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Worlds Safest Banks 2016: Global Top 50

Global Finance Magazine's 16th annual ranking of the World's Safest Banks illustrates how  sovereign rating upgrades impact the perceived strength of a country's financial institutions. 

 

Award Winners

World’s Safest Banks 2016: Europe Top 50

The safest banks in Europe are located in Northern and Western Europe, with Germany contributing ten of the Top 50 banks and France nine. The safest nine European banks are the same nine that lead our Global Safest Banks ranking.  ...

Worlds Safest Banks 2016: Middle East Top 50

The safest banks in the Middle East are all based in the GCC, with the exception of the two large Israeli banks, Hapoalim and Leumi, which rank 26th and 27th. National Bank of Abu Dhabi remains the Safest Bank in ...

World’s Safest Banks 2016: Safest Islamic Banks

Abu Dhabi’s Al Hilal Bank is the safest Islamic bank in the six GCC states, replacing Al Rajhi Bank of Saudi Arabia, which falls to seventh position following downgrades prompted by the downgrading of the Saudi government. Kuwait Finance House ...

World’s Safest Banks 2016: Country Winners

Global Finance’s country-by-country ranking of the Safest Banks comprises 104 countries. Sixteen of these countries have a new safest bank this year. Most new winners have earned their places through ratings upgrades, while some have taken the top position by ...

World’s Safest Banks 2016: A Retrospective

Ten years ago, Global Finance’s ranking of the world’s safest banks included such household names as Citigroup, Royal Bank of Scotland, Deutsche Bank and the Spanish giants, Santander and BBVA. None of these now feature in the Safest 50—indeed, several ...

World's Safest Banks: Biggest Emerging Markets Banks

The assets of the 50 biggest emerging markets banks rose in 2015 by 35%, to $27.2 trillion, even as many emerging markets currencies lost value against the dollar. The rise in asset size of the biggest 50 was driven by ...

Global Salon

Broverman: Tech To Extend Advisory’s Reach

Eli Broverman is president and co-founder of Betterment, a provider of automated online investment advice—“robo-advisory.” He visited Global Finance to discuss technology and asset management.

Stars of China

Stars Of China: Banks Span The Spectrum

This year’s ranking of Chinese banks includes all 21 Chinese banks that have a rating from one of the three large, international rating agencies. In principle, the only criterion for inclusion, apart from having one or more rating, was that ...

Country Report

Milestones

Colombia: Unsettled After Voters Nix Peace

Columbian voters stunned observers on October 2 by rejecting the peace deal between the government of president Juan Manuel Santos and the guerrilla group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), despite a 52-year civil war that has claimed approximately 220,000 ...

Corporate Finance

Pakistan Returns to Sukuk Market

With mounting payment obligations and a worsening balance of payments, Pakistan has returned to the Islamic bond market after a two-year hiatus. In early October, Pakistan mopped up $1 billion through a dollar-denominated Islamic bond with a five-year tenure.

Newsmakers

New Head at Caterpillar Faces Slow Growth

Caterpillar, the US-based leader in the machinery and engine industry, announced that in January Doug Umpleby, a longtime Caterpillar executive, will succeed Doug Oberhelman as the company’s CEO. He will be challenged by slow growth worldwide. 

Trends

Corporate Finance & Capital

Global FDI Tipped To Fall, But Africa Looks Promising

Combining pessimism with a moderate amount of optimism in its 2016 outlook for foreign direct investment, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) forecasts that total FDI flows will fall in 2016 compared with 2015, with the drop ...

FX Trading Pivots Toward China

The US dollar remains king in the world’s biggest market, as the rise of Asia’s share in foreign exchange trading, led by China, is coming at the expense of Europe rather than the US, analysts say. 

Saudi Global Bond Sets Benchmark

Saudi Arabia made a splash with its $17.5 billion debut in the global bond market, which was the largest debt issuance by an emerging economy. The successful sale on October 19 was increased from an originally planned $10 billion, as ...

Special Report

Regional Report

Additional Stories

Ripple Looks to Make Bigger Splash in Payments

Financial settlement start-up Ripple has enjoyed a cordial, but at times uneasy relationship with the financial messaging network SWIFT. On the one hand it has sought to collaborate with SWIFT to try and improve the cross-border payments experience for corporate ...