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While foreign investment banks await Vietnam’s promotion to full MSCI emerging-market status, local investment bank Viet Capital Securities is wasting no time, setting records in its home market with some of the biggest share sales in years.

Growth is strong, the banks have shed the worst of their bad loans and even the IPO market is enjoying a gala year. Are the good times here to stay or could Vietnam be brought down to earth again soon?

Thailand’s infrastructure is in dire need of an overhaul. The ruling military junta hopes to solve that problem with a host of big-ticket projects – some PPPs, others funded by China. But that is just the start of the problem for a financially and demographically stressed country likely to grow old before it gets rich.

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi surprised many when it bought Thailand’s Bank of Ayudhya in 2013. Defying the critics, the Japanese lender’s gamble has bagged it a consumer-finance powerhouse, while Krungsri benefits from BTM’s institutional strength and client roster.

Nestor Espenilla was a surprise choice as governor of the Philippines central bank – but probably the right one. Tough on financial rule breakers and devoted to financial inclusion, he gives the impression of being good in a crisis.

The world sees Rodrigo Duterte as a hothead populist, waging a bloody drugs war against insurgents, but to most of his compatriots, he’s the reformer the country needs. His aims, including shaking up taxes to pay for infrastructure and targeting an energy revolution, are bold. His choices for the crucial finance ministry and central bank roles look sound. But will they succeed?

Since dealing with the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan as the Philippines’ finance minister, Cesar Purisima has become one of the most eloquent spokesmen for how finance can help nations vulnerable to climate change.

Regulators had high hopes when China’s free trade zone bond market was launched last year, but there are now doubts about the market’s future.

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

Upstart Jarden has fine people; Nomura has network and balance sheet. Will a partnership work?

We asked corporate treasury officials across Asia to rank their banking partners for quality of execution capabilities and quality of relationship in six key business areas: capital markets, cash management, credit, rates, foreign exchange and trade finance, creating a total of 12 categories in each market covered. The rankings published here are overall results based on the banks with the highest number of first-placed rankings in each market; in the event of a tie, the number of second-placed rankings determines the winner, then the number of third-place rankings, and so on. We received more than 1,500 votes from Asian corporates during the survey period.

The region’s affluent classes are well served by traditional banks. But fintech firms hope to gain a foothold in financial services through customers that have been left behind.