Top 50 Safest Banks In The World

The snazzy monthly business magazine from Indonesia, Global Finance, has always compiled an annual list that many do not pay much attention to. However, thanks to the rapid combustion of many of the world's largest banks over the last 6 months, suddenly the Annual List Of The 50 Safest Banks becomes essential reading. Owing to the developments in the marketplace, Global Finance has decided to publish a mid-year update of its much respected Safest Banks listing.

And among the list were Singapore’s three biggest banks: DBS Bank came in at 28, United Overseas Bank at 37 and OCBC at 38. However, missing from the list were China banks like Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, now the biggest bank in the world with a market cap of US$200 billion, China Construction Bank ($130 billion) and Bank of China (US$121 billion).

The “World’s 50 Safest Banks” 2009 were selected through a comparison of the long-term credit ratings and total assets of the 500 largest banks around the world. Ratings from Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch were used.

The rating agencies have determined these banks have demonstrated a more prudent and sustainable approach to risk than their peers,” says Global Finance publisher Joseph D. Giarraputo. “More than ever customers all around the world are viewing long term creditworthiness as the key feature of the banks with which they do business.”

A full report on the list will appear in the April issue of Global Finance.

p/s Of course I don't agree with the ratings, mainly because they relied on the fucked up ratings agency. The list while being interesting, needs a lot more input of other intangible factors, but I guess this will do for now.


1. KfW
(Germany)
2. Caisse des Depots et Consignations (CDC)
(France)
3. Bank Nederlands Gemeenten (BNG)
(Netherlands)
4. Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank
(Germany)
5. Rabobank
(Netherlands)
6. Landeskreditbank Baden-Wuerttemberg-Foerderbank
(Germany)
7. NRW. Bank
(Germany)
8. BNP Paribas
(France)
9. Banco Santander
(Spain)
10. Royal Bank of Canada
(Canada)
11. National Australia Bank
(Australia)
12. Commonwealth Bank of Australia
(Australia)
13. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)
(Spain)
14. Toronto-Dominion Bank
(Canada)
15. Australia & New Zealand Banking Group
(Australia)
16. Westpac Banking Corporation
(Australia)
17. Banco Espanol de Credito S.A. (Banesto)
(Spain)
18. ASB Bank Limited
(New Zealand)
19. HSBC
(United Kingdom)
20. Credit Agricole
(France)
21. Wells Fargo
(United States)
22. Nordea Bank
(Sweden)
23. Scotiabank
(Canada)
24. La Caixa
(Spain)
25. Svenska Handelsbanken
(Sweden)
26. US Bancorp
(United States)
27. Banco Popular Espanol
(Spain)
28. DBS Bank
(Singapore)
29. Pohjola Bank
(Finland)
30. Deutsche Bank
(Germany)
31. Société Générale
(France)
32. Intesa Sanpaolo
(Italy)
33. Bank of Montreal
(Canada)
34. DnB NOR Bank
(Norway)
35. The Bank of New York Mellon
(United States)
36. Caixa Geral de Depositos
(Portugal)
37. United Overseas Bank
(Singapore)
38. OCBC
(Singapore)
39. Axa Bank Europe
(Belgium)
40. Credit Suisse Group
(Switzerland)
41. Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg
(Germany)
42. Nationwide Building Society
(United Kingdom)
43. CIBC
(Canada)
44. National Bank Of Kuwait
(Kuwait)
45. Barclays
(United Kingdom)
46. UBS
(Switzerland)
47. JPMorgan Chase
(United States)
48. Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ
(Japan)
49. Banque Federative du Credit Mutuel (BFCM)
(France)
50. Credit Industriel et Commercial (CIC)
(France)

p/p/s: photo: Izumi Mori (yes, related to the famous Mori family, e.g. the Mori Building)