Morning all. Market reports:
Telegraph
The Times
The Times (Need to know)
FT
The Guardian
The Independent
This is Money
Bank of China, the countrys second biggest lender, told investors on Thursday that it held nearly $10bn of securities backed by US subprime mortgages, the most of any bank in Asia. The amount is higher than many analysts were expecting but the debt is mostly rated AAA and actual losses are expected to be relatively small, especially compared with the banks total assets of around $770bn.
Bank of China in subprime provision
Thursdays admission by Bank of China that it holds more than $9.6bn of securities backed by US subprime loans makes it the Asian lender with by far the largest exposure to the sector. The figure easily trumps that of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), which this month disclosed about $2.4bn of investments that incorporate subprime loans.
Fingers are being crossed all over Asia that no bank is felled by the crisis. Sensitivities are high because this is the first big test of the regions banking system since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, which helped to bankrupt several financial institutions.
Asia crosses its fingers on exposure to subprime
Two of China's largest banks disclosed holdings of almost $11bn (5.5bn) in sub-prime mortgage-related assets but played down risks of taking a hit from the investments. Bank of China (BoC) and Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) - both majority owned by the state - revealed details of their sub-prime exposure as they reported surging half-year profits on back of increased lending and rising fees.
Banks play down risk of sub-prime exposure
The chief executive of Countrywide Financial, the mortgage lender handed a $2bn (1bn) lifeline by Bank of America, said the housing market showed no signs of improvement and would push the US into a recession.
Mortgage crisis 'will drag the US into recession'
The head of one of Barclays Capitals key debt groups has resigned in the same week that several investment vehicles he structured were hit by losses in the credit market turmoil. Edward Cahill, the head of the banks European collateralised debt obligations (CDO) group, resigned on Monday after returning from holiday.
Barclays Capital debt executive resigns as SIV-lites struggle
It's also worth reading the first couple of paragraphs of the Independent's Market Report with respect to BARC.