[Reuters] Bank of Portugal sees private solution if BES needs capital
[BES.LS ESF.LS] LISBON, July 18 (Reuters) - Portugal's Banco Espirito Santo
(BES) <BES.LS> should have no problems raising capital by
bringing in new investors should additional cash become
necessary, the Bank of Portugal's governor said on Friday,
reiterating that the bank has a capital cushion to meet a range
of risks and uncertainties.
Carlos Costa told a parliament committee that "preliminary
contact between BES and international investment banks, as well
as interest shown by various entities, investment funds and
European banks show that it is very probable that there could be
a private solution to reinforcing capital."
Recent disclosures of financial irregularities at a web of
holding companies owned by the bank's founding family have
raised questions about potentially destabilising losses at BES,
Portugal's largest listed lender, in which the family is the
largest shareholder.
(Reporting by Andrei Khalip; Editing by David Holmes)
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