The region’s leading banks produce some of the best numbers in the global industry, and success in retail banking – and a hard-learned approach to risk management – are core; could the growth of digital banking bring a new era of change?

The bizarre communications management of the announcement prompts more head shaking than the actual event itself.

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UBS Wealth Management voted best global private bank; private banks expect revenues to grow, but at slower pace.

Branch closures in the name of digitalization, on top of wider woes in the retail sector, could exacerbate the kind of community breakdown that led to Brexit.

Spanish-based group will struggle to overcome fall-out of recruitment U-turn, while Orcel’s situation raises broader questions for banks’ hiring and compensation strategies.

Banco Santander’s board has botched the appointment of the bank's next CEO in the clumsiest way possible.

Investors will be watching closely for indications of what Andrea Orcel will do as chief executive.

Santander’s Brazilian bank took lots of deserved acclaim when Santander released its global third-quarter results, but keep an eye on Mexico.

Large numbers of domestic retail shareholders mean that public ill-will in Spain hurts Santander and BBVA just as much as other more domestic-focused lenders.

Asset management is one of the few opportunities European banks have for growth and good returns, but regulation is challenging the captive market and margins are falling. Can banks build their own versions of the low-cost US fund management firms – or are these few remaining crown jewels heading the same way as their investment banks?

Jon Macaskill profiles the two new co-heads of investment banking at UBS.

A new CEO at the Spanish group was not expected, and neither was the name of the appointee. What will Andrea Orcel bring, and why did chairman Ana Botín turn to him?

From the United Nations and the European Commission to customers and shareholders, the world’s banks face increasing pressure not only to consider their broader role in society but also to take actions that have a positive impact on it. There is no doubt that most chief executives take this challenge seriously. Whether they take it far enough remains to seen.

Bank chief executives in Europe are increasingly obsessed with their new or rebooted digital arms. These businesses promise to fend off new competitors and capture a next generation of clients, while piloting front- and back-office innovations. They could even offer the best chance of expanding in the eurozone, making banking union a reality. But will these investments merely play into the hands of the new rivals and hasten the banks’ decline?

One year on from a reboot, Openbank has doubled customers and is making a profit

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Regulatory changes to Brazil’s positive credit bureau open way for fintech start-up; better data predicted to lead to lower cost credit and GDP growth.

Markets take Andrés Manuel López Obrador (Amlo) victory in stride; analysis shows Santander could outperform under next administration.

Argentina

The bank that has led the way over the last year is Banco Santander, western Europe’s best bank. Santander is already one of the few big banks to prove that internationally diversified retail banks can be more profitable and more stable than domestically focused peers. Now it is in its rightful place, not just Spain’s biggest bank but also the one with the biggest domestic share.

Bank of America and Citi win top prizes; Credit Suisse’s Tidjane Thiam is named Banker of the Year; Asian banks make their mark in global awards.

Austria

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Pimco and Anchorage subpoena the Spanish bank for information to support their case in the EU General Court and criminal proceedings in Madrid.

Banco Santander-Chile

Sharp reduction in Selic boosted 2017 profitability but is a challenge in 2018; ‘soft’ recovery in credit demand might not offset lower margins.

While other parts of finance splinter and specialize, in wealth management it looks like bigger really does mean better: UBS wins Euromoney’s Private Banking 2018 survey yet again and the big global franchises continue to take the lion’s share of the industry.

UBS Wealth Management voted best global private bank; private banks more bullish on revenues; hiring to increase.