Europe’s Banking Underdogs Beat Wall Street Goliaths With Fresh Highs

From ugly duckling to profit swan, Europe’s banking renaissance is catching eyes. The region’s long-term interest rates have surged, pushing HSBCHSBC

, BarclaysBCS

, and SantanderSAN

to fresh highs. With the Stoxx 600 banking index up 38% this year, this trans-Atlantic rally has outpaced US peers — just as Wall Street’s latest quarter showed cracks.

• Years of rock-bottom rates squeezed European bank margins to razor-thin levels — but the post-pandemic shift to combat inflation with higher rates has unlocked profits.
• EU “valuations remain discounted,” said an analyst — with the sector trading around book value, compared to the 2x–2.4x multiples enjoyed by JPMorganJPM
  and Goldman SachsGS
  .

Tale of two continents: While Goldman’s trading desk printed 36% gains and Morgan Stanley’sMS

surged 23%, US bank stocks still broadly tumbled in Q2 despite earnings beats. Analysts warned American valuations have become “detached from reality,” while European lenders remain “cheap and uniquely positioned for a pick-up in domestic demand.” Sometimes it pays to be the underdog — especially when your competition is overpriced, and centuries of banking wisdom have shown that the tortoise beats the hare.