The head of the Bank of France suggests that before reducing France's AAA rating, agencies should consider downgrading the UK. But has pride gone before a falling French rating?
Latest articles from Analysis & Opinion
We need a rule book on how to fail
January 3, 2012Strengthening the legal framework to manage an international financial failure does not make failures more likely.
Five principles of financial regulation for the post-crisis world
December 1, 2011As regulators the world over attempt to come up with rules to prevent a repeat of the global financial crisis, the Reserve Bank of India has adhered to five basic principles of financial regulation that all central banks would do well to follow.
Mitsubishi UFJ-Morgan Stanley joint venture takes shape
December 1, 2011Morgan Stanley's joint venture in Japan with Mitsubishi UFJ Group has been criticised by competitors as a concession to MUFG for its huge investment in the US bank at the height of the financial crisis. However, Jonathan Kindred, CEO of MSMS, one of the companies formed by the joint venture, is adamant that the long-term benefits of the move will prove the critics wrong.
Panama's president means business
December 1, 2011With an economy on the rise and an influx of new foreign investment, Panama's businessman-turned-president Ricardo Martinelli is planning to push on with taking advantage of the country's location and expanding the Panama Canal, as more ships look to transport goods between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Goldman's variety pack helps Com Hem defy eurozone mayhem
December 1, 2011Issuing in Europe in 2011 has been a hazardous task, but Com Hem's highly leveraged buyout bridge underwritten by joint mandated lead arranger Goldman Sachs managed to defy the odds, thanks in no small part to the diverse elements of the deal.
A new blueprint for funding global infrastructure
December 1, 2011The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development may have found a new and much-needed source of infrastructure funding in pension funds, but the problem is far from solved, as governments still need to set up the framework to help them invest.
Remedies for European deleveraging
December 1, 2011European bank balance sheets are set to shrink, but bankers and regulators alike should think carefully about how to divest assets.
Multilatinas herald a new age of Latin American integration
November 1, 2011Latin America's up-and-coming 'multilatinas' appear to be succeeding where many have previously failed: in achieving a form of unification across the region. However, if the financial sector is to emulate its business counterpart, the tricky task of reaching a broad regulatory consensus will be essential.
RBS taps into growing appetite for corporates
November 1, 2011As investors flock to the perceived safer ground of corporates at the expense of sovereigns or financials, RBS has been busy successfully utilising the private placement markets in a $1bn deal for caterer Compass Group and the Swiss franc issuance market for utility provider GTS Suez.