With a socialist at the gates of the Élysée Palace and the eurozone limping along, there has never been a better time to buy cheap European equities.

Ian Hannam is someone whose personal brand has benefited, not suffered, from his recent actions. Until recently chairman of global capital markets at JPMorgan Cazenove, he resigned in April after the UK Financial Services’ Authority published its decision that he had been guilty of market abuse.

CEO claims “no pressure” to sell assets; Dubai Group next in line

Banks enjoyed a good end to the first quarter in equity capital markets, but the benign conditions that prompted deals might have come to an end.

Central and eastern European governments have exploited the flattering contrast between their headline debt numbers and those of western Europe to achieve ever lower funding costs. But there is still much work to be done to ensure the sustainability of debt levels.

The end of QE support means that markets must face up to a repricing of assets on the basis of economic reality.

Of course, there is another big IPO coming to a screen near you shortly. I am talking about the phenomenal Facebook deal, which is veiled under a hefty shroud of secrecy but which seems to be scheduled for the launch pad in mid-May. I wonder if that will mark the peak of the equity market this year? Morgan Stanley is the lead underwriter for this fiercely contended deal.

Inclusion might trigger $8.8 billion inflows; Becomes first sub-Saharan entry

Figures from Dealogic suggest that bankers covering EEMEA should not get carried away with the realities of the Middle East and Africa.

Bank ‘taking long-term view’; Asia seen as key driver of profits

It is good to see the Bull charging back. In late April, Bank of America Merrill Lynch announced that it had hired Alex Wilmot-Sitwell from UBS as its new president of Europe and the emerging markets ex Asia. For those of you who have short memories, UBS hired one of Merrill’s top bankers, Andrea Orcel, merely a month ago to be co-head of the investment bank. Since then, Orcel has persuaded several other senior Merrill bankers to join him at UBS: Javier Oficialdegui, Javier Martinez-Piqueras and Emilio Greco.

There needs to be universal agreement on what is shadow banking to tackle its regulation.

Last month, I had lunch with a former City trader who is a trustee of a big investment bank’s pension fund. Trader was gloomy. "Returns are abysmal," he wailed. "Pension funds can’t function when the risk-free rate on 10-year UK gilts is 2.2%, equity markets have gone nowhere for a decade and inflation is running at 3.5%." Trader confessed that in his bleakest moments he could see a situation where funds were not able to honour their obligations to those who enjoy favourable defined-benefit schemes."And governments will have to find billions in the next decades to make good the holes in the western civil service pension schemes," he said glumly as he speared a lettuce leaf.

Chinese broker’s Hong Kong listing fails to revitalize the market.

Banks’ misgivings about the Jobs Act reflect their own failure to cater to the full spectrum of US enterprise.

Research rules resurrect conflicts of interest; Cost savings ‘compromise safety’

Bank becomes Brazil’s 16th-largest company; Problems persist with smaller deals

BTG Pactual’s IPO offered lessons to other Brazilian issuers about pricing discipline, and to other partnership banks about ownership structures.

Some are calling him ‘bloated Bob’. Others prefer the prefix ‘bountiful’. I would suggest the adjectives ‘baffling’ and ‘burnished’.

China leads the pack; Apac firms seek expertise, R&D

Upgrade will have limited impact; Argentine YPF coup is troubling move

Government promises fiscal consolidation; Recapitalization of NLB looms

Trading volumes and expense cuts help; Eurozone concerns still loom over growth

Loan volumes at 15-year lows; New credit intermediation needed

The crowd is taking over from traditional sources of finance and it is here to stay. It’s the start of the big bank disintermediation. Unless banks join the revolution, consumer lending may no longer be their sole domain.

Last-minute Blackstone bid fails; Senior lenders to take control

Russian companies had a strong showing in Euromoney’s 2012 survey of best-managed companies in central and eastern Europe, and the big winners offer an insight into two different routes to success.

Investor sentiment is changing: investors are examining individual stocks and sectors with the greatest potential for growth rather than specific countries. Research houses that focus on the continent are finding their services are in demand.