Private Banking and Wealth Management Survey 2012: Sum parts are bigger than others

Falling revenues and pending regulation in investment banking, coupled with increased capital requirements, have made private banking an attractive sector to be in for financial institutions.

Global reach has always been the defining measure of success. The largest players in the industry are from Europe and the US; as emerging markets boomed, they spent five years expanding into Asia and Latin America to ensure they can claim to be truly global.

Yet during the past 12 months, the economic landscape has shifted. Emerging markets have shown signs of a slowdown. The eurozone crisis has shaken up the perceived stability of the European banks and caused clients to rethink their partners. And the US, after three years of downturn, is now showing signs of a recovery – one that cannot be ignored.

It is a huge opportunity for those private banks that want to be truly global and not just domestic...