11.   French banks are suffering from declining demand for loans, losses incurred on depressed property holdings, and shrinking interest margins in an overcrowded market.

12.   IBFC profits on the interest margin between the loans they make and the commercial papers they sell.

13.   If loan growth is harder to come by and interest margins narrow, the pressure increases to maintain profits.

14.   In addition, selling the credit card business decreased the net interest margin, said Mandle.

15.   Interest margins are the difference between the rate at which banks lend and the rate at which they borrow.

16.   Lead or agent banks earn fees for setting up the group, and earn an interest margin, or spread, on the loans they keep.

17.   Like its German rivals, Dresdner said its interest margin continues to contract as low-margin businesses account for an increasing share of lending.

18.   Lang sees underlying profitability continuing to improve, rather than being dependent on cyclical interest margins.

19.   Mercer said profit growth reflected relative stability in interest margins and declines in provisions for bad debts.

20.   Part of that volume growth was countered by shrinking interest margins at its banking operations outside the Netherlands.