Portugal’s outstanding stock of NPLs. been improvements in the market 2017, the second half of 2017 is set to These two developments together would environment, with reforms that make it correct that: with €9.3 billion of deals effectively restructure the Portuguese NPL easier to obtain NPL management completed and over €44 billion of deals market, with large deals to follow. licenses, and that reduce the personal ongoing, Italy is again set to be the most liability of banking executives over NPL active market for distressed debt in Austria/CEE is another market where a disposals (previously a powerful Europe. The bailout of troubled bank fall in the number of completed deals in disincentive for banks clearing their NPL Monte Paschi di Siena (MPS) and the the first half of 2017 (sharply down on books). However, the Cyprus market insolvency of Banco Popolare di Vicenza 2016 at only €600 million) is deceptive. remains largely untested, despite having and Veneto Banca will help the deal flow, The market is in fact quite active with at the highest NPL ratio in Europe and a
04 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
banking sector that holds €21.3 billion of portfolio sale so far in 2017, reflecting to review their lending portfolios and non-performing assets: this year has Nordic banks’ preference for internal bring to market assets that no longer fit seen only two transactions. The Nordic work-outs of distressed loans. their core business strategies. region remains a peripheral market both Nevertheless we consider that continued As European loan portfolio markets in terms of NPL holdings and portfolio regulatory pressure on NPL resolution mature, investor interest is moving to deals. There has been only one small and capital adequacy could drive banks emerging markets. In China the volumes
Securitisation is back Securitisation of assets such as real estate loans earned itself The PE investors who bought these portfolios have been able a bad name in the wake of the financial crisis. Today both to enhance their returns through the use of the securitisation sellers and buyers are older and wiser, and securitisations – financing. Lone Star and Oaktree have been active issuers mainly in the form of Residential Mortgage Backed Securities in Ireland and have securitised a number of performing and or RMBSs – are back. Last year over €36 billion in European non-performing loan portfolios recently. RMBSs were placed, with big deals in the UK, Ireland, Italy and Spain, compared against €27.5 billion placed in 2015, €26.9 For bank sellers there is another attraction: it is quite likely billion in 2014 and €21.2 billion in 2013. that the capital requirements regulation likely to form part of the forthcoming Basel IV regulations will allow banks to The increase in the volume in recent times is mostly reduce their capital ratios where they can show risk reduction represented by the securitisation of crisis era mortgages through securitisation. bought by the PE houses from the struggling financial institutions. The securitised share of NPL trading may be small compared to its 2006 height when over €254 billion in real estate For issuers, whether they are the loan originating banks or asset-backed securities were placed, but it is growing. The specialist investors who have bought the loans, financing availability of cheap financing from the ECB and BoE will play a has been made easier as RMBS spreads have narrowed pivotal role in the future shape of the RMBS market. As the tap significantly over the last year. The yield compression has not of cheap financing is turned off, there is a likelihood that more only been witnessed in the core European markets but also securitisations will come to market. in the peripheral markets such as Spain, Ireland and Italy. The mortgage backed bonds also attract a wider investor market Breaking news: The recent change in securitisation law bans than unstructured NPL portfolios, bringing institutions like the self-certified loans from being included in the securitised pension funds and insurers to the table who are attracted by pools. This would disqualify a high percentage of legacy loans the opportunities for a balanced spread of risk and return. from being securitised after 1 January 2019. Whilst such loans can be securitised now, these will be caught under the ban when refinanced post 1 January 2019.
05 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
of NPLs and Special Mention Loans (SML) investors are now applying for licenses to "As European loan are such that it is a market that cannot be start asset recovery platforms, and the ignored. Sales to foreign investors have legal environment for recovery has portfolio markets mature, picked up pack H2 2016 and continued been improving. investor interest is moving into 2017. Government initiatives around NPL securitisation contribute to the We consider that the Gulf Cooperation to emerging markets such sentiment of a market starting to welcome Council countries (GCC) represent the as China, South East Asia, back foreign capital. Deal flow is expected possibility of a market in the Middle East. to increase significantly over the next 18 Although portfolio sales have yet to India, Middle East and months. emerge, the consolidation of this Brazil." over-banked market is already underway, In Indonesia NPL growth has also been and may well lead to loan sales accelerating over the last three years; to opportunities. Regional banks have also date the market has been struggling with been under increasing pressure from matching bid ask spreads, but the regulators to adopt stricter asset quality adoption of IFRS 9 is likely to increase NPL approaches as the deadline for IFRS 9 recognition and encourage disposal adoption approaches. strategies. One more NPL market that will emerge Thailand has a historically active NPL over the next few years is Brazil, where market; portfolios have been getting banks are moving from internal larger and institutional investors have work-outs of distressed loans towards started to acquire or establish licensed portfolio sales. Although Brazilian banks platforms in preparation for future loan are well capitalised the volume of NPLs trades. And in India, recognised stressed generated by three years of deep assets have approximately doubled from recession is too great for the banking 2013 levels to an estimated US$150 billion system to absorb without specialised in 2016, thanks to regulatory pressure investor participation. We expect this NPL from the central bank. International market to grow rapidly.
06 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
A tivity by ountry bn
Italy €17.3 €36.0 €9.3 €43.5 UK €40.3 €13.0 €20.2 Spain €14.0 €13.3 €3.7 €32.3 Ireland €22.9 €13.0 Netherlands €2.2 €11.8 Germany €5.3 €7.5 Austria & CEE €2.1 €6.4 €3.8 Portugal €1.6 Greece €3.3 Nordics Cyprus Frontier markets €3.2 France
2015 2016 2017 Ongoing
A tivity by asset type bn
€69.9
€1.3 €2.4 €4.3
€21.6 €24.0
€7.8 €5.1 €9.5 €1.5 €5.5 €4.3 €24.6 €2.4 €2.7 €2.4 €33.3 €4.3 €34.9 €4.0 €1.0 €6.5 €22.8 €4.2 €0.2 €0.4 €5.6 €9.9 €7.8 €8.6 €0.4 €0.4 €4.0 €6.4 Mixed Residental Corporate CRE €10.9 Consumer€7.6 Other REO RED Asset Finance 2015 2016 2017 Ongoing Note: All data as of 30 June 2017
07 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
Top buyers 2015 - H1 2017 bn
€0.6
€9.1
€32.4
€16.7 €0.3 €0.7 €0.5 €13.5 €6.0 €0.8 €2.5 €6.2 €2.5 €1.7 €7.8 €8.6 €2.4 €0.4 €5.4 €5.8 €5.5 €3.1 €2.4 €3.0 €2.7
Cerberus Blackstone Fortress Lone Star Oaktree Deutsche Goldman Lloyds Banca CarVal Bank Sachs Banking Group IFIS
2015 2016 H1 2017
Top sellers 2015 - H1 2017 bn
€19.1 €1.1
€10.2 €20.7 €0.5 €17.9 €3.2 €3.1 €12.9 €2.0 €11.3 €2.1 €7.2 €8.6 €6.2 €5.5 €5.0 €3.3 €5.5 €1.0 UKAR UniCredit NAMA GE RBS Bank of Permanent HSH Intesa Propertize Capital America TSB Nordbank 2015 2016 H1 2017
Note: Data as of 30 June 2017 and based on GBV
08 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets European NPLs – The clash of politics and the markets
