The leading banks in Euromoney’s Trade Finance Survey 2020 comment on the highlights of the last 12 months and their expectations for the year to come.

February 2020

Should spirituality be one of the lenses through which the wealthy manage their money? Faith-based investors certainly think so. Euromoney talks to funds and wealth advisers who believe that positive energy or religion-driven strategies can bring enhanced returns.

Pressure on wealth management profits will become fiercer in the decade ahead as low interest rates prevail. Business heads say global expertise, proximity to clients, technology and providing sustainable investing opportunities will help them win more business.

It has made waves with an IPO and by building a strong retail banking platform. Less well known is how the firm is gatecrashing the country’s thriving wealth management industry.

UBS Global Wealth Management is the world’s best wealth manager. It is an accolade the firm has enjoyed for 13 of the 17 years of Euromoney’s annual survey. But its financial performance does not match its scale. A new partnership at the top of the firm has a plan to integrate business lines and streamline processes.

With Santander Brasil registering record profits and Santander Mexico promising the same, the outlook for the group looks Latin. As its European business stalls, how will the bank be affected by Latin America’s shift from engine of growth to core business?

February 2020

There were many things declared at Davos this year that would lead us to believe that sustainability is now embedded in every decision a bank or investment manager makes. Here are some great examples that show 2020 is starting on a positive track.

The Federal Reserve’s current balance sheet expansion is handing trading profits to big banks.

For all the detail, the firm's long-awaited investor day doesn't end the questions about its strategy

The investment bank will no longer IPO firms without diverse directors.

The investment banking co-head is proud of his RoE, while the securities team seems subdued about the task ahead.

It may still be months before the latest coronavirus outbreak in China reaches its peak, so timing is everything for capital market practitioners in the region.

Stand-off in Slovenia highlights politicians’ failure to tackle retail lending boom.

Does the state of a smallish provincial lender signal the onset of a full-scale banking crisis in China?

Expect the unexpected with the former PM at a Vegas bunfight.

FASB chair grilled by US lawmakers over implementation cost of new accounting rules.

Dealmakers are optimistic about a pick-up in large deals and outbound M&A from Europe this year, but the need for regional consolidation is more urgent.

The asset manager has decided to pull investment from firms that don’t make sufficient progress on ESG disclosure while it routinely votes against climate-related shareholder resolutions itself.

Banks must prove to the increasingly impatient regulators that they have got Libor transition under control, or face costly consequences down the line.

Lights, camera, reaction: Santander chairman Ana Botín opens up on TV.

Dianrong’s founder is the host with the most… interruptions.

The premium price for its acquisition of Plaid shows Visa’s determination not to be left behind in the fintech-led transformation gathering pace across financial services.

Banks in emerging Europe are touting their fintech programmes and credentials, but is the enthusiasm reciprocated by the startup community?

Lender lures China Merchants Bank’s head of private banking to oversee the Swiss bank’s onshore wealth management ops.

In an era of negative rates, banks are more dependent than ever on their ownership of ancillary products to attach to low-margin mortgages.

Will it be the banks that have built strong, steady relationships or those with big budgets that take transaction banking into the future?

It is an almost unchallenged truth that the next crisis will be triggered by over-leveraged corporate borrowers crumbling under the weight of cheap debt that they have taken on over the last decade. Right in the middle of this are the CLO buyers that have made much of that lending possible. But rather than taking fright at the prospect of a slew of triple-C credits in their pools, CLO managers are running straight towards it.