Western Europe Archives

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Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

Brexit: After The Shock

The United Kingdom | Individuals and corporate teams alike are struggling through the implications of Brexit, looking for opportunities, and stillhoping the whole thing will go away.

Country Report

Hanging On, Portugal Staves Off Downgrade

PORTUGAL | With a hefty debt overhang, Portugal can’t quit now on structural reform.

Banking

Scandal And Risk Drive Private Banks Out Of Russia

Facing reputational risk and poor prospects, private banking operations are bailing on Russia and encouraging its wealthy to park their assets offshore.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

UK Could Exit Brexit

Britain might not leave the European Union after all. A lot of things have to happen to agree on a divorce that many seem to have changed their minds about.

News

Can Khan Deliver On Affordable Housing Pledge?

UK The promise of London’s new mayor, Sadiq Khan, to build 50,000 homes (half of them affordable) with a reasonable commute is being heralded but also questioned.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

ECB Corporate Bond Buying Lures US Issuers

Capital Markets | Fixed Income US companies are rushing to borrow in European bond markets. They’re taking advantage of low interest rates on euro-denominated issues after the European Central Bank’s decision to start buying investment-grade corporate bonds in June—part of its economic stimulus program. Last year already set a record for corporate borrowing in Europe’s bond markets, where rates are significantly lower than in the US.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

Growing Pirate Party Channels Populist Fury

Iceland The Panama Papers’ revelation that Iceland’s prime minister had offshore interests, including claims on Icelandic banks, caused outrage in this naturally volcanic island state.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

Serial Inverters Curtailed As Global Reforms Move Forward

Trends | Inversions The US Treasury Department’s recent rules against corporate inversions are intended to stop “serial inverters.”

Economics, Policy & Regulation

Tax Planning Goes On Steroids

Tax Reporting & Compliance The OECD’s “Base Erosion and Profit Shifting” principles are being incorporated into tax laws in some nations, requiring more transparency from corporate treasury departments.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

Celebrating 25 Years Of Investment

In April the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) commemorated a quarter-century of history, with president Suma Chakrabarti emphasizing how far the Bank had come since its first investment—to WBK Bank in Poland (now Bank Zachodni WBK).

Award Winners

Growing Strong And Clean

Ralph Hamers, CEO and chairman of ING Group, talks with Global Finance about how ING’s lending practices and use of fintech are bolstering the bank—and sustaining the environment.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

Iconoclast Economy Minister Mixes It Up

He’s a kickboxer and a football fanatic, an accomplished pianist and possibly the next president of France—and only 38.