News about banks

On October 19, Nam A Bank cut its interest rates in line with directives from the Government and the State Bank of Vietnam: listed deposit rates for terms of 6 months and longer fall by 0.5% per year, and lending rates drop by 1.5–2% per year. The bank will prioritize credit for agriculture, rural areas, exports, SMEs, supporting industries and high-tech enterprises. CEO Trần Khải Hoàn said the call to lower rate levels is an important message on market discipline and stressed that sustainable growth must rest on asset quality, risk management and liquidity safety. He added that Nam A Bank does not use interest rates to attract customers, relying instead on its corporate culture.

The ASX 200 gained 39.00 points (0.44%) to 8,845.70 and the All Ordinaries rose 0.39% to 8,975.70, as energy producers and the big banks offset a tech sell-off that followed a slump on Wall Street. The S&P 500 lost nearly 2% last week and the Nasdaq fell 4.5%, while weaker-than-expected jobs data cut the market-implied chance of an RBA rate hike to around 20%. Global X's Joseph Marassa warned that markets may be underpricing a hike given persistently high oil prices. Cleanaway surged 20.24% to $2.97 after announcing a sale to EQT for $9.3bn, and Challenger jumped 19.29% to $11.75 as it considers a takeover bid from Daiichi Life worth $7.8bn. Ampol fell 2.51% despite announcing that refined fuel margins had risen more than 120%.

The European Central Bank has developed two new quarterly indicators to monitor euro area banks' vulnerabilities between regular stress tests. The Stress Vulnerability Index (SVI) estimates how much bank capital could be depleted under adverse scenarios, while the Profitability Vulnerability Index (PVI) assesses pressure on current earnings and banks' ability to generate capital internally. Both indices rose during the global financial crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis, and both were strongly associated with the likelihood of banks receiving state aid. The paper supports a cautious approach to maintaining capital buffers, since the SVI stayed slightly elevated even as profitability improved.

Following directives from the Government and the State Bank of Vietnam, Agribank, Vietcombank, BIDV, ACB, LPBank and VietBank have simultaneously launched lending rate cut programmes, typically by 1.5-2 percentage points for priority sectors. Agribank will cut lending rates by up to 2% a year from October 19, with about VND 2,000 billion allocated, and continues a VND 70,000 billion preferential credit package. BIDV's preferential programme, starting October 15, 2026, offers loans from 6% a year on short-term VND lending across its system. Vietcombank has committed to cutting rates by at least 2% by year-end, while Sacombank will allocate VND 40,000 billion in preferential capital with a 2% reduction. VietBank is rolling out a VND 3,000 billion package with cuts of at least 1.5% a year until June 30, 2027.

Vietnam's top leaders are pressing banks to cut lending rates by 1.5-2 percentage points for priority sectors and to reduce deposit rates by at least 0.5 percentage point for maturities of six months or longer. Higher funding costs have pushed some deposit rates above 9% and floating mortgage rates as high as 12-19%, while outstanding credit reached about 20.75 quadrillion dong (US$800 billion) at end-September, up 11.6% year to date. Maybank Investment Bank Vietnam says lending rates have likely peaked and could ease toward a healthier 7-10%, while HSC cautions that preferential programmes should not be read as the start of a broader easing cycle. SSI Research estimates announced megaprojects could absorb at least 30% of net new bank credit between 2026 and 2030, even as the economy expanded more than 9% in the first nine months of 2026.

LPBank is rolling out a system-wide program to cut deposit and lending rates from October 19 to December 31, 2026, in line with directives from the Government and the State Bank of Vietnam. The bank will lower listed deposit rates by 0.5–0.6% per year for tenors of 6 months or more and by 0.05–0.1% per year for shorter tenors. It will also cut lending rates by 1.6–2% per year on new disbursements for short-term production and business loans, targeting individuals, household businesses, micro-enterprises and agriculture and rural areas. The move follows a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Văn Thắng on October 16, 2026, and the SBV's October 18, 2026 directive asking credit institutions to cut lending rates and reduce operating costs.

