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Bank Muscat dominates the Omani banking market, and it appears unwilling to let go of that position. In 2007, the bank’s total shareholders’ equity doubled to $1.6 billion. Its total assets grew 40% to $11 billion. Its operating income grew 30% to $500 billion, and its net income grew by a quarter to $324 billion. In the first quarter of 2008, the bank’s profit rose almost 40%.

A part of the RZB group since 2003, Priorbank is one of the two largest banks in Belarus, alongside last year’s winner, Belagroprombank. It is also the only privately owned bank in Belarus’s top six banks by size. It made significant strides forward in 2007: assets grew by 48%, loans by 44% and deposits by 32%. The bank gained more than 134,000 new customers last year, bringing its customer base above the 750,000 mark, while the number of branches grew from 61 in 2006 to 81 by the end of 2007. Return on equity was up by one-quarter, while profit after tax rose by one-third.

Despite a challenging political and economic environment in Hungary, OTP Bank continues to perform well, registering a net profit of Ft141.7 billion ($907.5 million) in 2007, up more than 11% on 2006. OTP dominates all segments of the Hungarian banking market, accounting for more than 50% of municipal loans and deposits, more than 30% of retail deposits and loans as well as 10% of the corporate segment. With more than 400 branches, it is by far the largest retail bank in Hungary, with almost 4.6 million customers, but also services more than 200,000 corporate clients. The bank has invested heavily in technology with the result that its award-winning OTPdirekt internet banking channel was used by more than 1.5 million customers in 2007, giving it a best-in-class 38% market share. Its telephone banking services have also proved a hit, servicing more than 50% of all Hungarians using mobile phones. In corporate banking, the bank offers an extensive range of services spanning leasing, forfaiting, factoring, project finance and syndicated loans in both forint and foreign currencies. The bank also has a highly successful asset management arm, OTP Fund Management, that manages building society, health fund and insurance portfolios as the portfolio of the National Deposit Insurance Fund, Investor Protection Fund and Guarantee Fund of Pension Funds, which were established by the Hungarian state to protect investors’ interests. OTP Fund Management has a 32.4% market share, with assets under management growing by 25% in 2007 to Ft815.1 billion.

Despite difficult economic conditions in 2007, Moldova-Agroindbank still managed to boost its net profit by a healthy 30% margin to MLei235.5 million ($23.6 million). The bank remains the country’s largest by assets, with a 21% market share and plays a key role in the economy, providing roughly 23% of all loans and accounting for 22% of total deposits. The bank continues to attract new investors, with Slovenian textile manufacturer Tkanina joining fellow Slovene outfits Factor Banka and asset managers Poteza, Activa Invest and Druga Penzija as shareholders.

Korea’s banks face a difficult couple of years: the market has become extremely competitive, and analysts agree that raising profitability will be tough. As in Japan, the answer for the top banks might lie in expanding elsewhere in Asia, where there is still plenty of room for growth. Shinhan Bank, which retains the award for best bank in Korea that it won last year, has already begun that process by opening Shinhan Khmer Bank in Cambodia, as well as a branch in Beijing and a fourth in Dong Nai in Vietnam.

Texas Pacific Group Adjusting risk management to fit the changing market, TPG’s expertise shines through tough times for private equity.

Ceiba Investments, a closed-end fund that invests solely in Cuban assets, is set to list its shares on London junior market AIM this month.

Egypt has one of the highest GDPs in the Middle East. But compared with the other big economies of the region – Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Iran – its consumer banking industry has lagged behind.

The tricky completion of a triple merger in 2007 failed to dim the financial performance of UniCredit Bulbank, which was the number one bank in Bulgaria as measured by assets, loans and profits last year. With more than a million customers, the new entity is the leading universal bank in Bulgaria, with strong positions in corporate, investment and retail banking. The overall strength of the franchise was recognized by Standard & Poor’s last year, when it reaffirmed its BBB+ credit rating – the highest for any bank in Bulgaria. Despite the demands of merging Bulbank, HVB Bank and Hebros Bank, the new improved UniCredit Bulbank outperformed the rest of the banking sector, with net income rising by 25% and operating profit by 89.9%. Total assets grew by 21.1% to reach Lev9.06 billion ($7.2 billion) by year end 2007.

Nova Ljubljanska Banka remains streets ahead of the competition, with the bank maintaining its number one position thanks to a 30%-plus market share in terms of total banking assets, loans and deposits in Slovenia.

HSBC

In February, Westpac gained a new chief executive, the much-admired Gail Kelly, who had transformed St George Bank from a second-tier bank to a powerful and genuine alternative to Australia’s big four. She wasted little time in embarking on a transformational strategy, confirming in May that her new bank was in talks with her old one to merge and create Australia’s biggest financial services group.