Conflicting views One interesting recent publication, the increase and, if so, are some of the The last two years have seen a ECBs Financial Stability Review published proposals being made workable flurry of political and in May 2017 (“ECB FSR”) contained various in practice? supervisory activity focused on tackling proposals designed to support NPL the overhang of NPLs in the European securitisation and true sale markets using Have the actions supported market which, some ten years after the the provision of State-supported funding market development? initial onset of the crisis, have remained as a tool to enhance pricing. What is more To look at this in detail, we should first stubbornly high at around the €1 trillion important, however, about this document consider the key attributes required for mark. This wave of activity started after is the persistent theme that in many ways successful market development. Firstly, the completion of the 2014 the market as it currently stands is failing the need for relative macro-economic Comprehensive Assessment with the in its role of providing a conduit for the and political stability: this does not have formation of the ECBs High Level Group on banks to reduce NPL levels, for example to be perfect but the situation does need NPLs in July 2015, followed by the “A comprehensive range of policy options to be sufficiently stable to allow risks to publication of the IMF Staff Discussion may have to be pursued to tackle large be understood and priced accordingly. Note on a strategy for resolving European stocks of NPLs and to address the Secondly, the question arises as to NPLs in September that year. Since then, attendant market failures1”. whether the market really exists: are we have seen a series of initiatives, there committed sellers and a visible speeches, alternative working groups (at This theme of market failure seems pipeline; is the size, scale and duration of both political and supervisory levels) and, now to be embedded in the thinking of the opportunity sufficiently attractive and of course, the publication of the ECBs final policy makers, hence the European does the capital available allow sellers to guidance to banks on non-performing Council's action plan, and yet, at the same have realistic price expectations? Thirdly, loans (“NPL Guidance”) in March this year time, as our latest deleveraging report is there a supportive, realistic and followed by, just prior to publication, the shows, record levels of NPL and non-core effective legal (the effectiveness of both European Council’s conclusions on an assets are being sold, countries like Italy relevant law and the court systems), tax, action plan to tackle NPLs in Europe, all of have gone from zero to a market-leading regulatory and accounting framework in which have sought to find, in one form or position over the last 3 years, and place? And, finally, is it possible for another, solutions for resolving the investors have record amounts of cash to investors to make sufficient money from problem and, in so doing, help to stimulate deploy in the sector when factoring in an investment, in turn dependent on lending to the wider economy. leverage. So are policy-makers correct in whether a liquid market exists for the their view that public initiatives are underlying security; whether servicing required if the volumes traded are to skills are available or can be created; and
1 Emphasis Added 09 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
“Providing the SSM priority banks, to produce a detailed, remains the case that pressure continues quantitatively-led strategy and to be required to force further change. It applies pressure, we operational plan do not seem to have is also the case that little visibility exists should start to see the caused major headaches. However, initial on the extent to which this pressure is indications from the SSM are that it will being applied and, even when it results in impact of increased insist on a significant level of granularity changes, it may take many months or deal flow on the to underpin this work and that, over a even years before sufficient precedent period, the JSTs will force banks to exists for banks or investors to trust markets in 2018.” develop the level of detail required and, the workings of the new law or regime thereafter, to deliver upon the enacted. deleveraging targets agreed. Providing, whether debt leverage is available to the SSM follows through with this When it comes to the issues of making enhance returns. It is these key criteria pressure, we should start to see the money, the ability to value real estate that determine the relative attractiveness impact of increased deal flow on the with relative certainty is critical and of markets, and/or whether a market markets in 2018 and this should be deal continues to create issues where these takes off at all, and so it is against these flow that is supported by robust markets function at sub-optimal levels; that recent initiatives should be strategies providing the visibility required Greece and Cyprus remain classic benchmarked. over pipelines. The European Council’s examples of this. The lack of servicing
proposals to spread ECB-style guidance capability has often been cited by the The question of macro-political and to all EU banks in due course can only authorities as a major barrier to economic stability lies outside the scope further support this. successful market development but this of this Deleveraging Report. Thereafter, is an area where history shows that the top of the discussion lists over recent Whilst the NPL Guidance forms a major market will always create capacity where months has been the introduction of the part of the required transformation of the underlying demand exists. We saw it NPL Guidance. Put simply, this document the regulatory system, market-friendly in Ireland and in Spain, and we are now represents the most detailed manual yet enhancements to the legal and tax seeing it in Italy and Greece despite the published on how banks should steer the frameworks remain patchy. Progress in teething issues in the time to issue management of their NPL portfolios. many countries has been positive and we licences in the latter market. To that end, Whilst the Guidance applies to all have seen the benefits of this in several the European Council’s proposal’s to significant banks it is designed to be major European jurisdictions such as consider the simplification and proportionate in nature and the focus for Ireland, Spain and Italy. However, a harmonisation of future licensing can the JSTs will be on those institutions with jurisdiction will always be impacted by only be a good thing. above average NPL levels. To date, the the weakest link in the system and it requirements in the Guidance for high
10 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
The availability of debt leverage at low interest rate and profitability Other than this specific impact, which relatively high levels and low rates environment, have forced banks to may result in a larger universe of loans remains a significant driver of the high continue to ration whatever new capital being designated non-core and, prices being paid by investors in the more is raised and that more will be required therefore, potentially available for sale, mature markets. However, there are still before those log-jams that exist can the more interesting question is whether not that many providers and lenders be removed. many banks will be forced to raise remain nervous of markets where there additional capital to offset the impact of is less experience. For newer markets, Linked to this, a lot of speculation exists IFRS 9 and, in so doing, with the spectre such as Greece, the question arises over on the impact of the introduction of of the NPL Guidance in their rear-view whether the JSTs will allow vendor finance IFRS 9 on NPL markets. In reality, it is mirror, whether they also take the packages to be provided where banks can likely to have a relatively low impact on opportunity to bridge further the gap to demonstrate that they have the core NPLs since their treatment under the market prices on their NPL stock. appropriate risk management new regime will be relatively similar. infrastructure in place. The set of Where the impact will be significant is on Certain other initiatives have also been proposed alternatives to the provision of the bucket of underperforming loans proposed including a European bad bank, vendor finance contained in the ECB FSR, whose performance has deteriorated new individual country-specific bad banks whilst laudable in their aims, are likely to materially since origination and where and a common platform for the be difficult to make work in practice as the calculation of lifetime expected losses submission of standardised NPL data. the relatively low level of successfully is likely to lead to much higher These are worth brief comments. completed transactions utilising the GACS provisioning levels than today, i.e. book Centralised bad banks have proved useful structure in Italy have shown. value for these loans will be much closer tools historically especially in Asia and in to market value. Europe for the early adopters. However, Finally, there is the issue of capital sufficiency which remains the biggest driver of whether or not a bank has the capability to become a “willing seller”. Whilst the Comprehensive Assessment went a long way to increasing the transparency over NPLs and in forcing “The introduction of IFRS 9 will have a significant banks to raise more capital, it is clear that impact on the bucket of underperforming loans. the costs of litigation and the huge regulatory changes that continue to The new calculation is likely to lead to much higher pressurise the sector, combined with the provisioning levels.”