According to PGS.TS. Trần Hoàng Ngân, the State Bank's call to cut listed deposit rates by at least 0.5% per year for tenors of 6 months or more, and lending rates by 1.5–2% per year, is a boost for businesses at year-end. Outstanding credit to the whole economy exceeded 20.72 million billion VND as of October 14, 2026, up 11.44% from end-2025. On October 18, 2026, the SBV issued Official Dispatch No. 9608/NHNN-CSTT directing credit institutions to cut rates and costs, avoid deposit rate hikes and not lower credit standards. Some banks moved quickly: BIDV offered short-term VND loans from 6% per year from October 15, 2026, while Vietcombank committed to cut lending rates by at least 2% per year until year-end.

On 19 October 2026, State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Governor Pham Duc An chaired a meeting with top leaders of commercial banks on implementing operational measures. The SBV said that in the first 9 months of 2026 it ran monetary policy proactively and flexibly; as of 14 October 2026, outstanding credit to the economy reached VND 20,721,583 billion, up 11.44% from the end of last year and 16.73% year-on-year, with a credit growth orientation of 15%. Amid rising international tensions, including the Middle East conflict that pushed up oil prices, several central banks such as the Fed, ECB and BOJ raised rates, strengthening the US dollar. Commercial banks agreed to cut listed deposit rates by at least 0.5% per year for terms of 6 months or more, avoid bidding up deposit rates, and reduce lending rates by 1.5–2% per year, focusing on production, business and priority sectors.

SACOMBANK is rolling out a VND 40,000 billion preferential credit program in line with Government and State Bank of Vietnam directives, cutting lending rates by 2% per year to preferential rates from 8.5% per year. The program targets domestic enterprises in key industries, import-export companies and foreign-invested enterprises (FDI). Earlier, from 13 August 2026, the bank launched a program for import-export customers offering rate cuts of up to 2%, narrowing its profit margin from about 2.79% to 0.79%. From September 2026, it also supports business households facing cash-flow difficulties and home-loan customers, with rate cuts of up to 1.5–2% per year. The bank is also expanding cashless payment and digital cash-flow management services.

As of October 14, 2026, outstanding credit to the economy reached 20,721,583 billion dong, up 11.44% from the end of last year and 16.73% year-on-year. On the morning of October 19, State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Governor Phạm Đức Ấn met with chairs and CEOs of commercial banks, and the banks agreed to cut interest rates. Specifically, listed deposit rates for terms of 6 months or more will fall by at least 0.5%/year, while lending rates will drop by 1.5–2%/year, focusing on production, business and priority sectors. The backdrop includes Middle East conflict driving up oil prices, several major central banks raising rates and a stronger US dollar, all of which pressure Vietnam's monetary policy. The SBV also asks banks to channel credit into production and business while tightly controlling lending to risky sectors, including real estate.

Maybank says lending rates may have peaked after a 16 October meeting in which a deputy minister and banks pledged to cut priority-sector lending rates by 150-200 basis points. The State Bank also asked banks to cut deposit rates for 6-month and longer terms by at least 50 basis points, and BIDV, Vietcombank and Agribank pledged 200 basis point loan cuts through the end of 2026. However, reductions will be uneven across sectors, the conditions for the loan packages have not been disclosed, and a sustainable broad decline to a reasonable level of around 7-10% would require lower capital costs across the system. Longer term, based on Maybank's review of past rating upgrades, achieving investment-grade status could cut Vietnam's foreign borrowing costs by 150-250 basis points, and Maybank expects the upgrade to be accelerated in 2027.

LPBank won the 'Inspirational Brand' award at the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) 2026, organized by Enterprise Asia on October 15, recognizing its transformation in branding, governance, products, services and social responsibility. The bank has made AI-first its core strategy, launching the LPBank Plus digital banking app on March 28 under a '3S' model (Simple - Smart - Safe), along with the LP Pay AI transfer assistant and Lumi, a 24/7 multichannel customer service system that automatically handles about 70-80% of common requests. For businesses, LocPhat Pay offers QR payment integration, real-time transaction updates and multi-store management. On community work, LPBank allocated nearly 300 billion VND to social welfare and community development in 2025, and contributed 150 billion VND in 2024-2025 to the 'Cả nước chung tay xóa nhà tạm, nhà dột nát' program in Hà Giang, Đăk Lăk and Thái Nguyên. The article also lists other 2026 honors, including Top 6 Private Banks with the largest state budget contributions and Top 500 Fastest-Growing Enterprises in Vietnam.

