Euro area recovery from credit crunch still in the shadows

Rome

THE euro area banking system remains under pressure, despite the reassuring results of the latest stress tests on European banks. The problem of non-performing loans in peripheral countries is increasing the sector's capital needs. Italy's Monte dei Paschi is a case in point, but certainly not the only one.

Since early 2016, European Union "bail-in regulations" have sent shockwaves through the market, with a further collapse following the UK vote to leave the EU. European bank stocks have declined by 30 per cent on average, compared with 10 per cent for the market as a whole.