International banking groups have traditionally been the main players in Central America but as markets begin to grow, in nearby Colombia in particular, local lenders are increasing their profits, acquiring foreign-owned subsidiaries and establishing a greater presence in the market.
As a large number of banks across the globe see the value of their brand slip for a second consecutive year, many financial institutions are seeing both positive and negative results of being associated with their country of origin, something that has worked out particularly well for Canadian banks.
Japan's banks recorded unremarkable increases in profitability and returns over the past year, yet the country's big players have maintained their prominence within the global rankings, suggesting that their disappointing performance is part of a wider global trend. But with the data from the months following the disasters of March 2011 yet to be revealed, the performance of Japan's banks could yet take a further hit.
In the past decade, foreign investment and natural resources wealth have transformed the banking landscape in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The Banker's latest ranking for the region shows which countries have benefited the most from this change.
The state giants still dominate the banking landscape in Russia, with private-sector institutions having much smaller market shares. The system remains largely Russian-owned, but a number of foreign-owned banks have gained a foothold and are earning a decent profit.