By Dominic Elliott

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Two big equity deals in 24 hours have made a rebound in Europe’s new-issues market look less of a pipedream. Tuesday’s placings in landlord British Land and wealth manager St. James’s Place suggest that those with equity to sell are ready to push the button.

By Dominic Elliott

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

The UK government should heed its own counsel on fixing finance. A schism has opened up between Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and the MP-led commission reviewing his banking reform bill. The MPs’ latest report shows how little of its advice is being taken on board.

By Dominic Elliott

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Deutsche Bank and Nomura should help clear up the mess at Monte dei Paschi. During the crisis, the investment banks arranged complicated trades for the Sienese lender that have hit the accounts with charges of 579 million euros. It is MPS’s fault that it got into this tangle. But Deutsche and Nomura could still score regulatory and reputational dividends for smoothing its escape.

By Dominic Elliott
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Credit Suisse’s fourth-quarter results contain bad news for fixed-income wannabes. The Swiss bank was among the first to adjust its debt-trading business to the harsher realities of new Basel III regulations, so it can probably weather the 28 percent quarter-on-quarter revenue drop it has just suffered in this segment. Other rivals may be less fortunate.

By Dominic Elliott

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Settlements by three firms – Barclays, UBS and Royal Bank of Scotland – have each contained disclosures of the culture of the trading floor, via recorded Bloomberg messages. One RBS trader referred to his readiness to raise and lower his requests for the Libor rate as being akin to a “whores drawers”. Another offered to “come over there and make love to you” in return for helpful rate submissions. Yet another quipped: “[It’s] just amazing how libor fixing can make you that much money.”

By Dominic Elliott

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

History rhymes, even in the capital markets. Global issuance in three major asset classes seems to follow a pattern after a financial crisis, Thomson Reuters data shows. And many equities bankers think it’s happening again. First there was a recovery in investment-grade debt. Then junk bonds picked up. If previous cycles are any guide, this year should see a revival in initial public offerings.

By Dominic Elliott

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

A rights issue U-turn would be a bitter bill for Anshu Jain and Juergen Fitschen to swallow. Deutsche Bank’s co-chief executives vowed in September to strengthen the bank’s finances without tapping shareholders. But U.S. capital rules, non-core losses and a looming Libor settlement have upped the ante.

By Dominic Elliott and Antony Currie

The authors are Reuters Breakingviews columnists. The opinions expressed are their own

At least one of the three big bank chief executives to survive the financial crisis could be without a job by the end of 2013. Goldman Sachs’s  Lloyd Blankfein, JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon and Brady Dougan at Credit Suisse have each suffered setbacks in the past year or more. The two U.S.-based bosses have done a better job of shrugging those off. But Dougan looks vulnerable.