Friday 25 May 2012

French banks draw up Greek exit plans, sources say

(Full story) (Exclusive to Reuters)


PARIS | Fri May 25, 2012 4:12pm BST
(Reuters) - French banks, which are among the lenders most exposed to Greece, have stepped up their efforts on contingency plans for the debt-laden country leaving the euro zone, sources familiar with the situation said.

The heightened preparations by banks, including Credit Agricole (CAGR.PA), BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA) and Societe Generale (SOGN.PA), come after euro zone sources told Reuters earlier this week that each member of the common currency would have to prepare a plan for a possible Greek exit.


"Every bank has a task force right now looking at the potential consequences of a return to the drachma," a Paris-based banker said.

At end-Dec 2011, total French cross-border lending to Greece was $44.4 billion (28.3 billion pounds), higher than Germany's $13.4 billion, according to preliminary Bank for International Settlements data tracking consolidated foreign claims of reporting banks on an ultimate risk basis.

"The banks are doing contingency planning concerning a Greek exit, but you can understand why they wouldn't say so publicly," a consultant to French banks said.


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