By Jamie Moulton, Senior Data Analyst at JustProperty.com, an online real estate listing portal headquartered in Dubai. Ever since the Emirate of Dubai won the right to hold Expo 2020 back in 2013, its capital, the city of Dubai, has been gearing up to benefit from this major event. The World Expo in Dubai is… Continue Reading
GUEST POST: Introducing bitcoin for SME payments – 7 tips
GUEST POST: Introducing bitcoin for SME payments – 7 tips By Mark Thomasson, business developer at Invoicebus, an online invoicing service based in Macedonia. Making payments on time and without any friction is one of the key elements in the world of business. As the power of the Internet is spreading to various fields, owners… Continue Reading
GUEST POST: The effect of virtual staging on real estate prices
GUEST POST: The effect of virtual staging on real estate prices By Jeena Wilson, Living room virtual staging by Spotless Agency Realtors are in a constant search of ways to sell real estate faster and for bigger money. Virtual staging is considered to be one of the following ways. Many realtors confirm the fact that… Continue Reading
Asia Frontier Capital (AFC) – August 2017 Newsletter
AFC Funds Performance Summary Major equity markets were mixed this past month while frontier markets generally fared well as the MSCI Frontier Markets Net Total Return USD Index gained +3.7% this month and is now up +22.4% YTD, while the MSCI Frontier Markets Asia Net Total Return USD added +1.9% this month and is up… Continue Reading
GUEST POST: How regeneration projects are affecting property investors
By Jessica Sullivan, commercial property adviser, UK. Regeneration and gentrification are often on the receiving end of much criticism, especially when locals are being priced out of the area. This has been a particularly delicate issue in London where developers are acquiring land or blocks of flats to knock down and build luxury developments on,… Continue Reading
FXPrimus launches trade in 5 cryptocurrencies
Online broker FXPrimus has launched trade in five cryptocurrencies – bitcoin, ethereum, Ripple, litecoin and Dash. Continue Reading
GUEST POST: Three reasons why you should trust digital currencies
By Dan Miller, payments officer in the Australian banking sector and contributor to Bizzmark Blog, a business journalism website. Even though it is clear that cryptocurrencies bring a ton of benefits to the table like lower transaction fees, immediate settlement, and the increased access options, there is still one significant downside to them. We are… Continue Reading
EM.me readers to get discount for attending London forum on insurance claims transformation
Executives from dozens of insurance companies are getting together at the Connected Claims Europe conference in London on October 24-25, 2017, to look for more efficient use of information and communication technology in handling insurance claims. EmergingMarkets.me readers would be eligible for a discount of 200 pounds sterling off the fee for attending the conference, which… Continue Reading
Bayut: Property investment in Dubai, Abu Dhabi profitable though rents, prices slide
By Andrei Skvarsky. UAE property portal Bayut.com says the real estate markets of Dubai and Abu Dhabi still showed a “consistently stable” return on investment (ROI), 4.9 per cent on average, in the first half of 2017 despite an overall, albeit minor, decline in rents and prices in both cities. Continue Reading
Russia’s ITI Group Buys Out UK’s Walbrook Capital Markets
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russian financial services company ITI Group has bought out Walbrook Capital Markets, a London-based multi-asset brokerage that provides access to a range of electronic trading platforms and telephone services. Continue Reading
Russia-upbeat multinational buys Moscow packaging maker – Moorgate Capital
By Andrei Skvarsky. Smurfit Kappa, a Dublin-headquartered multinational packaging manufacturer, has boosted its presence in Russia by buying out a Moscow-based packaging producer, according to British financial adviser Moorgate Capital. Continue Reading
US family offices to discuss future of private wealth management sector at December forum
Heads of major US single- and multi-family offices will convene in Las Vegas on December 3-5 for Private Wealth Management Summit Fall 2017 to look at the future of the industry in North America. The Summit, organised by global events management company marcus evans, will bring together senior investment executives responsible for fund management and asset allocation… Continue Reading
GUEST POST: World out of whack: Ruskies, sanctions, and Bitcoin – coincidence?
By Capitalist Exploits. Hands up if you’ve got kids. Continue Reading
GUEST POST: Five common mistakes of first-time house flips
By Jeffrey Kershner, Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Clickinvest, an Illinois-based real estate sourcing platform for investors. Perhaps you have seen one of the dozens of house flipping shows now on TV, or maybe you attended a seminar at the local hotel ballroom. Either way, you’re ready to give real estate investing a try.… Continue Reading
ITI Capital hires ex-top manager at Liquidnet John Barker as non-executive chairman
By Andrei Skvarsky. ITI Capital, a London-based brokerage that used to be a British subsidiary of Russian bank Uralsib, has announced it has hired John Barker, a former head of international at New York-headquartered global institutional equities marketplace Liquidnet, as non-executive chairman. Continue Reading
Two firms setting up $200m fund to help money-starved Russian fintechs
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