By Andrei Skvarsky. French investment bank Natixis has become the sole owner of Titres Cadeaux, which is also known as Titres Cado and is France’s fourth-biggest gift voucher operator, after buying a 50 per cent stake in it from La Banque Postale, a subsidiary of French postal service company La Poste. Continue Reading
France’s Natixis bank replaces two directors
By Andrei Skvarsky. Natixis, a French corporate and investment bank, has replaced two of its directors, both new appointees being CEOs of regional divisions of Caisse d’Epargne, a bank holding a large stake in Natixis. Continue Reading
Gold’s popularity as anti-turbulence asset drives its price up – Sun Global CEO
By Andrei Skvarsky. The head of London-based boutique Sun Global Investments argues that gold has recently become more popular among investors as a shield against today’s international political and economic storms and that this is what has pushed its price to a six-month high. Continue Reading
Five firms to leave Russia’s forex market in cleanup by regulator
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s central bank has stricken off five Russian foreign exchange companies with effect from January 27 for “repeated offences” against securities law. Continue Reading
NGO says has launched new cryptocurrency, afro, to boost growth in Africa
By Andrei Skvarsky. A Geneva-based nongovernmental organisation has announced it has launched a cryptocurrency, called the afro, that is purportedly designed to promote economic growth and financial inclusion in Africa. Continue Reading
PDM loan supports buyout of healthcare consultancy Validant by GHO Capital
By Andrei Skvarsky. London-based debt investor Permira Debt Managers (PDM) is acting as sole senior secured lender to Validant, an international healthcare consultancy focused on regulation and compliance. Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: Cryptos need regulation to be adopted by ‘the masses’ – Payger
By Andrei Skvarsky. As regulators gradually take control of cryptocurrencies, the global crypto community is abandoning its initial attitude that being outside governmental regulation is an advantage of digital money. Continue Reading
PDM loan helps media tech company Deltatre refinance debt, buy out software firm
By Andrei Skvarsky. Debt investor Permira Debt Managers (PDM) has continued its strategic line of investing in technology-focused companies by making a loan recently to global sports media technology firm Deltatre to help it to refinance a debt and support its buyout of a software company. Continue Reading
Sberbank mulling over change of name – CEO
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank CEO Herman Gref on December 11 confirmed rumours that the giant Russian banking group is considering renaming itself by keeping the word “bank” out of the group name though it would still have the word in the name of its purely financial unit. Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: Panxora CEO deplores cryptocurrency regulation faults, claims US controls cryptos globally
By Andrei Skvarsky. According to the chief executive of Panxora, a cryptocurrency exchange based in Hong Kong and London, there are serious obstacles to building fair and efficient cryptocurrency regulation mechanisms, both nationally and internationally. Continue Reading
Russia business training programme co-run by Sberbank, Google brings together 400,000
By Andrei Skvarsky. About 400,000 Russians have finished or are currently taking five-month free online business courses for small enterprises and would-be entrepreneurs that are co-run and co-sponsored by Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank and Google. Continue Reading
US crypto bourse Paxful tells Kenyans bitcoin trade can make them richer
By Andrei Skvarsky. Bitcoin trading is one way to narrow down the big gulf between the rich and poor in Kenya, according to Paxful, a US-based cryptocurrency exchange startup that is working to include the East African country in its geography. Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: Heeding public, ethical concerns in investing eventually means good returns – Alquity director
By Andrei Skvarsky. An investment strategy where environmental, social and fair governance concerns are key factors could mean less money for an investor in the short term but can produce “attractive” returns in the long run, according to a top executive in London-based asset manager Alquity. Continue Reading
Moody’s, Fitch, S&P, bulge bracket banks to take part in CLO forum in California
Rating agencies Moody’s, Fitch and S&P and several bulge bracket banks will take part in the CLO Summit in Dana Point, California, on November 28-30, an educational conference on collateralised loan obligations for investors, issuers, underwriters, rating agencies, lawyers, and accountants. Continue Reading
