The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has appointed, Francis Malige to the new position of Managing Director for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. {{{?}}} Mr Malige assumed his role 1 May. He is responsible for leading the Bank’s operations in Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Initially based in London, he will be relocating to Kiev later in the… Continue Reading
Category Archives: News
Qiwi top executives make $30m and entrepreneurial experience available to Russian start-ups
In late April Andrei Romanenko, a top executive at Russian payment giant Qiwi, announced the launch of Run Capital, a venture fund targeting Russian tech start-ups at the pre-seed and seed stages. {{{?}}} The $30m fund will able to provide young Russian entrepreneurs with much more than just financial support, East-West Digital News, the first… Continue Reading
EBRD steps up lending to Ukraine as part of international support package
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is significantly increasing its public sector lending in Ukraine as it joins in the response of the international community to support the Ukrainian economy. {{{?}}} In a project financed together with the European Investment Bank, the EBRD is providing a €200 million loan to finance the modernisation… Continue Reading
Execute a flawless career change
{{{?}}} Landing a new job is challenging enough. If you’re also trying to break into executive management, switch industries or functions, or reenter the workforce after a prolonged hiatus – success depends on a comprehensive job search strategy. To help you devise and execute your strategy, Ivy Exec is providing Emerging Markets Investment Professionals Network… Continue Reading
GUEST COMMENT: On the road to Donetsk?
By Tyler Hawkins Sunshine, PhD World War III is certainly not looming and any fallout from recent events in the Ukraine will only have a short-lived effect on capital markets in Russia, let alone the rest of the world. {{{?}}} Russian equity indices and credit default swaps are trading at the lower end of the… Continue Reading
Russia expects its own chip for bank cards as early as 2015
{{{?}}} Pursuing the goal of setting up its own payment operation and clearing centers to circumvent US-based Visa and MasterCard, Russia may have its own homemade chip for banking cards as early as next year. According to East-West Digital News, the first all English-language online resource dedicated to Russian digital industries, citing the Russian business daily… Continue Reading
Sberbank CIB opens second RUB 6.8 bln line of credit for INTECO Group
{{{?}}} Sberbank CIB1 has signed an agreement with INTECO Group on the financing of construction of the 146,000 sq. m “Liner – Zapad” Multifunctional Complex in the Khodynskoe Polye neighbourhood. This line of credit totals RUB 6.8 bln. The agreement was signed for a period of 4.5 years. On behalf of Sberbank CIB this deal was structured… Continue Reading
Microsoft supports Moscow University-based computer vision and big data research
{{{?}}} Microsoft and Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia’s most renowned institution of higher learning, shook hands earlier this month on a joint $1m research project, East-West Digital News, the first all English-language online resource dedicated to Russian digital industries, reported last week, citing a press release from the US company. The three-year agreement calls for close collaboration… Continue Reading
EBRD channels $40 million to support Ukrainian grain farmers
{{{?}}} The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is once again demonstrating its commitment to Ukraine’s agribusiness sector, which received over €160 million from the Bank in 2013 alone. The EBRD is providing a loan of up to US$ 40 million to over 30 farms and elevators across Ukraine owned by NCH New Europe… Continue Reading
Renaissance Capital makes net profit of $14m for FY13
By Andrei Skvarsky. Renaissance Capital, one of Russia’s leading privately-owned investment banks, has reported a net profit of $14.09m for fiscal year 2013 after losses it had been sustaining before its takeover by billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov’s Onexim group a year ago. {{{?}}} RenCap lost $378.24m for fiscal year 2012, the Moscow-based bank said in a… Continue Reading
Post-Crimea capital outflow huge threat to Russian growth – minister
By Andrei Skvarsky. With a boost given by the international political aftermath of Moscow’s annexation of Crimea, capital outflow threatens to drastically slow Russia’s economic growth, with recession not unlikely, the economics minister has warned. {{{?}}} An estimated $60bn has been taken out of Russia since the start of 2014, about as much as for… Continue Reading
IronFX brokerage: dollar likely to bounce soon after decline
By Andrei Skvarsky. Online broker IronFX Global says the US dollar’s slide on March 13 is likely to be short-lived because of the escalating Ukrainian crisis. {{{?}}} The dollar’s downturn against all the G10 currencies and 15 principal emerging market currencies is the effect of a risk-on sentiment that took shape the day before, according… Continue Reading
Sberbank says anti-hacking operation saves client money
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank has said its security operatives have helped to prevent the theft of “tens of millions of rubles” from clients of Russia’s biggest lender by foiling a hacking scheme. {{{?}}} An operation by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the Sberbank security department and Russian computer security company Kaspersky Lab resulted in the… Continue Reading
Deutsche Börse analysts: business optimism in Russia rises
By Andrei Skvarsky. A survey by a Deutsche Börse research subsidiary has shown growing optimism among Russian companies for the second consecutive month in February, but the think tank largely attributes this to the Sochi Olympics and warns the upturn may not last. {{{?}}} MNI Indicators, which is owned by the German stock exchange, said… Continue Reading
Credit Bank of Moscow gets top accolade for asset quality control
By Andrei Skvarsky. Credit Bank of Moscow (CBM), one of Russia’s leading universal privately owned lenders, has won the top award for asset quality control in a competition arranged by Russian rating agency Expert RA and based on a survey of more than 700 companies and banks. {{{?}}} CBM, which received the accolade at the… Continue Reading
Oracle Capital launches advisory service on investment in art
By Andrei Skvarsky. Oracle Capital, a global multi-family office and wealth consultancy, has launched an advisory service on the purchase and maintenance of fine art collections. {{{?}}} A panel of experts would advise on specific paintings and art periods and movements, and address key valuation issues such as trends, authenticity and emerging art markets, the… Continue Reading
Sberbank book of maps takes “fresh look” at Russian economy
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank is bringing out a book of maps in which Russia’s biggest lender takes “a fresh look at each of the major market sectors in Russia”. {{{?}}} “Russia Book of Maps 2014 – The Heart of Eurasia” is a collection of maps going region by region and containing macroeconomic information and data… Continue Reading
EBRD co-arranges forum to discuss Armenia capital markets
By Andrei Skvarsky. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and NASDAQ OMX were co-organisers of an international conference last week that pondered ways of building more vibrant capital markets in Armenia. {{{?}}} The event, held in Tsakhkadzor, Armenia, brought together more than 100 delegates who represented commercial and central banks, potential issuers of… Continue Reading
EAST CAPITAL COMMENT: Was January’s emerging markets scare justified?
