(Adds comments)
MILAN, March 13 (Reuters) - European banks are unlikely
to find themselves compelled to liquidate their bond holdings at
a loss like their U.S. peer Silicon Valley Bank ,
Moody's Investors Service said on Monday.
Though rising interest rates have hit the value of banks'
bond portfolios, their market value will tend to converge with
their nominal value as they approach maturity, under an effect
known as 'pull-to-par'.
"Based on their sound liquidity and funding profiles, cash
holdings and stable deposit bases, we consider large European
banks are generally well placed to avoid the need to sell their
bonds at a loss," Moody's said in a comment.
Moody's noted that a third of European banks' government
bond holdings mature within the next two years, ensuring a
continuous inflow of cash and reducing the need to sell assets.
The agency noted that the failures of U.S. banks Silicon
Valley Bank and Silvergate resulted from "a sudden
loss of confidence and resulting high cash outflows from
concentrated deposit bases".
"Smaller, deposit-funded banks can rely on the stability of
their loyal depositor bases, which ensures they can wait for a
recovery in bond values without incurring materially higher
funding costs," it added.
(Reporting by Valentina Za, editing by Alvise Armellini)
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