Following a well-publicised period of recession and turbulence, Argentina’s banking industry has seen optimism return. But consolidation and lower inflation bring their own problems, as Silvia Pavoni reports.
Latest articles from Retail Banking

Will retail banking shake up Vietnam's established players?
January 2, 2018Vietnam’s banks are pushing into retail, buoyed by a young and growing population. How will competition between new, tech-savvy private lenders and the big four public sector banks play out? Peter Janssen reports.

The new age of Santander
November 1, 2017Spain's Santander is moving into a new era as it targets larger earnings, improved customer loyalty and stronger governance. Silvia Pavoni looks at how the 160-year-old institution is planning to progress from a position of strength.

Tradition meets tech – Russia’s Post Bank model
September 1, 2017Post Bank is going against the grain with plans to hold a total of 18,000 branches across Russia within two years. The lender is using legacy outlets from its Leto Bank and Russian Post origins to increase its reach, with a low-cost model that mixes ATMs and mobile transactions. Stefanie Linhardt reports.

Western banks take retail route into emerging Asia
July 3, 2017Developed market banks tend not to favour retail as a way to move into emerging markets. But, as several have found, catering for smaller businesses and individuals is a good way to establish a foothold before expanding into Asia’s developing regions. Peter Janssen reports.

Cautious Chinese banks navigate uncertain market
July 3, 2017China’s banking sector is proving hard to navigate in 2017. The economy is slowing, net interest margins have dropped and banking regulators are cracking down on financial malpractice. Stefania Palma assesses how the country's banks are faring in this challenging environment.

Home or away? Qatari banks look to build on their success
June 1, 2017Low oil prices have dented Qatar's economic success story of late but its banks are thriving. Some are looking to domestic consolidation for the next phase of growth, others to foreign acquisitions, while a deal that will create the region’s biggest Islamic bank is in the pipeline. Kit Gillet reports.

Lebanon's banks advance with caution despite impressive results
June 1, 2017The environment in which Lebanon's banks have been operating has been challenging, meaning that despite their steady growth a backdrop of uncertainty is influencing policy. And they are also having to contend with a public backlash regarding profits from a central bank swap offer, writes Edward Russell-Walling.

Cyprus banks' reversal of fortune
May 2, 2017Though Cyprus's banking sector is in a much healthier state than it was during the crisis years of 2012 and 2013, high NPL ratios and the country's negative interest rate environment are casting a shadow over its recovery, as Michael Imeson reports.

Portugal’s banks rise from the ashes
April 3, 2017Once one of the standard bearers for the travails of the eurozone, Portugal appears to be in the early stages of a recovery, one in which its revitalised banks are playing a leading role – albeit heavily backed by foreign investment. Peter Wise reports.