11 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
they are expensive and operationally can be solved then this will further ones: insufficient capital in many parts of complex to establish and typically take support the market. Whilst this is true, it the sector and, on a more focused basis, two years to start delivering according to is also true that the ability to provide the effectiveness of the legal framework their mandate. So to push forward with a complete, accurate and relevant data and problematic real estate markets in central bad bank, there has to be a clear always lies in the hands of a selling bank certain countries. The twin combination underlying rationale for why recoveries and that, with the right advice and a lot of of the NPL Guidance, if strictly enforced, will be enhanced through the structure hard work, all banks should be capable of and IFRS 9 should help to support further versus the status quo. Combining loans producing appropriate data to maximise capacity-building but further work must from different European jurisdictions the value in a sale; this is why, be done by Governments to remove the does not appear to offer this and with appropriate data does not appear in our remaining obstacles to recovery establishing country-specific bad banks list of essential market requirements. It is optimisation; the European Council’s currently highly problematic as a result of also true that the potential success of this latest announcement is to be broadly State Aid, it appears as though this tool is initiative is highly dependent on the welcomed in this regard albeit that now part of history for the European banks being required to put in place several of the initiatives will not be fully sector unless the European Council’s robust processes to capture and update developed until 2018. We are ten years latest plans to develop an AMC blueprint the information into the crisis but, against this back-drop, somehow manage to overcome this on a regular basis, including that sourced it remains in the balance as to whether obstacle. from paper-based records. Time will tell we are only half way through resolving whether this initiative creates value add this issue. The initiative to enhance NPL data is or not to NPL markets. However, it is more interesting. The EBA will be at the interesting to note that any such data forefront of these developments which produced would prove invaluable to the will include not only the development of Single Resolution Board if required to standardised NPL templates for data value a submitting bank in a resolution or submission but also an attempt to utilise pre-resolution scenario. this data to create some form of more automated trading in NPLs create some Conclusions form of more automated trading in NPLs So, in conclusion, our view is that the through the establishment of transaction market does function and it functions platforms. The initiative is based on the well. Cash is available and investors premise that poor data is impacting the remain keen. Whilst barriers remain to bid/ask spread through the establishment optimising market effectiveness, the of transaction platforms and that if this most significant remain the fundamental
12 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets Italy
The most active European loan sale market “Italy remains a loan portfolio market that is maintaining last year with €36 billion in completed deals, Italy is still on track to match or even outdo momentum. Pricing has become much more realistic, that performance in 2017. Although the and as a result deals are being done faster.” rate of completed transactions fell in the first half of 2017, the pace of negotiation The NPL market is deep year brought legal reforms designed to below the line is hectic: with over €9 billion and wide speed the asset recovery process, with of deals completed and over €44 billion of According to the latest EBA more flexible management of real estate deals ongoing, Italy is this year likely to be data Italy’s large banks have €271 billion auctions by courts, and limitations on the the most active market for distressed debt of NPLs outstanding giving it the highest power of borrowers to delay recoveries. in Europe. The largest deal is the sale of a overall NPL ratio of the big five European This year has seen legislation allowing the mixed portfolio of NPLs by the troubled economies, at 15%. So far this year the securitisation of real estate leasing assets. bank Monte Paschi di Siena (MPS) with a market has seen large portfolio sales from The introduction of state guarantees on nominal value of ca. €26.1 billion, which was Intesa (a €2.1 billion corporate loan package NPL securitisation, the so called ‘GACs’ backed by the Italian state through GACS. sold to Christofferson Robb & Company (Garanzia Cartolarizzazione Sofferenze) has Resolution of this issue has removed one of together with Bayview) and a €700 million so far had a limited effect on the the key uncertainties in the Italian market – CRE package acquired by Algebris from market. MPS has the third largest single-bank NPL Banco BPM. The hybrid bank/distressed stock in Italy (after UniCredit and Intesa) at debt specialist Banca IFIS has also been Bigger, and more complex over €45 billion. an active investor buying corporate and Nevertheless, Italy remains a loan portfolio consumer debt from Deutsche Bank, market that is maintaining momentum. Additional NPL sales from recapitalised Santander and BNL, among others. But Pricing has become much more realistic troubled banks are possible as Banco ongoing sales likely to complete in the over the last 18 months, and as a result Popolare di Vicenza (BPVi) and Veneto second half of 2017 will dwarf sales so far. deals are being done faster. Investors have Banca enter insolvency. Intesa Sanpaolo The MPS NPL package is the largest, but become more confident in the potential acquired the ‘good bank’ including some there are also large consumer, mixed and return from recovery processes, recovery €26 billion in performing loans. The CRE sales in negotiation – the largest of strategies have become more efficient, ‘bad bank’ will be liquidated with the these is a multi-bank sale of mixed assets and sellers are achieving higher prices. government hoping to recoup funds spent with a nominal value of €8.5 billion. Portfolios are also getting more complex in the liquidation by recovering the bad – ongoing sales in the second half of 2017 loans. Between them BPVi and Veneto The scale of these completed and ongoing include more mixed packages, and they Banca have over €17 billion in unaddressed sales reflects the fact that Italy continues are also becoming larger in terms of the NPLs. These are potential deals that could to be very committed to resolving Europe’s underlying loans, making documentation drive the market in 2018 and beyond. largest national NPL challenge. Last and diligence an easier process.
13 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
Italy a tivity by year bn Italy top buyers bn
2014 €3.7
2015 €17.3
2016 €36.0
€2.5 €2.5 €9.3 €43.5 2017 €2.1
Completed Ongoing €0.7
€0.6 Italy a tivity by asset lass bn Atlante II Banca IFIS Christofferson, Algebris Hoist Finance Robb &Co.
