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Banking

Central Banker Report Cards 2012: Europe

By Gordon Platt, Antonio Guerrero and Anita Hawser EUROPE BELARUS Nadezhda Ermakova Grade: C Ermakova assumed the chairmanship of the central bank in August 2011 under somewhat controversial circumstances. Her predecessor, Petr Prokopovich, retired against a backdrop of spiraling inflation ...

Banking

Central Banker Report Cards 2012: Middle East & Africa

By Gordon Platt, Antonio Guerrero and Anita Hawser MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA ALGERIA Mohammed Laksaci Grade: C The central bank of Algeria, Africa’s second-largest oil producer, has kept its discount rate at 4% for the past few years to encourage ...

Banking

Central Banker Report Cards 2012: The Americas

By Gordon Platt, Antonio Guerrero and Anita Hawser The Americas ARGENTINA Mercedes Marcó del Pont Grade: D Marcó del Pont has focused much of her efforts over the past year on imposing draconian foreign exchange restrictions. Controls began after last ...

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

Debt: Emerging Corporate Debt Grows

CORPORATE FINANCING NEWS: CORPORATE DEBT By Gordon Platt Global investors are creeping further out on thin ice to capture the higher yields available on bonds issued by companies in emerging markets (EM). Analysts caution that many of the ...

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

DRs: Santander Mexico IPO Sets Record

CORPORATE FINANCING NEWS: GLOBAL EQUITY / DRS By Gordon Platt Santander, the eurozone’s biggest bank by market value, said it would issue up to $4.3 billion of shares in an initial public offering of up to 24.9% of its ...

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

FX: Euro Supported By ECB Plan To Buy Bonds

CORPORATE FINANCING NEWS: FOREIGN EXCHANGE By Gordon Platt The euro rebounded to a two-month high in early September, as European...

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

M&A: Strong Showing For Tech, EM Deals

CORPORATE FINANCING NEWS: MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS By Gordon Platt Despite a decline in global mergers and acquisitions valuations in the first half of 2012, a recent uptick in technology and Asia-Pacific deal values provides some hope for a revival ...

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

Risk Management: Political Risk

KEEPING RISK IN CHECK By Paula Green Political risk insurance is of increasing interest as unstable geopolitical conditions affect corporate operations. Expect the unexpected. That is what corporate risk officers worldwide have taken away from the unforeseen ...

Banking

The Struggle For Energy & Power In Asia

ASIA'S POWER NEXUS By Arthur Clennam I ndia relies on Indonesian coal to power its utilities, and both nations face huge increases in coal-fired power demand. But bureaucratic red tape makes it difficult for either nation to increase ...

Banking

Islamic Finance Spreads Across Asia

CROSSING ASIA'S FRONTIERS By Michael Shari As banks and regional hubs throw their weight behind Islamic finance, shariah-compliant products are crossing not just national borders but also product lines in Asia. Photo Credits: MANZRUSSAL I / Shutterstock.com ...

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

Debt: US Hospitals Grow Their Coffers

CORPORATE FINANCING NEWS: CORPORATE DEBT By Gordon Platt Community Health Systems, one of the largest hospital companies in the US, refinanced $2.8 billion of its high-yield debt in July and August, taking advantage of low interest rates and ...

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

DRs: IPO Pipeline Grows, Issuance Slows

CORPORATE FINANCING NEWS: GLOBAL EQUITY / DRS By Gordon Platt The global pipeline of initial public offerings has reached near-record levels, but IPO issuance and proceeds declined substantially in the second quarter of 2012. Deal activity declined ...