Kazakhstan’s beleaguered banking sector is getting back on its feet, thanks to increased activity by state banks, and growing levels of FDI, report Shayla Walmsley and Julian Evans.

Egypt’s reformist government is grappling with the dilemma of fighting inflation while cutting a growing deficit. However, in the capital markets, Egyptian companies are expanding and becoming MENA regional champions. Julian Evans reports from Cairo.

As Dubai, Bahrain and Qatar compete to become centres of finance, London is steadily establishing itself as an alternative, writes
Julian Evans.

As new players enter the Kuwaiti banking market and the central bank tightens lending rules, existing domestic players are increasingly
looking abroad, writes Clare Dunkley.

With over 20 new MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa funds set up in the last 18 months, are African stocks getting over-valued? Julian Evans reports.

The credit crunch, fuelled by illiquid markets and general fear across the finance industry, has had its impact on the EMEA region. But pessimism does not blanket the entire market as emeafinance discovered when it questioned some of EMEA’s leading buy side investors. On the contrary, the slowdown has provided time to evaluate deals and countries. Some governments are addressing fiscal imbalances and where necessary, high inflation.

Despite the collapse of the ruling coalition, investors are hopeful the Hungarian government can stick to its fiscal austerity plans and weather the global credit crunch, writes Kester Eddy in Budapest.

Following a €2.4bn fundraise, Altrad is well positioned to continue a growth strategy that has seen it acquire 11 companies in a year

The mostly-manual bond sale and trading process has taken another step toward digitisation, with a new company launching to automate primary sales while a secondary credit trading firm has received a US$208mn equity investment to grow its platform. 

Top tier Turkish lender Akbank slashed the margin on its US$700mn-equivalent sustainability-linked loan refinancing, days before the Turkish central bank sent markets reeling by slashing rates by 200bp.

Hungary’s largest bank OTP returned to the international benchmark bond markets for the first time in more than a decade in July, with the bank able to take advantage of a highly receptive audience to place a solid €500mn subordinated trade. 

Garanti Bank sold the first gender-linked bond from an emerging market issuer this year, and the Turkish bank is optimistic that the popularity of the socially conscious financing tool is due to grow.