Mixed €19.5 €2.4 €37.8 €19.1
€2.1 Consumer €8.6 €2.2 Italy top sellers bn
€1.2
Corporate €1.5
€3.9 Other €0.8
€2.4
CRE €3.3 €2.5 €2.1
€0.3 Residential €0.3 €1.3 €1.0
€0.6 €0.5
Intesa Banco BPM Banca Nazionale Deutsche Bank UniCredit 2016 2017 Ongoing del Lavoro (BNL)
14 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
Italy a tivity by year bn Italy top buyers bn
Italy completed transactions Italy ongoing transactions 2014 €3.7
Project name Date Asset Buyer Seller Size Project name Asset type Seller Size (€m) type (€m) 2015 €17.3 Confidential Mixed CARIGE 1,500 Confidential Jan-17 Corporate Banca IFIS BNL 650 Confidential Jan-17 CRE Banca IFIS BNL 350 Confidential Mixed Monte Paschi di Siena 27,000 2016 €36.0 Project Dante Jan-17 Corporate Anacap Barclays Project Botticelli Residential Erste 340 €2.5 €2.5 177 Confidential CRE Cassa Centropadana 170 €9.3 €43.5 Confidential Feb-17 Corporate Hoist Finance Banco BPM 641 2017 €2.1 Confidential Mar-17 CRE Confidential CreVal 50 Completed Ongoing Confidential Mixed Carichieti, Banca 8,500 €0.7 Confidential Mar-17 Consumer Banca IFIS Deutsche Bank 413 Etruria, CR Ferrara, Banca Marche Confidential Mar-17 Consumer Banca IFIS Santander 160 €0.6 Project Buonconsiglio Mixed Cassa Centrale Banca 780 Confidential Apr-17 Consumer Banca IFIS Confidential 302 Italy a tivity by asset lass bn Atlante II Banca IFIS Christofferson, Algebris Hoist Finance Confidential Apr-17 Consumer Banca IFIS Confidential 112 Robb &Co. Project Beyond May-17 Corporate Christofferson, Intesa 2,100 Project Terzo Other Hypo Alpe Adria 750 the Clouds Robb & Co. Mixed €19.5 €2.4 €37.8 €19.1 Project Arcade Consumer Gruppo Delta 2,200 Confidential May-17 CRE Atlante II Banca Marche, 2,200 Project REP CRE Intesa 1,300 €2.1 Banca Etruria, Project Rossini CRE REV Gestione Crediti 1,000 Consumer €8.6 €2.2 Italy top sellers bn Carichieti Project Jun-17 CRE Algebris Banco BPM 693 €1.2 Rainbow Total 43,540 Corporate €1.5 Project Jun-17 Consumer Banca IFIS Barclays 190 Manzoni €3.9 Confidential Jun-17 Consumer Kruk Deutsche Bank 132 Other €0.8 Confidential Jun-17 Consumer MB Credit UniCredit 450 €2.4 Solutions Confidential Jun-17 Consumer Banca IFIS Findomestica 321 CRE €3.3 €2.5 €2.1 Banca €0.3 Confidential Jun-17 Consumer Banca IFIS Consel 17 €1.3 Residential €0.3 Confidential Jun-17 Consumer Atlante II Cariferrara 343 €1.0 Total 9,301 €0.6 €0.5 Note: Data correct as of 30 June 2017 Intesa Banco BPM Banca Nazionale Deutsche Bank UniCredit 2016 2017 Ongoing del Lavoro (BNL)
15 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
United Kingdom and Ireland
UK quality largely performing residential loans. “The UK market is moving The UK is in the final phase of its post-crisis Lower quality assets will probably follow deleveraging journey. Most significant non- in 2018. towards more non-core performing holdings have been sold – the performing and sub- market is now moving towards more non- Other deals are also in the pipeline. RBS core performing and sub-performing deals, disposed of a shipping book last year to performing deals, and is and sales of new classes of assets. the Japanese bank, Orix, and may consider likely to see portfolios of further disposals in the second half of 2017. A late-phase market The Nationwide Building Society is closing alternative asset classes Although loan sales in the first down its commercial mortgage business come to market.“ half of 2017 have been higher in and may consider a sale of legacy loans to face value than for all of 2016, the €20.5 accelerate the wind-down. Ireland billion total is almost entirely accounted After three strong years that saw €63 billion for by a single residential portfolio, part Alternative assets to follow of mainly corporate and CRE loans sold of the mortgage books of the Bradford The UK is likely to see alternative to private investors, the loan market has & Bingley building society and Northern portfolios come to market. currently reached less than €1 billion worth Rock, sold by UK Asset Resolution (UKAR) The government is considering the sale of completed deals in 2017. Ongoing sales as Project Rippon to Prudential Capital and of student loan books of €13.6 billion from Danske Bank (Danske Bank is looking Blackstone. There have been other small and Public Finance Initiative loans may to sell more than €2 billion of residential residential sales as well, with the Project also come to the market. And whilst a and buy-to-let mortgages), NAMA and Morag €269 million portfolio from Skipton slightly different asset class, there is also potential sales from AIB could see the Building Society, and a secondary sale of a the possibility of insurance companies market just hit under €10 billion for 2017. €735 million portfolio from Cerberus. This beginning to sell their portfolios of annuity latter portfolio was sold to Metrobank, a backed books. Residential mortgage UK ‘challenger’ bank, and is representative sales to come of the strong interest that challenger banks The UK market has clearly begun to The NPL stock in the Irish banking have in building up their balance sheets recover from the pause induced by the sector stands at around €32.5 billion by buying UK loan assets. Brexit vote in mid-2016; investors are according to the latest EBA data, a third of taking a business-as-usual approach to what it was in 2014, although the NPL ratio Further sales from UKAR are expected; deal making, against a background of remains relatively high at just under 20%. the government-controlled body holds a confidence in the creditor-friendly legal Allied Irish holds €16 billion in NPLs, Bank further €37.8 billion in mortgage loans: we environment, established and predictable of Ireland €10.2 billion, and Permanent expect further transactions in 2017 to be deal processes, and the quality of returns TSB €6.2 billion. Up to now most disposals similar to Project Rippon – that is, good on investment. have been in corporate real estate, with a
16 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
smaller market in other corporate lending. 2018 deadline for IFRS 9 adoption, with “Up to now most disposals The stock of residential property loans is its more forward looking loss accounting now in focus. provisions. have been in CRE lending, with a smaller market in Investors hoped that 2017 would be the Securitisation is growing year when the market for residential loans Irish banks are also likely to turn other corporate lending. would be tested. AIB has completed one increasingly to securitisation The stock of residential residential portfolio, the €450 million approaches to NPL resolution. Residential Project Cypress sold to Goldman Sachs, Mortgage Backed Securities (RMBSs) were property loans has barely with the other loan portfolio openly under common in the Irish market before the been touched.“ negotiation in the second half of 2017 is the financial crisis; after a long period out of €250 million corporate real estate Project favour they are now making a comeback. Lee offered by NAMA, the Irish ‘bad bank’ Mars Capital, an affiliate of Oaktree Capital (NAMA’s assets are not included in the Irish RMBS transactions have been on Management, launched an Irish RMBS deal banking sector totals given above). Several the rise, with €4.4bn issued in 2016 backed by performing mortgages in April other portfolios are rumoured to be either compared to just €0.9bn in 2012. The notes this year. quietly on the market or about to launch. distributed represents €0.4bn of €0.7bn in 2017, compared against €0.8bn of the Such sales come against the background of Investors expect that the AIB flotation will €4.4bn issued in 2016. Irish RMBS spreads a strongly improving Irish property market. trigger substantial sales of residential and on senior AAA notes have also fallen Successful residential portfolio or RMBS SME loans, with portfolios amounting to significantly to 60bps from 140bps sales may encourage Irish lenders to begin €8-9 billion in sales either before or after 12 months ago. to dispose of their residential NPL holdings, the IPO; the bank is currently working on possibly before the end of this year. Buyers a portfolio called Project Redwood which We have noted an increase in RMBS remain in the market in the expectation of has not yet come to market but which issuance from private equity firms who are at least two more years of significant deal could include anything up to €3 billion in capitalising on the cost-effective financing making to come. loans mainly secured on properties in the and term funding available through UK and Northern Ireland. Like other Irish securitisation to finance their portfolio banks AIB is under mounting pressure to acquisitions. review and dispose of NPLs; to the poor performance of Irish banks in the 2016 In the last 8 months, US PE firm Lone European Banking Authority stress tests Star has launched three RMBS deals in there has been added pressure from the Ireland backed by both performing and ECB’s guidelines for NPL disposal and the non-performing mortgages meanwhile
