Global news and insight for corporate financial professionals
NOURISHING GROWTH By Laurence Neville Despite slowing growth in the BRIC countries, emerging markets generally continue their ascent. Although they have made fewer headlines than usual over the past year, developing countries have experienced some pivotal, uplifting moments—both ...
A BATTLE, NOT A WAR By Arthur Clennam and Al Emid Asian central banks’ reactions to global monetary intervention will be muted. But weakening currencies are problematic for local business. As in physical conflict, no two wars ...
A RACE TO THE FINISH By Jonathan Gregson With several of the world’s fastest-growing economies to be found in sub-Saharan Africa, investors are keen. They are now looking beyond the commodities sector, and China continues to lead the ...
OIL GLUT By Gordon Platt High oil prices have enabled the Middle East’s major oil producers to finance infrastructure investments despite the global slowdown. But the jig might soon be up. With its massive inflow of oil-export ...
SEEKING THE BRIGHT SIDE By Justin Keay Little of the news coming out of Central and Eastern Europe right now is upbeat, but concerted policy efforts by regional governments could garner some economic reward in 2013. These ...
SUSTAINING MOMENTUM By Antonio Guerrero Prolonged Western concerns and slowing in China are beginning to affect the region’s outlook. It will be up to Latin America’s largest economies to keep the impetus alive. According to the IMF’s ...
STUMBLING OFF THE BLOCKS By Dave Lenckus Investors are piling into rapidly growing markets such as Brazil and Argentina. Financing risk in such markets can be fraught with difficulty, but insurance options are available. Economic data shows ...
AN INVESTMENT-GRADE STORY Moderated by Dan Keeler Global Finance hosted Turkey’s central bank governor and Turkish financial executives at a roundtable in Istanbul in September to discuss economic development, the importance of Turkey’s upgrade to investment grade and ...
UNCHARTED WATERS By Denise Bedell At SWIFT’s annual Sibos conference in October, corporates were treated to a range of presentations on topics as diverse as reference data, BPOs and Asian treasury centers. The corporate stream at Sibos ...
A CONTROLLING INTEREST By Rebecca Brace Cash visibility and control keeps treasurers awake at night, but thanks to rising use of new standards and technology, attaining a clearer picture is becoming much easier. Controlling the company’s cash ...
EMERGING GIANTS By Andrew Cunningham Global Finance presents its annual listing of the Biggest Banks in the Emerging Markets. Eight of the 10 biggest emerging markets banks are Chinese, and a further 10 Chinese banks are included ...
CONTINENTAL EROSION By Andrew Cunningham Global Finance presents its annual ranking of the Top 50 Safest Banks in the Emerging Markets. Banks in the Arabian Gulf and Asia have strengthened their hold on the rankings of safest banks ...
HOW WE MEASURE THE SAFETY OF BANKS By Andrew Cunningham The safest banks chart compares the ratings for the world’s largest 500 banks, based on asset size. Long-term foreign currency ratings issued by Fitch Ratings, Standard & Poor’s and ...
RISKY BUSINESS By Alfred Modugno Global Finance presents the winners of its Best Global Risk Management Providers 2012 Awards, incorporating our Best Global Insurers and Best Derivatives Providers Awards. There is no question the world has become ...
LEARNING TO LIKE VANILLA By Gordon Platt Global Finance presents its annual awards highlighting the best global derivatives providers. Reform and regulation of the derivatives markets is having a major impact on the functioning of the industry ...
STAYING NIMBLE By Kathryn Tully Of Global Finance ’s derivatives exchange awards, IntercontinentalExchange has won the achievement award four times out of five, while NYSE Euronext, the European Climate Exchange, Eurex and the Chicago Board Options Exchange have ...
ELITE PERFORMERS By Adam Rombel In the second of a two-part series, Global Finance recognizes the best corporate/ institutional and consumer Internet banks globally. For the 13th year, Global Finance ’s World Best Internet Bank Awards is ...
Regional Subcategory Winners: Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks Regional Subcategory Winners: Best Consumer Internet Banks BEST INTERNET BANKS ROUND 2: REGINAL WINNERS Back To The Main Article Best Internet Banks Round 2: Country Winners
Country Winners: Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks Country Winners: Best Consumer Internet Banks BEST INTERNET BANKS ROUND 2: COUNTRY WINNERS Back To The Main Article Best Internet Banks Round 2: Regional Winners
GLOBAL REMODEL By kathryn Tully The Best Investment Bank award at Global Finance is a relatively recent innovation, reflecting performance in the four years since the financial crisis led to consolidation and a complete overhaul of the investment ...
WORLD’S BEST TRANSACTION PROCESSING PROVIDERS 2012 LOCATION OSAKA, JAPAN Global Finance held its Transaction Processing awards ceremony in Osaka in October, during the annual Sibos technology conference. Financial and service leaders from around the world were present to ...
AfDB SEEK TO REPATRIATE FOREIGN RESERVES By Antonio Guerrero The African Development Bank, (AfDB) a regional development bank based in Tunisia, is working to bring a portion of Africa’s $500 billion in foreign reserves held abroad back to the ...
