Fitch Ratings says Morocco's largest seven banks continued to show weak growth in 1H19, with sector deposits up by just 1% and lending up by 3%. In a new report, Fitch says deposit inflow slowdown is new while weakness in core lending trends was already visible in 2018.

France's Groupe BPCE enters exclusive negotiations with the Moroccan banking group Banque Centrale Populaire (BVC:BCP), with a view to divesting banking interests in Africa, the company said on tuesday.

Morocco's three largest banks all follow similar universal banking strategies and have expanded into sub-Saharan Africa to bolster growth. Nonetheless, despite these similarities, there are differences between the three banks, particularly in their capacity to withstand further credit challenges, says Moody's Investors Service in a peer comparison report published today.

According to Mohamed El Krimi, who is in charge of the company’s liquidation, the buyout offer amounts to 31 billion dirhams, which might potentially be coming from a foreign stakeholder.