17 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
UK a tivity by year bn Ireland a tivity by year bn
2014 €27.6 2014 €28.0
2015 €40.3 2015 €22.9
€11.8 €11.8
2016 €13.0 2016 €13.0
€0.5
2017 €20.2 €0.3 2017 €0.3 €20.2
Completed Ongoing Completed Ongoing
UK a tivity by asset lass bn Ireland a tivity by asset lass bn
Residential €3.1 €20.2 Residential €10.2 €0.3
Consumer €8.6 Consumer €2.5
€1.2 €0.3 CRE €0.5 CRE €0.3
2016 2017 Ongoing
Mixed €0.2
2016 2017 Ongoing
18 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
UK a tivity by year bn Ireland a tivity by year bn UK completed transactions Ireland completed transactions
Project name Date Asset Buyer Seller Size Project name Date Asset Buyer Seller Size type (€m) type (€m) 2014 €27.6 2014 €28.0 Project Rippon Mar-17 Residential Prudential & UKAR 19,146 Project Cypress Apr-17 Residential Goldman Sachs Allied Irish Bank 450 Blackstone
2015 €40.3 2015 €22.9 Project Morag Apr-17 Residential Confidential Skipton Building 269 Total 450 Society €11.8 €11.8 Confidential Jun-17 Residential Metrobank Cerberus 735
2016 €13.0 2016 €13.0 Ireland ongoing transactions Total 20,150 €0.5 Project name Asset type Seller Size (€m)
2017 €20.2 €0.3 2017 €0.3 €20.2 UK ongoing transactions Project Lee CRE NAMA 250
Total 250 Project name Asset type Seller Size (€m) Completed Ongoing Completed Ongoing Confidential CRE Confidential 300
Total 300
UK a tivity by asset lass bn Ireland a tivity by asset lass bn Note: Data correct as of 30 June 2017
Residential €3.1 €20.2 Residential €10.2 €0.3
Consumer €8.6 Consumer €2.5
€1.2 €0.3 CRE €0.5 CRE €0.3
2016 2017 Ongoing
Mixed €0.2
2016 2017 Ongoing
19 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets Spain and Portugal
Spain performing loans held by banks alone, “Spain continues to have The rate of deal making in Spain continues to with the key potential deterrent being show momentum with more than €6 billion larger bid-ask spreads as the banks look the third largest stock in debt and REO portfolio sales ongoing and to the disposal of more complex asset of NPLs in Europe with completed in the first half of 2017, in line with classes to achieve their wind-down targets. prior years. However, we estimate that in However this will likely be mitigated by over €125 billion in non- investment terms the capital deployed in the Spain’s now large, tested and experienced performing assets held market by investors will increase by one third pool of buyers and servicers and by the compared to the first half of 2016 as real increased provision levels resulting from by banks alone.“ estate secured portfolios become a larger further market consolidation and new ECB portion of the overall traded volume. guidelines. The four largest NPL stocks to dispose of approximately 50% of its are held by Santander with c. €50 billion combined non-performing asset (NPA) New strategies (estimated including the assets acquired book in the next 18 months and most of it The landscape of active sellers from Banco Popular), BBVA (€23.2 billion), in three years. The acquisition is expected continues to be represented by Caixabank (€14.8 billion), Bankia (€11 billion) to result in approximately €7 billion in repeat players with Sabadell, Bankia and and Sabadell (€9.3 billion). additional provisions for the target’s real Caixabank representing more than 40% estate non-core exposures, thus resolving of the divested volume. However, hinting Banco Popular sale is one of the key factors believed to be at shifts in strategy and of things to come, transformative limiting the pace of Popular’s non-core BBVA brought to market one of its largest Banco Popular was bought by deleveraging in the past and allowing for the secured portfolios to date in the form of Santander in June 2017 under a process possibility of a speedier unwinding. In line Project Jaipur and Banco Popular became initiated by the EU’s Single Resolution with this, Santander has recently invited a the most active seller with c. €1bn of sales, Board which was set up to deal with failed limited number of investors to evaluate the almost 20% of the total assets brought to eurozone banks, with shareholders and acquisition of a portfolio of approximately market during the first half of 2017. Yet these junior bondholders entirely wiped out. This €30 billion of NPLs and REOs, through the deal totals do not reflect the fact that the is the first time the Single Resolution Board acquisition of a 51% stake in an SPV that takeover of Banco Popular by Santander is has acted to take over a failing eurozone would house the assets (Banco Santander potentially a game-changer for the Spanish bank, and the speed and effectiveness of would retain the other 41%). The investment loan sales market. what had been an entirely untried process opportunity may also include a 51% stake in has encouraged investors to expect more Aliseda, the servicing platform that Banco We believe this to be a sustained trend as such resolutions and subsequent loan sales. Santander recently repurchased from Varde Spain continues to have the third largest and Kennedy Wilson. If successful, the stock of NPLs in Europe (after Italy and The acquisition was followed by Banco transaction could prove one of the largest France) with over €125 billion in non- Santander announcing that it planned non-core divestments in recent years.
20 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
This follows the announced merger between Portugal government clarified that a global solution Bankia and BMN, a deal which has been The challenges in the Portuguese loan for large corporate syndicated loans should talked about since 2016 when Spain’s state sale market have historically been seller be introduced in the near future, and that resolution fund for banks, FROB, announced commitment, bid-ask spread and lack of a a holistic ‘bad bank’ is not an option at the it was taking the necessary measures to foreseeable deal pipeline. Banks have not moment for Portugal. analyse the reorganisation of the banks in made serious inroads into their NPL stocks which it participates. despite having one of Europe’s highest NPL NPL market outlook ratios at around 15%. As there is now more clarity This is the beginning of further consolidation around NPL policy banks are in the sector. As large Spanish banks have Total NPLs in the Portuguese banking likely to start deleveraging their NPLs in a been divesting and optimising their balance system are €36.8 billion; in addition to the well-defined manner. We expect Caixa Geral sheets for many years we expect that Novo Banco holdings, BCP has €10.2 billion de Depositos (CGD) and Banco Comercial further consolidation in the sector will lead in NPLs while CGD has €11.6 billion. These Portugues (BCP) to become active sellers to a second wave of non-core divestments holdings were largely generated during as both banks have raised capital and as the acquirers follow a similar cleansing Portugal’s long and deep recession following increased provision levels over the last process with their acquisitions. the