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BNP Paribas France

RAROC profile and corporate credit pricing model derived from Pillar 3 disclosures.

Last updated: March 2026 · Data source: public Pillar 3 disclosures
Cost-to-income
61.8%
Operating efficiency
Effective tax rate
26.2%
Applied to RAROC numerator
Avg corporate PD
0.98%
Probability of default
Avg LGD unsecured
37.0%
Loss given default

How BNP Paribas prices corporate credit

BNP Paribas is a France-based bank with approximately EUR 375bn of corporate credit exposure (EAD) under the A-IRB approach to credit risk capital. The numbers below come directly from BNP Paribas's most recent Pillar 3 CR6 regulatory filings and are used to model how this bank prices corporate credit facilities.

What makes BNP Paribas's book distinctive

BNP Paribas runs the largest corporate credit book in continental Europe, with a diversified mix of French large-cap, global trade finance, and Global Banking US coverage. Its F-IRB weighting keeps regulatory LGDs closer to the supervisory floor than A-IRB peers, which structurally inflates capital required on unsecured corporate exposures relative to, for example, HSBC or Barclays on the same obligor.

BNP Paribas is mid-sized by corporate EAD (26 of 59). Its cost-to-income ratio of 61.8% is in line with the European large-bank average (+12.0pp vs the 59-bank cross-section average of 49.8%). The corporate portfolio is predominantly investment-grade, with an EAD-weighted average PD of 1.0% against a cross-bank average of 2.1%.

Because the bank runs the advanced IRB approach, its own LGD and credit-conversion models drive capital requirements, which on our comparable sample deal typically produces tighter minimum spreads than foundation-IRB peers with identical obligor risk. Unsecured LGD disclosed at 37.0% is +0.2pp against the 36.8% cross-bank average, in line with the peer median.

On the standardised BBB+ EUR 25M 5-year term loan used across every bank profile, BNP Paribas lands in the lower half of the pricing ranking (#37 of 59), with a RAROC of 7.19% and a minimum spread of 257bp to reach the 12% hurdle. Within France specifically, the bank ranks #5 of 5 on this same calculation.

ParameterValueWhat it means
IRB approachA-IRBHow the bank computes risk-weighted assets
Cost-to-income ratio61.8%Operating cost share of net revenue
Effective tax rate26.2%Applied to RAROC numerator after EL and funding
Average corporate PD0.98%EAD-weighted probability of default
Avg LGD (unsecured)37.0%Loss share if borrower defaults, no collateral
Avg LGD (secured)22.0%Loss share with eligible collateral
Funding spread15bpBank's wholesale funding cost above risk-free
Corporate EADEUR 375bnTotal exposure at default to corporates

Sample RAROC calculation

On a representative BBB+ rated, 5-year term loan of EUR 25M at 150bp spread with a 20bp commitment fee, BNP Paribas would generate an estimated RAROC of 7.19% against a typical 12% bank hurdle rate. To hit that hurdle on this exact deal, the bank would need a minimum spread of 257bp. This deal is significantly below target — the bank would either reprice it or decline.

ComponentValue
Annual revenue (spread + fees)EUR 385,000
Operating costEUR 154,000
Expected loss (PD × LGD × EAD)EUR 28,750
Capital required (FPE)EUR 2,451,320
RAROC (after tax)7.19%
Min spread to hit 12% RAROC257bp

How BNP Paribas compares to peers

Out of 59 banks in the OpenRAROC dataset, BNP Paribas ranks #37 by RAROC on this sample deal.

RankBankCountryRAROCMin spread
1Qatar National BankQatar9.00%203bp
2DBS GroupSingapore8.18%224bp
3JP MorganUnited States8.12%231bp
4ICBCChina8.06%233bp
5China Construction BankChina8.06%233bp
36Lloyds Banking GroupUnited Kingdom7.21%260bp
37BNP ParibasFrance7.19%257bp
38Emirates NBDUAE7.18%248bp
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Frequently asked questions about BNP Paribas

What is BNP Paribas's average corporate PD?
BNP Paribas discloses an EAD-weighted average corporate probability of default of 0.98% in its most recent Pillar 3 CR6 table, covering roughly EUR 375bn of corporate credit exposure.
How much spread does BNP Paribas need on a BBB+ EUR 25M 5-year term loan?
On that standardised facility, BNP Paribas requires a minimum spread of approximately 257bp to reach a 12% RAROC hurdle, given its disclosed cost-to-income of 61.8%, effective tax rate of 26.2%, and A-IRB IRB designation.
Which IRB approach does BNP Paribas use for corporate credit?
BNP Paribas reports corporate credit RWA under the A-IRB approach. This determines whether internal LGD models or supervisory LGDs apply, and directly affects the capital required on each facility.
How does BNP Paribas rank versus peers on RAROC?
Out of 59 banks tracked by OpenRAROC, BNP Paribas ranks #37 on the standardised BBB+ term-loan calculation used across every bank profile. Within France specifically, it ranks #5 of 5.
Where does OpenRAROC get BNP Paribas's data?
Every number on this page is extracted from BNP Paribas's own public filings: BNP Paribas URD 2024 (FY2024) CR6 Table 39 'Other corporates' (excl. SME & specialised lending) p.442-443; Tax & C/I from P&L p.144 & tax note p.232; FY2025 URD filed 19-Mar-2026 not yet downloadable from CDN. No estimates, no proxies. Source confidence: high.

Data source

BNP Paribas URD 2024 (FY2024) CR6 Table 39 'Other corporates' (excl. SME & specialised lending) p.442-443; Tax & C/I from P&L p.144 & tax note p.232; FY2025 URD filed 19-Mar-2026 not yet downloadable from CDN

A-IRB (86% of corp under IRB per CR6-A). CR6 'Other corporates' non-default wtd avg PD=0.98%, LGD=37%. Total corp EAD incl. SME+specialised=480.9bn. C/I=61.8%, ETR=26.2% (FY2024). FY2025: revenue EUR51.2bn, NI EUR12.2bn, CET1 12.6%. Update CR6 to FY2025 when URD becomes downloadable.

Confidence: high · Read the full RAROC methodology

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