Banks branch out

Cut-throat competition and shrinking margins have forced banks to look at ways to add value to the service they offer their corporate clients. Mia Trinephi reports

The advent of electronic trading portals has meant banks have had to reinvent themselves as something more than just liquidity providers to their corporate clients. A growing number of corporate treasurers in the region are using multi-bank trading platforms – considered more efficient and cost-effective – for their plain vanilla hedging requirements. Moreover, the economic slowdown has pushed companies to stream- line their operations, and many have cut down the number of banks they deal with