FX & Payments - The Banker

Guides & Reports

FX in flux

Banks looking to compete in today's foreign exchange markets need to cope with immense challenges, including new players, new markets, and no less than a revolution in technology. Writer Charlie Corbett

Payments: challenges and rewards

The payments landscape is changing. Customers are demanding more, so banks are having to decide how to update their payments infrastructures. Competition is becoming fiercer and regulation is getting tougher. Despite this, the rewards can be high. Payments are still the lynchpin between a bank and its customers, and new markets, such as payments for the unbanked and mobile banking, are being explored. These issues and more were discussed in Brussels, Belgium, last month. Writer Michael Imeson

Reducing the likelihood and impact of currency crises

The Bracken column is named after Brendan Bracken, the founding editor of The Banker in 1926 and chairman of the modern-day Financial Times from 1945 to 1958.

The renewed currency volatility of the past year has received attention from banks, international organisations, governments and researchers, mindful of the Asian currency crisis of 1997/98. Commentators have discussed alleged causes, including systemic deficiencies, shortcomings of debtor nations and culpably soft attitudes by lenders.

The world takes note of Brazil's payment system

Brazil's past battles with hyperinflation have left the legacy of a payment system whose efficiency assists its economy's stability to such an extent that it has garnered a host of global admirers. Writer John Rumsey

Moving beyond cash in Africa

Even though the majority of sub-Saharan countries are cash-driven, a string of initiatives are being rolled out across the region to take bank notes out of transactions where possible. Telcos, financial companies and reforms by the central banks are leading the way in Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria. Writer Wendy Atkins

FX proves critical in a crisis

Rob Mandeno, global head of FX spot and e-commerce at Deutsche Bank in London

As the credit crisis took hold, foreign exchange trading, regarded as a reliable source of profit, surged in popularity among investors. Now, as trading volumes begin to return to pre-crisis levels, the inference is that confidence is slowly returning to the global economy. Writer Charlie Corbett

The high price of payments

The global recession has elevated payments processing to near the top of bank chiefs' priority lists, but the industry is going through a fundamental structural change that could lead to a slump in revenues and soaring business costs. Writer Charlie Corbett

For every cloud…

Zar Amrolia, Deutsche Bank

From prime brokerage to fixed income, the trading landscape is under siege. But some pockets are still making good money. Writer Michelle Price.

CLS reaches FX crossroads

Jonathan Butterfield,executive vice-president, marketing and communication for CLS Bank International

Even with the creation of Continuous Linked Settlement Bank (CLS), foreign exchange settlement risk persists, with a large number of currencies remaining outside the scope of the industry utility. How much risk persists, and how can it be eliminated? Writer Frances Maguire.

Counting the cost of hedging after market shakeout

Frederic Jeanperrin

More liquid than most derivative markets, foreign exchange products still suffered in the turbulence of late 2008. But hedging exchange rate risk has never looked more important, creating growth opportunities for banks that can stay in the game. Writer Philip Alexander.

Rising to the payment challenges

The European payments landscape is undergoing a period of dramatic transformation as regulatory, infrastructural and commercial pressures force Europe’s payment providers to invest colossal amounts of human and financial resources in new technological and compliance projects.
Faced with SEPA, the PSD and UK Faster Payments, the transaction banking business has rarely been busier or more inflamed by competitive pressure.

Slimline readers on the cards

The major payment card players were out in force at the Cartes annual trade show, showing off their latest password generators for conducting online transactions, most thin enough to fit in a wallet. Writer Wendy Atkins.

The future for foreign exchange

Tony White, managing director, Wall Street Systems

Having enjoyed a major boom in volumes over the past five years, the FX market needs to address its processing operations and cost model. Tony White, managing director at Wall Street Systems, discusses how these problems can be combatted. Writer Michelle Price.

Sibos debates the big issues

The Single Euro Payments Area, MiFID, the Target 2 Securities initiative and the Thomson-Reuters megamerger are among the hot topics at this year’s SIBOS.

The Sepa saga

Gianfranco Tabasso, European Association of Corporate Treasurers Payment Commission

Political intrigue and a lack of leadership might yet kill the European Commission’s vision of a Single Euro Payments Area. Writer Michelle Price.

Charlie McCreevy

Charlie McCreevy, European commissioner for the internal market

The European commissioner for the internal market has been at the forefront of the Sepa initiative since taking up office in 2004. Here, he answers the market’s criticisms of the project and discusses how it has been handled at European level. Writer Michelle Price.