ING And KBC To Complete Restructuring, May Increase Payout Ratios

ING Groep NV (ADR) (NYSE:ING) and KBC Groep NV (EBR:KBC) (OTCMKTS:KBCSF) are finally coming to the end of five years’ worth of restructuring and divestments, with strong balance sheets and the potential to increase payouts significantly over the next few years.

“By the end of this year we expect the vast majority of divestments to be completed and state aid to have been fully repaid, ahead of schedule. We therefore expect both sets of management to outline new strategic plans, as the investment proposition in both stocks shifts away from restructuring towards the next stage: growth and capital return,” write Citi analysts Andrew Coombs and Yafei Tian.

Divestments nearly complete

While ING Groep NV (ADR) (NYSE:ING) still has €4.8 billion in double-leverage, it recently...