Best bank - MDM Financial
Best debt house - Citigroup
Best M&A Brunswick - UBS
Best equity house - Aton Capital
Best local partner - United Financial Group
Two trends in Russian banking are making this an
especially competitive and exciting time. "The rush there at
the moment is great," says one banker. "It's like 1997
again." Let's hope what happens next is not too similar to
the aftermath of that earlier boom.
On the regulatory side, the government is finally introducing
banking reform, which will consolidate an overcrowded sector. From
a commercial point of view, growth is rapid, particularly in four
sectors - corporate bonds, retail deposits, mergers and
acquisitions, and consumer loans and mortgages.
The growth in consumer loans and mortgages is putting pressure
on the banks, because they are finding it difficult to raise
long-term lending themselves. As a result, the banks that will
thrive in these sectors need to secure long-term financing from...
