Best Banks 2000: Best banks by region

Global Finance, Oct 2000

BSCH recently launched a E3.7 billion ($3.5 billion) capital-raisingthe biggest to date by a financial institution-to finance acquisitions in Latin America and the start-up of Internet banking services. The bank aims to have a million Internet users by the end of the year. It is also merging its two direct banking subsidiaries-Open Bank, which operates in Spain, and its German subsidiary Santander Direkt Bank-to create what it describes as an Internet financial supermarket for Europe. SwEDEN SKANDINAVISKA ENSKILDA BANKEN CEO: Lars H.Thunell ne of the largest financial groups in northern Europe, SEB now offers a broad and expanding range of banking, Internet, asset management, and insurance services throughout Europe.

SEB holds majority stakes in Estonia's Uhispank and Latvia's Unibanka, a 33% stake in Poland's Bank Ochrony Srodowiska, and a large holding in Lithuania's Vilniaus Bankas. Besides opening an online stock brokerage service in Germany this fall, SEB owns a 20% stake in French Internet company Selftrade and is investing in newly launched Swedish Internet company

Frontville. It is also investing with Ericsson and B-Business, the Swedish venture capital company, in a new etrading portal called Nordic Commerce Exchange. SEB now has some 400,000 customers, or about 25% of its Swedish private customers online. Across Europe, SEB now has some 620,000 Internet customers, a figure it aims to swell to five million by the end of 2004. SWITZERLAND CREDIT SUISSE CEO: Lukas Muhlemann 'n July, Credit Suisse market capitalization topped that of archrival UBS for the first time in recent years, with CS becoming Switzerland's biggest bank-at SFr104.6 billion ($61.3 billion).

Europe's sixth-largest bank, Credit Suisse is realigning its retail banking and insurance operations into five units, making it easier to form alliances with rivals and expand its Internet business.The Swiss financial group has teamed up with TA-Media and Bluewindow to develop a financial Internet portal-a joint-venture known as Finanzfachmarkt. CS First Boston is joining forces with Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Sa- lomon Smith Barney to launch a new company that will build a premier electronic trading platform for all types of mortgage and asset-backed securities. TURKEY GARANTI BANK CEO: Ergun Ozen _Caranti Bank has once again distinguished itself in Turkey's tough banking climate. It has placed emphasis on market segmentation, new product development, and marketing initiatives in both its commercial and consumer business. It has also pursued extensive cost-cutting measures in its operations, while investing extensively in technology. The bank maintained an active profile in international syndication and capital markets throughout last year, borrowing $845 million from international markets. UNITED KINGDOM BARCLAYS BANK CEO: Matthew W Barrett Barclays is a market leader in more sectors than any of its domestic competitors. With some1.25 million online customers among its 13 million account holders, Barclays is probably the largest Internet bank in the United Kingdom. The bank is spending 325 million on e-commerce this year. Alliances include a 250 million, five-year deal with BT for an Internet Protocol-based network; an Internet joint venture with Freeserve offering banking services to small and medium-size companies, and a partnership with Oracle and Arthur Andersen to pilot business-tobusiness Internet services. Barclays says it is the first bank to move into this sector, offering a full procurement-to-payment service chain. Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of the Barclays Group, has set up an FX facility with Schwab to buy and sell securities in different foreign markets without the need to negotiate separate foreign exchange contracts. Apart from HSBC, Barclays Capital is the only UK bank of any size with a wide presence in the capital markets, where its debt division has won some flagship mandates. Under new chairman Matt Barrett, the banks has moved aggressively to plug any perceived gaps in its portfolio. In August, Barclays made a 55.4 billion offer for former building society Woolwich, a move that would boost the bank's share of the UK home loan market. BEST EmeRGING ARKET BAK: CANTRAL/ESTERN E BANK AUSTRIA CREDITANSTALT Chairman: Gerhard Randa ,Bank Austria Creditanstalt (BA/CA) has again secured its position as best inter;national bank in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).The second-largest international bank in the region, (BA/CA) has earned the reputation by picking up market share, providing local know-how, and supporting domestic corporations and international clients alike. Established in 1998 by the merger of Bank Austria and Creditanstalt Group, BA/CA operates Bank Austria's international activities and branches, including Creditanstalt Investmentbank.