As the financial storm of the past few years begins to calm, how are banks coping with the new competitive landscape and what do they need to do to stay ahead of their rivals? And more to the point, can they afford to invest in the innovation required to do so? The Banker spoke to Dan Marovitz, head of product management for global transaction banking at Deutsche Bank. Writer Charlie Corbett
Latest articles from Transaction banking
Direct approach for CCPs
December 30, 2009New legislation for over-the-counter derivatives from the European Commission next year will include a central counterparty directive. But what are the implications of the new law? Writer Frances Maguire
Post-trade, post-crisis: Smoothing the curve
December 30, 2009Post-trade processing is an expensive overhead for financial firms, while the potential operational risk associated with trade breaks and bottlenecks is attracting increasing regulatory scrutiny. Writer, Frances Maguire
Is foreign investment the answer to Iraq's banking needs?
December 30, 2009A muscular banking sector will make or break whether Iraq is to rebuild and prosper. And while there are increasing levels of capital inflow into the region, local banking infrastructure remains limited, leaving the sector wide open for foreign investment. Writer Courtney Fingar in Baghdad
Puerto Rico's banks reach a critical juncture
December 30, 2009Puerto Rico's dependence on the US meant that the subprime crisis hit its banking sector particularly hard. A period of consolidation is now expected, but who the winners will be - the big domestic players or foreign-owned entities - remains to be seen. Writer Jane Monahan in Puerto Rico
Post-trade processing: The new imperative
November 27, 2009Banks' back offices were exposed by the recent crisis as inefficient, lacking in scalability and ripe for increased regulatory scrutiny. Policy-makers and regulators, meanwhile, began to call for the creation of centralised industry utilities, in a bid to reduce the systemic risk associated with the trading, processing and clearing of a variety of complex products.
Trading: So who is afraid of the flash trade?
November 27, 2009It seems that many are. This summer has seen both BATS and Nasdaq launch flash order programs, but was this an attempt to compete with Direct Edge - which has been successfully using the controversial program since 2006 - or did the rival exchanges simply want to force the hand of the regulators? Writer Michelle Price
Trade finance comes to the fore
October 28, 2009The severe slowdown of international trade flows and trade financing during the global crisis have impacted heavily on the export-dependent Latin American economies, yet there are signs that the market is starting to pick up.
Downturn plays into regional hands
October 28, 2009The economic downturn has temporarily alleviated the pressure on Brazil's regional banks. They are using that breathing space to seek efficiencies, including cost cutting, improving customer service and seeking capital from new sources. They need to move fast: as national banks recover, acquisition of regional banks will once again become an attractive expansion strategy. Writer John Rumsey
Banco de Oro plans to grow through recession
October 28, 2009As one of the Philippines' most dynamic bankers, Nestor Tan has overseen a series of acquisitions and mergers that have transformed Banco de Oro into the largest bank in the country by assets. Now he is eager for further growth by capitalising on opportunities presented by the recession. Writer Michelle Price