Banks Focus on Asia for Growth but the Cost of Regulation Remains a Concern

Banks continue to view Asia as the number one region for growth according to responses from an opinion poll carried out at a recent event held by Barclays.

Attended by senior representatives from global financial institutions, half of bank executives surveyed believe Asia offers the greatest opportunities outside of their home markets, with Latin America identified by 17%. Europe was selected by 13%, although concerns over the eurozone remain.

The poll also highlighted that regulation remains the single biggest concern for banks at present (52%), while 21% cited ‘lack of capital’ and 20% opted for ‘funding’.

The majority (77%) also stated that changing Basel regulation is a key driver for banks to deleverage. Asked whether we’ll see any further episodes of deleveraging in the months and years ahead, 58% stated ‘yes’ in a material way.

Matt Tuck, head of financial institutions, Barclays Corporate Banking, said: “More banks are focusing on the opportunities for growth that the Asian market possesses and we certainly expect this to continue, but Europe, regardless of its current challenges, remains a very important market for the banking industry.”

Comments are closed.