With the US and European crises behind them, South American trade figures are back on an upward slope. Local banks are paving the way for improved relations with China, and Chinese banks are increasing their presence in the region. Even the proximity of the US could have its benefits.
With the deadline for the Single Euro Payments Area looming, there is much speculation over who is actually ready to migrate, with many small and medium-sized enterprises lagging behind and businesses of all sizes struggling to implement systems for direct debits.
A single platform for securities settlement in Europe and the continued growth of e-commerce will soon out-date the market infrastructures as they exist. Frances Faulds looks at how market infrastructures are reinventing themselves and redesigning their services to remain relevant.
European companies are taking advantage of benign conditions in the markets to prefund, sometimes driven by less accommodating banks as they struggle under higher capital requirements. And with investors searching for yield, hybrid corporate bonds are gaining in popularity. Executives from four leading European corporates share their funding strategies.
Taiwan's rising prominence as an offshore renminbi centre reached a milestone earlier this year when the Bank of China opened a clearing bank in Taipei. But with Hong Kong, and to a lesser extent London and Singapore, already working as offshore renminbi hubs, where will Taiwan fit in?
The foreign exchange markets have been tough of late, amid relentlessly declining volatility and persistently low returns. However, a shift in the economic landscape may give managers a chance to shine in the coming year and take advantage of new relationships with the banking community.