There is just one new entrant in North America's top five banks by return on capital (ROC) this year, Prosperity Bancshares, which rounds off the ranking with a ROC of 27.62%.
Franklin Resources, which topped the list last year, is ranked second with a ROC of 39.69%. It is replaced at the top of the ranking by American Express Company, which recorded 48.77% ROC, up from the 43.24% it recorded a year previous, which put it second in 2013's ranking. Discover Financial Services retains its position in third place, with 37.89% ROC, a slight decrease from the 39.75% it recorded last year.
Royal Bank of Canada is the only non-US bank on the ROC list. It moves up one place from last year's ranking, despite recording a slight decrease in ROC from 29.29% to 28.54%.
Philip Alexander reports on the full results of The Banker’s Top 1000 World Banks ranking 2014 in Top 1000 World Banks 2014: Back on track? and Silvia Pavoni reports on the performance of North American banks in US banks shrug off penalties to bolster positions.