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If Greece defaults on its debts it will be its sixth sovereign default since independence in 1829. In fact, Greece was in arrears on its external loans in no fewer than 51% of the subsequent 180 years, Europe’s worst record by far. But in those past defaults does there lie a solution for the country's troubles today?

Banks, rightly, have been asked for more data and more disclosure than ever before – driven largely by tougher regulatory regimes. But regulators themselves still fall short of the transparency which market participants need.

When an issuer is in danger of collapse, investors often have the wrong incentives. That’s why Metinvest is right to threaten bondholders with a cram down, just as the sovereign is right to threaten a debt moratorium.

The issue of weighted voting rights (WVRs) is firmly back on the agenda for Hong Kong, with the stock exchange flagging their possible implementation next year. But with thin demand for the structure and the low likelihood of another Alibaba-sized listing, these efforts may come to naught.

This week might be the week when there is a resolution to the Greek crisis, one way or another. But we've heard that before, once or twice....

Turkey’s capital markets may be in a tough spot, but they have been here before. Much, both for Turkey and for its ardent and admiring league of global investors, depends on securing political stability, then ensuring that the country gets the sort of reform-minded political leaders that it needs. Then and only then will there be a strong pick-up in capital markets activity. Elliot Wilson reports.

Turkey’s banks are under pressure. A host of regulations and higher taxes have hit earnings growth, while the weak lira has increased the focus on costs and capital adequacy ratios. However, there are reasons for optimism, with four of the country’s six biggest lenders beating first quarter forecasts. Elliot Wilson reports.

Turkey has made enormous strides since the turn of the century, recording a decade of growth and pushing through vast waves of reform. Now its main challenge is to inject enough fresh growth into an economy that shows signs of stalling. This will not be easy, especially now that the political outlook has become clouded following an unconvincing win for the ruling AKP party. Elliot Wilson reports.

Asia ex-Japan's primary dollar bond market was paralysed this week by the twin terrors of a Federal Open Market Committee meeting and an escalation of concern about the Greek economy. The market's usual June exuberance was nowhere to be seen, and many bankers are not expecting activity to resurface until next month at the earliest, writes Narae Kim.

The tide is turning for Hong Kong and China stocks after months of euphoria pushed indices to record highs. But with only a short time left before the summer lull, issuers are still pushing out their IPOs, despite choppy conditions and pushback from investors on valuations, writes Rashmi Kumar.

A rare US dollar syndicated loan to finance a commercial real estate transaction in India has raised the tantalising prospect of more liquidity being readily available to the many foreign investors eyeing similar assets in the country. But there is no trend yet, and the deal could remain an unusual curiosity for some time, writes Shruti Chaturvedi.

I happened to be in Singapore the other day and met some chums over a tipple at the top of the Marina Bay Sands. With the city's investment banking business not having had the most sparkling run of late, finding company was easy enough — and that's what misery loves, I'm told.