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Asian banks ramp up regional expansion drives

Asian banks ramp up regional expansion drives

Banks in developed Asian economies are increasingly looking to acquire stakes and broaden their franchises in emerging economies around the region, as they contend with saturated local markets, low interest rates and constrained domestic growth prospects. Leading banks in Japan, South Korea and Singapore have stepped up their offshore expansion strategies over the past few … Read more

Roaring 20s for SPACs? | World Finance

Roaring 20s for SPACs? | World Finance

Even for a ‘super-app,’ the announcement was astounding, sending shockwaves through global markets. On April 13, Grab, a Singapore-based tech powerhouse that started as a ride-hailing app and has since branched out into banking, hospitality, insurance and other services, announced that it would join the latest Wall Street frenzy, going public on Nasdaq via a … Read more

A new era for GCC digital banking -

A new era for GCC digital banking –

The Banker Portfolio encompasses: An essential and trusted resource providing economical and financial intelligence for the world’s financial sector; premium editorial excellence striving to stimulate and inform Detailed regulatory and policy insight for the banking and securities market, analysing the major rules from the formulation stage and explaining their aims and likely impact on a … Read more

HSBC steps up Asia shift with Singaporean insurance acquisition

HSBC steps up Asia shift with Singaporean insurance acquisition

HSBC’s $575m acquisition of insurance giant Axa’s Singapore arm, which was announced on August 16, represents a ramping up of the bank’s ambitious ‘pivot to Asia’ strategy. As part of this strategy, HSBC is also looking to expand its wealth management services across the region. The UK-based banking group plans to invest $6bn in Asia … Read more

Money, money, money | World Finance

Money, money, money | World Finance

In June 2020, University of Oxford Professor Ludovic Phalippou caused a ruckus in the private equity (PE) world when he alleged that the industry is nothing but a “billionaire’s factory.” A diehard PE critic, Ludovic has become something of a champion of the alternative view regarding PE. He has interrogated the performance of PE investments, … Read more

Teaming up to fight financial crime -

Teaming up to fight financial crime –

The Banker Portfolio encompasses: An essential and trusted resource providing economical and financial intelligence for the world’s financial sector; premium editorial excellence striving to stimulate and inform Detailed regulatory and policy insight for the banking and securities market, analysing the major rules from the formulation stage and explaining their aims and likely impact on a … Read more

Akwa Ibom: the making of a Nigerian enterprise State

Akwa Ibom: the making of a Nigerian enterprise State

Since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999, the Republic has enjoyed enormous progress on account of democratic governance to varying degrees across all tiers of government. In Akwa Ibom State, it has been an admixture of accomplishments and a trailblazing catalogue of milestones in social, economic and political domains. This has made the State … Read more

UK mulls pros and cons of scrapping bonus cap

UK mulls pros and cons of scrapping bonus cap

UK chancellor Rishi Sunak has been under pressure from investment banks to scrap the cap on bankers’ bonuses amid claims it could put London at a competitive disadvantage. The cap, which sets a limit on bonuses at two times salary, was introduced across the EU in 2013 in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, … Read more

The airline that remained resilient during the pandemic

The airline that remained resilient during the pandemic

&nbsp Author: József Váradi, CEO, Wizz Air Group August 13, 2021 A relative upstart in the industry, the 17-year-old low-cost carrier opted to push on with an expansion plan while closely watching the pennies. First though, the team led by founder and chief executive József Váradi moved fast to take remedial action. “Wizz Air gave … Read more