US banks are pulling back from lending to European companies during the coronavirus pandemic, fuelling concerns that Wall Street may be quietly withdrawing to its home market in a repeat of the last financial crisis.
Bankers, advisers and company executives said American lenders had become more cautious in underwriting bilateral and syndicated loans to large corporate clients across the region in recent weeks. In Germany, JPMorgan recently pulled out of talks over an additional credit line for BASF, the world’s largest chemicals group, according to people involved in the transaction. Similarly, Bank of America lent half as much as the other six international banks that underwrote a €3bn state-backed loan to sportswear giant Adidas.
Goldman Sachs — which helped underwrite a €3.5bn syndicated loan for Italian-American carmaker Fiat Chrysler this month — did not take part in a similar €12bn facility for German rival and long-standing client Daimler, leaving other lenders to make up the difference.
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