Citi touts Europe banks in ‘world’s contrarian trade’

Bloomberg

European banking stocks have been punished like no other sector in the region this year. Unless you’re expecting a financial crisis, now may be the time to take advantage of valuations near a two-year low, according to strategists at Citigroup Inc.
Fearful of potential contagion from Turkey, investors accelerated their flight from the Stoxx 600 Banks Index in the past week, sending the gauge to its lowest level since 2016. Yet, while some measures — such as the spread between dividend yields and corporate bond yields — may signal distress, the capital positions, returns and profitability of European lenders are in better shape than similar situations in the last 10 years, the strategists said.
The increase in analysts’ dividend estimates for the sector is at odds with the tumbling stock prices, Citigroup said.
Another disconnect is the rising return on equity while valuations sink. “Banks in Europe remain the world’s biggest contrarian trade,” Citigroup strategists said.