The largest Canadian banks all recorded hefty increases in profits in 2021, buoyed by a mortgage boom and solid macroeconomic environment.

Last year was a record-breaker for investment banking fees, driven by strong performances across M&A, DCM, ECM and syndicated loans. 

Germany holds onto second place among its western European peers when it comes to the number of foreign investment projects since 2016, but saw a drop in the first 10 months of 2021.  

Many banks have held up better than expected during the pandemic, but others are falling behind. 

During the first half of 2021, the Central American country saw a significant increase in fintech investment on the back of accepting bitcoin as legal tender. 

Poland is the top country for foreign direct investment in financial services and fintech projects in eastern Europe, followed by Lithuania and Romania.

The growing humanitarian crisis at the Belarusian border has incurred additional EU sanctions, which will impact the country’s economic recovery.

Revenues in 2020 were hit by Covid-19, but not as severely as anticipated and are already showing signs of a bounceback.