Handelsbanken shows Swedish bank strength
SWEDEN’S Handelsbanken bucked a slowing economy as it unveiled rising income and lower loan losses in the third quarter at a time when many of Europe’s banks are being shaken by debt woes across the region.
Sweden’s second-biggest bank by market capitalisation and traditionally the most conservative, Handelsbanken’s operating profit was 4.4bn crowns (£420m) against 4bn forecast in a poll, and 4.1bn in the previous quarter.