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Regional rankings To obtain this ranking, the overall global country risk results were broken down by region. In addition, Transparency International’s Extended Corruption Perception Index was combined with the overall ranking to create a score out of 105. This combined total was then scaled down to a score out of 100. The difference in ranking and overall score between the original ranking and that incorporating the CPI data has been incorporated in the results. View full methodology

Regional rankings To obtain this ranking, the overall global country risk results were broken down by region. In addition, Transparency International’s Extended Corruption Perception Index was combined with the overall ranking to create a score out of 105. This combined total was then scaled down to a score out of 100. The difference in ranking and overall score between the original ranking and that incorporating the CPI data has been incorporated in the results. View full methodology

Jorge Maortua, deputy head of global wholesale banking for Grupo Santander and the group’s head of treasury services, is running a fast-growing business. Perhaps more important, his division, while finding alternatives to traditional low-margin lending, is building key relationships with the bank’s clients, including small and medium-size enterprises.

Citigroup’s CEEMEA banks have executed a number of successful transactions in recent years, including several for Polish telecom TPSA. The bank is well positioned in the increasingly important area of Islamic finance. The one area where Citigroup’s CEEMEA banks seek improvement is in the equity markets. Shirish Apte, chief executive for CEEMEA, Citigroup, speaks with Sudip Roy about their plans for the future.

Lawyers are cashing in by advising managements of public companies in ways to ward off evil hedge fund activists. But activism, handled with decorum, can be positive for management and investors. And who better to be an activist than a hedge fund manager? Helen Avery reports.

US state’s decision to pass a law protecting a bank from shareholder activists is seen as a setback for investors.

Regional rankings To obtain this ranking, the overall global country risk results were broken down by region. In addition, Transparency International’s Extended Corruption Perception Index was combined with the overall ranking to create a score out of 105. This combined total was then scaled down to a score out of 100. The difference in ranking and overall score between the original ranking and that incorporating the CPI data has been incorporated in the results. View full methodology

The buy back programmes of many emerging economies have narrowed spreads to where they scarcely match the risk. Domestic issues are an alternative, especially where currencies look strong.

Brazil’s biggest private sector bank has announced the creation of a new subsidiary, Bradesco Investment Bank. This will focus on all aspects of the local and international capital markets business as well as asset management. Bradesco is a retail powerhouse but the bank’s CEO, Marcio Cypriano, is keen to take advantage of growing capital markets activity from Brazilian entities. Cypriano told Euromoney last year: “In general, we should be bigger and better in capital markets. That business should closely match Bradesco’s retail performance.” [See Euromoney December 2005, “Bradesco's plan of attack”.]

With the notable exception of Deutsche Bank, German investment banks’ performance has lagged their French peers for most of the decade. But the German sector is picking up on new market possibilities, with Commerzbank in particular looking to rebuild its business after a dramatic recovery. Philip Moore reports.

Portugal’s banks consider their next move | Millennium BCP: Leveraging knowledge overseas | Euronext: internationalizing Portugal