Awards

When the subject of independent research comes up, there is a tendency to dismiss it as a conversational cul-de-sac: everyone knows there is a problem, so why discuss it further? But our brokers poll shows the true level of dissatisfaction in Asia is higher than we thought. Can anything be done to redress it? By Matthew Montagu-Pollock.

See article and results in attached PDF file.

Who?s best in yankees, samurais or kangaroos? Who should your first choice be for domestic and international equity offerings? And more importantly, how much do they cost? Your questions answered in our annual capital raising poll. By Olivia Chow and Robert Law.

Who's best in yankees, samurais or kangaroos? Who should your first choice be for domestic and international equity offerings? And more importantly, how much do they cost? Your questions answered in our annual capital raising poll. By Olivia Chow and Robert Law.

Citibank and Northern Trust emerged as leaders in this year's global custody poll. But customers still aren't getting everything they want from technology. By Olivia Chow and Robert Law.

Asiamoney's 11th annual cash management poll shows treasurers are more and more keen for improvements in technology – and they are very specific about what they want. Citibank and HSBC are among those who seem to be listening: both are rewarded with impressive votes. By Olivia Chow and Robert Law.

It wasn't easy to decide on our finance minister, central banker and restructuring agency of the year – and not because of an abundance of riches to choose from. Many economists declined to applaud anyone at all, and we have decided nobody merited the restructuring agency award this year. But there are positive stories – Hong Kong and Singapore enjoyed a year of prudent if unexceptional financial management, and China showed signs of real reform. In the end, China takes the plaudits. By Chris Wright.

Asiamoney's first law firm poll shows some interesting trends among Asia's in-house counsel – but we suspect there is one piece of data that Asia's corporates all want to know about: cost. And so they should, when a quarter of them spend over US$2 million a year on lawyer's fees. By Olivia Chow and Robert Law.

HSBC regains its crown as the leading foreign exchange house in the region – but its perennial rival Citibank remains the most respected derivatives bank. By Olivia Chow and Robert Law.

Asiamoney's analysis of the health and efficiency of Asia's strongest banks, compiled together with Fitch IBCA, Duff & Phelps, reveals some surprises. But the name at the top surprises no-one: Hang Seng retains its top spot.

The Singapore Ritz-Carlton Millenia, the Banyan Tree resort in Phuket and Singapore Airlines are among the winners in our ninth annual business travel poll. But our respondents are a discerning and demanding bunch – and Asia's favourite hotels and airlines will have to work hard to stay at the top of the list. By Olivia Chow and Robert Law.

Last year saw some truly groundbreaking transactions, particularly Chinese equity issues and anything at all to do with PCCW. Choosing between them was not easy, but we are pleased to applaud our winners. By Chris Wright.