The BSE Sensex opened at 74,594.65, down 134.62 points (0.18%), and the NSE Nifty 50 at 23,096.85, down 49.30 points (0.21%), after last week's rally delivered the strongest weekly performance in about six months. Investors are watching September-quarter results from HDFC Bank, which narrowly missed estimates on weaker treasury income and higher bad-loan provisions, and ICICI Bank, which beat expectations on loan growth and lower provisions. Brent crude is trading near $108 a barrel, after easing from $110 on Friday, keeping pressure on sentiment. Foreign investors turned net buyers, purchasing shares worth ₹11.66 billion ($122.79 million) after 15 consecutive sessions of selling, while domestic institutions were net sellers of ₹36.61 billion. Analyst Hariselvan Radhakrishnan of HST Wealth said a positive reaction to private banks could help the market absorb higher oil prices, with Nifty facing immediate resistance at 23,150.

On 19/10/2026, Governor Phạm Đức Ấn chaired a meeting with deputy governors, the Association of Banks and leaders of 46 commercial banks on banking operations. He said that as of last weekend, deposit mobilization had grown 11.22% and credit 11.44%, and the VND gap between loans and deposits had narrowed to below 1.5 quadrillion dong from nearly 2 quadrillion. Dispatch No. 9608/NHNN-CSTT requires credit institutions to cut listed deposit rates by at least 0.5% per year for terms of six months or more, and to reduce lending rates by 1.5–2% per year for production, business and priority sectors. Cuts must match each bank's financial capacity, be tied to cost reductions and profit sharing, avoid across-the-board moves, and apply to both existing and new loans.

According to the rate schedule posted the morning of October 19, 12-month at-branch deposit rates at these five banks range from 5.3% to 6.9% a year, with VPBank highest at 6.9% and ACB lowest at 5.3%. On a VND 200 million deposit, at-branch interest would be between VND 10.6 million and VND 13.8 million, a VND 3.2 million gap between VPBank and ACB. Online, rates range from 5.8% to 7.1%; VPBank again leads with VND 14.2 million, while ACB is lowest at VND 11.6 million. These figures assume interest is paid at maturity, the deposit is held for the full 12 months, and there is no early withdrawal; actual rates may vary by time, product and each bank's conditions.

Vietbank is launching a VND 3,000 billion preferential credit package with interest rates at least 1.5% per year lower than usual, effective from October 19, 2026 until June 30, 2027 or until the quota runs out, and cutting deposit rates by 0.5% per year for terms of 6 months or longer. The move is in line with government and State Bank directives to lower lending rates, after Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Văn Thắng asked for cuts of 1.5–2% for production, business and priority sectors. A separate VND 600 billion quota for agriculture, forestry and fisheries carries rates at least 1% per year below the average short-term lending rate, fixed for the loan term. For home buyers, the An Cư Thịnh Vượng package finances up to 100% of capital needs with terms of up to 30 years, while the bank also waives or reduces some service fees.

VPBank reported consolidated pre-tax profit of nearly VND 30,000 billion for the first nine months, equal to its full-year 2025 result, up nearly 47% and reaching about 72.4% of its annual plan; Q3 profit exceeded VND 11,000 billion, its highest quarterly level in history. Consolidated total operating income rose 25.3% to nearly VND 65,500 billion, with net interest income up 26.7% and net service income up 76.3%. ABBank estimates pre-tax profit of VND 4,540 billion, up 97% and completing 100% of its annual profit plan, with its NPL ratio kept below the 1.5% target. Nam A Bank posted over VND 4,700 billion, up 25% and reaching nearly 80% of its annual plan, while its NPL ratio was about 1.5% and its CAR stood at 11.3%. Vietbank earned VND 1,297 billion, up 50%, and SHB estimates VND 14,300 billion for nine months.

