Financial Select Sector SPDR® ETF

Blackstone’s performance fees have increased more than its basic compensation costs because the companies in which it invests have performed so well.

MetLife is the market leader in the Large market with ~30% of the market share, while its market share is slightly above 5% in the Middle market.

The company’s revenue model is based on charging management and performance fees for managing the portfolios in its investment advisor firms.

A partnership structure has general partners that make investments and operational decisions relating to the conduct of the fund’s business.

MetLife intends to grow its retail business and expects low single-digit growth in the long term.

Alternative investment management attempts to outperform the major indices, instead of replicating returns as is the case in passive fund management.

MetLife is a market leader in the US and the largest life insurer in Mexico and Chile. It is among the leading players in Japan, Korea, and Poland.

PNC Bank’s loan book is skewed toward a few types of loans: commercial and industrial loans and 1–4 Family First Liens, about 44.5% of its total loans.

With a strong presence in the East, South, and Midwest, PNC Bank offers community banking, wholesale banking, corporate banking, and asset management.

Citigroup provides a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking, corporate and investment banking, among other things.

A bank’s growth can be limited if it doesn’t have enough regulatory capital. If the bank doesn’t have enough capital, it will be forced to dilute its equity to raise capital.

“Strategy” can be defined in many ways. Generally, strategy is a long-term plan. There are two main aspects to strategy—operational level strategy and human resource level strategy.

The bank’s strategy is to not focus on any particular segment of industry. This helps it mitigate risk because the bank’s earnings and delinquencies are not dependent on any particular sector.

Basel III addresses most of Basel II and II.5’s deficiencies. But it still has some shortcomings. Firstly, the increased regulatory capital required under Basel III will increase barriers to enter into the sector.

Basel II.5 was essentially a revision of Basel II norms, as the existing norms often failed to correctly address the market risks that banks took on their trading books. Basel II.5’s main aim was to strengthen the capital base, and so the banks’ ability to withstand risk, by increasing banks’ capital requirements.

Basel II was a comprehensive regulation that covered major sources of risks for banks. But it had a few major drawbacks. Firstly, it provided incentive to a bank’s management to underestimate credit risk.

Capital ratio is also known as capital adequacy ratio or capital-to-risk-weighted assets ratio. Capital ratio is nothing but the ratio of capital a bank has divided by its risk-weighted assets. The capital includes both tier one and tier two capital.

Although Basel I brought a worldwide standard in regulations, introduced the risk-weighted assets concept, and segregated capital, it had a few deficiencies.

The second most important technical parameter used in banking regulations is risk-weighted assets (or RWA). If you’ve seen bank financial statements, then you might have noticed the “RWA” term there.

Capital is important because it’s that part of an asset which can be used to repay its depositors, customers, and other claimants in case the bank doesn’t have enough liquidity due to losses it suffered in its operations.

The most important types of banking capital are common stock (or shareholders’ equity), preferred stock (or preferred equity), revaluation reserve, general provision, and hybrid instrument.

Banking regulations aim to ensure that the risks are minimized. If any unforeseen event occurs, then the interests of bank customers are protected. On a wider scale, the regulations also seek to absorb and minimize shock in the economy.

We stated earlier that most banks are highly leveraged financial risk-takers. When things go awry, the results can be catastrophic, leading to huge losses or even to a bank closure.

Banking risk can be defined as exposure to the uncertainty of outcome. It’s applicable to full-service banks like JPMorgan (JPM), traditional banks like Wells Fargo (WFC), investment banks like Goldman Sachs (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS), or any other financials included in an ETF like the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF).

Whenever we analyze any banking company, we’re looking at two main variables—the return a bank earns and the amount of risk. To understand any bank, you need to understand these two parameters well.

Historical analysis has shown that return on equity has a strong impact on banks’ value creation in the long run. So financials that have high price-book value ratios should also have high returns on equity.

Custodian banks like a warehouse and store other financial institutions’ and individuals’ assets—they help in keeping financial instruments safe.