The Financial Transaction Tax introduced by France in August is intended to deter speculative investor behaviour, but the execution looks likely to miss the target.
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Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada takes cautious approach over Cuba's potential oil riches
July 2, 2012With Cuba facing another round of austerity measures, its population is pinning its hopes on vast quantities of oil being found in the drilling operations going on off the country's coast. However, the president of its national assembly remains cautious about any potential oil boom, and stresses that the country cannot neglect its agriculture and business sectors.
After the floods: Thailand plays catch-up
July 2, 2012Devastating floods and political instability saw Thailand's economy grind to a halt in late 2011. However, the country's banks have emerged relatively unscathed, and with its economy now growing at a good pace, the country is looking forward to experiencing good times similar to those that its south-east Asian neighbours have enjoyed.
Rebuilding Egypt: how the country's banks have fared since the Arab Spring
July 2, 2012Egypt's tumultuous political landscape of the past 18 months has, predictably, had an impact on it banks. However, the sector has shown impressive resilience since the Arab Spring uprisings, focusing on SME lending and commercial activities with some degree of success. But with foreign investors staying away and further political upheaval still a possibility, the country's rebuilding process still has some way to go.
China slows down to play the long game
July 2, 2012The growth of China's economy is slowing, and with it the profit margins of its leading banks. However, with an increasing focus on SME lending, opportunities opening up in wealth management and the capital markets, and the renminbi edging ever nearer to achieving international reserve currency status, the mood among the country's bankers is still one of optimism, albeit of the more cautious variety.
Chengdu looks to establish itself as western China's financial hub
July 2, 2012While the Chinese economy shows signs of slowing, growth in the western provinces is continuing unabated, making it a particularly attractive destination for financial institutions. A number of major cities are competing for this inward capital, but in the race to become western China's financial hub, the city of Chengdu has taken a clear lead.
Reserve Bank of India confident that banks can grow to meet demand
July 2, 2012The evolution of the Indian banking sector has been slow and steady thus far, but with 60% of its population still unbanked and $1000bn of investment planned for the development of its infrastructure, India's needs are fast outstripping the sector's capabilities. Deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India Anand Sinha is confident that the country's banks can rise to this challenge, but there are areas that he believes they must improve on first.
Philip Morris breaks a Eurobond record
July 2, 2012Even with good ratings and a global brand, US tobacco company Philip Morris was taking a risk issuing in the unpredictable Euromarket. It paid off, however, when the company recorded the lowest coupon for a corporate deal.
Can US equity On-Ramp get investors on board?
July 2, 2012The US JOBS Act is intended to boost access to public equity markets for emerging growth companies. But it has yet to win the trust of investors.
Germany’s hidden lending shortfall
July 2, 2012The availability of bank credit for small and medium-sized enterprises is often seen as a relative strength of the German economy, but borrowers themselves seem to harbour anxieties about their banks.