Investors have wondered when the pain from the downturn in commercial property would hit banks. The past 24 hours showed it is happening right now, with lenders on three continents disclosing damage and two bank leaders resigning.
Tokyo-based Aozora Bank shares fell more than 20% on Thursday, the maximum allowed on a single day under stock market rules, after it said losses in its U.S. office-loan portfolio will likely lead to a net loss for the year ending in March. It would be its first annual loss in 15 years. Its president will step down on April 1, the bank said.
In Switzerland, the private bank Julius Baer said Chief Executive Philipp Rickenbacher resigned after the company took a roughly $700 million provision on loans it said it may not get back from the Austrian property landlord Signa Group. The group said it would shut down the unit that made the loans.
Deutsche Bank said it increased loss provisions in its U.S. commercial loan book nearly fivefold from 2022’s fourth quarter to 123 million euros, equivalent to $133 million.
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