Greek Banks Inch Toward Bad-Loan Relief With Complex Plans
- Tax credit-owning SPV, Italy-style bond guarantee considered
- After relief rally, Greek banks sink again after MSCI removal
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Greek authorities are moving forward with two different plans to save their banks from a downward spiral. Some would-be investors think they’re too clever by half.
To reduce non-performing loans, the Greek central bank is proposing a special-purpose vehicle created with the stricken lenders’ tax credits -- themselves an accounting creation of the nation’s past debt restructuring. With those assets, the SPV could effectively become a “bad bank,” selling bonds and acquiring some 42 billion euros ($47 billion) of bad loans.