Major Swedish financial institutions have surged in this year's ranking of the world's 50 safest commercial banks, with Handelsbanken and Swedbank claiming the top two positions. The list, compiled by the trade magazine Global Finance, highlights the significant progress made by Swedish banks this year.
Handelsbanken climbed four spots to reach the number one position, moving up from its previous fifth-place ranking. Swedbank saw an even more dramatic rise, jumping 16 places to secure second place. SEB also saw a substantial improvement, climbing 15 spots to reach the ninth position.
Other Nordic-linked institutions also performed well in the rankings. Nordea, which maintains its headquarters in Helsinki, was featured in the top tier at fifth place. Additionally, DNB Bank was ranked as the 15th safest commercial bank, while Danske Bank secured the 25th position.
The ranking methodology is based on an evaluation of long-term credit ratings provided by the agencies Moody's, S&P Global, and Fitch. The assessment explicitly excludes state-owned banks from the final list.
