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The JSE has identified and stopped "incorrect" trades from one of its members, and will reverse the trades and lower the session's total value after the close.
Johannesburg - Citigroup has issued a "buy" recommendation for Nedbank, but now only rates FirstRand as a "hold".
This follows the run in banking shares in the second half of 2009, when Nedbank ended the year at R124/share, 31% up from the beginning of the year.
Together with Investec, Nedbank showed the strongest growth among local banks, but at a price:earnings multiple (p:e) of 9.4 it is rated the weakest of the big four - Absa, First National Bank (FNB) in the FirstRand stable, Nedbank and Standard Bank.
A "buy" recommendation implies that value is seen in the share, while a "hold" recommendation can indicate that growth is over for now, before a new upward trend begins.
According to Citi, South African banks are over the worst in terms of impairments, but still not entirely over the hump. It considers that bad debts probably reached a peak at R38bn in 2009, but 2010 could still bring unpleasant surprises. A decline to R26.6bn is expected only in 2011.
The banks' mountain of bad debts is putting a damper on further credit growth. Although the banks have relaxed their stricter lending criteria, particularly in terms of home loans, consumers - judging from private credit extension figures - are unwilling to borrow on a large scale while household debt remains high.
Citi believes that when credit extension revives, earnings growth could surprise on the upside. Current share prices do not therefore reflect the true potential value that could still be unlocked.
Average earnings growth will run to 20.6% this year and could rise to 32% in 2011. According to Citi, these forecasts could be conservative.
Nedbank and FirstRand have been two seriously undervalued shares after their sharp declines in March 2009 in response to the global financial crisis and local recessionary conditions.
Absa, at a p:e of 10.1, remains the most undervalued local bank after Nedbank.
The markets are waiting for a series of senior appointments to be made under the leadership of Maria Ramos. The question is whether Absa's current bad debts represent the peak of the current cycle.
All four of the big banks' p:e ratios are significantly below the current 17.6 average of the JSE's all-share index.
- Sake24.com
For more business news in Afrikaans, go to Sake24.com.