On the morning of 19 October, Governor Phạm Đức Ấn chaired a meeting with commercial banks at the State Bank of Vietnam, requiring chairpersons and CEOs to attend in person rather than send deputies. As of the end of last week, deposit mobilization rose 11.22% and credit grew 11.44%, indicating faster capital demand. The governor said the stable exchange rate supports confidence in the dong and continued foreign investment, even as several major economies raise interest rates to fight inflation. Banks were told to cut deposit rates for terms of 6 months and above by at least 0.5% a year and to reduce lending rates for production and priority sectors by 1.5–2%, while avoiding unhealthy rate competition.

Deutsche Bank plans to extend its crypto custody service to Asia in 2027, with a German launch expected within weeks but still subject to regulatory approval. The initial offering will support bitcoin, ether and stablecoins USDC, EURC and EURAU, with the bank managing clients' wallets and private keys so corporate and institutional clients can hold and transfer crypto. The bank also plans stablecoin conversion, tokenized deposits and digital bond issuance services, as part of a target of roughly 8% compound annual revenue growth in its corporate bank from 2025 to 2028. It received BaFin authorization under MiCA on October 12 and has worked with Bitpanda and Taurus, joining rivals such as Standard Chartered and BBVA in offering crypto custody.

VPBank’s consolidated pre-tax profit for the first nine months reached nearly 30,000 billion VND, up nearly 47% year on year and equal to its full-year 2025 result, or about 72.4% of plan. Net interest income rose 26.7% to nearly 53,100 billion VND, while net service income jumped 76.3%, lifting total operating income to nearly 65,500 billion VND (up 25.3%). Consolidated total assets topped 1.6 million billion VND, up 27.8% from end-2025, and customer deposits and valuable papers reached nearly 987,000 billion VND (up 34.2%). Individual NPL was held around 2%, below the 2.5% target, and third-quarter pre-tax profit exceeded 11,000 billion VND, marking two consecutive quarters of record profit.

Agribank was honored at the WSBI-ESBG SDG Awards 2026 in the 'Inclusive Banking and Social Impact' category for its 'Sustainable business with women-led enterprises' initiative, its second consecutive year in this category. The initiative offers a short-term preferential credit program of VND 5,000 billion, with interest rates up to 0.7% per year below the standard lending floor, to help women-led businesses access stable capital at reasonable cost. Agribank was also recognized in this category in 2025 for its Agribank Plus platform. The bank's representatives also attended the WSBI Asian Regional Group Meeting 2026, discussing digital transformation, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity with peers.

The VIB Visa ONE Card lets cardholders choose up to 3 of 5 spending categories (Shopping, Travel, Education, Insurance and Overseas Spending), with cashback of up to 9%, capped at VND 18 million per year and with no minimum spending requirement. The chosen categories can change as priorities shift across life stages, and one physical card can stay with the holder through Gold, Platinum and Signature tiers. The article also cites Visa's 2026 payment trends in Vietnam, where consumers are spending more on premium experiences and digital payments. Its central message is 'More is good, but only ONE is enough.'

Nguyen Thi Nga, Chairwoman of BRG Group and SeABank, recalls her father's lesson that one who borrows little must repay in full and one who borrows ginger must repay with honey, and she treats every opportunity or trust she receives as a loan that must be repaid with dedication and results. She holds that good growth is not growth at any cost, which is why SeABank invested early from 2006 in the T24 core banking system and partnered with Société Générale to standardize its retail model. Over more than 30 years, the bank has raised its charter capital from VND 5 billion to VND 32,688 billion, with assets of nearly VND 400,000 billion and 2025 pre-tax profit of VND 6,868 billion. The article also covers the Sheraton Grand Da Nang project, which had to be completed in 14 months to serve the APEC 2017 Summit, when progress at one point ran two to three months behind schedule. Ms Nga says there were moments she wanted to step back, but she kept going out of responsibility to tens of thousands of employees.

