March 2008
The exchanges are riding high right now. They should use the proceeds of current good fortune to prepare for an intensely competitive future.
Abstract
January 2008
Banking around the world may now be passing through a major cyclical correction, but McKinsey research suggests that the industry’s revenues and profits will double by 2016.
Abstract
December 2007
The Asian financial system could become a full-fledged partner in the global triad of economic powerhouses, alongside Europe and the United States—but only if its regulatory systems, economic ministries, and financial institutions improve dramatically.
Abstract
December 2007
Four rising players will continue to grow in wealth and importance, even if interest rates rise and oil prices drop.
Abstract
November 2007
Treasuries in the developed world have a philosophy very different from the one guiding their counterparts in developing markets, but the two models may be converging.
Abstract
October 2007
A merger between Southeast Asian exchanges may be unlikely now, but some will fall significantly behind their competitors elsewhere unless policy makers develop consistent policies and regulations across the region.
Abstract
August 2007
Banks have spent huge sums refurbishing their branches, often without a clear payback. They should devote more effort to managing customer visits.
Abstract
August 2007
Leaders used to have few options for changing their companies, except focusing on financial performance and walking the halls. That’s no longer true.
Abstract
July 2007
McKinsey research shows that the IT investments of banks are most fruitful when they match technology strategy with business strategy, implement systems in a disciplined way, and balance value creation with increased IT capabilities.
Abstract
July 2007
The new Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) will change the way some European financial firms do business. First movers will have the advantage.
Abstract
June 2007
Despite inherent risks, talent constraints, and the daunting geographic scope of the market, the Gulf Cooperation Council presents fast-growing opportunities in international investment banking.
Abstract
June 2007
Although the region's financial depth is low, Latin America could be on the verge of a breakthrough if policy makers continue reducing public debt and reforming the financial and legal systems.
Abstract
June 2007
Despite recent dramatic downturns and the threat of increased regulation, subprime-mortgage opportunities still abound for players that are willing to wait for an upturn and can stomach the attendant risks.
Abstract
May 2007
China could provide itself with a rural payments system cheaply and quickly by taking advantage of an existing technology and infrastructure.
Abstract
May 2007
To go on growing, these institutions must raise their productivity by streamlining the back office.
Abstract
April 2007
Financial-services executives say innovation is critical, but few companies have embraced best practices.
Abstract
March 2007
The future prospects of the competitors in Latin America’s banking sector will be determined largely by the bets they place now.
Abstract
March 2007
Foreign financial firms should focus on areas where scale and experience give them a competitive advantage.
Abstract
March 2007
Lower-income groups in Latin America represent a huge opportunity, but banks must change dramatically to serve them.
Abstract
March 2007
Islamic banking remains a niche business, often with relatively few options and poor service for customers. Better regulation could make it more competitive and successful.
Abstract
March 2007
Information technology is so crucial for the success of India’s top private bank that K. V. Kamath says he oversees it himself.
Abstract
January 2007
Local markets are gaining importance for wholesale banking in Asia. Banks must prepare with a new mind-set, new strategies, and even new talent.
Abstract
January 2007
Tom Sanzone explains how his broad authority within the
company helps keep IT aligned with the business strategy.
Abstract
January 2007
Sheikh Salman discusses the current economic and political reforms in Bahrain as the country moves toward a future beyond oil.
Abstract
January 2007
It’s tough to profit from cash equities these days—but smart broker-dealers are deploying some of seven tactics that can improve margins.
Abstract
January 2007
A new McKinsey study sheds light on the likely winners in the fast-growing global capital markets.
Abstract
December 2006
Banks and brokerages frequently can reduce operating costs by adopting one or two performance improvement measures. Bigger rewards await those that can conceptualize a broader redesign.
Abstract
December 2006
Cross-border mergers and acquisitions are more likely to succeed at banks that have a robust and flexible
operating model.
Abstract
December 2006
The biggest individual foreign investor in the United States discusses the pace of reform in Saudi Arabia, his investments, and the future of Islam.
Abstract
November 2006
The CEO of JP Morgan Chase discusses postmerger integration, risk, and leadership.
Abstract
November 2006
Roberto Setubal, the chief executive of one of the region's most profitable institutions, talks about its prospects, economic and political risk, and the need to serve low-income consumers.
Abstract
August 2006
Operational risks are costly, but they can be conquered when high-ranking executives join the battle.
