BaFin president Felix Hufeld is seen attending the G20 Germany 2017 Conference in Wiesbaden, Germany on Jan. 25, 2017.Ralph Orlowski/Reuters
Germany’s financial regulator expects the worst of the coronavirus crisis is still to come, although there was no immediate threat to financial stability from the pandemic.
But as many countries in Europe and beyond see rising coronavirus infection rates and governments grapple with how to respond, BaFin president Felix Hufeld said he was concerned about the weakest 20 per cent or 30 per cent of institutions he monitors.
“We will not get out of this thing painlessly. That much is for sure. The hard part is still to come,” Hufeld said on Wednesday at a banking conference at which he and other panelists were separated on stage by plastic screens.
Earlier, Deutsche Bank Chief Executive Christian Sewing forecast that the economy would not return to normal this year or next, and that many sectors will be running at 70 per cent-90 per cent capacity, with “serious consequences”.
“Many companies will have to adjust to this and manage to be profitable with longer-term lower revenues,” Sewing said.
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