Sector: Capital Markets Regions: FY13

Capital Markets: Regions FY13 This publication is supplementary to our quarterly Results Review: it ranks top capital markets revenue generators in each region and product area.  All data is reconciled against the published financial statements.  Further detail is available on request.

Sector: Canadian Commercial Banking: regional variations

Canadian Commercial Banking: regional variations Canada’s commercial banking market remains dominated by local champions… … but there are significant regional differences in client productivity and industry-specific revenue opportunities. Banks seeking to grow their franchise or enter the market need province- and sector-specific strategies.

Sector: Capital Markets: Results Review 4Q13 / FY13

Capital Markets: Results Review 4Q13 / FY13 Compared to prior-year periods, the Top 13 banks’ capital markets revenue was flat in 4Q13 and only slightly ahead for the whole of 2013.  FICC proved more resilient that many commentators expected, with cumulative decline being mostly offset by stronger primary, equities, as well as prop and principal […]

Theme: ‘Rescuing’ banks from HF & PE investments

‘Rescuing’ banks from Hedge Fund & Private Equity investments  Our analysis shows that Top 14 US and European banks generated $35.5bn in net revenue from their HF and PE investments in 5 years to end-2011… … and that revenue is likely to all but disappear as a result of the ‘Volcker Rule’ and similar legislation being […]

Theme: Proprietary Traders – then and now

Proprietary traders – then and now The Volcker Rule’s ban on proprietary trading ignores the fact that no bank required a bailout due to proprietary losses; on the contrary, our analysis shows that prop desks of Top 13 banks made a strong positive contribution to banks’ revenue during FY07-FY10. In this note, we look at ex-prop […]

Sector: Profit Masters

Profit masters This note provides a brief, high-level snapshot of how pre-tax profits of Top 13 investment banks evolved vis-à-vis peers since the original ‘Crunch’. Product- and/or regional-level detail is available on request. Highlights: The two banks that most improved their share of the peer group profit pool are J.P.Morgan and UBS. Uniquely among its peers, […]

Theme: Profit Drivers

Profit drivers Cost management, while important, is at best a short-term play.  Revenue generation has a far greater – and more immediate – impact on the underlying profitability and share price. Investment banks seeking to improve their long-term returns should therefore focus on creating new business lines and finding new revenue sources.  The challenge for […]

Sector: Capital Markets: Results Review 3Q13 / 9m13

Capital Markets: Results Review 3Q13 / 9m13 The Top 13 investment banks’ 3Q13 revenue declined 13% versus 3Q12, erasing gains made in 1H13.  A sharp decline in 3Q13/3Q12 FICC rates, credit and FX revenue was only partially offset by strong equity derivatives, cash (especially low-touch) and steady prime services. Headcount reductions continued in 3Q13, but at […]

Theme: The BIS’ Proposed Market Risk Framework

The BIS’ Proposed Market Risk Framework The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s recently published their consultative document on the treatment of trading books and a proposed market risk RWA framework. The proposals will greatly reduce arbitrage opportunities between the banking and trading book and will require banks to have improved their Management Information Systems (MIS). […]

Theme: Dodd-Frank and SEFs – last-minute uncertainties

Last minute uncertainties in the swap market as the 2 October Dodd-Frank deadline approaches As the 2 October ‘go-live’ date of SEFs approaches, European-based inter-dealer brokers are reporting that most of their non-US swap-trading clients would prefer not to trade with US banks who do not have non-guaranteed non-US-based affiliates of their US parent.  This is leading […]