
Decentralized Social Media Finds A Foothold
Companies may face too many options for brand messaging.
In a conversation with Global Finance, Mark Kerns, head of investor services at Standard Bank, describes how booming interest in Africa, led by South Africa and Nigeria, is reshaping the continent’s capital markets.
Capital Markets | Debt/Equity
India’s banks—both private and state-run—have been given a powerful tool to deal with bad loans.
As analytics aimed at helping companies make use of all their data proliferate, companies worldwide are embracing these new technologies and finding ever-more-innovative ways to use them. Those that fail to do so risk being left on the sidelines.
Newsmakers | Turkey
It has been said that ultimately all political careers end in failure, but until June 7, few observers were expecting this maxim to be true, quite yet, of Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Country Report | Nigeria
Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy, but the recent slump in oil prices has halved government revenues. The new Buhari government must now ensure the country’s economic roller coaster ride does not grind to a complete halt.
SIBOS Supersection 2015 | Fintech–Blockchain Technology
Freed from bitcoin, could the blockchain, or blockchain lite, become the underlying infrastructure behind better banking?
Milestones | Zimbabwe
The demonetization of the Zimbabwean dollar began in June and holders of the near worthless currency have until September 30 to exchange it for US dollars.
Newsmakers | Ukraine
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have run high since late 2013, when Russia resisted Ukrainian efforts to move out of the Russian sphere of influence and toward the West.
Global Finance interviewed Derek Pattison, Scotiabank’s VP of wealth management, Bahamas, on the importance of responding to clients’ needs for any product, anywhere.
Milestones | New Zealand
In June, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand lowered its key cash interest rate a quarter of a percentage point to 3.25%, the first time the central bank has cut rates cut since 2011, citing a combination of deflationary pressure, plunging commodity prices and a slowdown in key export markets like China.
Newsmakers | Mexico
In June, Jaime Rodríguez Calderón became the first independent candidate to be elected a state governor in Mexico, winning office in Nuevo León.
Scotland still brings in more foreign direct investment than many larger countries. Last year it again headed the list of top UK destinations outside London.
Trends | Economy & Disease
In May, South Korea reported its first case of MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome). The death toll had climbed to 24 as we went to press, making it the largest outbreak outside of Saudi Arabia, where the strain was first reported in 2012.
Small businesses today no longer need to convince a bank to get a loan. They can very well convince an algorithm that will assess their credibility based on a diverse parameters rather than a conventional credit check.
GCC Regional Report 2015 | Oil Prices
GCC countries are weathering low oil prices surprisingly well, cushioned by sovereign funds, economic diversification and development.
SIBOS Supersection 2015 | Innovation In Trade Finance
Alternative finance—in all its myriad forms—could prove the answer to the global trade finance gap.
The role of subcustodian banks is becoming more rigorous in response to regulations that impose new fiduciary responsibilities and far greater liabilities on global custodians.
SIBOS Supersection 2015 | Bank Relationship Management
Along with understanding the value they provide their banking partners, most companies want to know what they’re spending in banking fees each year, and how this compares to the contracted rates. Bank-fee analysis software can automate the process.
Cover Story | Supplement
As data sharing becomes more common, individual privacy seems to be more luxury than norm. But corporations working with big-data analytics must pay attention to how many personal details they gather about their customers, lest they cross the invisible line of what is acceptable and what is not—and anger their client base.
Milestones | Iceland
Nearly seven years after introducing controls on capital movements, Iceland is planning to ease restrictions it put in place when the collapse of its banking system brought the country to the brink of financial meltdown.