BPI’s executive chairman, João Pedro Oliveira e Costa, said Friday that the bank is not evaluating a possible purchase of Novo Banco.
“My shareholder has been very clear, neither BPI nor Caixabank are studying Novo Banco and it is not in our plan to think about Novo Banco either”he told journalists at the press conference to present the results of the first quarter (profit of 85 million euros).
Novo Banco is 75% owned by the US investment fund Lone Star (the rest is owned by the Banks Resolution Fund and directly by the Portuguese State), as it is known to want to sell the bank in the future to realize a profit.
Regarding the political tension between the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic, the manager said only that he values stability and that it is essential for the economy to function properly.
“As an economic agent, I value stability and predictability. In the world we live in, it is essential that peace is maintained between the various institutions, so that companies have the confidence to develop naturally”he claimed.
On Friday, BPI presented a consolidated profit of 85 million euros in the first quarter, 75% more than in the first three months of last year.
Net interest income (difference between interest on loans and interest paid on deposits) rose by 82% to EUR 203 million.
Source: DN
