Best bank:
Svenska Handelsbanken
Best debt house:
ABN AMRO
Best equity house:
Enskilda Securities
Best M&A house:
Enskilda Securities
Best at risk management and treasury:
Nordea
Best at transaction services:
Nordea
Two themes dominate banking in the Nordic and Baltic region - cross-border expansion and technological innovation. Over the past decade, the leading players in the Nordic countries have sought to expand their operations throughout the region, as illustrated by a series of cross-border acquisitions by such banks as Nordea, Svenska Handelsbanken and SEB.
With the Nordic regional banking sector now dominated by these three, attention has turned to the Baltic states as the emerging battleground. Swedbank now has a majority holding in Estonia's Hansa Bank, Skandinavska Enskilda Banken (SEB) increased its stake in Lithuania's Vilniaus Banka to almost 98% in late 2000, and Merita (Nordea) and Handelsbanken have ventured into the Estonian banking sector.
These banks have been renowned for their use of internet technology to fight the battle for new customers and increased revenue.