This book provides a deep insight into the market changes and policy challenges that transition economies have undergone in the last twenty years. It not only comments on and evaluates the development of financial markets in transition economies, but also highlights the key obstacles to full integration of financial markets into the EU market.

The book describes the birth and growth of financial institutions and stock exchanges in Scandinavia and Finland from 1656 to 2010, including their banking crises and the history of banking regulation. It argues that quantitative regulations cannot, in the long run, produce the desired results and bear the seeds of future financial crises.

'...this book would be suited to lawyers and non-lawyers alike. In addition, it provides an interesting look at the EU banking system and the systems of Central and Eastern European countries.' - Ellie Palmer, Journal of International Banking Law and Regulation The eastwards expansion of the European Union is one of the most explosive economic and political issues of the early 21st century. Economic and financial stability combined with rising prosperity in the applicant countries are increasingly seen as necessary preconditions for European Union membership. This authoritative volume, written by scholars and practitioners from Central and Western Europe and the United States, confronts the issues involved in three of the countries most likely to be successful applicants to the EU - the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia. A spotlight is turned on the banking and financial industries, as they are crucial to the achievement of economic stability. The blend of expertise deployed, which draws on in-depth knowledge and extensive experience in central banking, financial and commercial law, business, practical policy making and economic analysis, ensures that this book is timely, relevant and insightful. The authors suggest that the role of the state in both creating and maintaining an effective financial sector is central. Furthermore, they argue that well-regulated commercial banks and strategic foreign investors are a must as, in practice, the attempt to skip straight to modern capital markets has been ruinous. This accessibly written volume will be of interest to students and scholars of economics, finance, law, political science, the sociology of economic life and European studies.

This book analyses and confronts the functioning of guarantee systems for SMEs in countries where these schemes had an important development. The book also highlights how the current financial crisis is modifying the guarantees schemes, through policy maker interventions.

Chapter 1 Introduction -- chapter 2 Banks and their role in a modern market-oriented economy -- chapter 3 Banking under socialism -- chapter 4 Transition, liberalization, banking crises and reform policies (up to around 2000) -- chapter 5 Post-transition crisis developments, strengths and weaknesses of contemporary banking sectors (since around 2000) -- chapter 6 Perspectives of banking in Central and Eastern Europe.

The current financial crisis started from the US real estate market and after, though the increase of risk premium requested by investors and due to the lack of liquidity of all financial markets, it became a world financial crisis. A detailed analysis during the crisis focuses attention on asset management, the real estate and public sector.

Despite considerable progress on political and economic convergence over the last decade, financial structures of individual countries within the EU remain diverse. This book considers the future prospects of the banking industry in the context of enlargement, application of the IFRS and a potential new member country, Turkey.

Emerging Markets and the Global Economy investigates analytical techniques suited to emerging market economies, which are typically prone to policy shocks. Despite the large body of emerging market finance literature, their underlying dynamics and interactions with other economies remain challenging and mysterious because standard financial models measure them imprecisely. Describing the linkages between emerging and developed markets, this collection systematically explores several crucial issues in asset valuation and risk management. Contributors present new theoretical constructions and empirical methods for handling cross-country volatility and sudden regime shifts. Usually attractive for investors because of the superior growth they can deliver, emerging markets can have a low correlation with developed markets. This collection advances your knowledge about their inherent characteristics. Foreword by Ali M. Kutan - Concentrates on post-crisis roles of emerging markets in the global economy - Reports on key theoretical and technical developments in emerging financial markets - Forecasts future developments in linkages among developed and emerging economies

From a period of growth and considerably high levels of profitability, Greek banks recently found themselves battling a major decrease in demand in the local market, and an increase in non-performing loans. How is the Greek banking system able to survive the crisis? This is discussed by looking at the last 15 years of the Greek banking system.

Chinese banks have been making headlines recently, but what lies beneath? Banking in China appears different. What explains the current arrangement? What can we expect from such a banking industry in the future? This book answers these two questions in a fully revised second edition and contributes to a new understanding of Chinese banks.