Signs of increasing political stability would be good news for the  economy  in the Democratic Republic of Congo and its banking sector, which has huge scope for growth. Kat Van Hoof reports.

Germany’s two biggest banks have struggled to regain their balance over the past few years. Talk of a tie-up between Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank is heating up again, though both lenders have a raft of issues to work through first. Kat Van Hoof reports.

Italy’s banks have done well to reduce exposure to NPLs in recent years, but there remains much work to be done. Katrien Van Hoof reports.

The Canadian banking sector experienced another good year, as worries over a housing market bubble subside. Joy Macknight reports.

New York beats all other US IFCs into first place, with the UK being both biggest recipient of projects and contributor of inward flows. Silvia Pavoni reports.

Vietnam’s banks have progressively built up their balance sheets, but profitability remains a challenge. Joy Macknight reports. 

While trade finance revenues marginally improved in the first half of 2018, cash management’s strong performance has driven an uptick in global transaction banking returns. Joy Macknight reports.

South Africa is the profit powerhouse among the Africa’s major banking sectors, with Nigeria close on its heels. However, both Kenya and Egypt saw profits fall in 2017. 

Shanghai has beaten Singapore into second place among the world's IFCs in the race to attract the most foreign direct investment, landing more than $1bn. 

Despite operating in an environment fraught with difficulties, the top Lebanese banks have been consistently building up their balance sheets for more than 10 years. Joy Macknight reports.