Contingent capital is still the subject of furious debate. Some have called it a dangerous instrument, while others say it may not do what regulators want. Some argue that it will be difficult to create a market big enough to absorb the needs of the banking sector if it becomes a compulsory part of the capital structure. But none of this stopped Credit Suisse's $2bn issue from being a storming success.
The CoCo is a new financial instrument enabling banks to raise capital – and convert it into equity during future crises. Joanne Hart finds out its potential to be one of the most significant financial products, however, relies upon the right support and investor appetite.
Despite its close proximity to crisis-hit Greece, Albania made its first foray into the Eurobond market last year. After agonising over when to issue the deal in such a volatile market, it would seem that the timing of the launch was just right. Writer Joanne Hart
The statistics are clear: commodity demand is moving east, and fast. For the moment, the bulk of trading and price-setting is done out of New York and London, but will banks, exchanges and physical trading houses move east as well? Joanne Hart reports
The third quarter of 2010 was a dismal time for banks' trading businesses. Virtually all of them saw precipitous falls from the third quarter of 2009. While most believed this year would not be as good as the last, does this slump suggest a more long-term decline for one of investment banks' stellar business lines? Writer Joanne Hart
Sovereign debt is no longer the easily defined sector that it used to be. As investors run scared of many developed governments' debt and turn instead to the 'true' sovereigns of emerging markets, uncertainty and volatility reign in an area that was once so simple. Joanne Hart reports.
Central banks have dropped their traditional low profile - becoming more proactive, accumulating large reserves and intervening actively to support their national currencies and interests. The composition of their reserves is also changing, with a number of central banks considering moves to reduce their exposure to the US dollar, reports Joanne Hart.
Good reaction: Chemical company Ineos raised €870m on the high-yield marketThe European high-yield market was, for years, driven by leveraged buyout activity. Now corporates are accessing the market in their own right. So, is European high yield coming of age? Writer Joanne Hart
When the Lincoln Bill was passed by the US Senate Committee and sent to the House of Representatives for debate, shockwaves ran through the US financial community. If passed, it would, among other things, close access to the Federal Reserve support window or a bailout for derivatives houses. Commodity derivatives are a huge business for banks, and the potential impact on their businesses is cataclysmic. Writer Joanne Hart
Mark Lewellen, head of European corporate origination at Barclays CapitalChina has had an inflationary spike, Australia is raising rates and more are expected to follow suit. This has prompted a flood of bond issuance from businesses and governments ahead of fears about rising rates. When more central banks signal that they are in a neutral and tightening mode, what will this do to the debt capital market? Writer Joanne Hart
Ian Gilday, European head of high-yield and loan capital markets at Goldman SachsHigh-yield bond issuance rocketed at the end of 2009 as the thirst for yield returned, leading investors lower down the risk spectrum. As yields dropped in response, this opened up the market to even the riskiest credits. Then, in mid-February, there was a huge sell-off. What is in store for the high-yield market? Writer Joanne Hart
Jonathan Brown, head of global emerging market syndicate at Barclays CapitalResilient, with huge growth prospects and healthy returns, emerging markets can be an attractive prospect in this climate, but issues of higher interest rates, a need for regulation and limited liquidity have to be resolved. Writer Joanne Hart
Visible presence: Anheuser-Busch InBev, which owns a non-controlling 50% stake in Grupo Modelo, which brews Corona, was an early entrant to the debt markets this yearAfter a dismal 2008, the fixed-income sector has bounced back in 2009 thanks to government intervention steadying investors' nerves. The turbulent economic climate has favoured the low-risk bond market but, as revenues and deal volumes have risen, not all of last year's major players have retained their market shares. Writer Joanne Hart
South Korea's Kookmin bank issued the first covered bond out of an emerging market earlier this year. It was lapped up by investors although its pricing has been questioned. But more importantly, is it the first of many other emerging market banks to look to covered bond investors for funding? Writer Joanne Hart