Citigroup shares have fallen almost 5% since its earnings release on Oct. 13, to $126 per share, about 13% below their 52-week closing high of $145, which the article suggests may present a buying opportunity. The bank posted its highest third-quarter revenue in a decade at $23.8 billion, up 8%, while net income rose 37% to $5.2 billion and EPS of $2.85 beat estimates. The article highlights the dividend, raised to $0.67 per share for a 2.18% yield, with a payout ratio of just 24% and a CET1 ratio of 12.8% in Q2. The stock trades at 10 times forward earnings, and 78% of analysts rate it a buy with a median target of $154, though the author is skeptical of the implied 25% upside given economic uncertainty.

Chancellor John Healey is reportedly considering raising the surcharge on bank profits above £100million from 3% to 8% at the upcoming Budget, reversing a cut introduced in April 2023 under Jeremy Hunt. The change could raise some £2billion for the Exchequer, but banks warn it could inflict a £20 billion hit on the economy. Lenders may try to recoup the cost by raising mortgage rates and cutting savings rates, though that risks losing customers to rivals. Conservative and City groups say the tax would stifle investment and harm Britain's competitiveness, while the TUC backs it and estimates it would raise £2.25billion a year. The Treasury said decisions on tax are for the Chancellor to announce at fiscal events.

Net placements by Nigerian banks at the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rose above 6 trillion naira for three consecutive days after the CBN repaid 2.41 trillion naira in maturing Open Market Operations (OMO) securities on October 13. Net SDF placements increased from about 3.86 trillion naira on October 13 to 6.08 trillion naira on October 16, a rise of 2.22 trillion naira or 57.65%. Treasury bill sales absorbed only 269.06 billion naira, and about 74% of bids were unallotted. The article suggests banks are holding surplus liquidity rather than deploying it, but notes that high SDF placements alone do not prove deliberate credit restriction, since borrower demand, risk, capital requirements and interest rates also shape lending.

The State Bank of Vietnam has instructed commercial banks to cut deposit interest rates by at least 0.5 percentage points, according to Dan Tri. Banks must lower listed annual rates for deposits of six months or longer by at least 0.5 points and cut lending rates for production, business and priority sectors by 1.5 to 2 points. They are also directed to steer credit toward science and technology, digital transformation, green development and education, while tightening lending in high-risk areas, particularly real estate. Banks must also mobilize resources, cut operating costs and share profits to help bring down overall interest rates.

MarketBeat's stock screener lists seven bank stocks to watch on October 18th: Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, Charles Schwab, U.S. Bancorp and Bank of New York Mellon. These companies had the highest dollar trading volume among bank stocks over the past several days. The article notes that bank shares can offer share-price gains and dividends but carry risks tied to interest rates, loan losses, economic conditions and regulation. It also briefly describes each company's business, such as Citigroup's Treasury and Trade Solutions unit and BNY's securities services.

The State Bank of Vietnam (NHNN) has issued Document No. 9608/NHNN-CSTT dated 18/10/2026, directing credit institutions to strictly follow government and central bank interest rate directives and avoid unfair competition. Institutions that fail to comply before the end of 2026 may have their remaining 2026 credit growth targets reviewed, receive a lower credit growth target for 2027, or be required to meet higher safety ratios than prescribed. Immediately, credit institutions must cut listed deposit rates for terms of 6 months or longer by at least 0.5% per year and reduce lending rates by 1.5-2% per year, focusing on production, business and priority sectors. They are also asked to cut costs, share profits and avoid aggressive deposit rate hikes.

NatWest has cut some fixed-rate mortgage deals, including a two-year fix at 5.04% and a five-year fix at 4.98%, while HSBC, which currently offers a 5.01% two-year and 5.03% five-year fix, looks set to start offering sub-5% fixes. NatWest's largest reductions, up to 0.17 percentage points, are on five-year remortgage deals at 85% and 90% LTV, and HSBC has cut across its purchase and remortgage ranges from 60% to 90% LTV. Industry commentators said the cuts reflect lenders competing for business rather than cheaper funding, as five-year swap rates rose from 4.619% to 4.723% over the past month. Other lenders could come under pressure to review their own pricing.

