As the new trading venues around Europe grab the headlines, little attention is being paid to the liquidity providers from the US lurking in the shadows that could make or break these fledgling operations. writer Michelle Price.

The heads of major international banks spoke to The Banker about the effects of the crisis, covering areas such as pay and incentives, strategies for funding, the implications for the free market orthodoxy and what opportunities for growth, if any, 2009 might bring.

The major payment card players were out in force at the Cartes annual trade show, showing off their latest password generators for conducting online transactions, most thin enough to fit in a wallet. Writer Wendy Atkins.

Global trade flows have ground to a shuddering halt, due in part to a fundamental lack of trust between buyers, their suppliers and the banks that finance them. Could supply chain finance provide the solution? Writer Charlie Corbett.

In recent months, the securities lending market has suffered from a febrile equities environment and ongoing restrictions on short-sell positions. Can the introduction of central counterparty services restore the sector’s fortunes? Writer Frances Maguire.

Huge question marks hang over the future of Lehman Brothers’ clients’ assets as well as over the prime broker financing practice known as rehypothecation. Writer Michelle Price.

It’s cold out there in the markets and in the freezing conditions, merger and acquisition activity has slowed to a virtual standstill. But the market is not entirely dead, and if necessity is the mother of invention, it can also be the mother of the M&A deal. Writer Joanne Hart.

Having enjoyed a major boom in volumes over the past five years, the FX market needs to address its processing operations and cost model. Tony White, managing director at Wall Street Systems, discusses how these problems can be combatted. Writer Michelle Price.

As the world’s banking behemoths battle it out to grab market share from the growing band of corporate giants in Asia, they could be overlooking the real opportunity on the continent. Writer Charlie Corbett.

While the current market turmoil has slowed lending volumes, the industry is still going ahead with tackling the processing inefficiencies of the secondary loan market. Writer Frances Maguire.