Growing geopolitical risk and the rising toll of misconduct fines overshadowed what should have been a year of strengthening economic recovery.
Latest articles from Management & Strategy

Dos and don’ts of preventing fraud in a bank
April 1, 2014The damage that a fraud investigation can wreak on a bank is already well documented, but what measures can banks take to protect themselves against such incidents and minimise the repercussions if a fraudster does slip through the net?
M&A – the missing piece of the regulatory puzzle
March 24, 2014The regulation of the global financial sector should be extended to include intensive monitoring of merger and acquisition deals, which are a key source of instability.

Time for banks to reflect on branding
December 2, 2013In their pursuit of new money, private banks are trying to build up brand recognition, be it by highlighting their traditional values or the way they have embraced the digital revolution.
A dictionary of difficulties from 2012
December 3, 2012If 'algorithms, bail-ins and cajas' were the ABC of banking in 2012, what will be the new buzzwords? Philip Alexander looks at the phrases that defined 12 months of pain, and suggests some words to watch in 2013.

Gref's global vision: how Sberbank is looking beyond Russia
November 1, 2012The acquisition of an investment bank and subsidiaries across emerging Europe are transforming Sberbank from Russia's retail savings bank of choice into a genuine international player, just as Western competitors are retreating. But its management team is treading carefully.

Saudi Arabia's banks look to build on boom
May 1, 2012With significant potential for growth in the country's real estate, retail and capital markets, Saudi Arabia's banks, which are already highly liquid and rapidly increasing their profitability, are making bold projections for their future successes.

Buoyant Turkish banks eye regional expansion
May 1, 2012Turkish banks are following the lead of the country’s vibrant export sector and expanding into new regional markets, but their strategies vary widely.

Start-ups benefit from Hungarian banking sector woes
March 13, 2012High non-performing loan ratios and stringent, ever-changing government policies have put foreign-owned banks in Hungary under pressure. As established players change their footing, allocating a larger proportion of their funds abroad, a number of smaller local outfits are moving in to capitalise on the potential of niche markets.

Europe's banking sale of the century
March 1, 2012Regulatory pressure and the high cost of capital are driving a radical change of asset ownership in Europe. But most banks could take years to sell their non-core assets.