ICICI Bank (NYSE:IBN) reported profit before tax of INR 199.5 billion, up 23.4% year over year excluding treasury results, and consolidated profit after tax of INR 163.3 billion, up 22.3%. Total deposits rose 27.1% and loans grew 30%, helped by USD 18 billion in FCNR (B) deposits mobilized under a one-off regulatory opportunity. Net interest margin fell to 4.18% from 4.36% in the previous quarter, which management attributed to a higher share of overseas branch assets and a sharp rise in retail term deposits. The net NPA ratio improved to 0.30% from 0.35% in June, and CET1 stood at 16.01%. Management said the full margin impact would show in the third quarter, with a recovery expected in the fourth, while ICICI General's combined ratio rose to 107% from 105.1%.

The State Bank of Vietnam has directed commercial banks to cut deposit rates by at least 0.5 percentage points for terms of six months or longer, and to lower lending rates for production, business and priority sectors by 1.5 to 2 percentage points, according to a Dan Tri report. The central bank also asked lenders to direct credit toward key economic projects and priority sectors such as science and technology, digital transformation, green development and education, while tightening lending in high-risk areas, particularly real estate. Banks were further instructed to mobilize resources, cut operating costs, share profits and take coordinated steps to bring down overall interest rates.

ICICI Bank reported Q2 profit before tax of INR 199.5 billion, up 23.4% year over year excluding treasury results. The bank mobilised USD 18 billion in FCNR(B) deposits under a one-off regulatory opportunity, lifting total deposits 27.1% year over year, but its net interest margin fell to 4.18% from 4.36% in the previous quarter as overseas assets grew. Loans rose 30% year over year, with domestic corporate lending up 30.6% and retail and rural lending up 14.8%. The net NPA ratio improved to 0.30% from 0.35% a quarter earlier, and consolidated profit after tax reached INR 163.3 billion, up 22.3%. Management expects the full margin impact to show in the third quarter, before a recovery in the fourth.

From 19/10/2026, Agribank will cut lending rates by up to 2.0% per year versus its usual rates, focusing on priority sectors and production and business customers. It is also continuing a 70,000 billion VND preferential credit program running from August 2026 to 2028 for small and medium enterprises, priority sectors and new growth drivers, with rates 1–2% per year below its average same-term lending rate. Agribank expects to set aside about 2,000 billion VND to share capital costs. The move follows a State Bank of Vietnam directive dated 18/10/2026 (No. 9608/NHNN-CSTT), which asks credit institutions to cut listed deposit rates by at least 0.5% per year for terms of six months or more and reduce lending rates by 1.5–2% per year for production, business and priority sectors.

A new BIS working paper using US data from 2019 to 2025 finds that when banks raise deposit rates, stablecoin market growth slows. Over a typical 10-week span, stablecoin market capitalisation grew about 15%, but a one-basis-point rise in deposit rates cut that to roughly 12% under the baseline estimate and about 6% under a method designed to isolate cause and effect. The authors exploited the fact that banks rarely raise savings rates until the federal funds rate passes about 3%, and the link was stronger for Circle's USDC than for Tether's USDT. They say regulators should weigh whether stablecoin issuers can pay holders yield, and note the paper reflects the authors' views, not necessarily the BIS's.

At the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned that AI-boosted cybercrime could undermine trust in the financial system, citing hackers who pushed French supermarket fridges to 50C and spoiled food. She worried that many people could end up keeping cash in shoeboxes under their beds. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said the bank would not allow AI agents to operate on customers' behalf, while agents that move deposits to chase the highest savings rates could trigger rapid withdrawals and raise unresolved questions about liability. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said, “If we don't have trust in money, we don't operate as a society.” The column says financial policymakers are alarmed by the collision between fast-moving AI and a financial system that now extends well beyond heavily regulated banks.

