Emerging Europe

Investment bankers hope for an autumn thaw after a spring freeze.

The transition to capitalism has brought prosperity to much of emerging Europe but left large sections of society struggling to catch up – now Austria’s Erste Group is going back to its roots to bring prosperity to the region through social banking.

Autumn bank refinancing round under scrutiny; analysts warn of US sanctions tail risk.

Can Kazakhstan create an international financial centre in the middle of the steppes or is it just the latest central Asian pipe dream?

Traders have been staying away from the Turkish currency this year as they watched a steady decline in its value against the dollar, but the recent deterioration of relations between Turkey and the US sent the currency spiralling into a full-blown crisis.

Cryptocurrencies are still not legal in Russia for now, but that isn’t stopping businesses from preparing to take hold of the future.

The country has the right to join, yet EU leaders are stalling.

It is easy to see why economists love second-pillar pension schemes. Making workers pay into privately managed funds not only addresses the issue of unfunded state pension liabilities, it also creates a ready-made institutional investor base that can support the development of local capital markets. If only it were that simple.

A proposed tie-up between UniCredit and Société Générale would be a real game changer in the region: complementary and challenging.

Euromoney's coverage of the economic and financial fallout from the conflict.

Former CEO of private equity-owned firm arrested; regulator looks to curb bond sales to retail investors.

Will Romania go the way of Hungary when it comes to the independence of its monetary authority?

Shares worth up to €8 billion left in abandoned accounts; potential game-changer for local capital markets, says EBRD.

Distributed ledger technology could be answer to GDPR for banks worried their legacy systems will struggle to cope with customer rights over their records.

The state has done a lot of damage.

Khorgos, a new state-of-the-art port in the middle of the Kazakh desert, sums up the grand ambitions of the Belt and Road Initiative. But it is as much driven and funded by Kazakhstan as it is by China. Rather than being a white elephant, it has real implications for trade.

Appetite for acquisitions in the outperforming economies of emerging Europe is booming, despite political concerns. Deal flow remains concentrated in the mid-market, however, as a shortage of opportunities frustrates would-be big-ticket buyers.

Soviet military bunkers in Kazakhstan and portable houses in Siberia linked up to the plumbing: Bitcoin mining is moving in some interesting directions that will become even more diverse as China cracks down on its domestic industry.

Why aren’t firms putting their money where Xi Jinping’s mouth is?

Foreign investors eye record NPL stocks; judicial flaws hinder default resolution.

Investors keep powder dry for Greece and Cyprus; EBRD tempts global investors with co-investment.

The disappearance of the chair of CEFC China Energy throws doubts on its European acquisition spree.

New technology and a handful of savvy operators have transformed banking for SMEs in Russia since the start of the decade. Now some of the sector’s biggest names are squaring up for the next challenge: affordable and accessible credit.

For too long, the country has been at the top of the world’s news agenda for all the wrong reasons.

Three years ago, Raiffeisen Bank International was on the casualty list – today it is again one of the best-performing banks in Europe. New chief executive Johann Strobl discusses restructuring, regulation and getting back to ‘real banking’.

Michal Krupinski looks to shake off the legacy of UniCredit with big plans for Poland’s second-largest lender. But will he be given a chance to implement them?

After a lot of provisioning and restructuring, CEE banks have returns on equity that others can only dream about.

On a recent visit to the Russian central bank on a wintry day, Euromoney’s eye was caught by a chap holding a large and surprisingly professionally produced billboard.

UK court freezes former shareholders’ assets; new CEO appointed by supervisory board.

Like many truly bad ideas, state ownership of banks is a concept that refuses to die.