With high volumes, strong growth and resilience in the face of severe economic headwinds, the global remittance market is gaining new ground. But banks that wish to capitalise on this growth will have to think hard about what strategy they adopt. Charlie Corbett reports.
The Banker surveyed some of the leading lights in the world of global transaction services to get a sense of how 2010 is likely to pan out. The results suggest a difficult year for transaction bankers, with as many challenges as opportunities. Writer Charlie Corbett
A muscular banking sector will make or break whether Iraq is to rebuild and prosper. And while there are increasing levels of capital inflow into the region, local banking infrastructure remains limited, leaving the sector wide open for foreign investment. Writer Courtney Fingar in Baghdad
Puerto Rico's dependence on the US meant that the subprime crisis hit its banking sector particularly hard. A period of consolidation is now expected, but who the winners will be - the big domestic players or foreign-owned entities - remains to be seen. Writer Jane Monahan in Puerto Rico
As the financial storm of the past few years begins to calm, how are banks coping with the new competitive landscape and what do they need to do to stay ahead of their rivals? And more to the point, can they afford to invest in the innovation required to do so? The Banker spoke to Dan Marovitz, head of product management for global transaction banking at Deutsche Bank. Writer Charlie Corbett
The renewed currency volatility of the past year has received attention from banks, international organisations, governments and researchers, mindful of the Asian currency crisis of 1997/98. Commentators have discussed alleged causes, including systemic deficiencies, shortcomings of debtor nations and culpably soft attitudes by lenders.
Banks' back offices were exposed by the recent crisis as inefficient, lacking in scalability and ripe for increased regulatory scrutiny. Policy-makers and regulators, meanwhile, began to call for the creation of centralised industry utilities, in a bid to reduce the systemic risk associated with the trading, processing and clearing of a variety of complex products.
It seems that many are. This summer has seen both BATS and Nasdaq launch flash order programs, but was this an attempt to compete with Direct Edge - which has been successfully using the controversial program since 2006 - or did the rival exchanges simply want to force the hand of the regulators? Writer Michelle Price
Bank of America Merrill Lynch has had a rough year. Its CEO is being forced to retire, it is under intense regulatory scrutiny and senior investment bankers have left in droves. Yet it is holding up well in the league tables, and deal flow is looking pretty strong. Is Bank of America beating the odds and making a success of the acquisition? Geraldine Lambe reports.
The economic downturn has temporarily alleviated the pressure on Brazil's regional banks. They are using that breathing space to seek efficiencies, including cost cutting, improving customer service and seeking capital from new sources. They need to move fast: as national banks recover, acquisition of regional banks will once again become an attractive expansion strategy. Writer John Rumsey
As one of the Philippines' most dynamic bankers, Nestor Tan has overseen a series of acquisitions and mergers that have transformed Banco de Oro into the largest bank in the country by assets. Now he is eager for further growth by capitalising on opportunities presented by the recession. Writer Michelle Price