Abstract
August 2006
Europe's corporate- and investment-banking industry is
thriving after a decade of radical change. Is this as good as it gets, or can it get even better?
Abstract
August 2006
Many arenas to profit from—but only with the right skills.
Abstract
July 2006
The country's financial system must change drastically. Yet the revolution that has already transformed the overall economy suggests that such changes are beginning to take hold.
Abstract
June 2006
A more efficient financial system could have a profound and far-reaching impact on China's economy.
Abstract
May 2006
Many companies can turn their inbound call centers into powerful engines for growth.
Abstract
February 2006
They must reexamine their operations and get ready for more cross-border competition.
Abstract
January 2006
By restructuring operations and aligning front and back
offices, wholesale banks can cut costs dramatically and find new sources of revenue.
Abstract
January 2006
Those that get the most value from information technology might be the ones that spend the least on it.
Abstract
November 2005
A new approach to identifying these individuals is the key.
Abstract
November 2005
For those who take a tough stance, such mergers can be lucrative.
Abstract
October 2005
As competition grows, incumbents must work harder to remain distinctive.
Abstract
September 2005
John S. Varley speaks to why high performance doesn't necessarily mean a healthy company. Last in a series of interviews with leading executives on change management.
Abstract
August 2005
Corrado Passera explains his role in two successful corporate transformations. First in a series of interviews with leading executives on change management.
Abstract
June 2005
The winners in retail banking will speak the language of consumer products: customer service, quality,
branding, and market segmentation.
Abstract
June 2005
As the changing landscape offers new opportunities, successful companies will choose one of three roles and invest in new capabilities now.
Abstract
June 2005
Customers in China seek better service.
Abstract
May 2005
Only through consolidation will regional market leaders emerge.
Abstract
February 2005
Bad customer service experiences can translate to lower balances for banks. Service-recovery processes are the key.
Abstract
February 2005
Old bad debt hasn’t been fully resolved. New bad debt is piling up. Yet the problems can be cleared up without a systemic crisis.
Abstract
February 2005
When crises occur, institutions must deal with not just the original event but also its impact on shareholders.
Abstract
December 2004
The race is on to make money from individual consumers. Foreign banks had better get into the game.
Abstract
November 2004
Good risk management is crucial for companies in this opaque market.
Abstract
November 2004
Elevating the treasury from a support function to a bank’s primary instrument for managing market risk can have a far-reaching impact throughout the organization.
Abstract
September 2004
The complexity of payments processes across branches shouldn’t deter banks from streamlining their operations; the potential savings are just too great.
Abstract
August 2004
The slogan ‘no growth without reform’ has never been more appropriate.
Abstract
July 2004
Failing banks must overhaul their management and focus on the bottom line if they hope to get back on track.
Abstract
June 2004
The FDIC—the federal agency charged with promoting public confidence in the US banking system—is enhancing its ability to manage risk.
Abstract
February 2004
US banks will need to look beyond mergers for growth. Better earnings will have to be won from improved value propositions and productivity.
Abstract
February 2004
The accord mostly prescribes good banking practice. Banks should get off the fence and use the new rules to promote change.
Abstract
December 2003
Retail banking may be cool, but the profits are on the corporate side.
Abstract
November 2003
Retail banks in Europe could gain much more value from their business customers by focusing on segmentation and losing their "one-size-fits-all" mentality.
Abstract
November 2003
Foreign lenders seeking to enter China’s potentially lucrative retail-banking market should first get up to speed in the wholesale one.
Abstract
November 2003
Two senior J. P. Morgan Chase executives explain how a worldwide team set the stage for transforming the merged firm’s IT organization.
Abstract
August 2003
Financial institutions in emerging markets can achieve efficiency through innovative branch formats, extensive outsourcing, and stripped-down operating processes.
Abstract
August 2003
The research business is sick. Only better information provided at lower cost will cure it.
Abstract
June 2003
Credit bureaus could—but don’t—provide Asian lending institutions with vital information for managing the risks they face.
Abstract
May 2003
To prosper in an increasingly competitive market, retail banks in the Gulf States must evolve from deposits, loans, and transaction services to more sophisticated fare.
Abstract
May 2003
Segmented offerings and careful credit risk management will be crucial in markets where a bank’s best customers are young entrepreneurs with few assets and big borrowing needs.
Abstract
May 2003
Can insights from behavioral economics explain why good executives back bad strategies?
Abstract
May 2003
Turkey’s retail-banking industry soared and then crashed, exposing its weak supervision and governance.