By Peter Elam Hakansson, Chairman and Head of Public Equity investment team, East Capital.* The first month of the year turned out to be a very difficult one for emerging markets, with a fear of tapering by the US Federal reserve and a slowdown of the Chinese economy leading to a sharp sell-off of emerging… Continue Reading
Russia’s RenCap hosts 5th pan-Africa investor conference
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s Renaissance Capital has opened its fifth annual pan-Africa investor conference in Lagos. {{{?}}} This year’s conference brings together about 400 guests, including 200 investors representing global and frontier funds. The delegates also include senior managers from some of Africa’s largest companies and senior government figures, among them Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi… Continue Reading
Coutts: luxuries up 77% in value since 2005, outdoing shares
By Andrei Skvarsky. Royal Bank of Scotland-owned lender Coutts argues that a vintage car, posh apartment or sumptuous watch that you would have bought in 2005 might bring you twice as much as you paid for it, or even more, if you sold it today. {{{?}}} Classic cars have rocketed 257%, classic watches 176% and… Continue Reading
Turkey’s Akbank says got through tough year with flying colours
By Andrei Skvarsky. Akbank, one of the biggest Turkish lenders, has reported robust performance for 2013 with its total assets growing 20% despite capital outflows from emerging markets and abysmally low interest rates in many countries, including Turkey. {{{?}}} The total assets of the Istanbul-based firm, which The Banker, Euromoney, World Finance, and Global Banking… Continue Reading
Sberbank chiefs talk to analysts
By Andrei Skvarsky. Top executives of Sberbank have spoken to more than 25 researchers from various investment banks at an annual meeting between the management of Russia’s largest lender and banking analysts. {{{?}}} Deputy chief executive Alexander Morozov briefed the audience on key projections for Sberbank’s performance this year. “The main priority of Sberbank is… Continue Reading
RenCap hires Merrill banker for senior Europe sales job
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russian brokerage Renaissance Capital has hired Amr Aboushaban from Bank of America Merrill Lynch as vice-president in its equities sales team. {{{?}}} Aboushaban’s main responsibility will be client coverage in London and across Europe, but his duties will include helping to build out coverage in the Middle East and North Africa, RenCap… Continue Reading
Abraaj chief concurs with thesis that BRIC obsolete term
By Andrei Skvarsky. Facts that the chief executive of Dubai-based investment firm Abraaj cites in a recent article corroborate the thesis of British bank Coutts that BRIC is an obsolete concept. {{{?}}} Both Abraaj CEO Arif Naqfi and Coutts analysts argue that the economic performance of Brazil, Russia, India and China has ceased to make… Continue Reading
Tajikistan central bank debuts in Moscow Exchange forex market
By Andrei Skvarsky. Tajikistan’s central bank has begun to trade in Moscow Exchange’s forex market, clinching its first deal on January 20. {{{?}}} The National Bank is not Tajikistan’s first bank to gain access to Moscow Exchange’s forex trade. Early last month the Eskhata commercial lender was let into the market. The National Bank of… Continue Reading
Russia may switch clocks back for winter
By Andrei Skvarsky. A draft law has been introduced to Russia’s parliament to restore the practice of moving the clocks one hour forward in the spring and one hour back in the autumn, Russian media said on Monday. {{{?}}} The proposed law is bound to be hailed by stock exchange traders in the West who… Continue Reading
VTB makes clean break with Fitch over "lack of professionalism”
By Andrei Skvarsky. VTB Group, Russia’s second-largest bank, announced on Tuesday that it was severing all its relations with Fitch Ratings because of the rating agency’s “continued lack of professionalism”. {{{?}}} The move followed Fitch’s lowering VTB’s issuer-default rating one level on January 10, which the bank argued was groundless, claiming the agency had had… Continue Reading
Moscow Exchange reports 24% trade volume increase for 2013
By Andrei Skvarsky. Moscow Exchange has said its trading volumes grew 24% last year, reaching 46.6 trillion rubles ($1.4 trillion). {{{?}}} All of the exchange’s units – its trading floors for stocks, Russian depositary receipts (RDRs), corporate and government bonds and derivatives, and its forex and money markets – recorded volume increases, the bourse, which… Continue Reading