As the battle of the bulge continues, European trading desks are struggling against the Wall Street top five in the never-ending squeeze for scale. With HSBC the latest bank to bow out of the ring, Euromoney explores what banks should be looking for to boost profitability.

Canada’s biggest bank has been training in-house AI models on vast bodies of financial data. Now it is integrating them with large language models developed by a local rival to Microsoft and Google. Is this a ChatGPT for banking?

Global financial institutions are bullish for this year, with a focus on equities, active fixed income management and alternatives. Diversification is key, but FOMO is real – and few banks are likely to remain on the sidelines in this new era of growth.

As the global banking sector faces increasingly complex challenges, sustainability has emerged as a defining priority for institutions looking to shape the future. Eva Rubio Garcia, head of global transaction banking at BBVA, speaks exclusively with Euromoney about driving change through sustainability.

With Nasdaq’s technology now used by 97% of the world’s global systemically important banks, its president explains why fintech has become fundamental to financial services stability, why the sell side needs help to manage growing market complexity – and how Nasdaq is riding this wave to become far more than just an exchange.

European bankers and corporates discuss the impact of new regulatory frameworks, such as the EU green bond standard, on the sustainable finance market.

In an era defined by rapid technological evolution, geopolitical uncertainty and shifting customer expectations, transaction banking finds itself at a crossroads. Euromoney sat down with Simon Paris, then CEO of Finastra, and Sylvie Boucheron-Saunier, Finastra’s CRO for payments, to discuss how banks can best move forward.

The past decade has seen transaction services undergo dramatic change, consistently leading the charge in innovation. And with an overlapping institutional client base, custodians are now recognising the urgent need for a measured modernisation of their services to the industry. We explore the parallels between the transaction banking and custody sectors, examining lessons from transaction banking that could shape the future of custody.

Citi’s Chris Cox talks to Euromoney about building a modern trade finance platform, tackling geographic fragmentation and embracing client-centric innovation.

Pekao SA is a sleeping giant of Polish banking. Euromoney speaks to new chief executive Cezary Stypulkowski about how he is using lessons from his leadership of mBank to revive Pekao. Growing linkage with rival Alior Bank – due to new leadership at their common state owner PZU – is just one part of the story.

As we emerge from another memorable 12 months in FX, market participants are scaling up for what promises to be an even bigger year of progress, innovation, agility and evolution. We talk to the winners and judges of the market-leading Euromoney Foreign Exchange Awards 2024 about their expectations and priorities for 2025.

In 2024, the transaction banking landscape has been reshaped by rapid innovation, evolving client demands and a volatile economic environment. From the rise of real-time payments and trade digitisation to the challenges of navigating higher interest rates and bolstering cybersecurity, it has been a year of adaptation and progress.

As global banks race to transform cross-border payments, JPMorgan leads with a distinctive dual-track approach, combining traditional rail enhancements with blockchain innovation.

A strong focus on data quality – coupled with exhaustive system testing and adherence to regulatory standards and ethical guidelines – underpins the AI-driven fraud-prevention programmes of the world’s leading financial institutions.

It has been a winding road since CEO Charlie Nunn separated out the corporate and institutional banking business in 2021 – but with a 75% revenue increase over three years and significant growth in client onboarding, momentum is gathering.

Europe’s largest stocks have significantly greater exposure to geopolitical shocks than their US and Japanese counterparts due to their international footprint, new research shows – with Germany’s DAX facing the highest risks. Should investors be concerned?

CaixaBank has by far the biggest share of Spanish banking today, but technology is bringing rapid change and new competitors. Chief executive Gonzalo Gortázar tells Euromoney how it is reimagining its sales channels to attract new business and breed loyalty.

As the high-yield market recovers and investment-grade spreads tighten, issuers are strategically navigating the evolving landscape, leveraging multi-currency approaches to optimize their funding mix. With robust demand and increased supply expected, the Asian credit market is poised for an exciting year ahead.

Firms are now aggressively hiring talent to compete more effectively in the investment research arena, with the top 30 brokers adding on a combined 1,400 years of experience to their ranks. What should brokers be doing to take advantage of the new research landscape – and who will succeed in the inevitable journey towards joint payments?

Recent developments in the MTF space point to a sustained improvement in liquidity for FX options trading, with market participants finding solutions to mitigate the impact of regulation and margin requirements.

ESMA’s consultation on the criteria for establishing and assessing the effectiveness of investment firms’ order execution policies has exposed the diversity of opinion on the merits of a consolidated tape for OTC derivatives.

The Global Foreign Exchange Committee will sit down to discuss its proposed changes to the FX Global Code next month in the knowledge that market participants are broadly supportive of its proposals.

The success of e-CNY, despite its retail characteristics, could be attributed to a strong government push, effective collaboration with banks and e-platforms, and, most importantly, a win-win mentality that inspired the two-tier channel design.

A second Donald Trump presidency could be a game changer for banks across the US. Senior bank executives must think deeply not just about the potential for regulatory relief and higher investment banking revenue, but also – beyond the big four – about new scope to make transformational strategic moves.

Banks are going to great lengths to digitise trade processes while acknowledging the various obstacles to completely removing manual or paper-based transactions.

Six years after the Paris Agreement and the world is still looking for enablers to accelerate the net-zero journey. Many see trade finance instruments as the next significant step but that requires accurate and structured data, robust reporting capabilities, and streamlined processes. Key leading players in the area tell Euromoney what is changing in the world of sustainable trade finance.

Cost-conscious FX clients appear to be going to great lengths to avoid upfront payments for volatility protection, despite the lack of clarity around Fed monetary policy and the potential impact of political and geopolitical factors over the remainder of the year.

US and Canadian banks may have had a head start in generative AI, but some European banks are trying to close the gap. Those in charge of harnessing the technology at big banks in Europe say they are gaining confidence in its use: adapting marketing shots to certain client profiles, helping sales managers to sift through product policies and much more.

In a deal that has reshaped Hong Kong’s IPO landscape, China’s home-appliance giant Midea successfully raised $4.6 billion in September, marking the city’s largest offering in years. From showcasing Midea’s transformative B2B growth to navigating the complexities of the listing process, Euromoney explores the key factors that led to the company's triumphant debut – and its implications for the future of Hong Kong's IPO market.

Javier Rodríguez Soler, BBVA’s global head of sustainability and corporate and investment banking, says an acquisition of Banco Sabadell would boost his division’s international standing. But BBVA is already eyeing a leading role in banking decarbonisation around the world, especially in the US. Partnerships with private equity companies, and investments in cleantech funds, are among the ways it is pursuing that goal.