GCC banks' outlook stable - Financial Services - Zawya

Fitch Ratings on Thursday affirmed a stable 2012 outlook for most banks in the Gulf and Middle East region, but warned that risks remained.

The ratings agency believes that problem loans have peaked and expects recoveries and generally lower impairment charges in 2012.

The issuer default ratings of almost all the region's banks were stable thanks to the probability of sovereign support, Fitch said in its newly published "2012 Outlook: GCC/Middle East Banks" report.

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