In The Banker last month, we brought our readers up-to-date statistics on the world's Top 1000 banks. This issue, our editors provide analysis of this year's key trends and snapshots of some of the countries featured.
Latest articles from Regulations
Reg Rage: US Treasury to shake up finance rules
July 7, 2009A plan to create a new system of financial regulation in the US has just been announced. Bankers are already pleading for some of the proposals to be modified. Writer Michael Imeson
War breaks out over EC hedge fund plans
July 7, 2009
Christopher Fawcett, CEO of Fauchier Partners
The European Commission's first draft for its directive on alternative investment fund managers and overseas financial centres has brought about furious accusations of protectionism, anti-Anglo-Saxon bias and unnecessary meddling. Writer Silvia Pavoni
Risk management: Creating value
July 7, 2009Risk management, the lifeblood of financial services, is undergoing an identity crisis as many experts call into question the validity of traditional risk management methods. In this Masterclass, Keith Saxton, global director for financial markets at IBM, and Francis Lacan, global risk and compliance solution manager for the financial services sector at IBM, discuss how technology can help improve the measuring and monitoring of systemic risk and why internal risk management functions should be regarded as a profit centre. Writer Michelle Price
Reg Rage: EU to cut hedge funds down to size
June 4, 2009EU policymakers have sharpened their shears and launched an attack on hedge fund managers and other alternative investment fund managers. Writer Michael Imeson
The high price of payments
June 4, 2009The global recession has elevated payments processing to near the top of bank chiefs' priority lists, but the industry is going through a fundamental structural change that could lead to a slump in revenues and soaring business costs. Writer Charlie Corbett
A little fine tuning
June 4, 2009Although France's banking sector has been dealt a few blows during the past two years, its retail sector remains strong compared with its European peers. Writer Wendy Atkins
Development demand
June 4, 2009
Press conference on co-operation between the Latin American development banks (l to r): Enrique Garcia, CAF president; Luis Alberto Moreno, IDB president; Jyrki Koskelo, IFC vice-president for Europe, central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and global financial markets; and Pamela Cox, World Bank vice-president for Latin America and the Caribbean
The slump in capital markets activity and a decline in cash flow has pushed Latin America's multilateral development banks to prominence as the biggest and most robust lenders in some of the region's principal credit markets. Writer Jane Monahan in Washington, DC
Hope and wait
June 4, 2009Kuwaiti banks are generally performing well, but their long-term prospects are largely dependent on the May elections bringing political stability to the country. Writer Stephen Timewell
Gold securities trading, the Islamic way
June 4, 2009
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, DMCC's executive chairman
Investors in the Middle East can now buy a gold exchange-traded commodity that complies with Islamic law. Writer Mike Imeson