In the past century, gains in productivity and living standards were made as a result of advances in technology. But where can we expect gains to come from in this century—and are they likely to be gradual or dramatic? The answer depends on whether you believe the optimists or the pessimists.
Middle East Investment Banking
M&A tops charts as transaction prices moderate across the region, industries consolidate, and key nations pursue privatization.
Global banks may be de-risking, but what are the implications for their corporate customers in those markets deemed undesirable as a result of the growing regulatory burden?
With oil revenues plunging, Ghana seeks to boost the inflow of foreign direct investment.
The Court of the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) awarded more than $70 million in damages last November to a wealthy Kuwaiti family to cover losses resulting from the sale of $200 million of structured investment products.
Several of the region’s economies are gasping for breath or treading water—but not going under. Investors have simply discounted the bad news.
Project financing is booming in Saudi Arabia, which leads the Middle East in deals, with a total of eight in 2015, worth more than $13 billion.
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia are not masters of their own economic destinies, with events in Russia and the rest of the region casting a shadow over these countries’ efforts to boost economic and investor confidence.
What challenges are top of mind among treasurers in the Asia-Pacific region?
Return To Coverage Global Winners Best Overall Bank for Cash Management Citi | Citi’s commitment to the Treasury and Trade Solutions (TTS) business is supported at the highest level, with CEO Michael Corbat recently calling it “the backbone of our ...
Global Finance presents the winners of its 14th Annual Best Treasury & Cash Management Provider awards.
Return To Coverage Global Finance: What are the the challenges for corporates dealing with payments and collections in Africa? Patrick Gutmann: For many of our corporate customers, be those midsize local corporates or the big ones like Coca-Cola or ...
The past year has seen major advances which, although only beginning to bud, are likely to have long-running ramifications for corporate treasury and cash management as they blossom and mature.
Global Finance: What impact is regulation having on treasury operations? Shahrokh Moinian: A starting point was Basel III. Some banks need to reshape their balance sheets, which potentially leads to higher costs of borrowing for corporations. In reality, large corporations ...
Global Finance held its Best Trade Finance Providers Awards Ceremony in Paris in January during the BAFT Global Annual Meeting. Top bank executives from around the world gathered to accept awards, joined by leading corporate and finance professionals who came to honor their colleagues.
Scott Galit is the CEO of Payoneer, a leading private financial services company focused on digital money transfers and e-commerce payments. He sat down with Global Finance to discuss challenges and opportunities in the space for emerging financial technologies and traditional banks alike.
Riding the commodities boom, Angola’s economy seemed invincible against recent global shocks. But the current slump in oil prices is forcing the country to rethink its dependence on oil.
Q+A
José Pedro de Morais, governor of Banco Nacional de Angola, spoke with Global Finance about the central bank’s efforts to restore order and build confidence in the country’s financial system.
Chinese authorities arrested executives from online peer-to-peer (P2P) lending company eZubao in early February after the company stole an estimated $7.6 billion from 900,000 investors.
No longer just a buzzword bandied about by politicians, diversification is now seen as a key to the future of Africa’s biggest economy, as sinking oil prices have eroded government revenue.
Singapore could face a technical recession in the first half of this year as plunging oil prices and a drop in China’s appetite for imports weigh on the city-state’s economy.
Economists don’t anticipate a major economic impact from the mosquito-born Zika virus—so far, at least—although it’s certainly a kick in the shins for struggling Brazil and an overhang for tourism in Latin America.
With Japan still struggling to achieve economic lift-off, longtime Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) hand Nobuteru Ishihara took over as the country’s Economy minister in late January.
He has been called a “rock star” in Portugal’s popular press.
Delta Air Lines, one of the world’s largest carriers, announced in January that its president, Ed Bastian, will take over as chief executive in May. He replaces industry veteran Richard Anderson, who will become Delta’s executive chairman.
2016 promises to be an exciting year for the money transfer industry, with the
possibility of new opportunities in terms of newer ways to reach the customer,
and newer markets to cater to. This would translate to the emergence of new
business models and business alliances. The year is likely to see incumbent
players challenged by newer players with new market offerings.
Management | Cybersecurity
Multinational corporations face rising IT challenges and cyberattacks. Retailer Target, office supply chain store Staples and global banking powerhouse JPMorgan Chase are just a few major companies that have recently been hacked—and that have sustained financial costs and damage to their reputations as a result.
Trends | Startup Investment
India is on the cusp of a “start-up” revolution, with prime minister Narendra Modi unveiling a dedicated $1.5 billion seed fund and tax breaks to help develop technology and other microenterprises.
Capital Markets | Privatization
Russian president Vladimir Putin is pinning his hopes on privatization to help ease Russia’s 2016 budget deficit, which, according to some estimates, could reach $38 billion, or 6% of GDP.
Capital Markets | Cross-Border Payments
Forty-five international banks have teamed up with the financial messaging provider Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) to launch an initiative aimed at making cross-border payments faster and more transparent.
Capital Markets | Debt Restructuring
Americans used to like Puerto Rico, a United States territory in the Caribbean, not only for its white, sandy beaches but also because of its high-yield, tax-free bonds.
Trends | Financial Regulation
American insurance giant MetLife has doubled down on its efforts to skirt the heavier regulatory burden that comes with being labeled a Systemically Important Financial Institution.
Management | Shareholder Activism
Activist investors are knocking more loudly at banks’ doors. According to Thomson Reuters data, in 2015, activists launched 97 campaigns aimed at the US financial sector, 22 of them targeting banks.
Trends | Institutional Investors
In today’s low-yield environment, institutional investors’ quest for higher investment returns has taken on new meaning.
Capital Marktes | M&A
State-owned China National Chemical’s record $43 billion bid for Swiss agrochemical company Syngenta will be closely examined by a US government panel and other national regulators.
Capital Markets | Fixed Income
Now that Japan has joined Europe in adopting negative interest rates, could below-zero rates become a policy option for the Federal Reserve?
