Investors are nervous about inflation, and structured products providers are reporting steady demand for returns linked to interest and inflation rates, as well as traditional defensive plays using commodities prices.

Scotia Capital provides its oil and gas clients with in-depth geophysical expertise, something that vice-chairman Adam Waterous believes is just as important as advice on the structuring of mergers and acquisitions.

Ghana's finance minister Kwabena Duffuor tells Brian Caplen how he is taking measures to ensure that his country's new oil wealth is spent on securing its long-term economic prosperity.

Afren's high-yield bond issue earlier this year attracted interest from emerging market investors as well as specialist energy players, two investor groups who rarely overlap in the bond markets.

The US is in trouble. Its infrastructure is in dire need of repair but the heavily indebted country cannot afford to pay for it. All the more surprising then that the overtures of private – and in many cases foreign – capital are being met with resistance.

The consolidation of Société Générale's Russian subsidiaries will create a universal bank with firepower, its chief executive Vladimir Golubkov explains to Brian Caplen.

With inflation eroding real returns, investors are ready to take on greater equity market risk. But only if other risks can be excluded from the mix.

The recent frenzy of exchange mergers is rooted in tough market conditions for US and European equity exchanges, forcing them to move away from their bread and butter operations to new asset classes.

In the space of a few months, Russia’s second largest bank has engineered ground-breaking bond issues, a kick-start to the government’s privatisation programme, and two acquisitions.

Technology is not always a primary consideration in banking M&A activity. But the success, or failure, of subsequent IT integrations can make or break any deal.