Emerging markets Best bank: Citigroup

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Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2006

Emerging markets Best bank I Emerging Markets Best investment bank I Emerging Markets Best debt house I Emerging Markets Best equity house I Emerging Markets Best M&A house

Citigroup might not be the best in every product and it might not have the biggest presence in every country, but no bank can match its breadth and depth in the emerging markets. The basic statistics are impressive. The bank has a presence in more than 100 countries. It has 8,200 multinational corporate clients and deals with more than 50,000 companies in the emerging markets. More than 32,000 companies use its global transaction services. It has access to 5,600 investors.

But sheer size can sometimes be a handicap, as Citigroup knows only too well. What really distinguishes the institution is its ability to effectively link its retail and corporate banking machines with its investment banking franchise. The only global rival to Citigroup in this respect is HSBC, but the latter’s investment banking capabilities, though improving, are a notch or two behind.