Despite some concerns over the impact of regulation on profit, the big banks in western Europe have mostly held their ground in this year's Top 1000 World Banks ranking. However, the aftermath of the financial crisis has seen changes in the UK and Spanish banking sectors.
It has been a difficult year for the Middle Eastern banking sector and this shows in the regional top 25. But there are reasons to be positive – the Gulf region remains strong, the overall figures from The Banker's Top 1000 World Banks suggest an increase in profits and there is a welcome new entry from Iraq.
Asian and Turkish banks stand out as the top performers in The Banker's Top 1000 World Banks for return on capital. But the more general trend across emerging markets is that banks with a retail focus appear to be prevalent among those generating the highest returns.
The banking landscape in Africa remains a case of potential unrealised, as its financial institutions' share of the Top 1000's overall assets and Tier 1 capital dipped slightly. However, the lowering of the average cost-to-income ration in the continent did provide some good news.