When iron ore pricing moved in March from its historic benchmark pricing structure to the spot market, users warned that prices could double. As steel and auto companies accused mining companies of unfair pricing practices, banks moved to develop new hedging products to help them manage price volatility. Writer Suzanne Miller

Following the recession, investors have steered clear of US transport projects, while the federal and local governments have shied away from increasing toll revenues, despite the country's lack of investment in its roads and bridges. But now the US infrastructure market is slowly embracing a European solution: private capital. Writer Suzanne Miller

With a few deals signalling the resuscitation of the global asset-backed securities market, bankers say it is gingerly getting back on its feet. But it faces a barrage of political, regulatory and accounting constraints that will make any recovery slow and painful. Writer Suzanne Miller

Product innovation may have stalled under the threat of tougher regulations from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, but the major players still have plenty of good ideas to offer, writes Suzanne Miller.

The competitive landscape has been redrawn by the crisis, with collapsed firms being snapped up and others retrenching. Commercial banks are taking a larger piece of the pie, writes Suzanne Miller.

Moody's says defaults will peak this year, but distressed debt investors say the default trend has only just begun. Writer Suzanne Miller

The president of Merrill Lynch’s global markets and investment banking division tells Suzanne Miller about Merrill’s new regime of profitability as it focuses on rebuilding business following the brutal bear market years.