For the past several years, investors have been held hostage by the possibility that Greece might default on its debt and eventually leave the eurozone.
The thought process is that a “Grexit” would create a domino effect in Europe in which other countries, like Portugal, Italy, Ireland, and Spain, would then also choose to leave the eurozone.
And while Greece’s problems continue to be kicked down the road, a new problem is coming to the forefront: Italy is facing a full-blown banking crisis.
On Tuesday, trading in Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the world’s oldest bank and the third-largest lender in Italy, with about 170 billion euros ($190 billion) in assets, was halted after the shares slid nearly 6% over concerns of weak investor interest in its emergency rescue plan.
About 50 billion euros, or about 30% of the bank’s assets, are bad loans. And while Atlante, the privately funded bank bailout fund, will be buying assets, BMI Research says that alone may not be enough. Additionally, the country’s two largest lenders, UniCredit and Intesa Sanpaolo, are among those backing the bailout fund, so their bottom lines will feel it if things go bad.
In response, shares of Italian banks have been hammered to their lowest levels of the crisis.
It's not just Monte dei Paschi that is in trouble. Italy's entire banking system is at risk as nonperforming loans have climbed to account for 17% of all loans. Earlier in 2016, the banks Popolare di Vicenza and Veneto Banca saw Atlante take controlling stakes, and additional capital injections were made in August, putting further pressure on the country's healthier banks.
And things could get even worse. BMI says the UK's vote to leave the European Union has put "downward pressure interest rates, squeezing already razor-thin margins." Additionally, BMI believes the outlook for growth in the region is deteriorating as a result of "weaker external demand and confidence." Finally, there is uncertainty over the tenure of Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who may lose the coming referendum on constitutional reforms.
In short, BMI says, "the sector will remain a key source of systemic risk for the domestic and wider eurozone economies."
An "Italexit" could alter the landscape of Europe. Stay tuned.