Bank of NY Mellon CEO sees more losses from banks

Robert Kelly, chief executive of Bank of New York Mellon Corp., speaks at the Reuters Finance Summit in New York November 6, 2007.

PARIS (Reuters) - The chief executive of Bank of New York Mellon Corp (BK.N) said on Monday he expected further losses from the banking sector and added that the U.S. housing market crisis could continue for some time.

"I think that in financial institutions, we're going to see more losses in a while," Chief Executive Robert P. Kelly told the European American Press Club in Paris.

Kelly said he expected more capital raising and dividend cuts from the banking sector and that banks may start to sell off assets and reduce leverage.

Commenting on the U.S. housing market, where losses have led to huge writedowns at some of the world's top banks, Kelly said: "It will take us a while to get out of it ... This could go on for a while."

Kelly said that although the American economic downturn would affect the rest of the world, growth in countries such as Brazil, Russia, India and China would cushion the blow.

"I think there has to be some contagion from the rest of the world as the United States slows down.

"This is a global slowdown, not a recession. If it is a recession, it will be shallow."

Bank of New York Mellon was formed in 2007 from the merger of Mellon Financial Corp with Bank of New York, creating one of America's largest banks.

Founded in 1784 by Alexander Hamilton, Bank of New York is the oldest U.S. banking company. Mellon was founded in 1869 and grew to prominence under financier Andrew Mellon.

In April, Bank of New York Mellon posted a 9 percent rise in first quarter profit.

Kelly said the bank was growing strongly in Europe and Asia and that within 5 years, more than 50 percent of its revenues could come from outside the United States.

He added that the current problems in the banking sector could provide companies such as Bank of New York Mellon with possible acquisition opportunities.

"The strong will survive and the strong should have the opportunity to acquire the not-so-strong."

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Paul Bolding)