Best Banks 2000: Best global banks

BEST CORPORATE BANK

Chase Manhattan

Chase Manhattan's buttoned-- down image of safety and security has helped it to make many friends of corporations around the world. Its Global Services business unit moves trillions of dollars a day in securities and cash for international customers and is the world market share leader in terms of the amount of money it handles for its customers. Chase is ranked among the top advisers in global mergers and acquisitions. It regularly advises on multibillion-dollar transactions across a broad range of industry sectors. Chase offers commercial and investment banking services through offices in some 50 countries. Sharpening its focus on wholesale banking and asset management, Chase sold its Hong Kong consumer banking business to British bank Standard Chartered for $1.32 billion in cash. InApril, Chase acquired British investment bank Robert Fleming Holdings for $7.7 billion to expand in money management in European and Asian markets. Using its powerful brand, Chase is exploiting its technology know-- how to create an online institution that belies the bank's conservative image. In June it launched ChaseSpace, an Internet application delivering issuer-focused information to its investment banking clients. Chase.com has spent $200 million on Web-related products since its launch last year and plans to spend another $250 million this year. Chase Capital Partners, one of the bank's fastest-growing and most lucrative operations, has a portfolio of 470 companies worth an estimated $15 billion.

BEST CONSUMER BANK

Citibank

Citibank, the most global finanicial-services company, with 100 million consumers in 100 countries, provides an unparalleled range of products. Its market share gains around the globe and the consistent growth of its consumer business have earned it the distinction of Best Consumer Bank in the world. The pending $31 billion acquisition of Associates First Capital, based in Irving, Texas, the largest US consumer finance company, will boost several consumer-oriented business lines at Citibank, including credit cards, where it will be the undisputed number one US provider. in addition to its US strength, Associates is the fifth-largest consumer finance company in Japan, an area where Citibank is eager to expand, complementing its recent acquisition of Diners Club Japan. In a wide-ranging alliance with America Online, the bank will integrate its payments and money transfer capabilities into all AOL brands and broaden access to its products among millions of online consumers. Citibank is also the first global financial-services firm to launch account aggregation capabilities at its MyCiti.com site, using technology from Yodlee.This service pulls in banking, investment, and other information from consumers' online accounts and displays it on one statement. The Citi never sleeps, and its goal is to make a comprehensive suite of consumer financial services accessible at any time, through any device, and strengthen its position as the payments engine of the Internet.

BEST PRIVATE BANK

HSBC

Chairman: Sir John Bond

SBC owes much of its success to its commitment to customer satisfaction. Through a global network of 6,000 of fices in 80 countries, linked by the latest technology, the group provides a comprehensive range of onshore and offshore financial services. HSBC's private banking services include in vestment, fund management, asset management and protection, financial advice, tax, and trust. HSBC Investment Management has its origins in James Capel & Company, with a long history of managing funds for private clients and trusts. Headquartered in London, HSBC also owns Hongkong and Shanghai Bank and 62% of Hong Kong's Hang Seng Bank. Its US operations of the former Marine Midland Bank were bolstered by the purchase of Republic NewYork Bank and Safra Republic Holdings. During the second quarter, HSBC announced its intention to acquire the full-service, stand-alone bank business of Chase Manhattan Bank in Panama. Recently, several research organizations have rated HSBC's customer service extremely highly The bank's experienced fund managers, backed by the global resources of the HSBC Group, provide personalized service designed to meet individual objectives. Private banking operations are based in seven centers worldwide, which provide services and products tailored for particular markets and are linked to ensure global reach.

BEST ASSET MANAGEMENT BANK

Merrill Lynch

Merrill Lynch is one of the world's leading financial management and advisory companies, with offices in 43 countries and total client assets of about $1.8 trillion. About one-third of the company's revenues are generated outside the United States. Its Mercury Asset Management Group provides private, or separate, portfolio management services. The acquisition of London-- based Mercury in 1997 helped Merrill create an investment management business with an incomparable breadth and depth of resources and expertise. Asset management continues to be one of the most attractive segments of the financial services industry and has historically enjoyed double-digit growth rates, stable fee-- based revenues, and strong profitability. Over the past five years asset management revenues at Merrill Lynch have grown at a faster rate than transaction-based revenues. Merrill Lynch offers several programs suited to a client's preferred style of investment management. The Strategic Portfolio Advisor program is a bundled service that provides a comprehensive package of consulting, investment and account services, including developing an investment policy and screening and selecting investment managers. The Private Portfolio Group offers customized separate-account portfolio management services to individuals and institutions. In 1998 Merrill Lynch introduced HOLDRS, depositary receipts that represent ownership of a selected basket of stocks through a single, liquid security.Today there are a total of 12 HOLDRS, representing $10 billion in assets.

BEST CUSTODY BANK

The Bank of New York

The Bank of New York holds $6.8 trillion in custodial assets for more than 4,500 institutional clients worldwide. It also holds more than $32 billion in custodial assets for individuals and families. The bank's renowned network of subcustodians extends to 97 markets worldwide. Cross-border custody assets now total $2 trillion, reflecting the rapid expansion of worldwide capital markets. The bank provides a full range of global custody services to enhance the administration and earnings potential of portfolios. Operations centers in Los Angeles, New York, and Brussels, in addition to servicing centers in London, Dublin, Sydney, and Singapore, enable it to comprehensively service an entire portfolio-- from transaction settlements and customer service to the creation of innovative products to meet specific needs. In August it agreed to purchase approximately $9 billion worth of custodial accounts administered by the Bank of America Private Bank in Los Angeles.The Bank of NewYork is committed to expanding its custodial operations with a powerful lineup of offerings. In September it was appointed by London-based Julius Baer International, the private client asset management arm of Swiss fund manager Julius Baer, to provide outsourced fund administration and custody services.The Bank of NewYork, the oldest bank in the United States, is the world's leading provider of securities services.