Many corporate businesses are beefing up their treasury operations, growing less reliant on their banking partners and moving to bring more of their cash, payments and transaction services operations in house. However, banks are fighting back against this trend by updating their own offerings. Writer Nik Pratt
An influx of non-bank online payment providers offering customers new, easy-to-use ways to transfer money has spurred some banks into providing similar systems. However, there is some scepticism, particularly in the US, about just how much these new methods threaten traditional banking models.
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange has struggled to establish itself in credit default swap clearing against stiff opposition. However, it sees plenty of opportunities, starting with the launch of new trading platforms and the growth of business and partnerships overseas. Writer Geraldine Lambe
Banks operating in global transaction services (GTS) are challenged by rising costs, shrinking margins and encroaching regulation. Emerging markets, and in particular Asia, are becoming increasingly important to the sector. The Banker asked leading GTS figures about their strategies for maintaining profitability and enhancing competitiveness. Edited by Anindita Ghosh
Central banks have dropped their traditional low profile - becoming more proactive, accumulating large reserves and intervening actively to support their national currencies and interests. The composition of their reserves is also changing, with a number of central banks considering moves to reduce their exposure to the US dollar, reports Joanne Hart.
Unprecedented volatility on the foreign exchange markets has dramatically increased the currency-related risks for corporates and has forced them to re-evaluate their strategies for hedging against sudden shifts. Banks and software suppliers are developing tools to help them address the situation, writes Frances Maguire.
The world has come a long way since the lurid headlines of 2008 warning that support for the banking sector would cost governments around the world trillions of dollars. While dangers still persist, money is steadily starting to return to government coffers. Writer Geraldine Lambe
Dean Sposito, head of cash management for financial institutions at Deutsche Bank, talks to The Banker, about the difficulties facing the cash management industry as banks cope with ever more regulation, critical technological investment, voracious competition and shrinking margins.
Much work has been done to standardise and automate fund processing, with several commercial solutions available, but the cost of processing fund transactions is still significantly higher than for bonds or equities and this is hampering critical mass. Is a more centralised market infrastructure needed to tackle processing costs? Writer Frances Maguire
The European Commission's MiFID review should enhance the competitive environment in Europe in a manner that will deal a second, more decisive blow to Europe's exchanges. But the latter are not going down without a fight. Writer Michelle Price
The realisation of the Single Euro Payments Area has been dogged by delay and now, even before SEPA Direct Debit has launched, it looks to some as though the European Commission is moving the goalposts before mandating an end-date. Frances Maguire explores whether the industry can jump this final hurdle.