The renminbi is on a path to becoming an international currency, and the first step of the journey is for the Chinese currency to be used to settle trade payments. As businesses begin to see the benefits of using renminbi for trade settlement, banks are competing to make their mark on this growing business.

From drawn-out court cases to labour union strikes, the trials and tribulations of the multinational banks that have tried to invest in South Korea have left many observers with the impression that the country is hostile to foreign capital. 

With its acquisition of Lehman Brothers' non-US operations, Nomura made an audacious bid to join the global investment banking elite. Little did it know that its bold move would coincide with the worst economic and financial environment for the best part of a century. However, its senior management believe that if they hold their nerve, the gamble can still reap the rewards they originally expected.  

The fight for market share in the Asian High Net Worth Individual (HNWI) segment is fierce, as private banks and wealth management arms of major banks from Europe and the US position themselves for future growth.

Hong Kong has been the world's biggest initial public offering market for the past two years. Is this a sign of a structural shift in the equity markets, in which companies' capital-raising strategy must include a Hong Kong/China element? And just how much are world leaders London and New York losing out to their Asian rivals?

Political uncertainty and regulation has blighted the progress on the Economic Co-Operation Framework Agreement between Taiwan and China. Now, slowly but surely, agreements are finally being reached that should benefit Taiwan's banks and businesses.

Looking at the liquidity and capitalisation levels of Taiwanese banks may give a false impression of a healthy banking sector. But with the world’s second lowest net interest margin, the country's banks are struggling in an overcrowded market.

When Chinese investors sought to secure a supply of niobium metal, UBS had the unique challenge of coordinating five state-owned enterprises to a punishing timetable, all the while taking on board the differing needs of each enterprise. 

A deluge of non-performing loans and deleveraging paint a bleak picture of Kazakhstan’s banking sector. But it is against this backdrop that smaller, second-tier banks, which follow much less aggressive strategies and are therefore in much healthier positions, can excel.