This report assesses the 10 key themes that are transforming the retail banking industry right now and scores the world’s leading banking players against these themes. Our thematic scoring methodology allows us to identify which companies will do well in the market in the future, as well as the companies that will falter due to their lack of investment in these key themes.
In this report, we identify the 10 themes that matter most to the retail banking sector. While artificial intelligence (AI) is just one theme, many other themes are now being revisited and reimagined in light of the new capabilities AI can offer-especially generative AI and agentic AI. In particular, effectiveness around bank fraud and cybersecurity is increasingly dependent on being able to counter how malicious actors may use AI to mutate attack vectors, and using those same capabilities to help prevent, monitor, and manage attacks when they happen
In this report, we identify the 10 themes that matter most to the retail banking sector. While artificial intelligence (AI) is just one theme, many other themes are now being revisited and reimagined in light of the new capabilities AI can offer-especially generative AI and agentic AI. In particular, effectiveness around bank fraud and cybersecurity is increasingly dependent on being able to counter how malicious actors may use AI to mutate attack vectors, and using those same capabilities to help prevent, monitor, and manage attacks when they happen
Report Scope
- Financial services providers worldwide have already spent billions on AI, with significant preparatory activity across a wide range of market indicators. However, with that preparation has come increased frustration at the long wait for return on investment from AI.
- Banking-as-a-service propositions have encountered various regulatory headwinds in recent years. These include the Synapse collapse in the US, Railsr filing for bankruptcy in Europe, and growing concern around buy now pay later propositions saddling consumers with debt they do not fully understand and/or cannot pay back.
- 28% of the global population have experienced fraud in the last 18 months as per the analyst’s 2025 Financial Services Consumer Survey-up from 18% in 2024. To put a dollar value on that, Celent (part of the analyst) estimates that global banking, payments, and card fraud reached $425 billion in 2024.
Reasons to Buy
- Identify the top 10 themes impacting the retail banking sector.
- Learn about how AI is affecting every major banking theme.
- Understand how these themes will drive competitive distance going forward.
Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary2. Introduction
3. Themes
4. Sector Scorecard: Banking
5. Thematic Research Methodology
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- BBVA
- CommBank
- DBS
- UOB
- Westpac
- Wells Fargo
- JPMorgan Chase
- KBC
- Royal Bank of Canada
- KEB Hana Bank
- HSBC
- NatWest
- Bank of America
- Santander
- Revolut
- Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
- Citigroup
- TSB
- PNC
- CaixaBank
- National Australia Bank
- Monzo
- AIB
- U.S. Bancorp
- Deutsche Bank
- USAA
- Bank of Montreal
- Credit Agricole
- UniCredit
