Closer coordination with private banking and the integration of its brokerage are part of the strategy for a leaner, more focused Société Générale, its deputy head of corporate and investment banking tells Philip Alexander.

Turkey’s economy is enduring a perfect storm, as political instability, scandals over corruption and the end of quantitative easing in the US combine to create volatility in the market.

The macroeconomic climate is taking its toll on Turkey's banks, with many predicting a difficult year for the industry. Growth avenues still remain, however, in the commercial loans and small and medium-sized enterprise sectors, not to mention the huge potential of tapping the country's large unbanked population.

When Danish-founded online takeaway ordering firm Just Eat decided it was time for an initial public offering, the UK’s new equity market segment had the right flavour.

The Vatican has acknowledged that it needs to reform its bank, the Institute for the Works of Religion, but carrying out this task is not easy, given that the lender's image has been severely tarnished by a series of scandals.

Portugal's banks have undergone a radical transformation in the past few years, emerging from the country's economic crisis better capitalised, leaner and more efficient than ever. Profitability, however, is yet to recover. 

In the three years since its bail-out, Portugal has impressed many onlookers with its efforts to turn its economy around. Now it is on track to make a clean exit from its rescue programme in May, but the question is will the progress made over the past three years continue?

When fears over a Chinese slowdown and the US interest rate cycle coupled with domestic political uncertainty to hit the Turkish lira, BNP Paribas proposed a long-term bond to re-establish the sovereign's credentials.

Following a difficult few years, Italy's banks received a windfall from the central bank after the institution revalued its share 'capital', but other eurozone lenders claim that this gives Italian players an unfair advantage in the upcoming asset quality review.