Italy's traditionally high savings rates and increasing demand for asset management are playing into the hands of domestic direct bank Fineco. Its CEO, Alessandro Foti, tells Stefanie Linhardt about his company's recent successes in the retail and private wealth management markets.
Western Europe
Latest articles from Italy
Provisioning in Italian banks: not quick enough
June 9, 2015While non-performing loans in Italy are at the historical peak, provisioning coverage is not.

Why Europe needs a Comprehensive Assessment
October 1, 2014The European – and indeed global – economy is facing a crucial six months. Central to this is the European Central Bank's Comprehensive Assessment, which will go a long way to boosting confidence within the EU.

Intesa Sanpaolo head of CIB takes a more global view
September 1, 2014Intesa Sanpaolo's head of corporate and investment banking, Gaetano Miccichè, discusses the bank's international expansion plans and the challenges it is facing in its home Italian market thanks to a slow and underdeveloped domestic economy.

Where are the chinks of light for Italy's banks?
September 1, 2014Contracting growth in Italy since the beginning of the year has dampened any optimism for good first-half results at the country’s largest banks, after record losses in 2013. Although lenders have largely cleaned up their balance sheets, the credit quality of smaller businesses remains a problem.

UniCredit partnership animates Italian stock exchange
June 2, 2014The first Italian initial public offering of 2014 cemented confidence in UniCredit's unusual partnership model with Kepler Cheuvreux in equity capital markets.

Italy's lenders pick up central bank bonus
April 1, 2014Following 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.

UniCredit GM looks to build a bank for the future
November 1, 2013Roberto Nicastro, UniCredit Group’s general manager, explains how Italy’s largest bank is tackling conflicting regulatory pressures, low interest rates and changing customer habits to become a bank for the future.

Intesa CEO affords Italy a little optimism
October 1, 2013The resilience of the Italian economy should not be underestimated, says the CEO of Intesa Sanpaolo, and the country, which is now on the road to recovery, should no longer be considered as part of the flailing eurozone periphery.

Mediobanca makes its move
September 2, 2013The rollercoaster ride that Italy's Mediobanca has embarked upon since the crisis hit has seen the bank change its leadership, embrace retail banking, look to shed its equity in a number of leading Italian companies, and seek to no longer tie up its stakes in shareholder pacts. David Lane assesses the impact of these moves.