Banks no longer government's property?

It seems like the financial sector is climbing out of its drain little by little.

This news was confirmed on the sixth of october by the registration of the best day the bel20 had known for months, in which some banks played major roles.

The KBC group knew a very strong growth of 15%, through which the bank would be able to buy out the government.

But, insiders think this won't happen too soon because of the capital increase and the high expenses that would be necessairy to complete the transaction.

Els Van Impe

source: De Standaard, 7 oktober 2009

Are the Lehman Brothers really into giving assets back?

Today, there came an announcement that the Lehman Brothers, PricewaterhouseCoopers is drawing up a plan to give assets back (worth about more than 17 billion dollars) to the creditors.

Pwc’s has originally a scheme to refund the assets, but it was unallowed by the High Court in August because there was no certainty that could win the confidence of the creditors.

Now, PwC has created a new plan by a contracutal agreement in the banking world to return billions of dollars of assets to all investors.

If PwC will fail, the negociations will soon begin with the creditors who can clame assets until the end of this year.

An-Sofie Van Parys

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article4761718.ece

Eureopean banks are resistant to a new crisis.

A stress test for the banking sector CEBS, has been announced which would allow banks to survive, even when economic growth decreases or the unemployment rate leaps. This survival would be made possible by government injections although banks all together would still have a loss of 400 miljard euros. ECB-president, Jean-Claude Trichet, says the results are encouraging, however, critics think the tests are meaningless.

Vervondel Laurent, Group 8.
Source: http://www.fd.nl/artikel/13344999/europese-banken-kunnen-nieuwe-crisis

The bright (green) side of the crisis!

Apparently the crisis has some advantages: according to the international energy department the worldwide amount of carbon-dioxide could decrease with almost 3 percent in 2009. This would be the most significant decend in 40 years! The IED says the financial crisis did this all by it's own. This could be a huge step in the green direction, thanks to the financial crisis!

Floris Weerbrouck

To crisis or not to crisis?

It seems like the worst crisis since the late 30’s turns out to be nothing more than a bad dream for the stock market. While the World economy is still busy licking her wounds, specialists notice a huge gap between the downfall of economic activity and the enthusiasm on the stock market. These specialists are of the opinion that when the financiers will finally realize that the economic recovery might take much longer than originally planned, the risk that a market correction occurs will increase enormously. These experts fear that a correction on the market today is more than a plausible fact.

Maarten De Bousser

Saving accounts undeserved loved

Although there are many negative aspects, saving accounts have never been as successful in Belgium as now. In less than one year more than 25 billion euro has been deposited in saving account; that’s an increase of more than 15 percent. Because of the crisis customers are rather pessimistic and want to convene in intradefensive products they know, like deposit accounts. But savers don’t take in mind that the interest has never been as low as now, financial institutions don’t do promotional actions anymore, and because of the expected inflation, their money will devaluate. That is why people should better invest in other financial actives.

Sanne Delbecke

Wooden Cash

The bank that lends string instruments instead of money to musicians. MIB (Musical Instrument Bank) survives on donations and loans. MIB gives every year instruments away for three years threw a competition, giving young people a chance and a lifetime experience. Those instruments that MIB holds are worth millions of dollars from an investing point of view!


Louise De Tremerie

http://www.ncoa.am/Music/Musical%20Instrument%20Bank.htm