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Banking

PORTUGAL: BACK FROM THE BRINK?

COUNTRY REPORT With strong underpinnings for reform now in place, Portugal is seeing signs of economic improvement. But now that it has increased exports, will greater vulnerability to global trade winds haunt growth?

Banking

SALON: EBENEZER ESSOKA, STANDARD CHARTERED

Ebenezer Essoka, a native of Cameroon, is vice chair for Africa at Standard Chartered. He sat down with Global Finance to discuss African trade and the need for African policymakers to ensure that foreign investment deals are in the best interest of all stakeholders.

Banking

SIBOS 2014: BIRD’S EYE VIEW

SIBOS SUPERSECTION 2014 | INTRODUCTION The Sibos financial services conference—sponsored each year by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT)—will be held in Boston this year in September and, according to organizers, is likely to have a record turnout of attendees and media.

Banking

SIBOS 2014: BLURRED VISION ON COLLATERAL MANAGEMENT

SIBOS SUPERSECTION 2014 | COLLATERAL MANAGEMENT Treasurers are warily eyeing the impact of new regulations on the amount of collateral they must hold against hedged positions—and these new regs will affect their ability to manage and forecast cash.

Banking

SIBOS 2014: DIGITAL BY DESIGN

SIBOS SUPERSECTION 2014 | THE INNOVATORS Global Finance presents its second annual look at some of the key innovations over the past year within the transaction services space. We make use of the OECD’s Oslo Manual of Innovation, along with submissions, key research and the input of experts, to evaluate those banks and service providers that stand out in terms of innovation over the past year.

Banking

SIBOS 2014: INNOVATION—MIND THE GAP

SIBOS SUPERSECTION 2014 | THE INNOVATORS Treasury solutions still don’t provide much business intelligence as they lack good integration with ERP systems. But banks and vendors are starting to close the gap.

Award Winners

WORLD’S BEST SUBCUSTODIANS 2014

Subcustodians are being pressured by declining margins and low interest rates at the same time they are trying to cope with an onslaught of new regulatory requirements. For those with the skill and the wherewithal to meet the challenges, however, the business of protecting and servicing client assets remains profitable. Global investing is expected to continue to increase in the future.

Banking

A NEW SUNRISE FOR SPAIN?

COUNTRY REPORT Although the hardships are far from over, the Spanish economy and banking system may finally be on the mend, with three components interrelating in a virtuous cycle: rebounding exports, rising consumer confidence, and a commitment to reform geared toward economic adjustments.

Banking

ECB GETS TO WORK ON ITS NEW EUROZONE BANK SUPERVISORY ROLE

MILESTONES: EUROPE The ECB grows up as it takes on bank supervisory powers.

Banking

EUROPEAN STRESS TESTS MAY STILL BE TOO SOFT ON BANKS

Upcoming stress tests for Europe’s 124 largest banks will have more credibility than they had previously, but some analysts argue that banks may need far more capital than regulators demand to withstand a crisis. And any hoped-for international standardization in terms of stress testing is out the window as there is little comparability between the upcoming European and recently completed US bank tests.

Award Winners

ISLAMIC FINANCE AWARDS: NEW STRUCTURES, NEW MARKETS

ANNUAL AWARDS: BEST ISLAMIC FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS 2014 Islamic finance is going mainstream, with new banks opening and new regulatory endeavors under way in this dynamic global mar

Banking

TAX RELIEF DRIVES CROSS-BORDER DEALS

CORPORATE FINANCING NEWS | MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS