Emerging market currencies benefited handsomely from the US central bank’s huge quantitative easing programme. With that now being unwound and with China slowing, emerging currencies are now in retreat. Those from economies with weak fundamentals are especially vulnerable.
Before coming to banking, Lloyds Bank commercial banking's head of global transaction banking Ed Smith worked for range of different companies – from car manufacturer Rover to drinks company Diageo. The skills and experience he has picked up along the way are helping him to put a new spin on the global transaction banking business at Lloyds.
After years of neglect, the Iraqi banking sector offers promise once again. Mobile banking, trade finance and infrastructure financing opportunities are proving attractive to existing lenders and the wave of new entrants looking to break into the market. But, before the tide can finally turn, there are regulatory issues that need addressing.
Legal battles over MasterCard and Visa’s interchange fees have raged for years in various markets around the world, but now the European Commission is pushing ahead with legislation that will cap the level of the fees, which will have major repercussions for card-issuing banks and the payments market.
Once regarded as national treasures, over the past few years many exchanges have been evolving into cross-border operations, focused on capturing larger market shares. Following this wave of consolidation and collaboration, however, it still remains to be seen whether bigger really means better.