蒙特利尔银行将退出美国油气投资银行业务

    中国石化新闻网讯 据彭博社12月1日报道，蒙特利尔银行(Bank of Montreal)正在逐步结束其在美国的油气投资银行业务，未来将专注于在加拿大的资产，为此，该银行成为了最新一家切断与美国陷入困境的页岩行业联系的金融机构。

    蒙特利尔银行表示，已做出“有序缩减非加拿大投资和企业银行能源业务的财务决定”。该公司在电子邮件中表示，未来其资本市场能源业务将集中在加拿大。

    据知情人士透露，该公司将在其投行部门裁减约50个职位，这是周一向员工宣布的裁员计划的一部分，几名企业银行家将管理蒙特利尔银行的美国油气贷款账目。

    BMO是最新一家叫停与美国石油和天然气勘探公司相关的投资银行业务的银行，这些石油和天然气勘探企业甚至在大流行之前就面临着压力，多年来回报微薄。此举似乎与困扰化石燃料公司的ESG担忧无关。近几个月来，美国页岩行业在一波整合浪潮中被席卷，原因是石油需求锐减、价格下跌并迫使低溢价并购。此前，该行业多年来一直在进行缓慢的并购活动。

    据BMO介绍，能源不良贷款在三个月内翻了一番。截至7月31日，BMO在美国的油气贷款约为54亿美元(约70亿加元)，占其油气贷款总额的一半。

    王佳晶 摘译自 彭博社

    原文如下：

    BMO to Exit Oil And Gas Investment Banking in the U.S.

    Bank of Montreal is winding down its U.S. oil and gas investment banking business and will focus on assets in Canada going forward, becoming the latest financial institution to cut ties with America’s beleaguered shale industry.

    BMO said it has made “the financial decision for an orderly wind-down of our non-Canadian investment and corporate banking energy business.” Going forward, the company said by email, its capital markets energy business will be focused on Canada.

    The company is eliminating about 50 positions in its investment banking group as part of the exit that was announced to staff on Monday, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public. A handful of corporate bankers will manage BMO’s U.S. oil and gas loan book, the person said.

    BMO is the latest bank to halt investment banking tied to U.S. oil and gas explorers, which even before the pandemic were facing pressure after years of generating meager returns. The move didn’t appear to be related to ESG concerns plaguing fossil fuel companies. America’s shale industry has been swept up in a wave of consolidation in recent months as the pandemic slashes oil demand, drags down prices and forces low-premium mergers. That follows years of lackadaisical M&A activity in the oil patch.

    Read More: Bad Energy Loans Double Over Three Months, Canada Banks Say

    BMO’s U.S. oil and gas loan book was about $5.4 billion (C$7 billion) as of July 31, making up half of its overall oil and gas loans, according to a company presentation.