Despite being hit by a series of fines, the leading US banks have strengthened their Tier 1 capital. Meanwhile, the Canadian banks put in yet another impressive performance.

Brazilian banks remain way out in front in the Central and South America region, but it is Venezuelan banks that are putting in the most eye-catching performances.

The banks represented in The Banker's Top 1000 soundness rankings come from a diverse range of countries, but it is two BRIC lenders that take the top spots.

Market risk-weighted assets decline as a proportion of total assets in this year's ranking, as banks reduce their trading desk activities to meet higher capital requirements.

As was the case in 2013 Top 1000 World Banks ranking, when it comes to returns on assets, African banks are the stellar performers.

New regulatory pressures and slow economic growth have been taking their toll on the US's small regional lenders, leading to worries that many of them will be squeezed out of the market. But results from the first quarter of 2014 show that these smaller players are actually performing better than the country's larger lenders. 

The US sanctions regime will drive business into the shadows and accelerate the growth of alternative trading currencies.