A bullish market backdrop did little to raise hopes for global growth at the IMF/World Bank meeting

They may be well-capitalized, but their funding needs are rising, just as the buyer base falls away.

Banks have suddenly cottoned on to the power of the blockchain technology beneath Bitcoin. Inside their own treasuries and innovation labs, and increasingly in collaboration, banks are testing uses for rebranded distributed ledgers to replace their costly, proprietary systems. Enthusiasts see banks creating a new fabric for payments transfer and financial markets, an internet of money. Doubters sense it’s all hype. Big challenges remain, but markets from private equity and syndicated loans to corporate bonds and derivatives may go on private blockchains within months.

"My role has flipped in a matter of months from trying to interest people here in thinking differently about the potential of the blockchain to struggling to contain their expectations. It isn’t the answer to all banks’ problems”

“I’m absolutely delighted. He once told the CEO in a management committee meeting that he was like a second father to him. We all wanted to be sick”

Rumours about the future domicile of HSBC have now reached silly-season proportions.

What unites Jaime Caruana, the head of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), Stanley Fischer, a veteran monetary official and now vice-chairman of the Fed, and Elvira Nabiullina, the Russian central bank governor?

October 21 was a monumental day in history. It was a day celebrated across the globe. A day that some had waited over 25 years for. It was Back to the Future Day.

The work being done by banks globally in the corporate and social responsibility sectors continues to impress.

A battle of words between banks and their clients is inevitable.

Deutsche Bank co-CEO John Cryan took a clear-headed approach to most of his management overhaul in October. There are unresolved issues in the global markets unit that remains the bank’s revenue engine as well as the source of most of its reputational problems, however.

Bankers are always looking for a new frontier, and they think they’ve found one in Myanmar. While the country’s potential is unquestionable, those hoping to turn a quick profit are likely to be sorely disappointed.

The drop in the oil price has combined with a general lack of liquidity to put issuers from Gulf states in an unfamiliar position. There may be no need to fear a crunch, but the region’s issuers must get used to the fact that they will have to pay up to raise capital.

SME banking has been a top priority for Turkish lenders since the country’s regulator called time on the consumer boom in late 2013. Can the segment keep its cool in the face of rising local economic and political pressures?

Turkey’s economy has been slow to go digital but increasing smartphone penetration is offering unparalleled growth opportunities for banks, mobile operators, e-commerce platforms and a host of new generation players. Striking a balance between competition and collaboration will be key as aspiring innovators face up to the challenges posed by big data, regulation and security.

Latin America’s economies are suffering a rapid and severe shift in their terms of trade. The development of free trade areas may provide a way forward and global initiatives, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, could transform the region’s future.

Still scarred by a leadership crisis in 2014, Ecobank surprised many by looking outside the bank for a new CEO. Ade Ayeyemi already sees himself as an insider just a few weeks into the job – but can he live up to expectations of this ambitious pan-African bank?

Since the financial crisis the bank has been transformed from a Catalan regional to the fifth largest bank in Spain. It now has ambitions in Europe and the Americas.

International investors are scrambling to establish themselves as the country’s huge NPL market finally starts to creak open. But this is not a market for the faint-hearted, and achieving those double-digit rates of return will require skill and unrivalled local knowledge.

Technology has given wealth managers the ability to collect more data than ever before. How they use that information is now critical to their future success. So why aren’t more private banks embracing the opportunity?

The prospects for industrial metals is a weighty subject. Investors that blithely believe price corrections revert to mean may be looking at a false dawn.

The country is an indicator of the European Union’s future.

Interest rate of 26% for 165-day notes; international return inked in for 2016.

Highest mark of any African Eurobond in 2015; debt sustainability questions linger.

Russia is a safe haven, say bankers; local liquidity holding back supply.

Toxic outlook for economy and NPLs; impact of higher NIM sparks debate.

Central bankers in Latin America stress policy limits; macro-prudential tools out of favour.

Guarantees to aid private sector flows; BNDES scaling back but still dominant player.

GDP forecast up by 6.5% in 2015; reserves increase fourfold.

Annual cap of $750 million, five-year maturity; corporates, real estate and investment trusts can issue.