This article compares two small-cap finance companies, Richmond Mutual Bancorporation (RMBI) and CPB (CPF), across earnings, risk, dividends, ownership, profitability, valuation and analyst ratings. On dividends, RMBI pays $0.60 per share (3.9% yield) and CPB pays $1.20 per share (3.3% yield), with payout ratios of 49.6% and 38.5% of earnings respectively. CPB has higher revenue and earnings and a lower P/E ratio, and institutional investors own 88.4% of its shares versus 26.5% for RMBI. RMBI’s beta is 0.34 and CPB’s is 0.87, and CPB’s consensus price target of $39.00 implies potential upside of 7.03%. The article concludes that CPB beats RMBI on 11 of the 16 factors compared.

Ashok Chandra, MD and CEO of Punjab National Bank (PNB), told BusinessLine that credit growth this quarter could add up to 2 percentage points to overall growth, with retail, agri and MSME lending expected to rise by at least 1–2% more. The bank used its entire FCNR(B) deposit pool, about $2.7 billion, to repay high-cost bulk deposits and certificates of deposit, lifting domestic NIM by 10 basis points and global NIM by 8 basis points in one quarter. He expects overall credit growth of 14–15% this quarter, with MSME growth of 21–22% and agri growth of 18–19%. Loan rates are repriced the next working day after any change, with about 7 basis points of benefit expected from the recent repo hike, while deposit rates are expected to stay elevated for now. PNB plans to raise around $1 billion via MTN and has board approval for about ₹10,000 crore of infrastructure bonds, with timing dependent on market conditions.

The deputy prime minister urged the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to swiftly cut lending rates by 1.5–2 percentage points for production, business and government-prioritized sectors, while keeping financial stability and inflation under control. The push comes as the average lending rate reached 10.7% in August, up 0.2 percentage points from July and around three percentage points from a year earlier; personal loans reached 17–18%, and some banks' deposit rates neared 10%. Small and medium-sized businesses said they still struggle to access preferential credit, and one food business owner repaid a 9–10% loan but was quoted 13–14% for a new one. The government also ordered tighter supervision over bad debts, risky real estate lending, cross-ownership and banking misconduct, requiring banks to publicly disclose lending rates and facing penalties for noncompliance. BIDV launched short-term dong loans from six percent a year on October 15, and Vietcombank pledged to cut lending rates by at least two percentage points a year through the end of 2026.

An online survey of deposit rates at 35 banks on October 18 shows Sacombank offering the highest 12-month rate at 7.5% per year, while VPBank leads the 18-month term at 7.9% per year. Agribank, BIDV, Vietcombank and VietinBank all list 6.8% per year for 12 months. At the other end, SCB offers the lowest rates in the list, at 3.7% for 12 months and 3.9% for 18 months. The article puts the gap between the highest and lowest 12-month rates at 3.8 percentage points, and between the highest and lowest 18-month rates at 4 percentage points.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua (RBNZ) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with public and private sector organisations. The agreement aims to support access to basic transaction services across New Zealand.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) traded at $335.53 on Oct. 15, 8% below its record close of $365.18 on Aug. 12, 2026. Third-quarter net revenue rose 8% to $50.2 billion and diluted EPS rose 10% to $5.57, but both missed analyst expectations, the first earnings miss since second-quarter 2022. Equities revenue surged 49%, average loans rose 10% and average deposits rose 8%, and management raised full-year net interest income guidance by $700 million to $97.2 billion. The stock trades at a price-to-book ratio of 2.5, a premium to Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citigroup, but its 20% return on tangible common equity is significantly higher and it offers a dividend yield of nearly 2%. The author believes the valuation may be justified, though the stock is not a bargain.

The State Bank of Vietnam has instructed banks to cut savings deposit rates by at least 0.5% for terms of 6 months or longer, and lower lending rates for production, business and priority sectors by 1.5–2 percentage points, or face tighter credit growth quotas. In a document dated October 18, the regulator said listed top savings rates had climbed to 7.6–7.8% a year since late April, while preferential rates at many banks reach 8.5–9.5% a year. Non-compliant banks could see their remaining credit limits for the year reviewed, receive lower targets next year, or face higher safety ratios. Banks are also told to prioritize lending to production and innovation, tightly control high-risk credit, report asset quality honestly without hiding bad debt, and balance deposit mobilization with capital use.