The Bank of Israel's authority to regulate the country's banking sector is something that other supervisors can only dream of, and the benefits of it holding such power were seen during the credit crisis. Writer Philip Alexander
Bulgaria and Romania defy Eurozone woes
July 28, 2010Greek banks control at least a fifth of the banking markets in Bulgaria and Romania but, despite this exposure to one of Europe's more troubled economies, bankers in the two countries believe there will still be a sufficient supply of credit to meet demand. Writer Philip Alexander
Dispute casts shadow over BTA Bank's restructuring
July 28, 2010The debt restructuring deal for Kazakhstan's BTA Bank was signed in May 2010, but a bitter dispute between the current and former owners of the bank continues to cast a shadow over its future. Writer Philip Alexander
Bubbling under
July 28, 2010After compiling last month's rankings, we take a dip into the banks that are knocking on the door of the Top 1000. Philip Alexander reports.
CEE infrastructure generates international teamwork
July 6, 2010With help from multilateral institutions, transport infrastructure finance deals in the new and aspiring EU members are still being completed, but on much more conservative terms. Writer Philip Alexander
Rethinking risk management for insurers
July 6, 2010The gradual move towards Solvency 2 capital regulations for insurers, together with tougher market conditions and changing accounting rules for pension funds, mean institutional investors are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their use of derivatives for asset-liability management. Writer Philip Alexander
Bridging asset classes
July 6, 2010The traditional divisions of derivatives structuring teams into individual silos for each asset class are breaking down, as investment banks seek to offer more coordinated responses to their clients' needs. Writer Philip Alexander
Top 1000 World Banks 2010
July 6, 2010Many Western banks are rebounding from the huge losses of 2008 and have strengthened their grasp on the top of the rankings, but elsewhere the pain is just beginning. Philip Alexander reports.
Russia's second-tier investment banks have ambitious plans
May 28, 2010As Russian capital markets activity revives, second-tier investment banking groups have ambitious plans to share a larger slice of the business. But competition is tough. Writer Philip Alexander
The Kazakh government is supporting Islamic finance, helped by Abu Dhabi
May 28, 2010The Kazakhstan government is strongly promoting the development of Islamic finance in the country to diversify its financial sector, with strong support from Abu Dhabi. Writer Philip Alexander