Whatever the conclusion of the bid war for ABN Amro, it will put the Dutch bank’s prize Brazilian asset, Banco Real, into the ring.

One man, one vision might be a line from a naff Queen song but it neatly encapsulates the role Herbert Stepic has played in building Raiffeisen International into one of the strongest banking franchises in Europe.

Is a high level of consolidation in the FX market sustainable? And what of the hundreds of banks that fall outside the bulge bracket?

The maturation of Asia’s hedge fund industry is evidenced by the number of new funds being set up by hedge fund employees in the region.

Bank hires entire team of Ritchie Capital Management in Hong Kong.

The Russian investment story is moving outside Moscow and St Petersburg. A wave of foreign investors, led by the EBRD, is heading out into the Russian regions, looking for the next frontier of investment bargains.

Euroweek, Euromoney’s sister publication, threw a lavish bash at London’s Royal Courts of Justice in April to celebrate its 1,000th edition and the 20 years the newspaper has spent covering the trillions of dollars that have been raised in the international capital markets during that period.

Can you afford to invest in Cuba’s London Club NPLs and maybe wait 20 years for a restructuring? Perhaps not, but there are other potential winning bets on the wilder shores of the emerging markets.

After years of stellar performance can Russia’s hedge fund managers continue to produce such strong returns for their investors? Guy Norton reports from Moscow.

Is Poland the new Russia? Not in economic superpower terms, but in riding roughshod over the wishes of foreign investors?

Latest securitization refinancing of GHG healthcare group is a puzzlingly complex hybrid deal that will be largely retained by arranger Barcap.

If marrying a multi-millionaire hedge fund manager is appealing in any way, women should check out the competition they face in New York Magazine’s listing of the top six hedge fund managers’ wives in April.

George Nianias talks to Guy Norton about the challenges of unearthing corporate debt opportunities in the far-flung reaches of Russia.

You need look no further than Baring Vostok Capital Partners to see how far alternative asset management has developed in Russia.

Buying into the IPO of a private equity company is like a game of pass the parcel in which someone has already made off with the prize. Those that choose to play will end up disappointed.

A series of CMBS deals have triggered or are threatening to trigger their available funds caps.

Macro fund on losing streak; incentive fees down 88% in February quarter.

Ulf Persson, managing partner of Mint Capital, talks to Guy Norton about the challenges of the Russian private equity market.

Çalik Holding is one of the Turkey’s largest conglomerates, with total assets of $2.4 billion. It has interests in textiles, construction, energy, telecommunications, financial services and trade. Chloe Hayward talks to Çalik’s management about the company’s debut bond issue and the impressive growth path that lies ahead.

Forget Sarkozy versus Royal, forget Brown versus Miliband, forget even Barclays versus RBS/Santander/Fortis. There is only one current standoff that matters: Cannes versus Paris.

Securitization used to be a dirty word in Brazil, with many investors intimidated by the risks of such a complex product and suspicious of promised double-digit returns in the local real currency. But since the creation of the fundos de investimento em direitos creditorios (credit receivables funds), FIDCs have become the vehicle of choice for non real-estate securitizations in Brazil, and foreign investors are flocking en masse to the market.

Fast-growing Russian Agricultural Bank plays a key role in promoting economic development in the Russian countryside. Guy Norton talks to Yuri Trushin, the bank’s chairman, about the challenges it faces.

In 20 years, RZB has gone from being an Austrian also-ran to a central and eastern European market leader. Much of its success is attributable to the vision of Raiffeisen International’s CEO, Herbert Stepic. No wonder he is known to the Austrian masses as ‘Der Cash-Man’. Guy Norton looks at RZB’s ambitious plans for further expansion in the region, and Sudip Roy finds out what keeps the fire burning in Stepic’s belly.

General Atlantic, a global private equity firm, has taken a stake in the Global Electronic Trading Company. Bill Ford, GA’s chief executive, and Rene Kern, its managing director, will join Getco’s board. GA has been steadily investing in the financial services sector. It has taken stakes in what it describes as innovative, technology-driven companies, including Saxo Bank.

The booming Saudi economy is drawing the big international banks into the Kingdom, hoping to make a fortune from selling their expertise in banking and investment products to its wealthy individuals. If the newcomers expect to trample over the local incumbents, they had better be careful not to trip over Samba. It even provides a lesson in how Saudi bankers can thrive once freed from the dead hand of a big international parent. Peter Lee reports.