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.

Vietnam’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.

Spain'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.

Post 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.

Developed 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.

China’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.

Low 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. 

The 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.

Though 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.

Once 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.