Increase in low-cost deposits mitigates pressure on Greek banks' profitability, Moody's says

An increase in low-cost deposits by Greek households mitigate pressure on Greek banks' margins and profitability because of the coronavirus pandemic, Moody's said in a report on Monday. The credit rating agency said that recent data released by the Bank of Greece showed that time deposits -with the highest cost for banks- fell to 34 pct of total household deposits in May from 40 pct in December 2017, while the average interest on current accounts was 0.12 pct and of saving deposits was 0.03 pct, with the average interest on time deposits at 0.28 pct. Moody's said that these figures showed that depositors want immediate access to their deposits amid economic uncertainty because of the pandemic.