SocGen slowly creeping back up to top league 1 Aug 2013 The French bank built on its trading strengths to negotiate a tough second quarter better than many peers. Provisions are still high compared to larger rival BNP. But the bank’s balance sheet will be Basel III-compatible towards the end of the year.
RBS provides how-not-to-do-it succession lesson 1 Aug 2013 The UK bank’s new CEO may now come from within, with retail boss Ross McEwan in the lead. A speedy appointment following Stephen Hester’s June resignation is welcome. But RBS’s struggle to interest outsiders means McEwan could suffer for being seen as a backstop not a benchmark.
Indonesia biggest loser from bank merger flop 1 Aug 2013 After more than a year in limbo, DBS has scrapped a $7.2 bln bid for Indonesia’s Danamon. The retreat is frustrating for the Singaporean lender and for sovereign fund Temasek, which has stakes in both banks. But the main casualty is Indonesia’s appeal to foreign investors.