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 insight 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 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 with some clarity -
if only to put the rest of the report in
context. 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 very
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 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 universe,
and
listing a much greater number of institutions that are active 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
