This issue marks both the end of 2012 and the start of 2013, but if ever there was a year that feels as if it won't have closure, this is it. Most bankers expect more of the same: debt-funding will likely remain robust while the equity markets will be busy with block trades, rather than ...
In our cover story in this issue we look at the implications of the forecasts for increased global energy demand. Analysts say that China’s energy consumption alone has been growing at nearly 7% a year. There is no reason to think it will slow down. And that means China will ...
Right now the banking industry is redefining itself. As wholesale cuts of businesses are made, some banks are trying to leverage their integrated banking model and streamline operations. Others, are expanding — hoping to develop regional franchises that challenge multinationals or hone ...
The global economic news hasn’t been rosy. At best, it’s been about muddling through. But even through bear markets, well-run companies can carry on making a profit and paying out dividends. It’s often about becoming more lean, and sometimes mean, to make it through. This ...
We publish quite a few lists: Asia’s richest, is our annual must-read in September. As regular readers will remember, we set out in 2009 to put together a list of the 50 most influential people in financial markets in Asia ex-Japan. Last year, we focused on the top 20 women in finance. ...
For more than a year we’ve been holding our breath in the hope that Europe won’t implode as each new instalment of the eurozone debt drama has been unfolding. Now, we’ve got Liborgate unravelling, with UK, US and European regulators investigating the world’s biggest ...
From majors to minors This year is proving that global economies have never really bounced back to roaring success since the Lehman crisis. We’ve had fits and starts of improvements, but one hurdle after another, from natural disasters last year to ongoing uncertainties this year in ...
Last August we listed the 20 most powerful women in Asia’s financial markets in a cover story that is still frequently read online. This year, we cast the net further. We asked banks to list their top women in the region and then we looked at what types of jobs they filled. Not surprising...
No matter how you slice it, Standard Chartered's numbers look good. As Nick Lord writes in his cover story on the bank: It has increased profits faster than revenues and revenues faster than assets, and done this while barely growing its staff. The streamlined approach to focusing on what ...
Executive choices This month’s cover story is about a boutique banker in Thailand. On some levels, we’re continuing on with last month’s theme of What is success? We hear rumblings about banks quietly downsizing, bonuses not what they once were, and perks — such as ...
The Chinese New Year has roared in, but there isn't an overwhelming sense of optimism. Rather, the feeling is one of apprehension, as if we really are all staring down the nose of a fire-snorting dragon that is about to exhale. The fact that three out of five of our most read web stories ...
'Tis the season I suppose we’re supposed to be jolly, but it’s difficult not to be worried. As you can see in our cover story and the awards write-ups, much of 2011 was marked by market closure. It seems entirely likely that 2012 will be similar, given that Europe is nowhere ...