By Andrei Skvarsky. Two financial services firms are launching a $200m fund to provide loans to Russian fintech companies in a bid to help a sector starved of financing because of legal constraints. Continue Reading
Asia Frontier Capital (AFC) – July 2017 Newsletter
“I think you have to learn that there’s a company behind every stock and there’s only one real reason why stocks go up. Companies go from doing poorly to doing well or small companies grow to large companies.” – Peter Lynch AFC Funds Performance Summary Most major equity markets in the world performed well this past… Continue Reading
LatAm family office top brass to convene for regular flagship event
Top figures in key Latin American single- and multi-family offices are coming together in Cancun, Mexico, on October 9-10, 2017, for a regular Latin Private Wealth Management Summit organised by global business communications company marcus evans. Founders, presidents, chief executives, chief investment officers and other senior managers of family offices will make up the majority… Continue Reading
Blockchain, IFRS 9, OTC derivatives to be discussed at GLC-arranged 2-day courses in Vienna
Event management company Global Leading Conferences (GLC) is organising two-day financial training courses in September – one on blockchain, one on IFRS 9 (the set of international financial reporting standards for financial instruments), and one on over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives. All the courses will be held in Vienna on the same dates, September 21-22. Blockchain 101 MasterClass… Continue Reading
LatAm compliance laws give problems to NHW families – Litwak & Partners law firm
New stricter compliance laws in some Latin American countries confront local net high worth families with serious problems, with offshore assets being their main headache, according to Martin Litwak, founding partner at the Litwak & Partners law firm. Continue Reading
Asia Frontier Capital (AFC) – June 2017 Newsletter
AFC Funds Performance Summary Rallies in frontier markets and emerging markets continued in June 2017 as the MSCI Frontier Markets Asia Net Total Return USD Index added +3.1%, while the global MSCI Frontier Markets Net Total Return USD Index returned +0.6% and the MSCI Emerging Markets Index Net Total Return Index rallied +1.0%. Worldwide, developed… Continue Reading
GUEST POST: Two events just hinted at explosive growth ahead
By Capitalist Exploits. Last Monday the administrators were called into Paladin Energy. Paladin if you’re not familiar is (or should I say was) a uranium producer. Bankruptcies happen all the time, so why should we care? Well, for starters Paladin wasn’t just any company. It was a previous market darling in the last uranium bull… Continue Reading
CEIC: Europe’s ex-communist nations record strong growth for Q1
By Andrei Skvarsky. The former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe showed impressive economic growth in the first quarter of 2017 with an average gross domestic product increase of 3.5 per cent, according to New York-based data provider CEIC. Continue Reading
Sberbank joins syndicated mezzanine loan for O1 Group investment firm
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank, Russia’s biggest lender, has bought an $80m stake in a syndicated mezzanine loan extended to Russian company O1 Group, one of the biggest owners of Russian non-state pension funds and a manager of commercial real estate. Continue Reading
GUEST POST: THIS is how China is increasing global power
By Capitalist Exploits. In the movie The International Clive Owen plays the part of Louis Salinger, an Interpol agent trying to bring down the world’s largest bank. In this clip a banker explains things to him: Umberto Calvini: [In explaining the “true” nature of banking in the world] “The IBBC is a bank. Their objective isn’t to… Continue Reading
GUEST POST: Mr Creosote is full
By Capitalist Exploits. Maitre D’: “And finally, monsieur, a wafer-thin mint.” Mr Creosote: “No.” Maitre D’: “Oh, sir! It’s only a tiny little thin one.” Mr Creosote: “No. F**k off. I’m full…” [Belches]Maitre D’: “Oh, sir… it’s only wafer thin.” Mr Creosote: “Look – I couldn’t eat another thing. I’m absolutely stuffed. Bugger off.” Maitre D’: “Oh, sir, just… just one…” Mr… Continue Reading
GUEST POST: The economics of warfare have changed
By Capitalist Exploits. Economists measure economic variables. That’s a problem. Continue Reading
Sberbank to stay out of Crimea, CEO reiterates
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank’s chief executive recently again excluded the possibility of Russia’s biggest lender establishing any presence in Crimea in the foreseeable future. Continue Reading
Asia Frontier Capital – May 2017 Newsletter
“Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing. – Warren Buffet AFC Funds Performance Summary May 2017 was characterized by a strong performance for emerging markets and for a number of frontier markets in our universe as well. Developed markets were also mainly positive with the S&P 500 Index up +1.2%, though the Nikkei… Continue Reading
GUEST POST: Ten things to consider for real estate investment
