Singapore’s strategic location in Asia is proving a boon to the city state’s transaction bankers, particularly as they seek to capture banking business from the world’s changing trade flows.
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Kenya braced for a momentous year
March 1, 2012The next 12 months will be crucial for Kenya as it holds its first elections since its tumultuous 2007 polls. It will also try to recover quickly from last year’s spike in inflation, which sent interest rates soaring. Nonetheless, the country's economy remains strong and many are optimistic Kenya can reach middle-income status by 2030.
Regulatory change: a key driver for banking sector M&A
March 1, 2012Financial institutions will have to determine how to adapt their businesses to the new regulatory and economic environment, but this means more than simply deleveraging.
Uruguayan banks take domestic approach to profit growth
March 1, 2012Awash with liquidity and buoyed by a strong local economy, the story of Uruguay's banks seems to be a rosy one on first inspection. However, with its banking sector dominated by state-owned lenders, private banks have struggled to turn in a profit, leading them to look towards local consumer loans and mortgages.
ECB's LTRO gives Europe glimmer of hope
March 1, 2012After a harrowing 2011 for Europe's crisis-hit sovereign states – and the banks doing business within them – the European Central Bank's long-term refinancing operation has given the markets a much needed boost and offers hope for 2012. However, some still claim that it is little more than a sticking plaster for Europe's troubles.
Glory days for corporate market
March 1, 2012Europe’s corporate bond market started 2012 at a ferocious pace as investors flocked to what they increasingly perceive as a safe haven. While issuance may slow later in the year, few believe the market is a bubble waiting to burst, and there is a widespread feeling that its heyday will last a good while yet.
Akbank's master of reinvention
March 1, 2012The new CEO of Akbank, Hakan Binbaşgil, explains to Brian Caplen how the past decade has seen the bank transformed by its embracing of new technology, pioneering new channels, targeting Turkey's youthful population, and keeping the customer central to everything it does.
The rise of Asia’s regional banks
March 1, 2012The banking industry in Asia is dynamic, with a number of mergers and acquisitions shifting the competitive landscape for the region’s players. As global financial institutions are rethinking their strategies, and China’s behemoth banks are preoccupied with a massive domestic market, Asian regional banks are being presented with a window of opportunity.
Will new listing rules bring IPO rush for Mexico?
March 1, 2012A new proposal in Mexico is urging foreign-owned banks to list on the country's stock exchange. But while these banks achieve high returns on equity and the global equity markets remain volatile, the Mexican regulators may have a wait on their hands before these plans come to fruition.
Finance minister Diby looks to revitalise Côte d’Ivoire
March 1, 2012Côte d’Ivoire’s economy was battered by the near civil war that broke out following elections in late 2010. The new government has made a good start in trying to repair the damage, but its finance minister knows it has more to do to regain the trust of foreign investors.