Small banks and insurers are leaving Slovak market

Wüstenrot is selling its Czech building saving bank and mortgage bank, according to sources of e15.cz. The sale of its Slovak building saving bank is likely, too, as the recent tightening of rules for state subsidies made the prospects of building saving banks here grim. OTP of Hungary, mBank of Poland and Axa of France are also leaving the Slovak market. Financial sector consolidation stems from growing costs of regulation and low interest rates. Smaller banks in Slovakia are under pressure, as the banking levy could eat their entire profits.

(e15.cz)