Credit Agricole

In Switzerland, the world’s leading financial center known for its stability and reliability, discussions in banking and investment circles have recently focused on potential ownership changes at EFG International.

European markets reacted positively to the results of the first round of parliamentary voting in France, with the euro strengthening on the foreign exchange market and stocks opening higher on Monday. Marine Le Pen's National Rally secured the lead in the election, but with a smaller margin than anticipated by pre-election polls.

BELGRADE - Raiffeisen bank Belgrade has announced it had successfully completed a legal and operational merger of RBA bank, which began with an acquisition of a 100 pct stake in the bank - the former Credit Agricole Serbia - in April last year.

The Greek banking system has radically changed over the past two decades. Mergers and acquisitions had already begun in the late 1980s, but it was two significant events 20 years ago that marked the beginning of a process that has led to the consolidation of the country's banking sector in the dominant "big four" (Alpha Bank, Eurobank, National Bank of Greece and Piraeus Bank).

World stocks hit 21-month peaks on Feb. 15 and the dollar rose for the 11th straight day, after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen flagged a possible interest rate rise next month during upbeat comments on the U.S. economy.

After the Greek parliament passed the set of prerequisite measures as demanded by the EU institutions, all eyes are on the European Central Bank (ECB) meeting in Frankfurt Thursday. The ECB is expected to announce its decisions on whether it will raise the ELA level for the suffocating Greek banks, which have been closed for nearly 3 weeks.

German banks have around 23.5 billion euros ($28 billion) in credit exposure to Greece, but the systemic risk is limited as the biggest commercial banks, Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, hold only a tiny fraction of that, according to figures gathered by Reuters.

Eurozone bond yields held at record lows on Tuesday with financial markets lulled by European Central Bank President Mario Draghi's vow to lift inflation from near-zero level by whatever means necessary.

Offices of Bulgaria's Corporate Commercial Bank (KTB) and its subsidiary Credit Agricole will remain closed at least until September 21, Bulgarian National Bank informed Tuesday.

By Foo Yun Chee

European Union antitrust regulators charged Europe's biggest bank HSBC, US peer JPMorgan and France's Credit Agricole on Tuesday with rigging financial benchmarks linked to the euro, exposing them to potential fines.

The European Commission also said it would charge broker ICAP soon for suspected manipulation of the yen Libor financial benchmark.