California forum on marketplace lending, alternative financing to address wide range of issues
Subjects ranging from real estate opportunities to the use of blockchain and artificial intelligence in financial services will be raised at the Marketplace Lending & Alternative Financing Summit in Dana Point, California, on November 28-30. Continue Reading
GUEST POST: Emerging markets in South Africa
By staff at IQ Option Magazine. The South African market is one of the major emerging markets in the African region with only two more participants – Morocco and Egypt. Drained by the apartheid policies in the mid-20th century, the government managed to restore trade relations under the presidency of Nelson Mandela. However, this was not … Continue Reading
GUEST POST: Best ETFs for emerging markets
By staff at Forex Trading in South Africa. Being a marketable security, an Exchange-Traded Fund or ETF tracks a commodity, a stock index, bonds as well as assets. The price of an ETF’s shares is more likely to change as they are bought or sold throughout the day. The ETFs have underlying assets like oil … Continue Reading
PDM makes refinancing loan to French software firm
By Andrei Skvarsky. London-based debt investor Permira Debt Managers (PDM) is currently making a debt refinancing loan to DL Software, a French software publisher for small and medium-sized businesses. Continue Reading
Sberbank parting company with head of retail
Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank deputy CEO Alexander Torbakhov, who oversees the retail business of Russia’s largest banking group, is stepping down and will be replaced by Svetlana Kirsanova, who today heads the lender’s acquiring and bank cards division, the bank has announced. Continue Reading
Sberbank to study blockchain more before adopting it – CEO
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank, Russia’s biggest lender, is researching blockchain technology but still does not use it in practice, CEO Herman Gref said this week. Continue Reading
Fintech provider PrimeXM appoints new head of global sales
By Andrei Skvarsky. PrimeXM, a financial technology provider with world-scale business, has announced it has appointed Andreas Charalambous as head of global sales. Continue Reading
Arab development bank acquires stake in African multilateral lender
By Andrei Skvarsky. The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), an institution owned by 18 Arab countries, has acquired a stake in the multinational Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB). Continue Reading
Deals worth billions of dollars made during 53-nation Africa Investment Forum
By Andrei Skvarsky. Billions of dollars’ worth of deals were clinched during Africa Investment Forum, an event in Johannesburg on November 7-9 that brought together more than 1,000 people from 53 countries, including 23 non-African states, African Development Bank (AfDB) said. Continue Reading
Brock Pierce to be among 60 speakers at 4-day blockchain forum in Hollywood in December
High-profile cryptocurrency entrepreneur Brock Pierce will be the keynote speaker at the planned BWC South blockchain educational conference in Hollywood on December 2-5, which will hear about 60 other speakers and have a range of networking and entertainment activities on its programme. Continue Reading
Sberbank, S. Korea’s Hyosung set up R&D centre to create ‘next-generation ATM’
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank and South Korean industrial conglomerate Hyosung have set up a research and development centre in Russia to modernise Sberbank’s network of cash recycling ATMs, machines that can take deposits as well as dispense cash. Continue Reading
Sberbank hires ex-Deutsche Bank analyst as global head of investment research
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank, Russia’s biggest lender, has hired former high-ranking Deutsche Bank analyst Yaroslav Lisovolik as global head of investment research. Continue Reading
Two lawyers with financial sector experience join intl law firm Winston & Strawn
By Andrei Skvarsky. U.S.-based international law firm Winston & Strawn has announced two high-profile hires, recruiting two lawyers specialising in financial services as well as other industries. Continue Reading
World Blockchain Forum in New York to bring together over 150 firms
More than 150 companies are going to take part in the 4th World Blockchain Forum (WBF), a conference in New York on November 8-9, 2018, that will take up issues such as blockchain finance, cryptocurrencies and token economics. Continue Reading
Credit Suisse, J.P. Morgan, Merrill Lynch, UBS, RenCap, Sova, Wood organising IPO for Belarus grocery chain
By Andrei Skvarsky. Credit Suisse and J.P. Morgan Securities are acting as joint global coordinators for a planned initial public offering of shares (IPO) next month by Eurotorg, the largest grocery retailer in Belarus. Continue Reading