By Joanne Davidson.* Investing your money into real estate could be exciting, but if you’re new to the game, proceed with caution. If you get things right, you could hit the jackpot, but if you don’t think things through, you could face a lot of losses. Properties usually cost around six digits. Before you invest… Continue Reading
Russia’s CarMoney fintech lender reports fast business growth
By Andrei Skvarsky. CarMoney, a Russian online retail provider of loans secured on motor vehicles, has reported rapid business growth for the little more than a year it has existed as a rebranded company. Continue Reading
GUEST ARTICLE: The Pros and Cons of Investing In Property in the UK
By Maise Hunns, a British journalist specialising in business, property and financial advisement.* Investing in property is always a gamble but there are pros and cons to everything. So if you’re thinking of investing in commercial property in Peterborough or anywhere else in the UK, there are a number of things you need to consider first. Continue Reading
Never too early to get your children involved in family business – US-based consultant
In this interview, Veronica Yepez,* founder of Perpetum Consulting, a California-based consultancy serving high net worth families in Latin America and the United States, argues on the basis of her experience of more than 15 years that a child can really never be too young to get involved in a family business. This interview transcript… Continue Reading
London forum to look for ways for retail banks to survive competition with fintechs
Financial technology (fintech) companies, even startups, are a major threat to retail banks as they can lend more cheaply, easily and quickly. Ways for traditional retail lending to keep its ground will be examined at the Lending Products in Retail Banking conference in London on June 19-20, 2017. Continue Reading
Ex-Barclay IT manager takes the helm of deVere Vault fintech bank
By Andrei Skvarsky. deVere Group, a global financial consultancy, has hired Donatas Kontrimas from Barclays as chief executive of the deVere Vault bank, a global e-money app it launched on April 10. Continue Reading
Moscow Exchange happy with its 2016 record
By Andrei Skvarsky. Moscow Exchange, the company managing Russia’s main securities, money and precious metals exchange, has expressed satisfaction with its own corporate performance last year and with the volumes of trade it hosted in 2016. Continue Reading
Vienna risk management forum to look into Brexit, CEE risks, cybersecurity
With Brexit being a serious challenge to bankers, the extensive agenda of this September’s planned 7th Annual Risk Management Forum in Vienna includes a session on what the conference organisers describe as a “new generation of risks” posed by Britain’s planned 2019 secession from the European Union. Continue Reading
Asia Frontier Capital (AFC) – March 2017 Newsletter
March 2017 was generally a mixed month for world markets with some markets giving back part of their gains from earlier this year, including the Dow Jones Index (−0.7%), the Nikkei 225 (−1.1%), and the Shanghai Composite Index (−0.6%). In contrast, other markets continued ahead, such as the Euro Stoxx 50 Index which rose by… Continue Reading
European payments forum to discuss fintech, blockchains, Brexit
A debate on whether banks should fight or cooperate with financial technology (fintech) and blockchain technology news are some of the hot points on the programme of the planned 4th Annual European Payments Forum in Vienna on September 14-15, 2017. Continue Reading
Sberbank hires ex-Alfa-Bank investment chief to run international business
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank has hired a former chief of the investment arm of Russia’s Alfa-Bank, Igor Kolomeysky, to head Sberbank International, the unit that oversees the largest Russian lender’s business in 16 countries, employs more than 27,000 people and has about 15m clients. Continue Reading
ITI Group buys UK brokerage from Russia’s Uralsib financial corporation
By Andrei Skvarsky. ITI Group, an emerging markets brokerage focusing on technology and algorithmic trading, has bought a London-based brokerage from Russian financial corporation Uralsib. Continue Reading
Investors may find good opportunities in Commonwealth countries post-Brexit – adviser
By Andrei Skvarsky. A British investment adviser argues that Brexit could involve good investment opportunities in Commonwealth countries because “it’s a certainty” that Britain will seek more extensive trade with Commonwealth nations when it leaves the European Union. Continue Reading
Ex-SocGen banker hired to oversee Sberbank CIB sales to financial institutions
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank, Russia’s biggest lender, has hired ex-Societe Generale banker Alexei Poliakov to head the unit at its corporate and investment arm, Sberbank CIB, for sales of fixed-income instruments and derivatives to financial institutions in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Continue Reading
More Russians, CIS nationals invest in real estate abroad – Tranio broker
By Andrei Skvarsky. A 2016 survey by Moscow-based property broker Tranio suggests that, among Russians and other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nationals buying real estate abroad, the proportion of those doing this as a form of investment has grown significantly since 2014. Continue Reading