BRAZIL TO REVIVE MBS TAX EXEMPTIONS By Antonio Guerrero The Brazilian government is looking to revive the market in mortgage-backed securities by providing tax exemptions for foreign investors, following a nearly 50% decline in sales of new debt supported ...
CHINA MOVES FORWARD ON FOREIGN POLICY CHALLENGES WITH EU, US By Thomas Clouse Chinese president Hu Jintao opened the country’s 18th Communist Party Congress in November with pledges to crack down on corruption within the organization. At the meeting, ...
RBI TIGHTENS CREDIT-PROVISIONING NORMS FOR INDIAN BANKS By Aaron Chaze As growth slows in India, the central bank is pushing banks to prepare for higher credit costs. One of the measures adopted by the Reserve Bank of India ...
BEARING GIFTS, QATAR’S EMIR VISITS GAZA By Gordon Platt Qatar’s emir pledged $400 million to rebuild and modernize the Gaza Strip, in the first visit by a head of state to the Palestinian enclave since a military offensive by ...
ROSNEFT-TNK-BP MERGER CREATES WORLD’S LARGEST OIL PRODUCER By Kim Iskyan Russian state oil producer Rosneft said it would purchase fellow oil giant TNK-BP from BP and a group of Russian investors, for $55 billion. The transaction would create the ...
ERADICATING THE HIERARCHY By Vanessa Drucker In this month’s Salon, Global Finance sits down with David Kirkpatrick, author of The Facebook Effect. As founder and CEO of Techonomy, he hosts conferences that illuminate the growing connection between technology, ...
GRAND VISIONS By Anita Hawser Qatar has used its oil and gas wealth to finance its global ambitions. But its economy remains vulnerable to ever-present geopolitical tensions. For a small country, Qatar certainly punches above its weight ...
MILESTONES: MONGOLIA By Arthur Clennam While the rest of Asia is slowing down, Mongolia is too, but by an entirely different playbook. Stoked by lucrative mining discoveries, Mongolia pushed out a blistering 17.5% growth rate in 2011-one of the ...
MILESTONES: HUNGARY By Paul Mackintosh The Hungarian government threw the country’s banking sector into disarray in mid-October by reneging on an agreement with local banks to halve from 2013 the crisis levy imposed on them. Matolcsy blames EU ...
MILESTONES: EU By Anita Hawser The proposed Tobin Tax, or financial transaction tax (FTT), is a political hot potato that is being kicked around by various European countries in the wake of the global financial crisis as a means ...
MILESTONES: GLOBAL By Joel Kranc In the wake of the Great Recession, the G20 nations tasked themselves with creating stronger regulatory guidelines for the banking sector that would, hopefully, prevent future meltdowns like the one seen in 2007-2008. Part ...
MILESTONES: LAOS By Thomas Clouse The Lao People’s Democratic Republic will take the final step in its 15-year campaign to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) this month when the country’s legislature ratifies its membership agreement. Laotian trade ...
CORPORATE FINANCING NEWS: CORPORATE DEBT By Gordon Platt Pent-up demand following a shutdown for Hurricane Sandy combined with near-record-low interest rates to release a torrent of new corporate bond issues in early November. AbbVie, the pharmaceutical unit of Abbott ...
CORPORATE FINANCING NEWS: GLOBAL EQUITY / DRS By Gordon Platt The Asian markets accounted for 76% of global funds raised in initial public offerings in the third quarter of 2012, and there are more than 200 Asian companies in ...
CORPORATE FINANCING NEWS: FOREIGN EXCHANGE By Gordon Platt A batch of better-than-expected US economic data, including nonfarm payrolls and housing prices, gave the dollar a lift last month. Analysts said the signs of strength diminished the need ...
CORPORATE FINANCING NEWS: MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS By Gordon Platt Mobile telecom service providers are making a mad dash for broadband spectrum by acquiring competitors, in a modern-day version of the Oklahoma land rush of 1889. T-Mobile USA, owned ...
NEWSMAKERS: EUROPE/INDONESIA By Udayan Gupta Nathaniel Rothschild’s Indonesian mining deal in 2010 was seen as a portent of how such cross-border deals could be done. Rothschild (L) and Bakrie CEO Bobby Umar in happier days Thirty ...
NEWSMAKERS: US By Valentina Pasquali Ford Motor Company recently unveiled a two-year succession plan geared toward a full management reshuffle by 2014. The centerpiece of this arrangement was the appointment of Mark Fields as chief operating officer, effective from ...
NEWSMAKERS: KENYA By Dan Keeler Nervousness about Kenya’s March 2013 general election is prompting international investors to put their investment plans on hold, says Musalia Mudavadi, one of the leading candidates in the presidential race. Mudavadi: Kenya’s ...
NEWSMAKERS: US By Valentina Pasquali With electronic payments gaining favor among consumers, credit-card giant Visa is enjoying high profits and a positive outlook for long-term growth. It is no surprise, then, that the world’s largest payments network ...
Those countries that adapt well to changing economic environments and embrace new developments are more likely to boast high productivity, according to think tank The Conference Board of Canada. During the crisis in 2008 and 2009, OECD productivity contracted by ...
