The World's 50 Safest Banks in 2009

The Global Finance magazine released the world’s safest banks list for 2009 on February 25th. For the first time they published this mid-year update due to the turmoil in the world’s banking industry.

The list was compiled based on the comparison of long-term credit ratings and total assets of the 500 largest banks in the world. The ratings were issued by Standard & Poor's, Moody’s and Fitch.

According to Global Finance publisher Joseph D. Giarraputo “The rating agencies have determined these banks have demonstrated a more prudent and sustainable approach to risk than their peers.”

The World’s 50 Safest Banks 2009

Country	Bank	Ticker
Germany	KfW
France	Caisse des Depots et Consignations (CDC
The Netherlands	Bank Nederlands Gemeenten (BNG)
Germany	Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank
The Netherlands	Rabobank
Germany	Landeskreditbank Baden-Wuerttemberg-Foerderbank
Germany	NRW. Bank
France	BNP Paribas	BNPQY.PK
Spain	Banco Santander	STD
Canada	Royal Bank of Canada	RY
Australia	National Australia Bank	NABZY.PK
Australia	Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Spain	Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)	BBV
Canada	Toronto-Dominion Bank	TD
Australia	Australia & New Zealand Banking Group	ANZBY.PK
Australia	Westpac Banking Corporation	WBK
Spain	Banco Espanol de Credito S.A. (Banesto)
New Zealand	ASB Bank Limited
UK	HSBC	HBC
France	Credit Agricole
USA	Wells Fargo	WFC
Sweden	Nordea Bank
Canada	Scotiabank	BNS
Spain	La Caixa
Sweden	Svenska Handelsbanken
USA	US Bancorp	USB
Spain	Banco Popular Espanol
Singapore	DBS Bank	DBSDY.PK
Finland	Pohjola Bank
Germany	Deutsche Bank	DB
France	Societe Generale	SCGLY.PK
Italy	Intesa Sanpaolo	ISNPY
Canada	Bank of Montreal	BMO
Norway	DnB NOR Bank
USA	The Bank of New York Mellon	BNY
Portugal	Caixa Geral de Depositos
Singapore	United Overseas Bank	UOVEY.PK
Singapore	OCBC
Belgium	Axa Bank Europe
Switzerland	Credit Suisse Group	CS
Germany	Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg
UK	Nationwide Building Society
Canada	CIBC	CM
Kuwait	National Bank Of Kuwait
UK	Barclays	BCS
Switzerland	UBS	UBS
USA	JPMorgan Chase	JPM
Japan	Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ
France	Banque Federative du Credit Mutuel (BFCM)
France	Credit Industriel et Commercial (CIC)

Source: Global Finance magazine

If a bank trades in the US markets the ticker is listed.

Some Observations:

All the five large Canadian banks are on this list. This is interesting since recently there have been many reports praising the banking system in Canada which is holding up pretty well when compared to banking systems in other countries. US-based banks Citibank (C) and Bank of America (BAC) did not make it to the list. Three of the large banks in Singapore were selected. It is not clear why most of the countries outside of the developed world are not included in the rankings.

For the World’s Top Ten Safest Banks in 2008, go here.

Comments

[xsellside:]

Great link, thanks for posting.

Mar 04 09:10 AM

[glassbox:]

Not a single English bank! This is so sad....

Mar 04 09:23 AM

[Sentinel:]

" The list was compiled based on the comparison of long-term credit ratings and total assets of the 500 largest banks in the world. The ratings were issued by Standard & Poors, Moody’s and Fitch. "

That's all you need to know that this list is utter Bullsh%t !

Most, if not all, the credit ratings from these frauds have been utter lies. That is PRECISELY the reason we have this Debt Bubble Explosion.

S&P, Moody's and Fitch were all competing for each other's business as the purveyors of these worthless derivatives went shopping for the best rating that money could buy. The rating agencies ALL KNEW they were worthless yet gave them AAA ratings.

What could possibly make ANYONE think these liers, these frauds have any credibilty in ranking banks on credit-worthiness or assets when the banks are shot through with worthless debt based derivatives and foreclosed assets most of which the banks are refusing to even bring to the light of day?

Mar 04 09:24 AM

[glassbox:]

A correction to my comment above - except for HSBC.... which only moved its domicile from Hong Kong about 10 years ago???

Mar 04 09:24 AM

[Sentinel:]

Just to make my point, S&P just DROPPED Bank of America's rating from the laughable A+ to an equally laughable A.

So...you can buy a failing investment bank like Merrill run by that con-man Thain who took BoA's CEO for a ride AND you can buy Countrywide which was nothing but a scam house run by a scam artist and you CAN STILL get away with an A rating?

Hey S&P.....I just found some derivatives in my foot locker. Could you kindly rate them AAA for me so I can unload them on some sucker bankster like Ken Lewis?

S&P did cover their ass by saying that "future ratings could go lower."

YA' THINK?

ROTFLMAO!!

Mar 04 09:48 AM

[Bull Run:]

OK , I agree with Chase Morgan and maybe Bancorp, but Mellon and Wells Fargo.. Who would ever put these 2 loses on ths list? Why do you think that the Treasury yield curve is looking like a ski jump?? NO ONE with money will put their money on deposit in a US Bank, nor will they buy stocks, nor will they buy 10 or 30yr treasury notes. They put their money in VERY short term treasury (less than 2yr.s) Hence the 30yr. note is pushing 4%, and short term is near Zero..NO trust in the system, and the yield curve is getting worse.

Mar 04 09:59 AM

[notsosmart:]

& there is a bridge in ny i can sell you for some cds.LOL

Mar 05 11:12 AM

[k45:]

Agreed on everything said about the corrupt rating agencies. GE is still rated AAA with a "possibility" of a downgrade in TWO years. By then the problem will either be past (unlikely) or GE will have gone down the tubes.

Honest ratings is something NOT provided by the rating agencies.

Mar 06 07:19 AM

[User 371706:]

@glassbox

You forgot about Barclays, which is holding up pretty well.

Mar 07 04:26 PM

[David Hunkar:]

xsellside
You are welcome.

-David

Mar 14 02:02 PM

[hazeleyes:]

Seeking a safe bank haven to protect some stray cash. The article doesn't impress me: the comments do.

Any ideas for safe CDs?

Mar 20 04:22 PM