Industry Overview - The Zacks Foreign Banks Industry is focused on overseas banks operating in the U.S., supervised by the Federal Reserve, and offers a range of financial services to both individual and corporate clients [3] - The industry is undergoing significant restructuring efforts, with banks divesting non-core operations to concentrate on profitable markets and enhance their revenue mix [4] Key Themes Influencing the Industry - Restructuring Efforts: Foreign banks are actively restructuring their businesses to focus on core operations, which is expected to elevate expenses in the short term but drive long-term growth [4] - Relatively Lower Interest Rates: Global central banks have lowered interest rates, which is anticipated to benefit foreign banks' net interest income (NII) and margins, leading to improved loan demand and revenue growth [5] - Uneven Global Economic Recovery: The post-COVID-19 economic recovery has been inconsistent, affecting banks' profitability due to weak growth in their home markets [6] Industry Performance - The Zacks Foreign Banks Industry ranks 62 out of over 250 Zacks industries, placing it in the top 25% and indicating strong near-term performance potential [7][8] - The industry has outperformed the S&P 500 and the broader finance sector, with a collective stock surge of 68.7% over the past two years compared to 44.6% for the S&P 500 and 48.9% for the Zacks Finance Sector [11] Valuation Metrics - The industry has a trailing 12-month price-to-tangible book ratio (P/TBV) of 2.53X, significantly lower than the S&P 500's 13.04X, indicating a relative discount in valuation [15][18] Company Highlights HSBC - HSBC has $3.21 trillion in assets and is focusing on expanding operations in Asia, particularly in wealth management [21] - The bank plans to redeploy $1.5 billion from non-core activities into its core strategy and has been divesting operations in various countries [24][25] - HSBC's shares have increased by 6% in the past six months, with a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [27] UBS - UBS, with $1.67 trillion in assets, is enhancing its operations through partnerships and acquisitions, including the recent acquisition of Credit Suisse [30][31] - The company aims to reduce its Non-Core and Legacy risk-weighted assets by over $6 billion by the end of 2026 [32] - UBS shares have risen 19% in the past six months, also holding a Zacks Rank of 1 [34] Barclays - Barclays has total assets of £1,598.7 billion ($2,192.3 billion) and is focused on improving efficiency through cost-saving initiatives, targeting £2 billion in gross efficiency savings by 2026 [37][39] - The company has divested several non-core businesses and aims to simplify operations [40] - Barclays shares have gained 24.5% in the past six months, currently holding a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [41]
3 Stocks to Consider From the Thriving Foreign Banks Industry