Ken Moelis lived up to his nickname ‘Ken of Arabia’ when he showed up at the Saudi Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh in late October in his brave pursuit of future fee income despite the risk of international opprobrium.

The murder of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has sparked condemnation of the kingdom’s leadership the world over, but as the dust settles after the Future Investment Initiative, what are the real-world effects, if any, of this crisis on Saudi Arabia’s banking ties?

Britain’s Conservative Party has been at pains to distance itself from the mainstream of European politics in recent years, but seems remarkably comfortable in its murkier shallows.

Jair Bolsonaro's election today as Brazil’s next president could well spell more market upside, but the nationalist protectionism that is likely to follow should give investors pause

If Argentina’s financial crisis is going to turn into a banking crisis, as it did in 2001, that transmission will first be identifiable in the deposits data.

You wait years for a Balkan bank privatization and then three come along at once.

All eyes will be on the next Brazilian president’s first steps towards a much-needed fiscal adjustment. That will likely be Jair Bolsonaro – who is well ahead of Fernando Haddad as the final round of voting approaches on 28 October.

With new US sanctions looming over Russia and the effects of higher oil prices largely already priced in, will the Russian rouble sink or swim as we approach the end of 2018?

In a country with twin deficits and a 13th bailout in recent memory, one might wonder if former JPMorgan banker Muhammad Aurangzeb regrets becoming Habib Bank CEO – but instead he sees a path to a better outlook for his country.

Why is nobody in Asia worrying about trade wars and rate hikes?

UBS’s path to China JV control raises questions for others.

Six months after Polish debt collector GetBack went into default, shockwaves from the event continue to shake the country’s financial sector.

$500 million bond was third attempt since 2013; makes Credit Suisse loan commitment look shrewder.

Brazil’s banks are now an election issue.

Two of the world’s most advanced cryptocurrency markets agree to exchange notes on blockchain regulation.

The problem with India’s state bank mergers.

No one is surprised by the money-laundering revelations from the Baltics.

The resignation letter of Luis Caputo, until September 25 the president of Argentina’s central bank, is effectively the IMF’s receipt for the purchase of the country’s monetary policy.

SC Ventures launched in Singapore; combines internal accelerator with venture capital.

It is unusual for a Taiwanese bank: owned by foreign institutional investors rather than bankrolled by a tycoon or controlled by the state, it’s also on a roll, investing heavily in digital and expanding fast around Asia… but can it last?

GoPay is southeast Asia’s answer to Ant Financial. Its CEO comes with a background in the most micro level of finance: empowering village housewives to buy things to cook with. How will he build a business backed by the biggest names in global private equity?

After a tumultuous decade, the country’s leading investment banks have finally recovered their confidence – and are bursting into new markets and products.

Veteran investor launches financial services firm to capitalize on reforms in Uzbekistan, while HSBC banker tapped to drive sovereign Eurobond debut.

The prospectus for the forthcoming Hong Kong IPO of Bitmain, which dominates the market for cryptocurrency mining hardware, unveils the highs and lows of businesses linked to bitcoin. It will cause crypto ideals to collide with institutional expectations about business transparency.

Cipla Quality Chemicals’ share sale is good news for Uganda’s capital markets, but is still something of a rarity. Investors have little choice when it comes to picking stocks: government borrowing remains high and puts the focus on bonds, while family-owned businesses tend to be wary of opening up to outside investment.

With global liquidity conditions tightening, local currency bond markets have a more important role to play in financing African governments and companies. While Ghana and Nigeria are leading the way, other markets are still in the early stages. Poor transparency and liquidity, and a multiplicity of legal regimes are holding back foreign investment.

As the central bank awards its first new banking licences in 20 years, the big four will find it harder to justify the fees that have underpinned their profitability. The newcomers promise technology will facilitate cheaper banking services and tackle inequality.

Senior management at Société Générale sees a unique opportunity for growth in Africa, including east Africa, Nigeria and the lusophone countries. The aim is to be much more than the only French bank left standing on the continent. Instead, the bank is courting regional clients by building local markets and structured finance platforms, while its investment in mobile money could be the seed of a much bigger African consumer business.

Egypt’s private-sector banks have traditionally been wary of lending to SMEs, but now a combination of new technology and central bank pressure is driving some of the country’s most sophisticated lenders to take a fresh look at the segment.

The west African state has reclaimed its status as the most attractive francophone market south of the Sahara. International banks are rushing to do business there.