By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank has launched a single electronic brokerage platform for institutional clients that gives them access to all key Russian and international floors for financial instrument trading. Continue Reading
Retirement Products and How They Work
Retirement products (like provident funds, pension funds and retirement annuities) all come with various benefits and restrictions, thus it is important to understand how they work so that you can choose the one that is right for you. Your investment return in retirement products comes from underlying investments such as unit trusts. These need time… Continue Reading
Individuals withdraw $479bn from Russia between 2016 and 2017 – Tranio, central bank
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russian individuals withdrew $479bn from Russia between 2006 and 2017, taking the money to 257 foreign countries and territories, Russian real estate broker Tranio said, citing Russia’s central bank. Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: Some of RenCap’s traditional products offer crypto market access – senior manager
By Andrei Skvarsky. Legislative gaps prevent Russians from pursuing full-scale cryptocurrency business, yet Russian banks have been finding legally safe ways of access to cryptocurrency markets in meeting growing client demand – Renaissance Capital, for one, sells traditional products that offer exposure to the crypto world. Continue Reading
BlockShow study: Switzerland Europe’s most cryptocurrency-friendly country
By Andrei Skvarsky. Switzerland is Europe’s most cryptocurrency- and blockchain-friendly country, according to a study carried out in the framework of BlockShow Europe 2018, a planned flagship conference on blockchain technology in Berlin on May 28-29. Continue Reading
BlockShow attendees to be able to use blockchain-based voting app
By Andrei Skvarsky. Those attending BlockShow Europe 2018, a planned conference on blockchain on May 28-29, will be able to use a blockchain-based application for voting to compile rankings of women executives and companies that have made outstanding achievements in blockchain development. Continue Reading
“Hypersmart contract” creator ORS hopes to raise nearly $30m via ICO
By Andrei Skvarsky. ORS Group, a software company that claims to have developed a modernised type of smart contract, the “hypersmart contract (HSC)”, by connecting artificial intelligence to blockchain, hopes to raise €25m ($29.5m) through a current initial coin offering (ICO). Continue Reading
Renaissance Capital hires utilities analyst for Russia, Europe, Africa
By Andrei Skvarsky. Investment bank Renaissance Capital has hired Sergey Beiden, a former senior strategist at Russian electricity generator Quadra, as utilities analyst for Russia, Africa and European emerging markets. Continue Reading
FXPrimus accuses company of stealing its branding for ICO
By Andrei Skvarsky. Foreign exchange broker FXPrimus has accused a company that has “no association” with it is of unauthorised use of its branding for a planned initial coin offering (ICO). Continue Reading
Cross-border pension plan among matters to be discussed at Europe pension forum
European Union officials, bankers, lawyers, academics and others are getting together at a pan-European conference on May 17-18 to discuss developments in and plans for Europe’s pension industry. Continue Reading
Wikipedia co-founder Wales to address BlockShow Europe conference
Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales will be among the more than 80 speakers addressing an anticipated audience of over 3,000 at BlockShow Europe 2018, a planned conference on blockchain on May 28-29, according to a statement from the BlockShow company, the forum’s organiser. Continue Reading
BlockShow Europe ticket price rising but EM.me readers still qualify for discount
As we warned in an article on March 30, tickets for BlockShow Europe 2018, a planned major conference in Berlin on May 28-29 on blockchain developments, are going up in price by 30 per cent as of April 26. Continue Reading
RenCap hires ex-Deutsche researcher Ivan Kachkovski as equity analyst
By Andrei Skvarsky. Renaissance Capital, a Moscow-based investment bank with global operations, has hired Ivan Kachkovski, formerly a senior researcher at Deutsche Bank, as an equity analyst for Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States and emerging Europe. Continue Reading
Renaissance Capital reports robust performance for 2017
By Andrei Skvarsky. Renaissance Capital, a Moscow-based privately owned investment bank focusing on emerging and frontier markets all over the world, has reported robust performance for 2017, including a year-on-year net profit increase of 43 per cent. Continue Reading
Russia’s RenCap hires Ahmed Hafez as head of MENA research
