Covid-19 pandemic requires firms to re-imagine their tech
Banks came into the Covid-19 global recession with far stronger capital and liquidity buffers than on the eve of the financial crisis 12 years ago, but profitability has been poor even during the recent benign years of low defaults and...
Citi steps up direct aid to buy ventilators in Kenya
“This pandemic will change a lot of things in terms of how people approach crises in the future,” Citi’s chief executive for Kenya and east Africa, Martin Mugambi, tells Euromoney. Already working with the central bank to offer loan extensions...
EIB directs support to women and SMEs in Africa
Source: EIB Female-run businesses in Africa may be hardest hit by coronavirus, which is why the European response needs to focus on initiatives to help them, the European Investment Bank says, and it must tailor emergency packages to assist small...
Coronavirus and finance: Living through history
“History never looks like history when you’re living through it.” So claimed John Gardner, who was secretary of health, education and welfare during the administration of US president Lyndon B Johnson. It is hard to imagine any health secretary agreeing...
Supply shift from food services to supermarkets brings new risks for transaction banks
In the UK, supermarkets have started to remove purchase limits on essential items as food hoarding behaviour abates. Yes, online delivery slots remain elusive, but perhaps the fact that shelves are stacked with toilet roll and tinned tomatoes once again...
Coronavirus: Digital banking is no longer optional
Quarantine and social distancing in Tokyo: now is the moment for mobile and online banking to shine Those looking for levity at this difficult time might enjoy an old joke: the world can be divided into three groups, those who...
Inside Grab: Where southeast Asia’s most ambitious fintech goes next
On Tuesday, Grab Financial Group, the fintech attached to the southeast Asian ride-hailing and food delivery leader, announced a set of new products and services from investment to insurance to third-party lending. None of them, individually, is truly a game-changer....
Making treasury great again: Covid-19 will put cashflows into the boardroom
Corporate treasuries, which were already evolving before the coronavirus crisis struck companies around the world, are set for a quicker shake-up as the providers of goods and services realise that central visibility on cashflow and credit will be vital in...
Intesa Sanpaolo’s UBI Banca takeover faces hurdles
Intesa Sanpaolo chief executive Carlo Messina Will Intesa Sanpaolo’s attempt to merge with UBI Banca hasten a long-awaited wave of bank consolidation in Italy – perhaps even at the hands of UBI, if the Intesa takeover falls through? UBI and...
Oil-price volatility exposes risk differentials of top producers
With oil prices now hovering around $40/barrel, the market has much improved from its low point in April, assisted by Opec-inspired production cuts from May through to the end of June. Demand has increased, with economies reopening and vehicle usage...