Latest articles from Analysis & Opinion

Kwabena Duffuor

Ghana's finance minister focuses on maintaining momentum

June 30, 2011

Ghana’s finance minister, Kwabena Duffuor, is focusing on maintaining the economy’s momentum. He is also at the forefront of efforts to ensure the country’s recently discovered oil riches are not squandered.

Essam Sharaf, prime minister, Egypt

Banking revolution? Don't hold your breath

June 30, 2011

For all the talk about revolutions in banking, nothing much has changed yet. But do the big banks have to change? For all the cost, investment, marketing, effort, hurdles and barriers new players have to get through, any serious competition seems unlikely.

Will tightening regulation stop banks being banks?

June 30, 2011

Regulation is a good thing. But further tightening of the regulatory noose could strangle banks' growth - and forcing them to adopt a uniform mechanistic behaviour could mean they all crash together if things go wrong again.

Could eurozone crisis lead to a federal Europe?

June 30, 2011

With European politicians reluctant to lose face by breaking up the euro, the solution to the eurozone crisis will probably fall to Germany to pay up – in exchange for a federal Europe.

Luis Arce

Bolivia's economy minister reaps the rewards of prudence

June 1, 2011

Bolivia's economy minister, Luis Arce explains that the careful management of the country's finances over the past few years have left it in a strong position to not only cope with such demands, but to continue to grow.

BAML's Euorpean ECM team

Turkish success for BAML's compressed bookbuild

June 1, 2011

Bank of America Merrill Lynch's European ECM team has had a strong start to 2011, built chiefly around its successful 'compressed bookbuild to refloat an asset' – or Cobra – for BC Partners' Turkish retail business.

London remains the financial capital of the world

June 1, 2011

A BNP Paribas Real Estate survey has found that 82% of respondents consider London to be the world's leading financial centre, helping to assuage fears that the financial crisis had weakened its position.

Gord Nixon

Why Canada does not need or deserve Basel III regulation

June 1, 2011

Not every country needs stronger, better capitalised banks. Gord Nixon, chief executive of the Royal Bank of Canada, explains why this is the case for Canada.

Will mobile carriers leave the business of banking to banks?

June 1, 2011

As banking by mobile telephone takes off in the developing world, should banks be wary or welcoming of this progress?

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