Western Europe

Huge fines, criminal investigations and public opprobrium are the consequences of big anti-money laundering failures at banks, but what about the regulators? The reluctance of fellow EU supervisors to criticize one of their own in Denmark has heightened doubts about Europe’s AML framework.

Legal hurdles await race for European equivalents to UK AML partnership between banks and police.

Cash flow at risk and earnings at risk can help ensure FX risks are reported correctly, but treasurers need to do more to convince senior management to move away from tried and trusted methods that are no longer fit for purpose.

Any market sell-off in advance of coming recession will raise the cost for banks of holding their customers’ cash and make them look again at open banking.

Establishing clear criteria, and sticking to them, are key to successful ESG investing.

Danske Bank’s compliance head Philippe Vollot is on a hiring spree, but parts of its international network might still be too risky.

Lower yields on 10-year US government bonds than two-year notes may presage recession and further pain for equities, credit bonds and currencies.

A reluctance to dispense with legacy technology, combined with heightened regulatory oversight and changing liquidity provision from banks, has seriously complicated the execution management system (EMS) selection process for FX traders.

Blockchain has the potential to revolutionize trade finance, but a lack of standardization will hinder its adoption.

Consolidation is due in the fintech payments sector as new specialized companies begin to build scale.

Former DWS head could shake up captive fund model after Flint’s exit.

The regulators want overnight rates to become the norm in all markets after Libor – that could be wishful thinking.

The lifers are being cleared out at a bank traditionally known for the long service of its senior management.

As it presses ahead with restructuring, Deutsche will exit cash equities, cut back in rates and centre itself on a traditional corporate banking business. CEO Christian Sewing calls it the most radical transformation the bank has undertaken in decades.

The French bank sees an opportunity to grab market share – and a more advanced tech platform – in a business that it sees as strategic.

Deutsche employees who have recently been fired or face the axe will no doubt take comfort in the successes of fellow alumni such as Sajid Javid.

Digital-obsessed chief executive Ralph Hamers has pushed ING towards what is perhaps the biggest bank transformation in Europe. Can it become a model for how to build a globally competitive retail bank, straddling the continent’s fragmented markets?

For 22 years, he has led banking in Austria and across CEE at the helm of Erste Bank. Even as he nears retirement, he is pushing to transform Erste into a ‘financial health company’. Euromoney’s Banker of the Year for 2019 talks about this vision and how digital transformation is at its heart.

A larger than expected second-quarter loss shows Deutsche kitchen-sinking its 2019 results.

The FCA’s live market test facility has enabled a variety of capital markets-related fintech companies to test their business models and technologies in a controlled environment.

Negative yields on sub-investment grade bonds is a worrying development.

Digital overhauls at ING and Nordea will not tempt others to follow.

A recent survey states 92% of financial decision-makers have admitted to paying their suppliers late, but there are tech solutions to some of these issues – and it's about time they were adopted.

The Bank of England and Federal Reserve begin to build the bulwarks against Facebook's cryptocurrency Libra.

The field of contenders in the race to succeed Mark Carney as governor of the BoE is widening to include some unlikely names.

Don’t believe the doubters – the transition from fossil fuel to clean energy can be made, and made swiftly and profitably.

Christian Sewing has set the bank a difficult task of cutting businesses and costs yet growing revenues in the next three years; not everyone is convinced it can do both

Germany’s biggest bank wants to convince investors that its latest restructuring effort differs from previous attempts by returning the firm to its original mission.

Most UK SMEs applying for loans have their applications approved, raising worries that banks have loosened standards just as risk mounts.

The recent withdrawal of Stater Global Markets from the prime-of-prime broker market has underlined the need for providers to continue to prove their value to clients.