Bankers were back in force at this year's World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. Professing to be largely in agreement with regulators and policy-makers, they nonetheless warned of the perils of getting regulation wrong and the need to move on from banker-bashing and to focus on growth
UK low-carbon sector let down by banks and state, says scientist
February 14, 2011Sir David King, former chief scientific advisor to the UK government, believes the UK's policy-makers and financiers fail to support its promising low-carbon sector. The Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, which he heads, is working to change that.
MiFID review could have serious impact on OTC derivatives
January 31, 2011A proposed reform of MiFID could have a major impact on the OTC derivatives market, and it has been suggested that the authorities are paying only lip-service to consultation.
IPOs set to maintain positive momentum
January 31, 2011Last year was unpredictable for the IPO markets. While some deals performed badly, a lot of IPOs did well and most investors made money. Risks will remain in 2011, particularly in Europe, but emerging markets are seeing a growing share of volumes and prospects are good.
Will risk on, risk off continue into 2011?
January 28, 2011The equity markets have experienced a year of volatility, with significant increases in volume in emerging markets and declines in developed regions. However, participants expect some return to normality and stability in 2011.
Credit Suisse's Luigi de Vecchi on how the bank's model will deliver
January 28, 2011Credit Suisse's client-focused model may be vulnerable when client activity is down, but the bank believes that it will deliver over the cycle and is the right one for the business environment being shaped by regulators and policy-makers.
Compulsory merger control not needed
December 23, 2010A consultation in the UK will look at whether the country should adopt the compulsory merger-control system common in other jurisdictions. Few in the UK think there is a need, as the present system works well.
German banks feeling the strain
December 23, 2010Rescue packages and a rebounding economy have stabilised the German banking system. But it remains vulnerable to weak profitability, low-quality capital and exposure to cyclical industries abroad. Moreover, some believe that even the crisis has failed to force structural change. Writer Geraldine Lambe
Marco Mazzucchelli on RBS's slow return to health
December 8, 2010A poor showing in banking league tables, a third-quarter pre-tax loss of £1.4bn, the hangover of ABN Amro... To the uninitiated, it would seem that RBS is still in turmoil. However, as its global head of banking, deputy CEO of GBM and head of EMEA explains, a deeper analysis shows signs of recovery. Writer Geraldine Lambe
Banks increase physical assets
December 8, 2010The drive for a cap on position limits in the derivatives markets has led investment banks to increase their presence in the lucrative physical markets. Writer Geraldine Lambe