The need for timely and accurate corporate reporting is a universal concern, but there is no globally consistent evaluation of the levels of disclosure. Recognizing this gap, Standard & Poor’s has conducted a survey of 1,600 companies worldwide to complement its corporate governance scores. In this first release, over 350 liquid and large Latin American and Asian companies taken from the Standard & Poor’s/IFCI Index are analyzed

Axion4gstp, established in March 2000 to develop the global straight-through processing initiative, is now in its pilot testing phase.

Vodafone announces its plans to take control of Japan Telecom, Japan's third-largest telecom operator.

Normally in the aftermath of disasters it is not long before jokes start doing the rounds.

UK proposals on the reform of insolvency procedures take account of the special needs of securitizations. There is, though, uncertainty that all types of such deals are covered.

The Caspian region has begun to boom because of its oil potential. Now the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the US will transform the politics of the region. Bad news for the Afghans could in the long-run be good news for the countries around the Caspian if it gives them more bargaining power.

The 31 states of Mexico are bonding again. But unlike independence in 1821 this time it is purely financial.

The response of private-sector financial institutions, central banks, regulators and governments to the murderous attacks on New York and Washington has been one of remarkable resilience and impressive solidarity. Governments have forged their diplomatic coalition against terrorists, central banks have coordinated injections of liquidity and interest rate cuts to prevent systemic crisis, regulators have been flexible enough to relax - temporarily - certain capital standards, banks have lent each other space and carefully rebooted the financial markets.

The smoke clears around BSCH, and Emilio Botin emerges in front after his swift and successful coup de grace.

Although deeper and more liquid than anyone had dared predict, the nascent euro-denominated bond market in 1999 had one weakness: it was failing to secure may US issuers. However, during the first eight months of this year the costs of issuing in euros narrowed for a great many US borrowers, and increasing numbers of them began to recognize the attraction of the euro market.

I am convinced that the outcome of the human tragedy of September 11 will be a gutsy renewal of solidarity and confidence, recently lacking in the US, on the part of Americans and foreigners.

Salomon Smith Barney moves back to lower Manhattan. Will other investment banking firms follow?

The new era of a diminishing treasury debt has been shattered with the events of September 11. Now, the US government appears to be preparing for a vast expansion of public spending, heavily affecting dollar-denominated debt markets.

In the August edition of Euromoney the Emerging Markets table of banks ranked by shareholders equity gave incorrect figures for total assets and asset growth for the Shanghai Pudong Development bank. The correct figures are $15,569 million and 28.67% respectively.

Two weeks after September 11, the sell-off in the Asian equity markets was unabated. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 10.9%, Korea had dropped 10.8%, and Singapore had plunged 18.1%. And Japan’s Nikkei fell through the psychological 10,000 barrier. Chris Cockerill reports on what comes next

In the Netherlands, bankers anticipate that the final stage of the introduction of the euro will pass into history without a hitch.

Russia has been trying to climb out of economic isolation for the last two years. Now that economic isolation will act as a shield from recession caused by America's war in Russia's own backyard.

Belarus's small banking system has remained a sideshow during the tumult of recent years, while some of the most advanced of Europe's transitional economies suffer.

The markets were already jittery before September 11 but the terrorist attacks sent volatility soaring. The central banks poured money in to provide liquidity and cut interest rates, politicians made rallying calls to investors to help keep markets up and some hedge funds promised not to short stocks, while some lenders refused to make them available for shorting. Yet market forces prevailed: indices plummeted and then started to bounce all over the place. But some investors feel the worst is over and buying opportunities will abound.

As the dollar continued to weaken in the days after the attacks on the World Trade Centre, the euro inched up to 91 US cents, with some analysts predicting 98 cents or even parity. It has been a painful crawl back for a currency that required concerted central bank support a year ago.

Having bailed out loss-making companies, Japanese banks are bereft of capital. Their losses will become even more glaring now that they have to implement mark-to-market rules. And though the latest Nikkei slump was prompted by the attacks on the US, the adjustment is widely seen as fully justified. Selling out to foreign predators is one way out for ailing Japanese corporates but few buyers will be willing to pounce until targets are on their knees. Vodafone’s move to capture Japan Telecom has proved an interesting exception.

While it has become clear that the combination of an investment bank and a commercial bank works, it may be a long and hard journey for Citigroup to achieve across-the-board success.

At the IMF meeting in Prague last year, the car carrying JP Morgan chairman Sandy Warner and the bank's president and CEO, Bill Harrison, got caught in the crossfire of anti-globalization protesters. The driver managed to get out of trouble and both men escaped unscathed. But JP Morgan employees joked that, had Warner and Harrison really been in a tight spot, security would have been briefed about who to cover first. Just 10 months after Chase's merger with JPMorgan it was clear that Harrison was firmly in the driving seat.

Whether it’s labelled programme trading or portfolio trading, the provision of cut-rate execution for liquid securities is a cash cow for banks and brokers. Despite low margins and dismal prevailing market conditions, institutions are still piling into the business. Just how high can an essentially commoditized service rise?

Universal banks are making great strides in winning business that used to be the preserve of the investment banks. In part a function of the weak state of the financial markets, it may also be a secular trend. A big balance sheet is a mighty weapon and investment banks will be particularly pressed if they are forced to indulge in competitive lending to retain customers. Yet the investment banks’ prospects have been blighted as much by their own mistakes, such as ineptly timed waves of sackings of key personnel after losses, as by irresistible new forces.

Jersey City used to be good for three things: it was a good place to park the car before getting on the ferry to New York, it served as the butt of many a poor joke by Manhattanites, and offered a fantastic view of the skyline across the Hudson. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre destroyed the latter, at least for the time being. Though not the prettiest buildings to many, for 25 years the twin towers dominated and defined Manhattan. They were usually the first buildings you would see as you neared the island, and also served as a useful reference point if you got lost when walking downtown.

Francois Pinault, chairman of retail group Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR) and Bernard Arnault, chief executive of luxury products company LVMH-Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton are sparring again.

When forex trading first harnessed the internet, banks tried to attract clients to their individual platforms. They soon faced the problem that some customers were obliged to seek the best price for every transaction. Hence the difficult birth and troubled childhood of multi-bank platforms. End-users seem little more happy with these systems than the rival banks that set them up. And before they have had a chance to digest their implications clients are being offered the prospect of trading directly with each other. Jennifer Morris reports on a market whose innovators may have taken a step too far

With Pakistan once again becoming a frontline state, the financial community is preparing for the worst. Despite this, Pakistan's move to support the US has brought comfort to the market.

In times of financial uncertainty, it is always tempting for banks to retreat to the business they know best. In the Netherlands, this means pulling back from international expansion and focusing on the domestic retail market. But there is always going to be one bank looking abroad for new opportunities.