In a post-Brexit world, the UK is looking at ways to promote London as a competitive destination for equity listings.
Poland’s robust growth in 2021 is expected to continue in 2022. However, the economy is not immune to emerging challenges, including inflation, geopolitical tensions and raising interest rates.
The country’s leading lenders possess robust balance sheets, as well as ambitious plans to cut costs and further digitise their operations.
The governor of Poland’s central bank, Narodowy Bank Polski, talks to The Banker about interest rate increases, foreign currency denominated mortgages and the sector’s exposure to transformation-related climate risks.
Europe’s banks survived the pandemic, even extending support for their respective economies. But there is still scope for improved profitability and consolidation in future.
Central banks around the world are contending with stark choices around how to unwind their Covid stimulus packages in the face of turbulent markets.
Decentralised finance will completely shake up, and potentially even replace, the existing banking system.
French banks went into the crisis well prepared, as their performance shows.
Hamburg Commercial Bank is Germany’s best-performer, leading a field that did well under tough conditions.
Pre-Covid cost-cutting and digitisation programmes helped Russian banks put in an impressive performance in this year’s rankings.
Banks reacted smartly to Spain’s sharp contraction in growth last year — with the resulting numbers showing that they are nicely positioned for the future.
Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi leads the Turkish banks, whose adaptability has seen them through a tough year in face of currency depreciation and rising inflation.
Well-capitalised UK banks not only weathered the Covid-19 pandemic, but also helped the government support other businesses during it. However, other challenges, such as Brexit, remain.
Having strengthened balance sheets prior to the pandemic, central and eastern Europe’s banks have weathered the storm well.
The contentious issue of interchange fees rages on as Visa and Mastercard get ready for their five-fold fee hike.
The unparalleled success of Russia’s Mir payments system has protected it against US sanctions, making other governments take notice.
By shoring up their capital levels before the pandemic, Italy’s banks weathered the worst of the economic slump.
Despite their low costs, nimbleness and a digitally-native background, challenger banks are struggling to generate decent profits.
The direction of US Treasury yields will depend on the way that the Fed exits from its ultra-loose monetary policy.
As Scotland inches closer to independence, it’s worth examining the immediate fiscal and monetary hurdles the fledgling country would face.