financial crisis and although SMEs are 24 months, which should bridge a significant the key issue, the total NPL pool is a mixture part of the bid-ask gap and help drive A more homogenous asset mix of consumer, SME, residential, corporate non-core deleveraging plans. The more Spain’s evolving loan sale market and REO. than likely sale of Novo Banco to Lone Star continues to show a consolidation means that the new shareholder will need to in the real estate driven space towards A year of uncertainty deleverage a part of the non-core book, as larger and less granular portfolios. Banks The need to address this sizeable required by the EU. are finding it easier to bring to market more NPL issue has received consistent complex portfolios – a sign of a maturing attention from the Portuguese government This should lead to a strong deal pipeline market – with SME & Corporate secured over the last 12 months. The Portuguese from the second half of 2017 onwards as loans dominating the portfolio mix and loan sale market has been mostly on CGD, BCP and Novo Banco are the top three interested buyers finding an increasing hold in the past year while options were NPL holders in Portugal. Investor interest number, albeit still limited, of specialised considered and while a ‘bad bank’ type in Portugal is high and in position to deploy servicers capable of managing these systemic solution was discussed at a capital provided there is a conducive market types of portfolios. European Union level. This has impacted the environment and foreseeable pipeline. The number of portfolios brought to market so big deals are still to come but for the first far in 2017, which have been mostly small to time in the past several years there seems mid-sized and mainly unsecured and fully to be light at the end of the tunnel. provisioned. In early June, the Portuguese
21 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
Spain a tivity by year bn Portugal a tivity by year bn
2014 €21.9 2014 n/a
2015 €14.0 2015 €1.6
2016 €13.3 2016 €2.3
2017 €4.7 €31.7 2017 €1.4 €0.7
Completed Ongoing Completed Ongoing
Spain a tivity by asset lass bn Portugal a tivity by asset lass bn
RED €19.1 €19.1 €4.7€5.1 €5.1€2.3 €0.5 REO €0.2 €0.4 €2.4
Mixed €3.4 €31.0 €3.4 €31.0 Consumer €1.1 €0.5 €0.4
Consumer €3.0 €1.0 Mixed €0.9 €0.2 €0.1
Residential €0.5 RED €0.6
CRE €0.8 €0.1 Residential €0.4 €0.1
2016 2017 Ongoing REO €0.4 €0.3 €0.2
Corporate €0.6 €0.4 €0.4 €0.2
2016 2017 Ongoing
22 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
Spain a tivity by year bn Portugal a tivity by year bn Spain top buyers bn
2014 €21.9 2014 n/a
2015 €14.0 2015 €1.6
2016 €13.3 2016 €2.3
2017 €4.7 €31.7 2017 €1.4 €0.7 €0.8 Completed Ongoing Completed Ongoing €0.7 €0.6 €0.5 €0.5 Spain a tivity by asset lass bn Portugal a tivity by asset lass bn
Bain Capital Blackstone Cerberus Axactor EOS Spain RED €19.1 €19.1 €4.7€5.1 €5.1€2.3 €0.5 REO €0.2 €0.4 €2.4 Spain top sellers bn Mixed €3.4 €31.0 €3.4 €31.0 Consumer €1.1 €0.5 €0.4
Consumer €3.0 €1.0 Mixed €0.9 €0.2 €0.1
Residential €0.5 RED €0.6
€1.2 CRE €0.8 €0.1 Residential €0.4 €0.1 €0.9 2016 2017 Ongoing REO €0.4 €0.3 €0.2 €0.7 €0.6 €0.6
Corporate €0.6 €0.4 €0.4 €0.2 BBVA Bankia CaixaBank Banco Popular Ibercaja
2016 2017 Ongoing
23 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
Spain completed transactions Portugal completed transactions
Project name Date Asset Buyer Seller Size Project name Date Asset Buyer Seller Size type (€m) type (€m) Confidential Jan-17 Corporate Apollo Banco Popular 220 Project Tree Jan-17 Mixed Confidential Confidential 200
Project Buffalo Feb-17 REO Blackstone BBVA 300 Project Seed Jan-17 Consumer Confidential Confidential 200
Confidential Jan-17 RED Blackstone Banco Popular 400 Confidential Mar-17 Consumer Confidential Confidential 220
Project Gold Mar-17 Corporate DE Shaw Bankia 200 Project Brunch Apr-17 Consumer Confidential Confidential 122
Project Boston Mar-17 CRE Confidential BBVA 120 Project Evora Apr-17 Mixed Confidential Confidential 20
Project Tour Apr-17 Residential Bain Capital Bankia 300 Project Apr-17 Other Altamira Oitante – Protheus Project Apr-17 Residential Cabot Lone Star 150 MacLaren Project Andorra May-17 RED Bain Capital Confidential 600
Project Fleta Jun-17 RED Bain Capital Ibercaja 600 Total Apr-17 Mixed Confidential Confidential 1,362 Project Jaipur Jun-17 RED Cerberus BBVA 600
Project Jun-17 RED Deutsche Bank Caixabank 700 Portugal ongoing transactions Tramuntana Project Galdana Jun-17 Consumer EOS Spain Bankia 500 Project name Asset type Seller Size (€m) Project Marina Jun-17 Consumer Axactor Banco 500 Bay Santander Project Listing Residential Confidential 94 Project Cassiopeia 2 Mixed Confidential 59 Total 4,670 Project Berry Consumer Confidential 200
Spain ongoing transactions Project Belem REO Confidential 160 Project Pool XXXVII Consumer Confidential 200 Project name Asset type Seller Size (€m) Total 713 Confidential Mixed Banco Popular 30,000
Project Gregal Mixed Banco Sabadell 800
Project Icaria RED Banco Popular 500
Project Fox Mixed Liberbank 200
Confidential Other Confidential –
Project Lemon RED UniCaja 200
Total 31,700
Note: Data correct as of 30 June 2017
24 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets Germany and the Netherlands
Germany state participation is often low, and there as elsewhere in Europe are under pressure Deals in Germany this year are likely to remains a strong disinclination to repeat from the ECB to do more to tackle non-core reach c. €3 billion, less than in 2016 which the experience of the early part of the assets and NPLs they remain reluctant to saw completed and ongoing transactions previous decade when loan assets were recognise losses. reach €10 billion. However regulatory sold to international investors at what are pressure from ECB could prompt German now seen as knock-down prices. Netherlands banks to start selling more than portfolios. While the Dutch banking sector is large The deal of the year compared to the size of the country The NPL stock is substantial This year’s largest deal to date (c. three to four times banking assets German banks hold €67 billion and likely the largest deal in the relative to GDP), the loan sales market is in NPLs, the great majority of full year is the €2 billion sale of relatively small with an NPL stock of €44.5 them being corporate lending Project Leo sold in two lots to Australian billion implying an NPL ratio of only 2.5% in sectors like aviation, shipping and Macquarie and a consortium led by Bank – considerably lower than most other infrastructure; non-core assets are greater of America Merrill Lynch. This proved a European economies. still and the total of non-core and NPLs is troubled sale: originally marketed as a estimated to be in excess of €240 billion. mixed corporate and CRE portfolio at €3.2 Banking is highly concentrated Three banks account for the majority of billion and due to be completed in 2017, the There is a high level of NPLs – Deutsche Bank with €14.9 billion, shipping loan and the renewable energy concentration with the three HSH Nordbank with €13.6 billion, and components were eventually removed largest banks also being the NordLB with €9 billion, although there are from the portfolio before agreement could three largest holders of NPLs – Rabobank several other banks with significant NPL be struck. Project Air, a commercial real has €19.4 billion ING €13.9 billion and exposures including Commerzbank, DZ estate portfolio from HSH Nordbank at ABN-AMRO €9.5 billion. The momentum Bank and Bayerische Landesbank. The €200 million is currently on the market. of loan portfolio sales witnessed in other two German ‘bad banks’ EAA and FMS-WM European markets has not been matched also hold around €130 billion in non-core Unconfirmed portfolios include at least two in the Netherlands, primarily as the key assets, with mandates to wind down these from FMS-WM. This ‘bad bank’ is believed banks have managed to build capital portfolios by 2027 and 2020 respectively. to have around €3 billion of real estate buffers and sufficient provisioning and lending still to dispose of, and further sales face less regulatory pressure or urgency to Despite this overhang of non-performing from FMS-WM and EAA will eventually deleverage. The trend in recent years has and non-core lending, German banks materialise. In 2017 some small ad hoc been for one or two significant auctioned remain reluctant to sell at prices the sales from Commerzbank (which has portfolio trades every quarter from a wide market is prepared to pay. There is little €6.6 billion in NPLs) are possible. But in all range of sellers (and not concentrated on domestic regulatory pressure on banks to cases the bid-ask gap tends to remain high the larger financial institutions). sell, their cost of capital thanks in part to in Germany, and while banks in Germany
