The Bank of Georgia’s oversubscribed London IPO epitomised Georgia’s drive towards catching up with the rest of the world. Ben Aris reports from Tbilisi on how chairman Lado Gurgenidze turned the bank around.

Bourse operator Hellenic Exchanges has cut trading fees on the Athens exchange and is developing links with other exchanges in the region in its bid for a competitive edge. By Kerin Hope.

With rising demand from the underbanked ‘new’ European states, there are great opportunities for Greek banks intent on expansion.

Merger and acquisition activity is heating up in Greece, with surprise takeover bids, religious opposition and major privatisation. investigates.

Greek bankers are confident that the credit sector will continue to expand as the country catches up with its European partners. Kerin Hope reports on developments in a still underbanked country.

Portugal’s banks have weathered the economic downturn by focusing on efficiency. Not only that, but they are now expanding abroad. Peter Wise reports.

Banks are devising structured products for private banking clients that are more diverse than they previously were but still have an element of protection. Michael Marray investigates.

Sharia-compliant investing and structured products are two of the largest and highest margin growth areas for investment banks. Both are born out of specialist structuring teams, rich with fiscal and regulatory experts, so it is almost inevitable that compliant structured products are fast becoming voguish. Natasha de Terán explores the market.

Information is essential to the finance business – but sometimes it can weigh heavy. The UK’s Post Office was so worried about the weight of HSBC’s annual report that it limited the number that an individual postman could carry, to avoid back injuries.