As US president George W Bush starts his second term, will his administration engage with the rest of the world – economically and militarily – or will it be business as usual at the White House?

Cuban immigrant Al de Molina has done an impressive job as treasurer of Bank of America (BofA). “In a difficult interest rate environment, he adroitly managed the ups and downs, with the treasury business ending up being an important contributor to the bottom line,” says Joe Morford, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets.

The US securities & Exchange Commission’s (SEC) late proposal to alter rules on stock trading has caused concern at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) that the proposed hybrid electronic/voice trading model would be made inoperative.

Welcome to Texas, where global banking heavyweights are racing to cater to the banking needs of the fast-growing Hispanic population. Monica Campbell reports.
In Texas, as in other Hispanic US states, such as California, Florida and New York, both foreign and US banks are rushing to cater to a Hispanic market that they merely dabbled in not so long ago.
It is easy to see why Hispanics are finally getting attention. The Hispanic population is the fastest-growing minority group in the US, and it is predicted to grow from 14% of the country’s population – 40 million people – to 24% by 2050, according to the US government.

There is growing anxiety over the vast US budget deficit. The next US administration needs to remedy the situation – fast.

Karina Robinson argues that, in practical terms, the policies of the Democrats differ little from those of the Republicans. At the end of the day, the US pursues the same strategic objectives regardless of who is in the Oval Office and, moreover, is prepared to go it alone.

While the US gets further embroiled in Iraq, economies such as China and Brazil are starting to assert themselves.

European banks are rushing to buy American banks, but will they make money? Or will it all end in tears, as it did the last time they tried in the 1980s.

US banks reported strong first quarter results on the back of a solidifying economic recovery, demand for banking products and improved asset quality. Here are the highlights of some of the top banks:

Andrew Smithers argues that the US current account deficit is too small and its financial markets need to fall.