World’s 50 Safest Banks: April 2013

Global Finance Announces A Half-Yearly Update

World’s 50 Safest Banks: April 2013

Source: GFmag.com

NEW YORK, February 26, 2013 — Bank stability is an ever-more pressing concern for the world’s companies and investors. It is within this context that Global Finance announces the half-yearly update to its ranking of the World’s 50 Safest Banks—the recognized standard of creditworthiness for the entire financial world since it was first introduced in 1992.

In developed markets, economic uncertainty has affected the ratings of some financial institutions, including a number of banks in Canada—which had been seen as a bastion of banking safety since the crisis began in 2007. While in emerging markets, institutions have generally held their ratings and moved up the list as some developed market banks moved down.
The biggest climber from the prior list published in October 2012 is BancoEstado of Chile, up six positions from 42 to 36, followed by Svenska Handelsbanken (up 5) and Nordea (up 4). Newcomers to this year’s Top 50 list include two South Korean banks (Korea Finance Corp and Industrial Bank of Korea) and Norway’s DnB. With Toronto Dominion bank having lost its Aaa rating from Moody’s, no private sector bank now holds a Triple-A rating from any of the agencies.

“Counterparty risk is of prime importance to global CFOs and financial executives as economic uncertainty continues to trouble global markets,” says Global Finance publisher Joseph D. Giarraputo. “Global Finance’s Safest Banks ranking provides an independent analysis of each region’s banks that companies can use as a tool to benchmark their counterparties. The institutions that top our ranking of the Safest Banks are those that have shown their strength in times of turbulence.”

The ranking was created through an evaluation of long-term credit ratings—from Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings—and total assets of the 500 largest banks worldwide.

The reach of Global Finance

Global Finance, founded in 1987, has a circulation of 50,050 and readers in 163 countries. Its circulation is audited by BPA. Global Finance’s audience includes chairmen, presidents, CEOs, CFOs, treasurers and other senior financial officers responsible for making investment and strategic decisions at multinational companies and financial institutions. Global Finance also targets the 8,000 international portfolio investors responsible for more than 80% of all global assets under professional management. Its website —GFmag.com—offers analysis and articles that are the heritage of 26 years of experience in international financial markets, and provides a valuable source of data on 192 countries. Headquartered in New York, with offices in London and Milan.

GLOBAL FINANCE names the WORLD’S 50 SAFEST BANKS - April 2013
1. KfW
(Germany)
2. Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten
(Netherlands)
3. Zürcher Kantonalbank
(Switzerland)
4. Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank
(Germany)
5. L-Bank
(Germany)
6. Nederlandse Waterschapsbank
(Netherlands)
7. Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations
(France)
8. NRW.BANK
(Germany)
9. Banque et Caisse d’Epargne de l’Etat
(Luxembourg)
10. Rabobank
(Netherlands)
11. TD Bank Group
(Canada)
12. DBS Bank
(Singapore)
13. Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp
(Singapore)
14. United Overseas Bank
(Singapore)
15. Royal Bank of Canada
(Canada)
16. National Australia Bank
(Australia)
17. Commonwealth Bank of Australia
(Australia)
18. Westpac
(Australia)
19. ANZ Group
(Australia)
20. Nordea
(Sweden)
21. Bank of Nova Scotia
(Canada)
22. Svenska Handelsbanken
(Sweden)
23. Caisse centrale Desjardins
(Canada)
24. Kiwibank
(New Zealand)
25. HSBC
(United Kingdom)
26. China Development Bank
(China)
27. Bank of Montreal
(Canada)
28. CIBC
(Canada)
29. BNY Mellon
(United States)
30. Agricultural Development Bank of China
(China)
31. National Bank of Abu Dhabi
(United Arab Emirates)
32. CoBank, ACB
(United States)
33. Korea Finance Corp
(South Korea)
34. Pohjola Bank
(Finland)
35. National Bank of Kuwait
(Kuwait)
36. BancoEstado
(Chile)
37. DZ Bank
(Germany)
38. Banque Fédérative du Crédit Mutuel
(France)
39. U.S. Bancorp
(United States)
40. Industrial Bank of Korea
(South Korea)
41. Northern Trust
(United States)
42. Qatar National Bank
(Qatar)
43. Samba Financial Group
(Saudi Arabia)
44. La Banque Postale
(France)
45. Bank of Taiwan
(Taiwan)
46. Banco de Chile
(Chile)
47. Wells Fargo
(United States)
48. Standard Chartered
(United Kingdom)
49. SEB
(Sweden)
50. DnB
(Norway)
Assets as of: December 31, 2011
Ratings as of: February 11, 2013

ENDS

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