25 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
Portfolio sales in 2017 are unlikely to Davidson Kempner and Deutsche Bank. “The market focus of repeat the 2016 levels, when sales reached The Project Stack portfolio acquired €11.8 billion dominated by the sale of by Cumberland (and to be managed by the first half of 2017 the Propertize ‘bad bank’ to Lone Star. Attestor Capital), was comparable in has been ABN-AMRO’s With an established servicing capability, characteristics to Project Lucas, one of the the expectation was that Lone Star first loan portfolio sales in the Netherlands. sale of Project Stack, would use this as a platform for further The portfolio comprised of around 70 a €200 million package loan acquisitions in the Netherlands; distressed borrower connections and however, with deal flow somewhat less 250 properties (office and residential of corporate real estate than envisaged, it will be interesting to see properties and land) widely spread across loans which attracted whether there are any strategic changes in the country. Given the success of its the next six to twelve months. Lone Star’s inaugural portfolio trade, we expect widespread investor recent initiation of an arbitration dispute further sales from ABN-AMRO. interest.“ with the Dutch state over one small part of the acquisition is unlikely to be resolved While we still wait to see if the pace of soon but we cannot see this directly portfolio sales increases in this highly impacting any longer term strategy. concentrated banking sector, there have been a growing number of real estate Investors have appetite focussed sales – the two most recent being As reported last year, Rabobank FGH Bank’s acquisition of loan secured withdrew from the sale of against a €400 million Dutch property Project Orange its €250 million CRE portfolio, and Goldman Sachs’ refinancing portfolio, relatively late in the process, of Dutch property company Merin. and while no new portfolios have been brought to market in 2017, we expect the bank to feature as a seller in the second half of 2017 or early 2018 given its core strategic objectives. This withdrawal has not dampened investor appetite, and the market focus of the first half of 2017 has been ABN-AMRO’s sale of Project Stack, a €200 million package of corporate real estate loans which attracted widespread investor interest, including from Cerberus,
26 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
Germany a tivity by year bn Netherlands a tivity by year bn
2014 €2.2 2014 €0.5
2015 €5.3 2015 €2.2
€11.8 €11.8
2016 €7.5 2016 €11.8
€0.3
2017 €2.2 €0.2 2017 €0.3
Completed Ongoing Completed Ongoing
Germany a tivity by asset lass bn Netherlands a tivity by asset lass bn
€0.3
Assist Finance €6.4 CRE €7.9 €0.3
Mixed €2.0 Residential €3.8
CRE €1.2 €0.2 Mixed €0.1
2016 2017 Ongoing 2016 2017 Ongoing
27 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
Germany completed transactions Netherlands completed transactions
Project name Date Asset Buyer Seller Size Project name Date Asset Buyer Seller Size type (€m) type (€m) Project Leo Jan-17 Mixed Macquarie HSH Nordbank 2,000 Project Stack May-17 CRE Cumberland ABN AMRO 200 & BAML Confidential Jun-17 CRE FGH Bank ING 80 Total 2,000 Total 280
Germany ongoing transactions Netherlands ongoing transactions
Project name Asset type Seller Size (€m) Project name Asset type Seller Size (€m)
Project Anfield Residential Confidential n/a Eurocommerce Loans CRE ING 150 – Secured Project Air CRE HSH Nordbank 200 Project Rembrandt CRE FGH Bank n/a Confidential Other Confidential – Project Triple + CRE Propertize 140 Total 200 Total 290
Note: Data correct as of 30 June 2017
28 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets Greece and Cyprus
Greece “This year has also already seen a round of The long-awaited NPL deal pipeline is gradually beginning to emerge in Greece: Greek bank restructuring announcements with there have been portfolio sales in the first implications for NPL stocks.” half of 2017 including a €1 billion portfolio sale from Attica Bank, one of Greece’s The Special Single Liquidator office created Sales are exceeding targets smaller lenders, to Aldrige EDC (although in 2016 which is responsible for €10 billion This year has also already seen a round of this is expected to be a one-off); the Bank of NPLs in a special liquidation vehicle Greek bank restructuring announcements of Greece has reiterated its ambitious is also preparing its first NPL portfolio, with implications for NPL stocks. Piraeus NPL wind down targets for the sector, and expected before the end of 2017. The pillar Bank has announced its intention to sell there have been changes proposed to the banks continue to prepare unsecured and subsidiaries in Albania, Bulgaria, Romania legal environment that make it easier to other portfolios and we expect this to be a and Serbia, part of a plan to reduce its obtain asset management licenses and 2018/19 opportunity. NPL stock from €23 billion to €8 billion by that reduce the personal liability of banking 2020; Alpha Bank completed the sales of executives over portfolio disposals, Meanwhile the recovery environment has its Serbian and Bulgarian subsidiaries in previously a powerful disincentive for been improving. Legislation passed in early 2017; and National Bank of Greece banks clearing their NPL books. May 2017 has streamlined the application sold United Bulgarian Bank and Interlease process for asset management licenses in June. Domestic sales are next for Loan Asset Management Companies Greek banks have already disposed of (LAMCs) and extended the scope of These sales come within the context of the most of their non-Greek assets in the CEE LAMCs. Four LAMC licenses have now been Bank of Greece’s NPL resolution targets and are now actively focusing on domestic granted and there are more pending; the which aim to reduce over €100 billion of assets. The four ‘pillar’ banks which are most recent license approval took only Greek bank NPL’s to around €67 billion also the largest banks by NPL holdings – two months from application to approval. by the end of 2019, through a mixture of Pireaus Bank, Alpha Bank, National Bank Recent legislation also reduces the resolutions and liquidations. According to of Greece and Eurobank – have started burden of personal liability for decisions the latest Q1 data from the Bank of Greece, preparing data for loan portfolio disposals, taken in relation to loan restructurings or banks are slightly exceeding the targets and the first portfolio from Eurobank is in write-offs; the new law provides immunity set; by the end of last year the total ‘non- the market. As expected, the first portfolios for decisions taken after 19 May 2017 performing exposures’ stock was €104.8 to come to market are the unsecured for public servants taking part in debt billion, €1 billion lower than targeted. exposures . Given the scale of the issue reduction agreements (decisions taken Ratios and actual cash recoveries from the banks are also working jointly to before that date are still subject to liability). non-performing exposures also exceeded assess their SME/ Small Business Loans target levels. (SBL) loans in particular as much of this borrowing is multibank in nature.
