While many of the US's local lenders were hit by the subprime crisis, most of the larger regional banks are now back in growth mode. The Banker profiles four such banks.

With a series of scandals shaking confidence in large listed banks and the financial crisis badly damaging their profits, European interest in co-operative lenders has been revived. Is this a passing phase – a knee-jerk reaction to a difficult couple of years – or is it the beginning of a larger, more permanent shift in sentiment?

At a recent round table hosted by The Banker, a panel of industry experts discussed the changing nature of technology and innovation with regards to economic and regulatory influences. The experts also considered how these factors shape the competitive landscape and create opportunities for co-operation. The event, the last in a four-part series, was sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland, but independently written and edited.

The 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.

The Dodd-Frank Act, Section 1073 is going to alter the practice of retail cross-border payments services – not just for US-based financial institutions but also for their correspondent banking relationships abroad. The deadline is near, but a practical solution to meet the requirements of the rule still seems far off. The Banker looks at some alternatives that have finally started to emerge.

With an emphasis on customer-centric services and products, Indonesia’s microfinance sector is proving to be extremely lucrative, not only for the banks involved, but also for the country’s large population and growing economy.

Devastating floods and political instability saw Thailand's economy grind to a halt in late 2011. However, the country's banks have emerged relatively unscathed, and with its economy now growing at a good pace, the country is looking forward to experiencing good times similar to those that its south-east Asian neighbours have enjoyed.

Little is understood of India's banking sector outside of the vast country. The Banker talks to the chairmen and CEOs of 15 of India’s leading banks about their strategies, prospects and the huge opportunities presented by the country's large unbanked population.  

Visa and MasterCard have evolved in recent years both inside and out, developing from bank-owned associations into public companies. Now they are facing external pressures of alternative payment schemes and a payments world that is rapidly moving beyond cards.

The loans scandal at Kabul Bank, which led to its collapse in 2010, hit not only Afghanistan's already fragile financial sector but also the country's political stability. But as those held responsible for the fraud have been brought to justice and more stringent legislation is put in place, the confidence of international backers is beginning to return.