Global Banks Outlook 2025: Bigger dividends, more stock buybacks

U.S. tariffs are on pause for 90 days, but sizeable 10% tariffs imposed on most countries on April 5 remains in place, and it, along with steep tariffs on imports from China, could have significant implications for U.S. inflation and growth.In this episode we join Frances Donald, Chief Economist at RBC do with Josh Lipsky, Senior Director of the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center as they discuss the latest developments in U.S. and global trade policy and their impact on economic growth.This episode was recorded on April 7, 2025.

Boomers are turning 65 in big numbers, and starting to think seriously about their financial future. Many of those in the middle-income bracket turn to CNO Financial Group. The demographics are in its favor, but how has CNO turned its business around in a notoriously tough market space? CEO Gary Bhojwani reveals its recipe for success at RBC’s Global Financial Institutions conference.Watch here: Securing the future of an underserved group: Middle-income America | RBCCM

In this episode we’ll join Janet Wilkinson, Managing Director and Head of Global Markets Flow Sales, EMEA, as she moderates a discussion with two RBC Capital Markets experts, Peter Schaffrik, Chief European Macro Strategist and Ken Herbert, Senior Aerospace and Defense Analyst, as they’ll unpack the economic impact of UK and European defense spending shifts and discuss how defense companies are positioning themselves in this evolving landscape.

When headlines can tilt the capital markets from one day to the next, how can issuers, corporates, sponsors and investors stay on course? In this episode of Strategic Alternatives, RBC experts analyze capital raising opportunities for 2025 amid geopolitical uncertainty. Vito Sperduto, Head of RBC Capital Markets, U.S., is joined Rob McCormack, Global Head, Dept Capital Markets; Nitin Babbar, Global Head, Equity Capital Markets; and John Cokinos, Global Head of Leveraged Finance and Capital Markets.

2025 is set to be one of the most volatile geopolitical years in many of our lifetimes. The overwhelming uncertainty is causing “analysis paralysis” for decision-makers, slowing large-scale investment and hiring decisions, as companies try to get clarity on what matters and what doesn't. At RBC Capital Markets’ Global Financial Institutions Conference, RBC Chief Economist Frances Donald spoke to Helima Croft, Head of Global Commodity Strategy and MENA Research, and Fred Kempe, President and CEO of the Atlantic Council, about the top risks and potential outcomes on global trade and tariffs, implications for energy markets, Russia-Ukraine negotiations, intervention in the Middle East, and more.

Banks enjoyed strong earnings and wielded big balance sheets in 2024, but can the momentum last another year? The answer is yes, at least in the U.S. market, according to the experts in RBC Capital Markets’ global banks outlook. Gerard Cassidy, Global Co-Head of Financials Research and Head of US Bank Strategy, and Anke Reingen, Global Co-Head of Financials Research and European Banks, join host Peter Dawkins, Vice President, European Equity Research, to explore the economic and regulatory tailwinds, and the potential pitfalls, in this episode of Strategic Alternatives.

The global energy transition may be buffeted by political winds, but its progress is unstoppable. With new data revealing investment soared past $2 trillion in 2024, how can innovative companies position themselves for a piece of the pie this year? Ralph Ibendahl, Global Head of Energy Transition Banking, offers his latest insights on the next stage of energy transition in conversation with Trevor Gardner, Head of Global Banking Coverage.

The ABS market has evolved, expanding into new and non-traditional asset classes while attracting a broader investor base. Which sectors are driving this growth, and how might U.S. policy shifts shape the market’s trajectory? ABS specialists Sofia Shields and Nick Rogers share their insights in this episode of Strategic Alternatives.

Sponsor-backed deals are recovering steadily rather than spectacularly, but 2025 offers strong signs for cross-border activity in particular. In this episode of Strategic Alternatives, RBC Capital Markets’ Co-Heads of Global Financial Sponsor Coverage – Harold Varah, Graham Tufts and Ram Amarnath – assess the trends and opportunities for the year ahead.

After tariffs were delayed, RBC’s Chief Economist Frances Donald spoke with Ram Amarnath, Co-Head of Global Financial Sponsors and Head of Canadian Diversified Industries at RBC Capital Markets, about the potential impact of 25% tariffs on the Canadian economy and what corporations, investors and policymakers in Canada and the U.S. need to think about in the weeks and months ahead.