The flow of money from Indians abroad into bank deposits remained robust in January 2012, despite an appreciation in the rupee value against the US dollar in the month.

NRE deposit flows touch $1.5 bn in January

Business Standard

L&amp;T Finance Holdings Ltd (LTFH), the financial services arm of engineering conglomerate L&amp;T, on Monday announced its foray into the mortgage finance business by acquiring housing finance company Indo Pacific Housing Finance Ltd.

L&T Finance forays into housing finance biz

Wells Fargo and Citigroup may join banks in unleashing more than $9 billion in dividend increases and share buybacks if these get passing grades this week on the Federal Reserve&rsquo;s annual stress test.

Wells Fargo, Citigroup to lead payout bonanza

The good news is Greece won't default on March 20, and 10-year borrowing costs for Spain and Italy have dropped below five per cent. The bad news is similar-maturity Portuguese bonds still yield more than 13 per cent.

Portugal yield at 13% shows Greek deal not unique

The government&rsquo;s market borrowings for the current financial year may have come to an end, with the last scheduled auction carried out on Friday.

Gilts: Low credit demand, OMOs play saviours in FY12

Standard &amp; Poor's today said that slower economic growth, high inflation and high interest rates are likely to impact the asset quality and earnings of Indian banks in financial year 2012-13. This could pose a ratings risk to Indian banks going forward.

Banks' asset quality, earnings to remain under pressure: S&P

The Finance Ministry today said non-performing assets (NPAs) in the banking sector do not indicate any systemic vulnerability.

Banks NPAs do not indicate systemic vulnerability: FinMin

Press Trust of India

Global rating agency Standard &amp; Poor's (S&amp;P) today maintained stable credit rating for domestic banks even as it warned that they are likely to face headwinds on their asset quality and margins which could deepen if economic growth further loses momentum.

S&P retains stable credit rating for banks in FY13

S&P has no plan to revise SBI rating post-capital infusion

Germany&rsquo;s Bundesbank used a substantial part of last year&rsquo;s profit to boost its risk buffer because of growing worries about the price euro zone central banks will have to pay for saving the bloc&rsquo;s banking system.

Bundesbank builds buffer against euro bank loan risk

Reuters 

Greece will have to slash a further 5.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in government spending in 2013 and 2014 to meet agreed fiscal targets underpinning the second international bailout for Athens, a European Commission report said.

Greece needs to announce more austerity, say EU & IMF

JPMorgan Chase is paying the federal government $45 million to settle a lawsuit alleging it charged former soldiers hidden fees in mortgage refinancings. The whistleblower lawsuit, filed in 2006 in Georgia by two mortgage brokers, seeks payments on behalf of the US government by eight banks and mortgage companies, a law firm involved in the case said Tuesday. JPMorgan is the first bank to reach a settlement.

JPMorgan paying $45 mn to settle mortgage suit

India Inc raised Rs 1.64 lakh crore through private placement of debt in the first nine months of the current financial year, five per cent higher than in the year-ago period. According to research agency Prime, banks and financial institutions were at the forefront, in terms of tapping funds through private placement of bonds.

India Inc's private placement of debt increases

Deutsche Bank on Tuesday said it had increased its capital base in India by Rs 455 crore to finance its expansion plans here.

Deutsche Bank raises capital base by Rs 455 cr

The Federal Reserve, exercising sweeping new authority to ensure financial stability, will show how the capital of the 19 largest US banks might fare through a deep recession and a second housing crisis. It will use the results to dictate which of them can increase their dividends.

Fed wields more supervisory powers with stress tests

Schroders, the UK-based asset management giant that manages close to $291 billion in assets, is set to acquire nearly 30 per cent stake in Axis Asset Management Company, sources familiar with the deal have told Business Standard.

Schroders set to acquire 30% stake in Axis AMC

Rates on certificates of deposit (CDs) increased 25-30 basis points on Tuesday, as banks rushed to refinance maturing debt, meet year-end targets and prepare for withdrawal pressure from companies, ahead of the deadline for advance tax payments. A lack of participation from mutual funds also helped raise the rates, said bankers.

Short-term rates of CDs rise to 11.6%

Standard &amp; Poor's (S&amp;P) on Tuesday said slower economic growth and high inflation and interest rates were likely to hit the asset quality and earnings of Indian banks in 2012-13. This could pose a risk of rating downgrade for the banks.

S&P: Banks' asset quality, earnings to stay under pressure

Credit-Deposit (CD) ratio of a few public sector and private banks in Orissa still remains woeful despite credit flow recording surge of 40.17 per cent to reach Rs 80,956.15 crore by the end of December compared to Rs 57,751.85 crore a year ago.

Banks fail to meet RBI norm on CD ratio

A day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared that cooperative societies were not empowered to attach the property of farmers failing to repay a loan, the West Bengal State Cooperative Bank raised concerns over a possible accretion in bad debts.

WB State Cooperative Bank against amendment to Act

After having already cut CRR by 0.75 percentage points last week, bankers feel the Reserve Bank may not do much, especially with regard to reducing the interest rate, in its mid-quarterly review of monetary policy tomorrow.

RBI unlikely to cut key policy rate tomorrow: Bankers

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