EBRD helps to plug funding gap
ETFs blossom amid equity rally
IN CONTRAST TO the doom and gloom that surrounds many banking sectors in the post-credit crunch era, theres a positively upbeat tone around Turkish banks at the moment. Whereas in 2001 the countrys banking sector was widely viewed as the weakest link in Turkeys crisis-hit economy, during the course of the present global economic crisis it has arguably proved to be its strongest.
Ironically, the Turkish banking sector is now reaping the rewards of its own failure in 2001, with improved risk management and regulation meaning that banks were cautious during the recent boom years. The result has been high capital adequacy ratios of 18%, prudent borrowing abroad and a focus on stability rather than triple-digit growth rates. For example, the Turkish banking sectors total loan syndication repayments in the next 12 months are...