Portuguese banks and the economic adjustment programme: balance sheet adjustments and impact on profitability

Double Degree. A Work Project presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics and a Masters Degree in Finance from Louvain School of Management

This thesis studies the different strategies and initiatives followed by Portuguese banks to achieve the targets set by the economic adjustment programme and their impact on the banking sector’s profitability. I analyse what banks have undertaken in terms of capital level and other sources of financing. I also address the issue of deleveraging by studying the evolution of the loan portfolio as well as risk weighted assets. Finally, I analyse the impact of those changes on the bank’s net interest incomes and cost to income ratio. Using a sample composed of four major Portuguese banks, I conclude that banks have become safer but still need to make some effort to achieve stability.

NSBE - UNL