Scandinavia’s biggest bank is at last outperforming European banks in the way that smaller Nordic lenders did in the 2010s. The jury is out on whether or not this can continue when its more nationally focused Nordic peers regain momentum.

JPMorgan’s new chief financial officer, Jeremy Barnum, is an unusual choice for a role that has become a springboard for greater things.

The bond market’s hottest structure has come under fire from a leading ESG investor, with borrowers accused of gaming the system to take advantage of demand for sustainable products.

Naysayers were swift to condemn Lithuanian involvement in the German scandal.

Founder and former chief executive Guilherme Benchimol was keen to stress the mould-breaking attributes of his chosen successor as he passed the reins of XP Inc to Thiago Maffra in May.

The Spac bubble has burst, and while European exchanges try to attract more deals, sponsors that listed in the boom will soon be struggling.

US banking chiefs were reminded that their slow move towards socially aware finance brings new risks as they testified to Congress in May.

African banks have enviable growth prospects, but fintech and regulation are forcing them to look beyond their core businesses.

Beijing’s push to rein in its fintech champions, including Ant and Tencent, shows no sign of abating. It fears these big corporations and is busy handing out record fines – yet it would be wise not to go too far and undermine all the good things they do.

With the acquisition of 80 east coast branches and a slug of online deposits, Citizens has added even more firepower to its national expansion ambitions.

With Goldman and AmBank behind it, Malaysia aims further afield with lawsuits.

The CEOs of JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley will be tough acts to follow, so it is well that they are managing the careers of candidates to succeed them now.

Norway pulls out of West Bank-linked companies; Mubadala and Temasek invest in tech and energy.

Investors in a faith-based asset look forward to higher highs and higher lows, even as regulators crack down once more.

Merger shows Indonesia e-commerce coming of age, but can the financial services assets be combined?

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

With Greensill and Archegos, António Horta-Osório has more on his plate than a medieval King. But Credit Suisse’s new chair could do something that would placate doubters and please investors: pivot firmly to Asia.

While doubling of profit at the investment bank stood out, it was not the bank’s only strong performer.

Employees in the wealth management and investment banking businesses will be sizing up the risks to their own future financial wellbeing of staying with the firm.

In recent years, Brazil has endured famine, flood and pestilence. What’s next?

The Japanese bank has spent big money to hire a wealth management team, but spiralling costs and a lack of name recognition in key markets leave many asking: how realistic are its ambitions?

2020 was a breakout year for China’s financial and capital markets. The next 12 months could be just as busy, as regulators rush to approve a host of licences lodged by global financial institutions.

The US investment bank sidesteps an avoidable reputational own goal as a planned football European Super League collapses.

Anthony Tan’s 60% control of the Singaporean fintech’s voting power shows what founders can get away with when spared the rigour of an IPO.

If the current geopolitical tensions escalate into military action, even the most hardened foreign investors might start looking for an exit from Russia.

The maverick activist is blazing a trail by targeting a big southern European bank – and is warning against the risks of a deal between UniCredit and Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena.

By listing on Nasdaq, Coinbase may undermine itself, giving investors an easy way to bet on bitcoin without paying its own high fees.

Deals such as this leave deeper problems unsolved at Societe Generale and similar banks.

Unlisted banks, especially cooperatives, face less pressure to shrink as a result of low returns. They are gaining market share – but falling behind in digitalization.

Francesco de Ferrari gave up a plum private banking job at Credit Suisse to take over troubled AMP. It was always a tough ask. Personnel mis-steps did not help, but in the end there was not going to be much of a business left for him to run.