Europe
Banking and finance news from the United Kingdom, European Union, and broader Europe
ECB vice-president backed simpler European bank rules without lower capital
ECB Vice-President Boris Vujčić backed consolidating Europe’s bank capital stack into two buffers while preserving overall resilience, alongside simpler resolution rules and a proportionate regime for smaller lenders.
Artisan urged UBS to leave Switzerland over proposed capital rules
Artisan Partners urged UBS to leave Switzerland, arguing proposed rules would add $16 billion of non-earning core capital and erase about $36 billion of market value.
Generali agreed €150 million stake purchase in Spain’s Banco de Crédito Cooperativo
Generali agreed to buy 9.9% of Spain’s Banco de Crédito Cooperativo for €150 million, deepening its long-running bancassurance partnership with Grupo Cooperativo Cajamar ahead of a planned 2027 closing.
Julius Baer approved CHF600 million buyback under revised capital policy
Julius Baer approved a buyback of up to CHF600 million, expected to begin within weeks and finish within a year, while targeting a 15% CET1 ratio.
UK FCA retained comply-or-explain approach for listed-company sustainability disclosure rules
The UK Financial Conduct Authority retained a comply-or-explain approach for sustainability reporting, reversing a mandatory climate proposal as new UK SRS rules start from January 2027.
UK bank shares fell sharply as gilt yields hit 1998 high
NatWest, HSBC, Barclays and Lloyds shares dropped roughly 4% to 5.4% as long-term gilt yields climbed and investors feared fresh bank taxes before the UK budget.
UK FCA opened crypto authorisation gateway ahead of 2027 regime
The UK Financial Conduct Authority opened applications for crypto firms until 28 February 2027, ahead of a comprehensive regulatory regime taking effect on 25 October 2027.
BBVA approved record EUR0.37 interim dividend after strong first-half earnings
Spain's BBVA approved a record EUR0.37-per-share interim dividend for 2026, worth about EUR2 billion and payable on 15 October, following record first-half attributable profit of EUR6.05 billion.
ECB’s Schnabel urged early response as energy inflation risks intensified
ECB board member Isabel Schnabel said policymakers could not wait for energy shocks to spread, as oil and gas prices moved closer to the bank’s adverse inflation scenario.
CMA set remedy deadline for Brink’s $6.6 billion NCR Atleos acquisition
The UK CMA found competition concerns in Brink’s $6.6 billion NCR Atleos acquisition, giving the companies until 7 October to offer remedies before a possible Phase 2 investigation.
Nubank said it was not pursuing a transaction with Monzo
Nubank said it was not pursuing a transaction with Monzo, after reports of early-stage talks that could have valued the British digital bank at £8 billion to £10 billion.
Third-party risk reset: regulators trade vendor checklists for concentration oversight
US agencies propose scrapping prescriptive vendor guidance as the EBA will repeal its 2019 outsourcing guidelines once applicable; with 19 EU and four UK critical tech providers under direct oversight, supervisors now target concentration as well as contract clauses.