The surprise exit of Absa chief executive Daniel Mminele in April, only 15 months into the job, shows how much the South African group is still finding its way in the post-Barclays era. Mminele – Absa’s first black CEO – was seen in some quarters as losing a power struggle against an overwhelmingly white executive team. Can the next chief executive gain the authority to drive Absa’s revival?

Other funds have shown how shareholder activism can work in financial stocks, especially in Europe.

The leading FX banks have introduced notable enhancements to their electronic trading platforms in recent months in an attempt to make them more attractive to traders that are still working away from their offices.

The fintech’s fast growth highlights the large banks’ inability to adapt their technology to provide basic finance to small businesses.

The investment bank has proven its value in a tough year, but revenue stability is the challenge ahead.

Euromoney’s futurologist Mystic Maca gets on a Zoom call with next year, when markets return to a version of normality.