Mexican banks have sold off hard since Claudia Sheinbaum – as widely expected – was confirmed as the country’s next president.

It is getting tougher for investors to execute block trades of more than €2 million in Europe’s fragmented equity markets. Matching buyers and sellers needs a return to negotiation and away from pure electronic trading.

The absence of staking and the earlier approval of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds have sucked much of the excitement out of the SEC’s surprising decision to greenlight spot Ethereum ETFs.

After years of retrenchment, Commerzbank’s head of corporate clients Michael Kotzbauer tells Euromoney of a tentative return to growth. The bank has dodged Germany’s commercial real estate slump but is having to adapt to a worsening geopolitical backdrop. Capital and cost efficiency remain big priorities.

For the US to come out in support of voluntary carbon markets even while arguing for their reform is an important step in the drive to seek better standards for what are vital – albeit flawed – mechanisms. But more guidelines on how to certify and trade offsets are no substitute for the real thing.

The Palestinian economy was already slowing ahead of the October 7 attacks, but the situation has deteriorated sharply since then. Growth had fallen by 3% year on year across the territories in the first half of the year and by 4.4% in Gaza itself.

Rising confidence in European banks has raised hopes of a surge in domestic M&A, perhaps laying the foundations for the long-sought ideal of genuinely pan-European firms.

Hefty convertible bond sales by the likes of Chinese firms Lenovo and Alibaba, plus renewed interest in issuance from corporate Japan, have the market chattering. Is the market here to stay in Asia, or could a single soggy offering cause it to slam shut again?

Does the high number of drawn-out insolvency cases in the UK suggest a failure of regulation?

For Israel’s banks, 2023 was a story of two distinct parts: the months prior to the Hamas attacks on October 7; and those after.

John Mathews, head of UHNW Americas for UBS in New York, tells Euromoney why the US’s private banking model is so successful, why the Swiss firm is really in the life counselling business, and explains why it has targeted US ultra-high net worth clients.

As securities markets shift to T+1, repo is already going intraday with DLR the first of what may be many digital trading platforms to offer JPM Coin for the cash leg.

By starting from a blank sheet of paper, Royal Bank of Canada hopes its new US cash-management platform will allow it to capture a greater share of wallet from existing clients while not being held back by legacy technology.

Corporate treasurers are playing it safe when balancing the merits of exploiting improved access to capital against the risk of unexpected economic shocks and business interruption.

Though HSBC retrenched from other Latin American markets, it stayed in Mexico, and country chief Jorge Arce says that the bank is well-positioned to take advantage of the nation’s unique blend of structural growth drivers.

Financial markets reacted calmly to news of an early UK election, expecting whoever wins to stick to the fiscal rules. But whoever wins must also cope with rising debts and onerous interest payments.

President Macron’s newfound zeal for cross-border financial M&A is creating a headache for France’s big banks.

The prospect of interest rate cuts from the Fed in 2024 is disappearing. Japan and Korea are among those feeling the heat.

Will increased transparency in the European corporate bond market lead to higher transaction costs for large trades?

The bank is looking to capitalise on its local presence in Latin America as Korean and Chinese firms intensify their nearshoring efforts.

Unlike other firms in Latin America, BTG Pactual hides its growing retail digital banking business within its wealth-management division. Why?

Anything except a brief stay on as chairman would cast a baleful shadow over the chief executive’s successor at JPMorgan.

FAB was the clear winner of Euromoney’s best bank award in the UAE this year following a strong financial performance, improvements in environmental, social and governance and sustainable finance, and advancements in technology.

Qatar National Bank (QNB)’s scale and banking power in the country seem unassailable across all banking businesses. It dominates activity, reporting more assets ($338 billion), loans ($234 billion), deposits ($235 billion) and net profit at the end of last year than that generated in each segment by all four of the other largest banks combined.

Commercial International Bank (CIB) has maintained its position as the bank to beat in Egypt during the review period.

Al Rajhi Bank’s Bank of the Future strategy marked its final year in 2023, the end of a series of growth targets set when chief executive Waleed Al-Mogbel took the helm.

Arab Bank, under the leadership of chief executive Randa Sadik, had another good year in Jordan despite acute geopolitical risks, surging inflation and unprecedented increases in interest rates.

Sohar International Bank is Euromoney’s best bank in Oman this year. The landmark merger with HSBC Bank Oman in 2023 has resulted in substantial growth in assets, market share, market presence and workforce.

Kuwait Finance House (KFH) is Euromoney’s best bank in the country this year, following a record-setting financial performance and the consolidation of Ahli United Bank Kuwait.

Al Salam Bank enjoyed strong financial performance last year, while expanding its geographic footprint and innovating in the digital space. It is Euromoney’s best bank in Bahrain 2024.