29 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
Cyprus Cyprus completed transactions With the highest NPL ratio in Europe and a banking sector that holds €21.3 billion of non-performing assets (according to the Project name Date Asset Buyer Seller Size type (€m) EBA’s 2016 figures) the portfolio market remains largely untested Confidential Jun-17 Other APS Holding Hellenic Bank - with only two transactions from Bank of Cyprus. However there
has been progress on bank restructuring: Hellenic Bank (the third Total - largest Cypriot lender) has established a servicing JV with Czech APS Holding and recently sold its €2.3 billion NPL portfolio and real estate management business to the entity. National Bank of Greece Cyprus ongoing transactions is also in the process of selling its Cyprus subsidiary and Pireaus Project name Asset type Seller Size (€m) Bank has completed a similar sale. Confidential Corporate Bank of Cyprus 500
Greece completed transactions Total 500
Project name Date Asset Buyer Seller Size type (€m) Confidential Jan-17 Asset Orix & RBS 542 finance Berenberg Bank Confidential Jan-17 Other Confidential Confidential 117
Confidential Jan-17 Corporate Confidential Confidential 150
Confidential Feb-17 Other Aldrige EDC Attica Bank 1,000
Total 1,809
Greece ongoing transactions
Project name Asset type Seller Size (€m)
Project Eclipse Consumer Eurobank 2,800
n/a Other Confidential 450
Total 3,250
30 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets Austria and CEE
The largest Italian, Austrian and Greek billion). It is likely that the Raiffeisen group “Investor interest remains banks all continue to dispose of their will be impacted by latest ECB regulatory Central and Eastern European non- guidance on NPLs and therefore become high due to the higher performing assets built up during the a more active seller this year particularly in return potential of the boom years prior to the financial crisis. Romania and Croatia. Although the number of completed deals CEE market compared in the first half of 2017 is down compared HETA (the Austrian wind-down institution with Western Europe.“ to the first half of 2016, that masks the for Hypo Alpe Adria) by contrast has continued pace of activity in the market. stepped up portfolio disposals in line with There are c. 10+ portfolio deals currently its strict wind-down targets. We expect that under negotiation ranging from small sub- the disposal of its Serbian exposures will €100 million corporate and CRE portfolios close in the second half of 2017 followed by to larger €500 million+ deals. The full year the disposal processes of its portfolios in should see deal volumes almost reaching Bosnia and Montenegro. last year’s c. €6 billion of deals. Consolidation continues Corporate secured lead the market Despite the difficulties posed for investors Corporate secured loans continue to be by the multi-jurisdiction nature of the the most active traded loan portfolios in CEE market, the regional price gap has the region with the exception of Hungary narrowed and deals are being executed. whereby there has been a recent trend of The trend has been smaller and more Banks looking to dispose of their residential granular deals so far in 2017 but we expect mortgage portfolios which are being some larger transactions to close in the bought by local investors. There is also latter part of the year. Investor interest continued sales of small unsecured retail remains high due to the higher return portfolios which are being bought by local potential of the CEE market compared with debt recovery specialists mainly Western Europe. In addition to loan sale in Romania. transactions, we are also starting to see a wave of banking consolidations across Raiffeisen, the Austrian banking group, the region, starting with the Greek banks continues to be slower than its Austrian looking to sell their subsidiaries in Romania, rivals to sell loan portfolios despite having Bulgaria and Serbia – we expect this trend one of the largest NPL stocks of all the of consolidation to continue in what is a Austrian banks (amounting to almost €10 fragmented banking market.
31 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
Austria CEE a tivity by year bn A tivity by ountry Austria CEE bn €0.4 2014 €2.2 Croatia €0.6
Hungary €0.4 2015 €2.1
Romania €0.3 2016 €6.4 Bulgaria €0.1
2017 €1.6 €3.8 Rest €0.3
Completed Ongoing €0.3 2017
Austria CEE a tivity by asset lass bn
Corporate €2.1 €0.8 €1.8
Residential €1.7 €0.4 €0.4
Mixed €0.5 €0.4 €1.0
Consumer €0.9
€0.3 CRE €0.3
€0.3 €2.1 Other €0.2 €1.8
RED €0.5 €1.0
€0.4 2016 2017 Ongoing €0.2
32 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets
Austria CEE a tivity by year bn A tivity by ountry Austria CEE bn Austria and CEE completed transactions Austria and CEE ongoing transactions €0.4 Project Date Country Asset Buyer Seller Size Project name Country Asset type Seller Size (€m) 2014 €2.2 Croatia €0.6 name type (€m) Project Jan-17 SEE Corporate n/a HETA 276 Confidential Austria Other Confidential 100 Hungary €0.4 Drava 2015 €2.1 Confidential Bosnia & CRE HETA 17 Confidential Jan-17 Hungary Residential APS/Balbec UniCredit 139 Herzegovina Romania €0.3 2016 €6.4 Confidential Jan-17 Bulgaria Mixed B2 Kapital UniCredit 93 Project Vitosha Bulgaria Corporate HETA 130 Bulgaria €0.1 Project Feb-17 Croatia Corporate APS HPB 100 Confidential Croatia CRE HETA 155 Sunrise 2017 €1.6 €3.8 Confidential Croatia Corporate HETA 47 Rest €0.3 Project May-17 Croatia Corporate APS UniCredit 450 Project Otto Hungary Residential Aegon 360 Completed Ongoing €0.3 Taurus 2017 Confidential May-17 Hungary Residential Confidential Confidential 250 Confidential Romania Mixed Veneto Banca 1,030
Project Iris May-17 Romania Mixed Kruk BRD Societe 282 Confidential Romania Corporate Alpha Bank 500 Generale Confidential Romania Consumer Banca Transilvania 110 Austria CEE a tivity by asset lass bn Total 1,590 Confidential Romania CRE Erste Group 110
Confidential Slovenia Other NLB 90 Corporate €2.1 €0.8 €1.8 Confidential Serbia Corporate Confidential 299
Confidential Bosnia & Corporate Confidential 437 Residential €1.7 €0.4 €0.4 Herzegovina Project Metro 2 Bulgaria Corporate Eurobank 65
Mixed €0.5 €0.4 €1.0 Confidential Croatia Corporate Confidential 140
Project Bigova Montenegro CRE Confidential 50
Consumer €0.9 Confidential Slovenia Corporate HETA 120
€0.3 Confidential Serbia Corporate Confidential 60
CRE €0.3 Total 3,820 €0.3 €2.1 Other €0.2 €1.8
RED €0.5 €1.0
€0.4 2016 2017 Ongoing €0.2
33 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets France
Although France has a relatively high stock In the past investors considered France “France remains a relatively of NPLs in absolute terms – according to a low-activity market and did not build the EBA’s 2016 figures the total of NPLs up a significant presence; they were untapped market, but we held by French banks (worldwide) was often discouraged by the structure of the now expect growth over €147 billion – there have been only modest banking system which is highly fragmented disposals in the French NPL market. The with several large banks being regional several years.“ largest NPL stocks lie with BNP Paribas networks of small banks, which works (€42.5 billion), Credit Agricole (€30.7 billion), against the marketing of coherent NPL BPCE (€26 billion), Societe General (€25.2 portfolios. The investor attitude is also billion) and Credit Mutuel (€16.3 billion). changing, and we have seen specialist NPL investors put resources into the French Regulatory pressure for NPL disposals market. This is helping potential sellers to has been low in France. The total stock of understand the potential of the secured non-performing loans represents an NPL NPL market, just as the high-NPL banks ratio of less than 5% (the EBA’s low-NPL are coming up against capacity limits on threshold), and banks have long preferred internal work-outs. The adoption of IFRS internal work-out solutions for distressed 9 is also pushing banks towards a better loans. On top of the usual consumer recognition that their NPL holdings are unsecured deal flow coming mainly from a practical and strategic burden. France regional banks, few such portfolios have remains a relatively untapped market, but come to market over the last five years – we now expect growth over several years. almost all portfolio sales up to 2016 have been corporate, SME and leasing loans. But this is now changing. A mixed consumer/ mortgage portfolio sale was completed in the first half of 2017, and two more large mortgage portfolios sales are ongoing.
34 Shifting momentum | Regulation driving change in European loan portfolio markets