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Belgium

The Belgian government’s retail bond programme last year, which pressured lenders to raise deposits, was just one element of a relatively tough environment for banks in Belgium. The country also sits at the opposite end of the spectrum to southern Europe in terms of the proportion of loans on floating-rate deals, meaning local banks benefit less from higher eurozone interest rates.

July 19, 2024

France

French banks have not had the net interest margin bonanza that higher interest rates have offered many southern European banks recently. In fact, some French banks saw profit decreases in their domestic retail divisions last year, while areas like markets and vehicle leasing have been less of a support to group profit compared to the immediate post-pandemic period.

July 19, 2024

Awards for Excellence

North America’s best bank for advisory: Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs has been the preeminent mergers and acquisitions advisory firm for almost as long as the business has existed in its modern form. Its performance in the difficult environment of 2023 showed how resilient its franchise is, and it once again wins the award for North America’s best bank for advisory.

July 19, 2024

Panama

Panama had a solid 2023, with economic growth of 5%, but that belies the significant challenges that the country’s new president, José Raúl Mulino, will face. The closure of the country’s copper mine will add to the fiscal pressures that the increasing deficits from the country’s social pension system are creating. A drought has also affected the Panama Canal, a major revenue source for the government, and the economic outlook will likely get tougher from here.

July 19, 2024

Guatemala

The Guatemalan economy had a turbulent time in 2023. The election of Bernardo Arevalo in early 2024 should improve relations with the US and potentially lift the country’s economic outlook, but the social challenges that have plagued Guatemala through times of economic expansion and contraction alike are resistant to superficial measures.

July 19, 2024

Awards for Excellence

Africa’s best bank: Standard Bank

For the second year in a row, Standard Bank walks away with the award for the best bank in Africa. And for good reason.

July 19, 2024

Awards for Excellence

CEE’s best bank for transaction services: UniCredit

Transaction services are a vital part of UniCredit’s rationale as a pan-European bank, and its leadership in this area is particularly evident in central and eastern Europe, where the bank’s regional head of transactions and payments is Riccardo Madinelli.

July 19, 2024

Uzbekistan

Benefiting from robust economic growth in the country, Uzbekistan’s banking sector continued its rapid expansion last year and one bank led the pack, SQB, the country’s second largest lender.

July 19, 2024

Treasury

Commodity hedging on the rise as elevated prices persist

The disconnect between global economic growth and commodity prices is focusing treasurers’ minds on hedging exposures to everything from cocoa to cobalt.

Paul Golden, July 18, 2024

Opinion

US regional bank stocks surge while CRE risks grow

S&P’s regional bank index has just pushed past its March 10, 2023, level, reflecting where these stocks were immediately before the collapse of SVB last year. Those stocks are rising sharply and investors are seeing huge profits, so is this a sign that regional banks have finally emerged from their crisis?

Rob Dwyer, July 18, 2024

BANKING

HSBC’s Georges Elhedery: Lucky man

HSBC’s choice of a new CEO to replace Noel Quinn was long flagged. Elhedery’s fortune is to be handed the reins of power in an extended period of calm for the UK lender, which benefited immensely from Quinn’s calm stoicism. But deteriorating Sino-US relations mean that turbulence for the London- and Hong Kong-listed lender is sure to return.

Elliot Wilson, July 18, 2024

Treasury

HSBC’s big bet on trade finance

The bank is targeting the often-overlooked service sector with structured solutions, along with identifying embedded finance as a fast-growing segment. With the launch of Global Trade Solutions, it goes beyond traditional product offerings and financing.

Larissa Ku, July 17, 2024

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