Libor for Dollars Rises to Four-Week High as Banks Hoard Cash
Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- The cost of borrowing in dollars for one month rose to the highest level in four weeks as banks held on to cash to strengthen their balance sheets through to next year amid the global credit shortage.

U.A.E. Banks Asked to Curb Lending, EFG-Hermes Says (Update1)
Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- The United Arab Emirates has asked local banks to restrict loan growth to less than 10 percent after agreeing to deposit 70 billion dirhams ($19 billion) with lenders to boost liquidity, EFG Hermes Holding SAE said.

Morgan Mulls Acquiring Regional Banks
Morgan Stanley could be considering acquiring regional banks that overlap its existing brokerage and asset management clients, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Libor for Dollars May Stay at Three-Week High as Banks Hoard
Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- The cost of borrowing in dollars for one month may stay close to the highest level in three weeks as banks hold on to cash to strengthen their balance sheets through to next year amid the global credit shortage.

India Stocks Drop, Led by Banks, Automakers; ICICI, Maruti Fall
Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Indian stocks fell, reversing earlier advances, as banks and automakers sank after Nomura Holdings Inc. cut its economic growth forecast for the nation and vehicle sales plunged.

U.A.E. Asks Banks to Restrict Lending Growth, EFG-Hermes Says
Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- The United Arab Emirates has asked local banks to restrict loan growth to less than 10 percent after agreeing to deposit 70 billion dirhams ($19 billion) with lenders to help boost liquidity, EFG Hermes Holding SAE said.

Report: Under pressure from banks, Bush administration backed off tighter loan standards
The Bush administration backed off proposed crackdowns on no-money-down, interest-only mortgages years before the economy collapsed, buckling to pressure from some of the same banks that have now failed. It ignored remarkably prescient warnings that foretold the financial meltdown, according to an Associated Press review of regulatory documents.

Japan Banks Hoard Cash, Increasing Money-Market Rates (Update1)
Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Japanese banks are hoarding cash, pushing up benchmark money-market rates 16 days in a row, as the Bank of Japan?s first interest-rate cut in seven years fails to allay concern companies won?t repay debt amid a recession.

Gilmore: banks must safeguard families' homes
Irish banks should be forced by the government to guarantee that no family's home will be repossessed as a condition of any state aid package, Labour demanded last night. Labour leader Eamon Gilmore argued that the Irish taxpayer must be compensated for helping to support financial institutions. Addressing Labour's annual conference in Kilkenny last night, Gilmore said: 'If the taxpayer can ...

Asian Funding Costs Rise as Banks Hoard Cash Amid Recessions
Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Asian money-market rates rose as banks hoard cash amid concerns a deepening global recession will make it harder for companies to repay debt.

EU: checking French bank bailout plan before approval to avoid enriching banks
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The EU said Monday it had to carefully inspect France's bank bailout plan ? but stressed it was not blocking it ? to make sure banks wouldn't profit unfairly from large doses of state money.

Japan?s Banks Hoard Cash, Pushing Up Money Rates After Rate Cut
Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Japanese banks are hoarding cash, pushing up benchmark money-market rates 15 days in a row, as the Bank of Japan?s first interest-rate cut in seven years failed to allay concern companies won?t repay debt amid a recession.

Banks set to pass on rate cut
THE Federal Government is confident banks will pass on today's expected interest rate cut, tipped to be three-quarters of a percentage point.

The Banks and the Big Three
The Journal?s excellent Heard on the Street writer David Reilly hits at the banks today, pointing out that they need restructuring as bad or worse than Detroit, but Washington so far is giving them a virtual pass, unlike their industrial counterparts-in-collapse.

Early Glance: Commercial Banks companies
(AP:NEW YORK) Shares of some top commercial banks companies are down at 10 a.m.: First Horizon fell $.58 or 5.4 percent, to $10.11. National City fell $.13 or 6.5 percent, to $1.88.

Early Glance: Investment Banks companies
(AP:NEW YORK) Shares of some top investment banks companies are down at 10 a.m.: Goldman Sachs fell $7.14 or 9.0 percent, to $71.85. Merrill Lynch fell $1.22 or 9.2 percent, to $12.00.

Retailers target banks over credit-card fee
The subprime mortgage crisis is giving department and convenience stores and gas stations a new argument in asking Congress for power to negotiate the fees banks charge them to process credit-card transactions.

Canadian Banks Could Announce Large Writedowns, FT Reports
Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Several of Canada?s big five banks, which include Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto Dominion Bank, Bank of Nova Scotia, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and Bank of Montreal, may announce big writedowns, the Financial Times said.

BSP not keen on seeking extension for law to help banks dispose bad loans
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine central bank is not amenable to further extending the effectivity of the law which allows banks tax and registry exemptions for disposing bad loans.

BOK To Supply $4 Billion To Banks Tuesday Using US-Korea Swap Funds
SEOUL -(Dow Jones)- The Bank of Korea said Monday that it will supply $4 billion to local banks via 84-day foreign exchange swaps using funds from the U.S.-South Korea currency swap agreement.