Best bank - Svenska Handelsbanken
Best debt house - CSFB
Best equity house - Enskilda Securities
Best M&A house - Enskilda Securities
Best local partner - Enskilda Securities
The top three banks in Sweden are Svenska Handelsbanken, SEB and Swedbank. SEB has shown a high degree of cost control. The bank carried out huge organic cost-cutting in corporate and retail banking as well as downsizing its IT budget over the past year. However, Svenska Handelsbanken wins the award for best bank in Sweden again this year. Its customers were the most satisfied according to a survey carried out by Swedish quality index Svenskt Kvalitetsindex in October 2002.
Handelsbanken has an impressive cost-to-income ratio of 47.2% and has the highest return on equity in Sweden at 14.6% and the lowest loan losses at 0.05%.
In Sweden, Handeslbanken's market share grew from 19% of mutual fund sales in 2001 to 28.7% in 2002. Its share of household deposits grew from 16.2% in 2001 to 16.4% in 2002. Household lending stayed at 16%.
CSFB wins the award for best debt house. Although the bank doesn't top the league tables for the 12-month period it has been the most consistent in its involvement across issuance by sovereigns, corporates and financial institutions.