Bank of Moscow's debut Eurobond could hardly have been launched at a more difficult time. The political intrigue surrounding the mayor of Moscow was compounded by a potential change of ownership at the bank and a downgrading by Moody's.

Philippe Chambadal, CEO of middle- and back-office processing technology provider SmartStream, discusses the post-trade landscape and the regulatory and operational challenges facing market participants.

Oil companies are looking to Kuwait's government for signs that the country's major energy projects are to get under way, but legislative deadlock is hampering their future.

E.ON's recent liability management exercise shows that German companies can indeed successfully tender for outstanding debt, and may encourage others to follow. 

Asian policy-makers have been trying to balance currency management with controlling inflation. Rising inflation and rising currencies suggest policy makers have failed to get the balance right.

Mohammad Al-Jasser, governor of Saudi Arabia’s central bank, discusses the huge potential of sukuk issuance in an interview with Stephen Timewell in Riyadh.

As the financial crisis all but decimated venture debt in Europe, the possibility of its return is a thorny issue. While some countries are seeking alternative methods to fund start-up companies, others are preparing for business as usual.

The Association of South-east Asian Nations has made greater strides in achieving a cultural unity than it has with its capital markets. Only when this issue is tackled will this bloc of 10 countries realise its economic potential. 

Last year, customer volumes overtook interbank volumes in the foreign exchange market for the first time. Electronic and high-frequency trading help to account for the change, as does the rise of retail participants – but regulatory change is also helping to cement this trend.