Risk & Insurance

Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds are notoriously secretive in terms of their investments and strategy. So what will they do in response to the oil price drop? 

Banking | United Kingdom
In its 2014 annual report published in February, RBS announced that CIB, which includes global transaction services, will reduce its geographical footprint from 38 to 13 countries.

Country Report | Taiwan
The nation’s banks have benefited from a strengthening economy, but now they must look overseas for growth. And there lies more risk.

Introduction
With a broad-ranging project such as Global Finance’s annual Middle East supplement, success means providing clear insights and stripping away layers of confusion and misunderstanding.

Country Report | India
Indian growth and development hold great promise. And policymakers look set to unlock that potential.

Capital Markets | Foreign Exchange
The strong dollar has beaten down emerging markets currencies ahead of prospective Federal Reserve rate increases, but the fallout for developing economies will vary widely.

Milestones | India
The Reserve Bank of India’s recent bid to offer licenses for setting up small finance and payment banks has elicited an overwhelming response, with at least 113 companies entering the fray.

Management | Foreign Direct Investment
FDI volumes are declining globally, as some national governments take a stronger stance against foreign ownership of their companies and land.
 

Newsmakers | Greece
Following political party Syriza’s triumph in the recent Greek elections, Finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, faces the most critical match of his career.

The 2015 World’s Best Global Insurers were selected on the basis of responses from more than 1,500 readers of Global Finance from around the world, as well as the expertise of the magazine’s editors and reporters.

Eddie Listorti, co-global head of fixed income, currencies and commodities at ANZ Group in Singapore, sees intra-Asian currency flows as a lucrative opportunity.

Global Salon
Global Finance sat down with Jochen Dümler, president and chief executive officer of insurer Euler Hermes North America, to look at the global market for trade credit insurance.

Mikhail Palei, head of foreign exchange flow at VTB Capital in Moscow, expects international banks to lose their appetite for risk in the Russian ruble—which he sees as an opportunity for Russia’s FX desks.

Antti Ranta, head of FX at Nordea in Helsinki, sees demand growing for emerging markets currencies in Nordic countries—and for advice on how to trade them.

Philip Nel, head of FX trading for Africa at Standard Bank in Johannesburg, anticipates a proliferation of new foreign exchange products in countries across the continent.

European Banking | Trends
The degree to which the recent stress tests of big European banks by EU regulators lack credibility is becoming clear.
 

Website design is becoming more important than ever, particularly in areas such as ease of use, security features, integrated functions and aesthetics.
 

Venezuela | Milestones
Venezuela, home to the world’s largest oil reserves at 298 billion barrels, is having a tough time getting the stuff out of the ground.

Middle East | Emerging Markets Regional Review
The drop in oil prices is likely to affect public spending in the rentier states of the Persian Gulf, and pressure is mounting on governments to reduce economic dependency on hydrocarbons.
 

The market in over-the-counter derivatives is shrinking, while exchange-listed futures and interest rate swaps traded on new swap execution facilities (SEFs) are setting records. New regulations and capital requirements are squeezing bank trading desks and forcing more derivatives trading onto exchanges and centralized clearing.