November 2014

Standard Bearers
New entrants raise the benchmark for Global Finance’s annual ranking of the Top 50 Safest Global Banks.

Annual Survey | Stars Of China
Something’s changed this year. Midmarket innovators are taking the lead, Internet companies are now world-beaters, and banks are staking their ground in a whole new way.

Stars Of China | Safest Banks In China
Chinese banks display a wide variety of strength and size.

Annual Survey | Stars Of China
Nothing has characterized the recent pressure on traditional banking in China more than the challenge posed by Internet companies to the Big Four Chinese Banks

Global Finance awarded the top banks in its annual Safest Banks ranking at its Best Banks Awards Ceremony, held in conjunction with the IMF/World Bank meetings in Washington in mid-October.

Global Finance held its Transaction Processing Awards ceremony in Boston in October—during SWIFT’s Annual Sibos conference. Leading corporate and financial executives from around the world were present to accept their awards and honor other recipients.

Global Salon
Global Finance sat down with John Jullens, partner of consulting firm Strategy&, to discuss the sustainability of growth in Asian economies.

FX Supplement 2014 | Introduction
Many dyed-in-the-wool foreign exchange traders lament the regulatory changes sweeping the industry more than six years after the global financial crisis.

FX Supplement 2014 | Overview
Will regulation repair forex’s damaged reputation—and are banks ready for the culture change?             

FX Supplement 2014 | Corporate Hedging
The recent surge in foreign exchange volatility may be catching some corporate treasurers by surprise after the currency market’s prolonged lull.  

Global Finance’s annual list of Who’s Who in Foreign Exchange.      

FX Supplement 2014 | Renminbi Expansion
Despite media hype, the renminbi still has some way to go before challenging the dollar as a major currency for international trade.

Milestones | Commonwealth Of Independent States
In October, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia put the finishing legal touches to the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union, which comes into being on January 1, 2015.

Milestones | Myanmar
After five decades of economic isolation, on October 1, Myanmar took its first big step into the global financial system, granting nine foreign lenders preliminary approval to operate in the country.

Milestones | India
In partnership with more than 50 state-run, cooperative and private banks, India’s National Democratic Alliance government has launched the world’s largest financial inclusion project to bring 75 million households into the banking fold by the end of January 2015.

Milestones | Colombia
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a relatively small club of 34 countries. It seeks long-term social and economic development through data collection, analysis and discussions.

Newsmakers | United Kingdom
After a bumpy ride, the UK’s candidate, lord Jonathan Hill, has been confirmed by the European Parliament as commissioner for financial stability, capital markets and financial services.

Newsmakers | United States
HP CEO Meg Whitman’s volte-face announcement to split the company in two has drawn a lot of speculation about, and criticism of, the motives behind the decision.

Newsmakers | Argentina
Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in early October triggered the resignation of the head of the country’s central bank, Juan Carlos Fabrega, by criticizing him for not reducing manipulation of the country’s currency. His replacement, Alejandro Vanoli, formerly the head of the country’s securities regulator, CNV, doesn’t look likely to set Argentina on a better path.

Newsmakers | Belgium
After almost five months of parliamentary squabbling since the elections of May 25th, Belgium finally inaugurated a new government in mid-October.

Capital Markets | Q&A
Tim Gee is a partner in the London office and global head of mergers and acquisitions at Baker & McKenzie.

Management | Transaction Banking
Alberta Cefis is retiring from Scotiabank after building its global transaction banking business practically from the ground up.

Trends | CryptoCurrencies
There are potential benefits that bitcoin or bitcoin-like technology­—as opposed to the cryptocurrency itself—could bring to the derivatives marketplace.

Capital Markets | Myanmar
The frontier market with a population of 60 million is seeking to rejoin the global economy following nearly 50 years of isolation under military rule.
 

Capital Markets | Mergers & Acquisitions
Global cross-border mergers and acquisitions totaled $1.1 trillion during the first nine months of 2014, more than double the level of the same period a year earlier, according to Thomson Reuters.

Management | Compliance Risk
Corporations are stepping up their efforts to mitigate execution risk in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, as growing numbers of regulators worldwide are becoming more stringent about enforcing antitrust and anticorruption laws.

Trends | Foreign Exchange
The global imbalance created by Europe’s huge current-account surplus and excess savings has created a glut of euros that could condemn the single currency to broad-based weakening.

Capital Markets | Middle East Equity
The Middle East is experiencing a boom in initial public offerings, following years of relative inactivity since the global financial crisis. The area’s IPO markets began to recover in the fourth quarter of last year, and new share issues are now coming at a fever pitch, despite falling oil prices that could threaten regional economies.