Latvia Commercial Banking Report Q3 2009

BMI follow a rigorous approach to analysing commercial banking sectors around the world. We have collated data relevant to national commercial banking sectors that have been published by central banks, regulators and/or trade associations, as well as basic information concerning individual market participants.

We have also considered BMI's current views on the economic outlook for the country in question. Many aspects have been - and continue to be - brought together in a systematic way through our proprietary Commercial Bank Business Environment Ratings (CBBER), which facilitate cross-country comparisons.

In Q309 BMI have continued to extend the scope of its commercial banking report series, both in terms of the depth in which individual states are assessed and the number of banking systems analysed.

Enhanced Global And Regional Context We have expanded our coverage of the global and regional banking sectors to ensure that developments in individual banking are placed firmly within the context of neighbouring and linked markets. Separate regional overviews have been provided for emerging Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. The aim is to flag up pan-regional developments, highlight countries that stand outside regional trends and isolate potential systemic risks.

Expanded Universe Of Commercial Banking Sectors This quarter we are launching 13 new country reports. Building on our expertise analysing emerging market economies, the focus is on enhancing coverage of key developed states (France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Canada, Australia), emerging Europe (Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia), Asia (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh) and Latin America (Peru). This will take the total number of countries covered to 59.

Improved Company Profiles In Q209 we included company profiles in our reports for the first time. This quarter we are looking to include more balance sheet data, and also expand the existing company profiles.