Abstract
In Q209 BMI is making a number of changes which we hope will substantially
improve the impact and
value of our reports on the commercial banking
sectors of various countries.
Since we introduced the commercial banking
reports in mid-2004, we have sought to generate insights by
combining
information from a number of sources. We have collated data pertinent to
entire commercial
banking sectors that have been published by central
banks, regulators and/or trade associations. We have
collated basic
information concerning individual market participants. We have also considered
BMI' s
current views on the economic outlook for the country in question.
Many aspects have been - and
continue to be - brought together in a
systematic way through our proprietary Commercial Bank Business
Environment Ratings (CBBER), which facilitate cross-country comparisons. The
key changes in Q209 -
and what they mean for readers - are as follows:
Comprehensively Upgraded Database
We have now incorporated as much data as
we can for 2008. We have also considered the size of total
bank assets,
client loans, capital and client deposits in relation to the overall economy,
as well as in
absolute terms. We have calculated figures in local currency
terms, US dollar terms and euro terms. We
have extended our forecast
horizon out to 2013. We have also improved the coverage of historical data
in
this report. Our complete dataset is available for download from BMI' s
website.
Concise Analysis Of The Sector
The structural strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of commercial banking do not
usually change much from quarter to quarter. Nevertheless, they need to be
explained in some detail -
even if only so that they may provide a context
for the rest of the report. We have re-examined and (in
most cases)
substantially extended the SWOT analysis. Much more than previously, the SWOT
analysis
represents an ' at a glance' overview of what really matters for
the overall commercial banking sector.
Broader And Deeper International
Context
For a long time - before the global financial crisis reached a
critical phase in mid-September 2008 -
commercial banking was inherently
international in nature. In other words, it was a rare commercial
banking
sector indeed that was totally isolated from cross-border influences. However,
international
influences have become even more important than before as a
result of the crisis. In response to this, we
have extended the range of
countries whose commercial banking sectors we consider each quarter by 11;
Bahrain, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, the UK, the
US and Vietnam are
now analysed. Our reports also include new Global and
Regional Outlooks.
Deeper Economic Analysis
We include more extensive
coverage of BMI' s views of the economic outlook for each country. We also
include a section that deals with monetary and exchange rate policy.
Clearer Identification Of Protagonists
We now look more closely at the
mandates of central banks, regulators and trade associations.
Clearer
Definition Of The Commercial Banking Universe
We now include a specific
definition of the universe of commercial banks in each country. In most
cases,
we also include a comprehensive list of identifiable institutions
(the main exception to this is the US,
where we confine the list to the 50
largest banks in terms of deposits). By defining the commercial
banking
universe, and listing a greater number of active institutions in each country,
we hope that our
reports are of much greater value to other
researchers.
New Company Profiles
In Q209 we have sought to include 10
brief profiles of leading banks in each of the countries that we
cover. We
will add additional profiles in coming months. Wherever possible, we have
tried to quantify
the total assets, client loans, bond portfolio, client
deposits and capital of each institution. Eventually, it
should be
possible for us to profile most - or indeed all - of the banks that are active
in the countries that
we follow.
Naturally, we will continue to
improve the structure and content of the reports over time. The extended
Commercial Banking SWOT Analysis below summarises what we see as the key
issues in this report.
| 
View Cart
