After several years of rapid growth, shariah-compliant asset management is facing the first serious test of its young life, as it struggles to diversify from equity and property into new areas, writes Eva-Luise Schwarz.

Having been officially launched just a year ago, state-owned VTB Capital says it is fast becoming the national champion of Russian investment banking, according to the bank’s international CEO, Herbert Moos. But could the woes of its parent hold it back?

The movement to bring together cash management and trade finance capabilities is gaining momentum. For banks it’s a means of improving client relationships. For corporates, it holds the promise of greater control over working capital. emeafinance brought together heads of trade finance and transaction banking from leading institutions to discuss how the cash and trade concept is being applied.

Cross-border investment activity is fuelling the need for securities services across the EMEA region to meet challenges posed by varied regulation and tax regimes as well as weaker market infrastructure. By Liz Salecka.

The financial crisis has led many corporates to prioritise internal liquidity management in the face of more expensive and less readily available bank credit, writes Liz Salecka.

The convertible bond market has enjoyed a remarkable transformation of its fortunes, and emerging market issuers are now looking to use hybrids to raise much-needed capital.

The collapse of the shadow banking system has devastated the securitisation market. But there are signs the market is groping its way out of the shadows and towards new rules of the game, reports Julian Evans.

Western law firms are scaling back their CEE businesses almost as quickly as they’re building up their Middle Eastern businesses. 

The newly-elected prime minister of Bulgaria, a former bodyguard nick-named ‘Batman’, has promised to fight crime in Bulgaria and get the country back on track to EU accession, writes Philip De Leon.

In an extract from his new book, Stephen Green, the chairman of HSBC, and an ordained priest of the Church of England, gives advice to young bankers and other seekers after truth on how to live and work in the global bazaar without losing one’s soul.

While M&A has been slow so far in the EMEA region, one area where it’s beginning to show signs of life is in the telecoms sector.

Banks are hoping to follow Barclays’ lead and raise capital through the disposal of asset and wealth management divisions. But who is buying?