Increased activity levels were mainly driven by the UK, Belgium, Ireland, along with Spain and Germany.
“We expect that 2014 will be another record year for the European non-core and non-performing loan market, with activity levels expected to reach an all-time high of around €80bn. We also estimate that loan portfolios with a total face value of more than €30bn have closed or are in the process of closing already.Transaction activity is fuelled by the continuing need of many European banks to reduce the size of their balance sheet and restructure their operations. Bank restructuring will continue over at least the next five years – with activity likely to be fuelled by the findings of the Eurozone wide Asset Quality Reviews (AQRs) and stress tests currently underway”, stated Cornelia Bumbacea, Partner, Deals, PwC Romania.
PwC estimates that banks across Europe are still holding loan assets of €2.4trn which they regard as non-core or non-performing. Whilst a large number of banks are taking significant steps to reduce their exposures to these unwanted assets a continual reappraisal of their balance sheets is leading to the identification of additional orphan assets.
“Private equity and hedge funds were the most active buyers in 2013. We expect that to continue in 2014 due to the significant amounts of investment funds raised and the availability of debt financing, especially for more established players in the sector. There is a great number of investors interested in the European market. We also noted an increase in non-performing loans deals in Romania in 2013, for commercial, residential and office properties. We expect the transactions volume to increase in 2014, while the economy keeps expanding and investors recover their appetite for risk”, added Cornelia Bumbacea.