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russian investment bank Renaissance Capital has hired Ahmed Hafez as head of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) research. Continue Reading
EU pension issues, risk and collateral management aspects to be discussed at forums
Various issues in the European pension industry, in risk management, and in collateral management will be addressed at conferences this May organised by event manager Global Leading Conferences (GLC). Continue Reading
Insurers to hold two key conferences in London in June
Insurance Nexus, a London-based research and event organisation company, is planning two key conferences on European insurance for June 2018, both of which will take place in London. Continue Reading
Cryptocurrencies, blockchain among subjects to be raised at Cbonds-organised forum in London
Cryptocurrencies and blockchain, which are the “in-thing” in financial markets across the world today, will be among numerous subjects to be raised at the VII Cbonds Emerging Markets Bond Conference in London on April 19-20, organised by St Petersburg-based financial information company Cbonds. Continue Reading
Russian investors warming to South Africa – govt agency
By Andrei Skvarsky. There is considerable and growing interest among Russian companies in investing in South Africa, according to a study based on surveys and cited by a South African government agency responsible for managing the country’s global reputation. Continue Reading
BlockShow Europe 2018 blockchain forum to bring together 3,000 people
BlockShow Europe 2018 is a planned conference in Berlin on May 28-29 at which more than 3,000 people will look at innovations and trends in the European and global blockchain scenes. Continue Reading
London forum to discuss fixed income business in emerging markets
About 200 financiers are expected to come together for an annual conference in London on April 19-20 to discuss anticipated developments and investment opportunities in fixed income markets in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Ukraine, Russia, other member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Caucasus region. Continue Reading
COMMENT: Russian govt to deny cryptocurrencies are money in apparent plan to prevent legal quandaries
By Andrei Skvarsky. The Russian government is apparently resorting to verbal manipulation to rule out legal quagmires that might arise if a Russian bill of December 2017 to allow cryptocurrency deals becomes law – problems that could be caused by the rouble’s status as the only legal tender within Russia. Continue Reading
Sovcombank-Rosevrobank merger expected to create one of Russia’s top 3 private banks
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s Sovcombank and Rosevrobank have agreed to merge in a deal that will bring into being what is expected to be one of Russia’s top three private banks by assets and capital. Continue Reading
Vienna training session looking at new Basel standards for banking book interest rate risk management
A current training session in Vienna is focusing on revised standards for banking book interest rate risk management as set out in paper D368 of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS), which was published in April 2016. Continue Reading
Microsoft, VISA, banks to ponder digitisation of Azerbaijan banking at Baku forum
Microsoft, VISA, SWIFT and many banks will take part in a planned international conference in Azerbaijan in April this year that will discuss an Azeri government strategy to digitise the oil-rich country’s banking and financial sectors. Continue Reading
All of Lowell’s UK business to be captained by ex-Bank of America risk manager
By Andrei Skvarsky. Debt recovery company Lowell has hired John Peers, an ex-consumer risk manager at Bank of America, as chief executive of its British operation. Continue Reading
Blockchain’s entry into emerging markets put on London forum agenda
Blockchain will be among numerous subjects to be raised at a large-scale annual forum on emerging markets on March 9-10 that has been organised by the Students’ Union of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE SU). Continue Reading
Vienna training to focus on internal audit, landmark EU financial legislation
Internal audit in the banking industry and a European Union directive that has been described by Bloomberg as the “broadest piece of financial industry legislation ever” will be in the focus of two training sessions in Vienna on March 8-9 for financial market participants. Continue Reading
Blockchain technology, bitcoin on European payments forum agenda
Blockchain technology and bitcoin will be among the wide range of subjects to be raised at the 5th Annual European Payments Forum to be held in Amsterdam on March 1-2. Continue Reading