Businesses worldwide are embracing real-time payments to cut costs and stay competitive in a digital economy. Real-time payments (RTP) are rapidly transforming the way businesses move money, offering near-instant transfers that enable greater liquidity management and operational efficiency. Once primarily the domain of consumers, RTP—by which funds are sent and received in under 10 … Read more
Investment in AI is soaring, yet its real-world utility is still evolving, with many viewing it as an emerging technology. While the financial sector has been using artificial intelligence in one form or another for several years, the recent uptick in AI-related activity and investment is sharpening the focus on how far and fast these … Read more
Change fatigue can strain employees and organizations, and it is getting worse. To reduce the harm, companies are turning to more thoughtful, gradual strategies. The notion that “change is the only constant” dates all the way back to the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Heraclitus, some 2,500 years ago. But the pace of change in today’s business … Read more
Lenders across Europe are ramping up M&A efforts to scale operations, strengthen balance sheets, and navigate an evolving financial landscape. The European banking sector is experiencing a wave of consolidation as institutions seek to bolster their market position, expand their asset base, and improve returns. With interest rates stabilizing and capital reserves at healthy levels, … Read more
The executive order to create America’s first sovereign wealth fund has sparked debate over its governance, transparency, and potential impact on global markets. US President Donald Trump announced last week the creation of the first American sovereign wealth fund. He had pledged during his campaign to pursue such a policy, but this time, he formalized … Read more
Housing markets in a number of countries have in recent years shown a puzzling kind of behaviour, where an apparent shortage of homes is accompanied by an unusually low transaction rate. People need houses, but they aren’t buying them. A good example is Canada. In 2023 it saw a population increase of 3.2 percent, the … Read more
  Author: Graham Jarvis, Features Writer Despite concerns about a tougher outlook, many of the Eurozone’s biggest banks beat second quarter earnings expectations. Reuters says they have benefited from high interest rates and “bumper investment bank business,” even though their shares were held back. Shares may be lower than anticipated because of business performance – … Read more
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) with Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda as new yen banknotes are issued  Author: Jemima Hunter, Features Writer It may be overshadowed by the US dollar or euro, but the yen is the world’s third most traded currency, accounting for 13 percent of global foreign exchange transactions in 2022. … Read more
or Apple and Google, September 10, 2024 was a judicial bloodbath. For the EU’s regulatory apparatus, a rare victory in its war against big tech. The European Court of Justice ruled that Apple should pay €13bn in back taxes to the Irish tax authorities, while Google failed to overturn a €2.4bn fine over abuse of … Read more