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.

Russian financing is one of the many areas in which banks have been left nursing losses. So how were the banks lending and how have they withstood the recent equity market rout? Writer Natasha de Terán.

The success of the commodities financing and investment markets have suffered setbacks as a result of the current global crisis. However, a panel of experts drawn together by The Banker believe demand is unlikely to diminish in the long term and that markets will emerge stronger – if politicians continue to back free trade.

In October, the World Bank responded to market tensions by proving that highly creditworthy longer-tenor funding was possible with its five-year global bond. Writer Edward Russell-Walling.

The sale of British Energy, once part-nationalised as it was considered too important to fail, should pay dividends for the British government. NM Rothschild, the team which advised on the deal, explains how it pulled off such a coup. Writer Edward Russell-Walling.

As the traditional giants of syndicated loans industry step back to lick their subprime wounds, a new breed of lender is emerging. Banks from across the emerging markets that were historically recipients of syndicated loans are hoping to snap up business that was formerly the domain of the big international players. Writer Charlie Corbett.

The global head of equity origination at Royal Bank of Scotland explains why despite all the bank’s problems there is still an upside to the controversial ABN AMRO acquisition.

Barclays’ acquisition of Lehman’s US operations, while being a risky move, could be one of the most profitable gambles to come out of the credit crisis if the bank can conquer the American market. Writer Geraldine Lambe.

David Hodgkinson, group chief operating officer at HSBC, talks about the credit crisis, and how the banking industry is likely to change going forward.