Understanding the global financial crisis and the stresses on bank balance sheets requires a perspective on banks' international investment positions and how these positions were funded across currencies and counterparties. This special feature uses the BIS international banking statistics to...

International banking centres have attracted renewed interest recently, as established centres compete over more dimensions while new centres emerge. Comparative studies often focus on indicators of financial activity in a particular location, but the prominence of an international banking...

The recent period of financial turmoil has had a significant impact on banks' global balance sheet positions. This piece uses the BIS international banking statistics to trace the longer-term developments in the interbank market which contributed to the funding difficulties experienced during...

Natural disasters resulting in significant losses have become more frequent in recent decades, with 2011 being the costliest year in history. Sebastian von Dahlen (International Association of Insurance Supervisors) and Goetz von Peter (BIS) explore how risk is transferred within and beyond the...

The financial crisis has led to a reconsideration of banks' global business models. This special feature draws on the BIS banking statistics to distinguish between "international" and "multinational" banks and the implied geographical funding patterns, and to consider how the crisis put these...