Asia's emergence as the healthiest engine of global economic growth is as evident in Islamic finance as it is in the conventional banking sector. The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) region remains the core of Islamic finance, accounting for more than 40% of total sharia-compliant assets.
Greek banks control at least a fifth of the banking markets in Bulgaria and Romania but, despite this exposure to one of Europe's more troubled economies, bankers in the two countries believe there will still be a sufficient supply of credit to meet demand. Writer Philip Alexander
The gradual move towards Solvency 2 capital regulations for insurers, together with tougher market conditions and changing accounting rules for pension funds, mean institutional investors are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their use of derivatives for asset-liability management. Writer Philip Alexander