The UK sterling market has enjoyed a stellar 2014, with RBS playing a leading role in the surge with a series of innovative issuances that have proven popular both within and outside of the UK.

Jersey issued the first bond in its 800-year history to finance a renewal of its housing stock, and seized the opportunity to tell the crown dependency's story.

Since interest rates dropped to record lows in both the US and UK, investors have been anticipating their rebound and picking their investments accordingly.

If Scotland opts for independence from the rest of the UK later in 2014, the latter would be likely to get custody of banks.

Islamic finance has not had a sizable impact on the UK banking industry, but sharia-compliant asset manager Gatehouse Bank believes that it has carved a small but important niche in the market.

When Danish-founded online takeaway ordering firm Just Eat decided it was time for an initial public offering, the UK’s new equity market segment had the right flavour.

The acquisition of UK brokerage Collins Stewart Hawkpoint by Canada's Canaccord Genuity gave Alexis de Rosnay the chance to fulfil his ambition of building a business, as the group aims to become a global mid-market investment bank.

Privately owned communications infrastructure firm Arqiva successfully extended its maturity profile in early 2014, after a major round of refinancing a year earlier.