While Panama's banks held their lead as the biggest banks in Central America, Nicaragua steamed ahead in terms of return on capital and return on assets.
Latest articles from Best-performing banks
Top 100 Russian Banks: consolidation set to continue
February 1, 2013Acquisitions by both private and state-owned banks in Russia are gradually concentrating the top end of the banking sector, but the long tail of closely held and regional banks remains.
The Top 500 Banking Brands 2013 - Press release
February 1, 2013UK banks lose $1.5 billion of brand value
The Top 500 Banking Brands 2013
February 1, 2013The brand value of US banks has reached a new high, while emerging economies such as Brazil and China also stand out in this year’s Top 500 Banking Brands ranking.
South Africa keeps African banking's top spots
January 2, 2013South Africa’s banks still dwarf those in the rest of Africa, but other countries are slowly gaining on their peer.
Top Latin American banks ranking, 2012
November 1, 2012While the top 10 Latin American banks remain unchanged from 2011, it is the region's smaller operations that are leading the pack in terms of profitability and returns.
Top Arab banks ranking, 2012
October 1, 2012Arab banks offset the turmoil of the Arab Spring and offered a robust performance in 2011 with impressive growth across the key financial indicators. And with minimal exposure to the eurozone crisis, the region's banks are expected to continue their recovery from the global financial crisis.
Japan’s top banks hold steady
September 3, 2012The leading Japanese banks have performed solidly over the past year, showing an impressive resilience in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country in March 2011. However, return-on-asset levels are still worryingly low.
Banks battle impact of Caribbean economic woes
August 1, 2012Growing public debt, falling GDP rates and rising unemployment are casting a shadow over the Caribbean region. Banks are responding by raising capital and many are still delivering good returns.
On the brink: the banks just outside the Top 1000
August 1, 2012While The Banker's Top 1000 World Banks ranking published every July gives an insightful and unique snapshot of the state of the global banking market, our ranking of those banks featuring just below the ranking gives an excellent indication of the way in which the market is heading, and which countries and regions are on the rise.