Global Banking

ISLAMIC FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AWARDS 2010   Islamic financial institutions were not immune to the turmoil of the past two years, but their strict ethical code helped them prosper in many areas where others foundered.   By Laurence Neville   The ...

Global   By Anita Hawser   Reid: Imposing strict limits might impede growth With the concept of systemic risk still preoccupying global banking regulators, the International Monetary Fund has weighed in on the debate with some suggestions for far-reaching and ...

AFRICA   By Gordon Platt   REGIONAL WINNER: Standard Chartered Bank Standard Chartered Bank's earnings from its African operations rose 54% last year to $482 million. The London-based emerging markets bank receives 90% of its income and profits from Asia, ...

LATIN AMERICA   by Antonio Guerrero   REGIONAL WINNER: Banco Santander Brazil continues to shine as the jewel in Santander's crown, helping the Spanish bank consolidate its position as Latin America's premier financial group. Santander Brasil set a benchmark in ...

EUROPE   By Paula L. Green   REGIONAL WINNER: RZB/Raiffeisen International Austria-based RZB/Raiffeisen International bags the regional award for the fourth year in a row after managing to turn in a creditable performance despite atrocious market conditions. With a 1.7% ...

ASIA   By Anita Hawser   REGIONAL WINNER : HSBC As regional and foreign banks look to Asia to grow their business beyond their domestic markets, competition is heating up in the region. Traditionally a strong provider across 20 or ...

BEST EMERGING MARKET BANKS 2010 In our 17th annual survey of top banking performers in emerging markets, we select winners in 101 countries and five regions. By Gordon Platt   Emerging market banks have sailed through the global financial crisis ...

MIDDLE EAST   By Gordon Platt   REGIONAL WINNER : National Bank of Kuwait National Bank of Kuwait, the leading bank in Kuwait and the highest-rated bank in the Middle East, earned $925 million last year, an increase of 4% ...

TOP BANKS BOUNCE BACK     After two dismal years, the banking industry in the world’s developed markets is flourishing again.   By Laurence Neville     The recovery of the financial markets from March 2009 (and earlier in the ...

United States   By Gordon Platt   Valukas: Report raises fears over systemic risk The Valukas Report on the collapse of Lehman Brothers, a nine-volume, 2,200-page document that cost $38 million to produce, was worth every penny. The comprehensive “post ...

BANKERS GET READY FOR REBOUND IN WORLD TRADE   Trade finance and risk management services are in growing demand as world trade recovers and credit issues remain a concern.   By Gordon Platt   The outlook for global trade is ...

  Settling Up   Europe’s exchanges are working hard to reduce the complexity of clearing and settlement across the region.   By Anita Hawser   Any custodian doing business inEurope is used to dealing with “spaghetti”—not the variety of Italian ...

Tomorrow’s Battleground For Banks   Banks and regulators worldwide are starting the new decade at loggerheads, but signs are slowly beginning to emerge that point to the future shape of regulation.   By Nick Kochan   Banks are on the ...

United States/United Kingdom   By Gordon Platt   Volcker: Promoting a more conservative banking model The legendary Paul Volcker, the 6-feet, 7-inches tall former chairman of the Federal Reserve who slew the inflation dragon in the early 1980s, is not ...

  THE BIGGEST EMERGING MARKET BANKS   Global Finance unveils its second annual league table of the biggest emerging market banks ranked by total assets.   By Dan Keeler   As the world’s key emerging markets continue to drive the ...

  BANKS DEVELOP SOCIAL SKILLS   In the second of a two-part series, Global Finance identifies the best global and regional Internet banks.   By Adam Rombel   Not many of the headlines about the global banking industry in the ...

Derivatives Stage A Comeback   Market participants are rediscovering the appeal of derivatives, and the providers that stayed the course during the recent meltdown are reaping the benefits.   By Laurence Neville   In the year covered by Global Finance’s ...

  Location: IMF Annual Meetings, Istanbul   WORLD’S BEST BANKS 2009   Global Finance’s 13th annual Best Banks awards ceremony was held in early October in Istanbul, as the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank were ...

A selection of Global Finance’s best bank awards from the past year.   BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROVIDERS   BEST DERIVATIVES PROVIDERS   BEST SUB-CUSTODIANS   BEST ISLAMIC FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS   BEST TREASURY & CASH MANAGEMENT PROVIDERS   BEST TRADE FINANCE ...

THE WORLD’S SAFEST BANKS 2009   Global Finance selects the world’s safest banks, the 50 institutions with the highest ratings from the leading international credit ratings agencies.   By Dan Keeler   After two tumultuous years that saw many of ...