The Crédit Agricole Group, which passed a new provision to deal with a possible sanction in the context of a US investigation on payments in dollars to countries subject to embargo, hoping to see this file closed in 2015. After discussions “very advanced” with the US authorities, “we considered that we had to increase our litigation provision of 350 million euros”, said Tuesday the CEO of Crédit Agricole SA, Philippe Brassac, during the presentation of quarterly results.
“We expect a resolution in the coming months, by the end of 2015,” he said, adding that the group had “a clear idea of what that would be fine. ” The total amount of the provision for litigation group now reaches 1.6 billion euros but the bank declined to detail the amount devoted to the American record.
In a similar case, its French rival BNP Paribas was sentenced to record penalties and had to pay the sum of 6.6 billion euros. The mutual bank, however, had assured last year that the reviewed transactions within this framework were smaller in scale than those of BNPP.
Philippe Brassac, which presented its first results after taking the reins of Casa , the listed entity of the group in May, made reattach compliance function, which ensures compliance with the regulations, to general management.
Reorganization 7 poles
This change is part of an overhaul of the organization Casa around four business lines and three poles “transverse”. Mr Brassac wishes to rely on this staff to present in September a new business project and to reflect on the changes in the organization of the group.
A draft reform provided that the Federation organ policy, the central body recovers powers held by Casa, but regulatory constraints have been lifted by the European Central Bank. “At this stage there is no operation that could materially modify the scope of Casa that is possible,” Mr Brassac said.
Financially, Credit Agricole reported a rise in its Net income in the second quarter, whereas a year earlier results had been sealed by the disappointments of Portuguese bank BES, in which it held a stake.
A comfortable earnings
Casa has posted a net profit of 920 million euros, against 17 million euros a year earlier, better than expected by analysts who had expected a profit of 859 million, according to a consensus broadcast by FactSet . Excluding exceptional items, net income increased by Casa 6.2% year on year, and the Crédit Agricole Group, which incorporates all the results of regional banks, was stable at 1.5 billion euros.
These are the poles savings and insurance (asset management, private banking and insurance) and specialized financial services (consumer credit, leasing …) that are driving growth, with profits up 16.7 respectively % (to € 457 million) and 45.2% (to € 125 million). The financing and investment banking (CIB), which supports the new provision for litigation, sees its earnings melt at 82 million euros. Excluding items, earnings decreased by 8.3% year on year, particularly penalized by the depreciation of two entries.
retail banking side, the regional banks saw their net banking income (GNP, equivalent sales) increase by 1.9% to € 3.5 billion, when LCL has seen his fall by 1.4% to 944 million euros. The group this quarter enabled the “switch” mechanism by which the regional mutuals provide a guarantee in case of Casa decline in unrealized capital gains.
This operation enabled the listed structure to record 80 million euros in net income this quarter, and 3 basis points (0.03 percentage points) on its capital ratio “hard” (the shareholders’ contributions and retained earnings reported to Credits). It reached 10.2% at the end of June, unchanged from the end of March.
(With AFP)
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