Distressed companies and their creditors look to advisory boutique to "bring calm to apparent cataclysms".

Hurricane Katrina has wreaked havoc in numerous ways but insurance companies appear well positioned to deal with the single largest event in the industry's history.

A long-only fund run by traditional asset manager bears little resemblance to the long-only fund run by a hedge fund.

At the IMF/WB meetings the great and the good of the international bond markets gathered to sell their wares to sovereign and supranational issuers. These potential clients remain some of the trophy issuers in debt capital markets, but they are not the kings of issuers they once were.

The Special Administrative Region's regulator has botched its attempt to clean up the thorny issue of pre-deal research.

The clubby world of private banking is under threat. The UBS/Julius Baer deal shows how tough it will be for foreign banks to break into the market.

Competition in clearing and settlement doesn't work. The US shows that only a centralized clearing system can promote vigorous exchange competition.

Wachovia's Ken Thompson wants his firm to be the best financial institution in the US. His ambitions extend to investment banking. As Wachovia makes its move on Wall Street, Kathryn Tully spoke to Thompson and the rest of his management team. Should the traditional bulge bracket be concerned?

Sovereign also issues first global deal denominated in local currency.

The UAE's financial regulator, the Securities and Commodities Authority, announced on September 6 that the case of two individuals and a brokerage suspected of manipulating the stock price of Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) had been referred to the judiciary.

The City of London's usual summer slowdown was even more apparent than usual this summer as bankers' attention was grabbed by the most exciting Test Match series ever. England narrowly beat Australia for the Ashes, the sport of cricket's most prized trophy. The UK population, normally only interested in the histrionics of footballers and their wives, fell in love with cricket once again as England outplayed their arch-rivals for the first time in almost 20 years.

Platform's embarrassing slowdowns are specific not systemic, company says.

Chairman Raymond Baer describes Julius Baer's deal as truly transformational. A rising stock price suggests investors agree. Analysts identify the private bank, after the purchase of SBC Wealth Management, as the outstanding restructuring story in European banking. But this deal wasn't what the market expected.

Companies from emerging markets are on the acquisition trail, and their targets now include firms in North America and Europe. Sudip Roy reports on a trend that could be the biggest driver of global M&A transactions within the next few years.