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Investing.com - Deutsche Bank (ETR:DBKGn) downgraded Swedbank (STO:SWEDA) (OTC:SWDBY), currently valued at $29.52 billion, from Buy to Hold and lowered its price target to SEK260.00 from SEK271.00 on Wednesday. According to InvestingPro data, the stock has delivered an impressive 42.61% return year-to-date.
The downgrade comes as the valuation gap between Swedbank and its Swedish peers has narrowed in recent months, with the discount shrinking from an average of approximately 13% throughout 2024 to about 7% recently on a price-to-earnings ratio basis.
Deutsche Bank cited limited upside potential for the stock, which currently trades at approximately 9.4 times earnings, despite ongoing pressure on net interest income from anticipated central bank interest rate cuts.
The investment bank had previously viewed a potential settlement with U.S. authorities regarding investigations into Baltic operations as a key catalyst for Swedbank’s valuation and future capital returns.
The narrowing valuation gap has occurred without any updates on the timing or details of a potential settlement with U.S. authorities, leading Deutsche Bank to conclude there is "limited excitement for the investment case" at present.
In other recent news, Swedbank has faced several significant developments. UBS analysts have downgraded Swedbank’s stock rating from Buy to Neutral, despite raising the price target from SEK 262 to SEK 267. This decision reflects UBS’s view that Swedbank’s recent stock performance has closed its valuation gap with its Nordic peers. Additionally, UBS expressed caution about Nordic banks overall, with a preference for Danske and Nordea. Furthermore, Swedbank has been fined $1.29 million by the Swedish financial supervisory authority for violations of security protection regulations. These violations occurred over an 18-month period, highlighting the bank’s failure to comply with rules for security-sensitive activities. The fine underscores the importance of adhering to established security protection standards. These recent developments indicate a period of scrutiny and adjustment for Swedbank within the Nordic banking sector.
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