HSBC has not suffered in the global financial crisis as badly as many of its UK counterparts, and it is already well established in the high-growth emerging markets likely to dominate world trade in the coming decades. However, the bank's new chief executive still believes it could be offering better value to HSBC investors.

The UK is reported to be sitting on enough shale gas to cover its gas consumption for more than 60 years. But unlike the US, concerns surrounding mineral rights, a greater population density and its impact on the environment means pushing ahead with exploration is easier said than done.

Some UK bankers are warning that ring-fencing deposits in the largest banks will drive up capital and funding costs. However, there are those, including some major investors, who claim that the opposite may turn out to be true.

The proposals by the UK's Independent Commission on Banking are likely to change investment banks’ business models in the country fundamentally. The biggest effect could be to increase their funding costs, which might force more UK companies to turn to bonds instead of loans. But plenty of questions remain unanswered.

The UK's tough liquidity rules stand in the way of global management and are expensive and time-consuming to comply with, say bankers. The bad news is that other jurisdictions are likely to adopt them. 

Lloyds Banking Group's new CEO, António Horta-Osório, had an easy option: to stay at the helm of Santander UK and await inevitable promotion. Instead, he left to front the bailed-out UK bank.

As the financial crisis all but decimated venture debt in Europe, the possibility of its return is a thorny issue. While some countries are seeking alternative methods to fund start-up companies, others are preparing for business as usual.