As the Portuguese banks continue to clean up their balance sheets, this has been reflected in an improvement in the levels of non-performing loans (NPL), despite the impact of the pandemic. The NPL ratio stood at 4.3% at the end of June, down 0.6 percentage points from the end of 2020. Still, NPL stock amounted to €13.5 billion.

After peaking in 2016 (17.9%), the NPL ratio have maintained a downward trajectory in recent years; a trend that the Covid-19 pandemic has not yet halted, although the reduction has been at a less intense pace in recent quarters.

Over the past four and a half years domestic banks have cleared more than €30 billion of non-performing loans from their balance sheets and managed to achieve a ratio below the 5% that is required by national authorities. The NPL ratio is today at its lowest level since 2008, according to official statistics.

If we count impairments, the NPL ratio is even lower: 1.9%, representing about €5.99 billion in toxic loans.

Original Story: Eco | Alberto Teixeira 
Photo: Photo by Armindo Caetano in FreeImages.com
Edition & Translation: Prime Yield