International Finance

Tag : Bank

Fintech

CHF freed, SNB caps losses

Mario Singh But,what next for the Swiss franc and the country’s economy January 22, 2015: On January 15, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) shocked the capital markets by unexpectedly removing the EUR/CHF peg set at 1.20. The move caught many offguard and sent the Swiss Franc (CHF) into the stratosphere, rising about 40% in a...
Banking

Odeabank: From the 49th place to 13th in 15 years

The total loan book reached Turkish Lira 14.3 billion, total asset size TL 20.3 billion whereas customer deposits reached TL 16.8 billion by the end of the first half of 2014 December 22, 2014: Odeabank made a powerful entry into the sector by obtaining a banking licence for the first time in 15 years in...
Islamic Banking

Spike in interest rates could hamper Islamic finance

Base rates are at record lows in Europe with the Bank of England having held its rate at 0.5% for five years now Tim Evershed November 26, 2014: A spike in European interest rates could pose a serious challenge to the growth of Islamic finance across the EU. Base rates of interest are at record...
Business Leaders

Investors losing interest in South Africa

Change political mindset to overcome economic constraints, says John Kane-Berman, CEO, Institute of Race Relations Miriam Mannak November 5,2014:It hasn’t been plain sailing for South Africa. Besides slipping on the World Bank’s Economic Freedom Index and the World Economic Forum’s Competitiveness Index, the International Monetary Fund presented a rather bleak economic outlook for Africa’s second...
Islamic Banking

Three Malaysia banks announce merger

The combined entity will become South East Asia’s fourth largest commercial lender and Islamic bank IFM Correspondent October 14, 2014: CIMB Group Holdings Berhad, RHB Capital Berhad and Malaysia Building Society Berhad announced on October 9, 2014 that an application has been made to the country’s central bank seeking approval for its proposed three-way merger....
Economy

Kenya rings in competition

From price wars, buy outs to intrigues over thin SIM technology. Has the telecom sector finally come of age? Amoxers Wachira October 6, 2014: Over the last few months , Kenya’s telecom sector has been buzzing with activity. From mobile network operators  taking their price wars to court, to cut throat competition, which has prompted...
Banking

Ukraine conflict: UK wants SWIFT punishment for Russian banks

SWIFT is a crucial real-time gross payment system for cross-border transactions September 2, 2014: The UK will press EU leaders to consider blocking Russian access to the SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications) banking transaction system under an expansion of sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on Friday, August 29, citing an...
Banking

Assets under management hit record high at Saxo Bank

Client deposits have gone up by almost 10 billion Dkr. to over 60 billion Dkr. August 22, 2014: In the first half of 2014, Saxo Bank reached another record in assets under management, with client deposits exceeding 60 billion Dkr., an increase of almost 10 billion Dkr. equivalent to 19% in six months. Saxo Bank,...
Economy

French trade deficit widens in May, growth crawls

Central bank keeps sentiment indicator for manufacturing sector unchanged below long-term average, reports Team IFM Paris, July 14, 2014: The slowdown continues to chase France, with official data showing its trade deficit widening in May compared to the preceding month as imports rebounded, confirming findings of an independent survey that said the world’s fifth largest...