The Banker has named Mediobanca “Italian Bank of the year 2019”

The Banker, the Financial Times Group monthly publication, has named Mediobanca “Italian Bank of the year 2019”. The UK magazine said that “in a challenging market environment, Mediobanca has emerged as an exemplary success story in Italy’s banking sector. An ambitious growth strategy has bolstered the bank’s profitability, with its return on equity hitting 10% over the 2018 review period. Meanwhile, its cost-to-income ratio was just 46%, while its net ratio of non-performing loans came in at 2%. Indeed, Mediobanca reached a long-term strategic partnership with French corporate finance house Messier Maris and Associés, in which the Italian lender acquired a 66% stake in April 2019. In doing so, Mediobanca has secured a high-profile presence in France, which is a core market for the lender’s corporate and investment banking division. It also advances Mediobanca’s objective of pursuing capital-light activities as well as its ambition to become a leading pan-European investment banking player.”