Latest articles from Philip Alexander

Eastern Europe gives Asia a run for its money

February 16, 2011

Erste Group CEO Andreas Treichl is comfortable that his Austrian bank represents a call option on prospects in central and eastern Europe.

Baktygul Jeenbaeva, acting chairman, National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic

Back from the brink: Kyrgyz central bank tackles political crisis

February 14, 2011

Baktygul 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, 2011

Efforts are under way to allow corporate issuers in Poland to benefit from deep local bond markets.

Bank Zachodni

Fierce competition and weak foreign owners mean change for Poland's banks

January 31, 2011

Polish 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.

Chris Murphy, global head of rates derivatives and swaps trading at UBS

Regulation and interest rates create hedging uncertainty

January 31, 2011

Sharp 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, 2011

Have 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

Still on track? The EU flag is carried from Germany to Poland. How long it will take the euro currency to follow suit is up for debate

Poland seeks answers to the euro question

December 23, 2010

Polish 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

Federico Ghizzoni, UniCredit's newly appointed CEO

UniCredit's new leader still has some old problems

December 23, 2010

Federico 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

Harris Irfan, head of Islamic products at Barclays Capital

Islamic finance finds liquidity management solutions

December 10, 2010

The 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

In a last-ditch attempt

Russia's pocket banks face tougher future

December 8, 2010

The 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

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