The Belgian lender’s Irish arm was the first of the Irish banks to report results for 2020 and will therefore be closely watched for a read on the wider market. KBC Bank Ireland CEO Peter Roebben said the 2020 results had proved “far less stark than feared” in the first half of last year when the bank took a €95m impairment on its books in anticipation of pandemic-related losses. In a shrinking market last year, that meant KBC’s market share increased from 11.8pc to 12.6pc. Mr Roebben said it was impossible to say whether doubts over the future of Ulster Bank had boosted his own bank, but credited pricing and KBC’s digitally focused customer service. The bank would look at opportunities to buy performing loans if Ulster Bank’s parent NatWest decides to leave the Irish market, but it is not a focus, he said.

Source: Irish Independent February 12, 2021 02:26 UTC