The UK rating agency stresses that measures to cut public expenditure will have to be accelerated. The recent decision by the Catalan Government to issue bonds to obtain cash have influenced the agency. Moody’s is sticking to its short-term rating and lowers-down the long-term one. The Government will now have more difficulties in getting funding in international markets.
Citizens will be able to buy treasury bonds of the Catalan Government’s debt worth 1,000 euros each at a 4.75% interest rate. In the framework of the electoral campaign, the Opposition denounced that the Catalan Executive has “its drawers empty, without money”. The Catalan Government has denied this and accused the opposition of being irresponsible in order to get votes.
Activity reports for the Institut Català de Finances (ICF), the Catalan public financial institution delivering official credit, were released on Tuesday. The number of credit requests rose by 34.1% in 2009 while activity grew by 2.5%.
The Catalan bank, Banc Sabadell, has an important presence in Florida, where its U.S. headquarters are located at the heart of Miami?s financial district. Banc Sabadell is Catalonia?s 2nd financial institution and the 4th in Spain.
The largest financial institution in Catalonia and the largest savings bank in Europe, La Caixa, agreed to merge with Caixa Girona. Yesterday evening, La Caixa?s board approved the merger with the medium sized Girona savings bank.
The Catalan savings bank Caixa Laietana has finally decided to participate in the merger led by Caja Madrid. This merger would allow all the savings banks to keep their names as separate brands.
The first Catalan private bank is coming to an agreement to merge with Banco Guipuzcoano, from the Basque Country. Banc Sabadell would absorb the Basque bank through an exchange of actions. If the merging comes to an end, it will be the first merging of 2