Introducing The Banker's Top 250 Bank Safety Ranking

The Banker's Bank Safety Ranking, which analyses the world's largest 250 banks based on characteristics that help identify their financial stability, shows the Gulf states performing well, while the eurozone periphery remains weak.

G-SIBs at risk from Basel risk floors plan

The Basel Committee is consulting on whether to put a floor under banks’ use of internal models to calculate capital ratios.

Panama leads Latam for profitability

Argentina and Venezuela have the lowest impairment rates in Latin America, but this does not reflect healthy economic conditions.

Foreign banks face heavy hit from Russian slump

Russia has been a key profit driver for several Western European banks and the slide in the rouble will have a significant impact.

The changing face of global systemic banks

A third Chinese bank has joined the Financial Stability Board’s list of global systemically important banks, but business models among the group are very different.

Profits show that Azerbaijan is on the mend

Results from 2012 show improvement in profitability in Azerbaijan's banking sector.

Georgian banks record highest RoC in the Black Sea

While still dwarfed by their Ukrainian counterparts, Georgia's banks are nevertheless punching above their weight in terms of return on capital.

Top Black Sea banks ranking, 2014: Asset quality risks rising

Several of the members of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Co-operation are facing rising asset impairment, but the reasons vary.

Foreign banks exposed to emerging market currency hit

Currencies in several major emerging markets sold off heavily in 2013, and have remained under pressure in some cases. We look at those countries whose banks have a large subsidiary presence in the most exposed markets.

Mapping Ukraine banking exposure

Some western European banks have pulled out of Ukraine in recent years, but Russian players are among the most exposed to the country’s troubles.

Are eurozone banks underestimated?

Current profitability for the largest banks in the eurozone may be low compared with the US, but considering their position over the longer term, they have actually outperformed since the crisis.

Top 100 Russian banks ranking, 2014: Russia seeks to stay on solid ground

Russian bank profitability is healthy, but there are fears around asset quality in consumer banking, and the regulator is taking a tougher line on money laundering and liquidity problems.

US banks closing the GAAP

The Basel Committee has decided that banks can net certain transactions when calculating the leverage ratio. This will bring the regulatory requirement closer to US rather than to European accounting standards.

Russian consumer lenders maintain outperformance

Competition and non-performing loans are rising among Russia's consumer lenders, but their profit performance is still well ahead of the rest of the Russian banking sector

Rising interest spreads for African banks

A majority of African banks were able to increase their interest rate spreads in 2012, but high inflation tends to be a major factor for the top performers.

Will Basel III lead to higher borrowing costs?

The Bank for International Settlements suggests there is evidence that higher capital requirements for systemically important banks have led to higher interest rates on their lending to bolster return on equity. But interest spreads are still far lower than a decade ago.

Latin America leads the profits league

Two Latin American countries score highly for return on equity in their banking sectors, but more highly capitalised African banks enjoy stronger return on assets.

Emerging Europe suffers loan loss pains

A growing number of central and eastern European economies are struggling with high non-performing loan ratios. But bad loans do not always equate to poor profits.

Where are the world’s most productive bankers?

Western investment bankers live up to their reputation for having the highest pay in the banking sector, but do they justify the expense with the profits they generate?

Asia dominates global profits

The Banker’s Top 1000 World Bank rankings for 2013 shows that Asia-Pacific is the most profitable region globally.