Market and currency volatility have shaken up The Banker’s Top 500 Banking Brand rankings. However, the main story of 2016 is the speed at which Chinese banking brands are gaining ground on their US counterparts. Joy Macknight reports.

Over the past three years, BNY Mellon has assembled the building blocks for the digital transformation of its business. Today, it is putting this work into practice and aims to be a change engine within the financial industry.

Wells Fargo has maintained its lead in The Banker's Top 500 Banking Brands survey, but it is the impressive performance of China's leading lenders, many of which have gained several places in the ranking, that really stands out.

Europe’s equity capital markets picked up in 2013 after three years of declining volumes. Equity bankers are confident that this year will be just as busy, even if supply from Europe’s banks – traditionally the biggest issuers – wanes.

The availability of bank credit for small and medium-sized enterprises is often seen as a relative strength of the German economy, but borrowers themselves seem to harbour anxieties about their banks.

The Russian government is pushing hard for more financing to find its way to the small and medium-sized enterprise sector, but opaque accounts and a shortage of management skills are deterring banks and private equity funds alike.

With private sector credit growth negligible and non-performing loans still high, foreign-owned banks may need to rethink their strategies in Romania.

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

The exposure of Cypriot banks to the Greek economy has prompted rating downgrades for the country. But with some of the island's banks boasting high liquidity and interest from foreign investors, the long-term prospects look brighter.