Erste Group CEO Andreas Treichl is comfortable that his Austrian bank represents a call option on prospects in central and eastern Europe.
Latest articles from Philip Alexander
Back from the brink: Kyrgyz central bank tackles political crisis
February 14, 2011Baktygul Jeenbaeva was plucked from the private sector to become acting chairman of the Kyrgyz central bank in July 2010, following the overthrow of the country’s government in April. She explains how she responded to the crisis, and sets out the fate of the country’s largest bank.
Local markets await catalyst
January 31, 2011Efforts are under way to allow corporate issuers in Poland to benefit from deep local bond markets.
Fierce competition and weak foreign owners mean change for Poland's banks
January 31, 2011Polish banks navigated the financial crisis in relatively good health. But fierce competition and weak foreign owners both suggest further consolidation in a market that is still fragmented.
Regulation and interest rates create hedging uncertainty
January 31, 2011Sharp divergences of opinion on the trajectory of interest rates in 2011 make life difficult enough for borrowers and investors, but regulation is providing an extra layer of ambiguity.
How banks make their money
January 6, 2011Have banks boosted their return on assets, or has profitability risen purely due to increased leverage? More than 20 years of data from The Banker can help provide an insight. Writer Philip Alexander, data research by Guillaume Hingel
Poland seeks answers to the euro question
December 23, 2010Polish policy-makers appear to be pushing the prospects for euro adoption further into the future. But this still leaves the country's banks with a dilemma about how to respond to client demand for retail loans in foreign currencies. Writer Philip Alexander
UniCredit's new leader still has some old problems
December 23, 2010Federico Ghizzoni, UniCredit's new CEO, appears to strike the right personal balance between the group's Italian origins and its pan-European reach. But some of the dilemmas that dragged down his predecessor, Alessandro Profumo, need resolving. Writer Philip Alexander
Islamic finance finds liquidity management solutions
December 10, 2010The launch of an International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation is a step to resolving a long-standing weakness of Islamic finance, but there is still much work to be done. Writer Philip Alexander
Russia's pocket banks face tougher future
December 8, 2010The collapse of International Industrial Bank, one of Russia's largest privately owned banks, could signal a tougher climate for Russian institutions that focus on related-party lending. Writer Philip Alexander