Abstract
February 2003
The CEO of South Korea’s largest bank discusses his plans to turn it into a world-class financial institution.
Abstract
February 2003
Securitization markets in Europe are growing rapidly, but banks have so far had difficulty reaping the rewards.
Abstract
February 2003
All three drivers of productivity—innovation, demand, and consolidation—must be exploited to achieve the full benefit of each.
Abstract
February 2003
Although investors in distressed debt will probably have to accept recovery rates lower than those of years past, the market does have its attractions.
Abstract
December 2002
World-class banks manage their back-office and IT activities as a portfolio of individual operations, each demanding a unique solution.
Abstract
November 2002
A banking crisis crippled Asia’s economies in 1997. A bad-debt crisis threatens to do so again unless governments and banks crack down on nonperforming loans.
Abstract
November 2002
When is a good time to make strategic advances? During a crisis, of course.
Abstract
November 2002
Money remittance services for immigrants represent a high-margin opportunity for financial institutions prepared to offer them a better deal.
Abstract
November 2002
Well-to-do investors in Europe are a hard market to crack. A new segmentation scheme could provide hooks for drawing and retaining them.
Abstract
August 2002
In the coming wave of cross-border consolidation, banks that keep their potential specialties in mind will probably do better in the long term than those that rush headlong into the first available deal.
Abstract
May 2002
Contrary to industry folklore, customers are fairly tolerant of changes in the price of retail deposit products. In fact, very often they aren’t even aware of these changes.
Abstract
May 2002
Don’t bet the bank on the idea that investment banks can survive the current market only if they merge with commercial ones.
Abstract
February 2002
Attempts to pursue the middle market through credit offerings and industry and investment-banking expertise may be futile. Cash management is king.
Abstract
February 2002
Despite much higher IT outlays by the retail-banking industry, its labor productivity growth rates have actually dropped. What went wrong?
Abstract
February 2002
Nonperforming credits are draining the profits of Europe’s banks and industrial companies. Specialized management could not only staunch those losses but also generate attractive profits.
Abstract
November 2001
Significant changes in the proposed new Basel Capital Accord are needed to avoid placing unintended burdens on banks and discouraging them from embracing the sophisticated risk-management practices it was intended to promote.
Abstract
August 2001
Telecom-equipment suppliers extended billions in vendor financing to aggressive start-ups and wireless companies. Many of them are now struggling or bankrupt—and their suppliers are suffering, too.
Abstract
June 2001
On-line banking is almost as popular in Brazil as in the United States. Yet to succeed on-line, Brazilian banks will have to satisfy their increasingly sophisticated and decreasingly loyal customers.
Abstract
June 2001
Customers around the world have adopted Internet banking at very different rates. To find out why they vary so much, McKinsey studied 65 leading banks in ten European countries.
Abstract
June 2001
Although concerns about security have impeded the expansion of Asian Internet banking, some evidence suggests that it will do well if the basic features—especially bill payment—are handled correctly.
Abstract
May 2001
Private Social Security accounts will challenge financial institutions, but the opportunity is huge—and may be replicable in other countries as they reform their retirement systems.
Abstract
December 2000
Bigger institutions are no substitute for internal reform—and could delay it.
Abstract
November 2000
New entrants are moving into Poland’s retail-banking sector. The most successful of them have launched entirely new retail networks.
Abstract
August 2000
Japan’s banks are still struggling, but “A world-class challenge for Japanese banking” suggests that they have little incentive to take drastic measures because if they did, most of them wouldn’t survive in their present form.
Abstract
August 2000
In many ways, the Internet is a natural home for financial services.
Abstract
August 2000
The indifferent performance of virtual banks in converting the public to on-line banking would seem to hand the advantage to their traditional competitors. Yet most incumbents have been slow to meet the on-line needs of their customers.
Abstract
May 2000
The journey to better credit risk management can take as long as two years to complete, but Asian banks with limited skill and inadequate information can substantially improve their results in just six months.
Abstract
May 1999
The long-awaited M&A boom is coming, and it will reshape the competitive landscapes of Asian banking. The boldest and best players can emerge as winners, but only if they overcome the unique challenges of M&A in postcrisis Asia.
Abstract
May 1999
The region’s banks are mostly small and inefficient. Now that has to change.
Abstract
November 1998
Raising banks' productivity will take more than one-time cost cuts.
Abstract
May 1998
An interview with Sir Brian Pitman, chairman of Lloyds TSB.
Abstract