Retail News CRM

Tag: Banking

  • DBS Mulls Crypto Exchange Launch

    DBS Mulls Crypto Exchange Launch

    DBS’ plans for a digital exchange are still work in process, and have not received regulatory approvals. Until such time as approvals are in place, no further announcements will be made. DBS is planning to launch a crypto exchange that will allow four digital currencies – Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Etheerum, and Ripple – to trade against the Singapore dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Japanese yen or U.S. dollar, according to a report by digital asset media firm The Block. 

    Dubbed DBS Digital Exchange, the initiative was first unveiled through a website seen by The Block which cached the now removed website.

    Regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the crypt exchange will be made accessible to institutional investors, including financial institutions and market makers. Retail investors will have access via DBS entities like their securities or private banking arm.

    While most exchanges can execute orders at any time and any day, DBS will similarly follow the same trading hours as stock exchanges, allowing for less than seven hours per day, according to the report.

    In addition to standard trading, the bank will also provide institutional-grade custody solutions for safekeeping digital assets and, in due time, conduct security token offerings to help small and medium-sized firms raise funds.

    Digital assets are poised to be the future of tomorrow’s digital economy, the website originally read.

    With DBS Digital Exchange, a bank-backed digital exchange, companies, and investors can now leverage an integrated ecosystem of solutions to tap the vast potential of private markets and digital currencies.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Revolut Ramps Up Growth Efforts in Singapore

    Revolut Ramps Up Growth Efforts in Singapore

    The fintech hopes to build on the momentum it has gained amid the social and economic challenges brought about by the pandemic.

    Revolut Singapore has made a number of additions to its growing team in Singapore bring onboard digital strategist Sam Chui as marketing manager and media specialist Deborah Tan-Pink as communications manager.

    Chui joins from local marketing agency GoodStuph, while Tan-Pink resigns from her role as CEO of an edtech startup to join the company. She previously spent more than 10 years in lifestyle publishing, including a stint as editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan Singapore. The pair will report to Pam Chuang, Revolut Singapore’s head of growth.

    Our hiring strategy is to attract top talents in the region with great expertise in specific fields. Both Deborah and Sam have on-ground knowledge of the Singapore market when it comes to our target customers, Chuang said about the new hires.

    The total number of e-commerce transactions among Revolut customers more than doubled during Singapore’s «circuit breaker» period earlier this year. Contactless payments also grew by 30 percent, and now comprises 90 percent of its transactions, Tan-Pink said.

    Revolut is currently seeing a recovery in in-store spending, particularly for restaurant dining, with close to 3x growth in total transactions. Year to date, our daily active people figure is close to pre-Covid levels and we are poised to grow this number further this quarter and into 2021, she said.

    The company said it has enjoyed «very positive momentum» since its launch one year ago, with over 70,000 customers, of which 65 percent are Singaporeans. The average age of the Revolut customer in Singapore is 35 and some three-quarters of its active customers use the Revolut card for e-commerce purchases, it noted.

    The company is preparing to bring Revolut Junior to the market in the last quarter of 2020, and expects a full roll-out of Revolut Business at end of the first quarter next year.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • HSBC Restructures Further and Faster

    HSBC Restructures Further and Faster

    HSBC will accelerate and expand restructure, despite beating analyst forecast with $3.1 billion of profit before tax in the third quarter. Profits were down $1.8 billion (37 percent) compared to the same period last year, according to the latest earnings release, supported by reducing risky credit and continued cost management. Year-to-date, the London-headquartered bank generated $9.9 billion in profit before tax.

    These were promising results against a backdrop of the continuing impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy, said group chief executive Noel Quinn.

    I’m pleased with the significantly lower credit losses in the quarter, and we are moving at pace to adapt our business model to a protracted low-interest-rate environment.

    Moving forward, the bank will focus on three main strategic priorities: growth acceleration in Asia continued digitalization, and further restructuring.

    On the latter area, the bank is looking to speed up and expand the initiative after saving $600 million in costs this year and shedding 10,000 jobs since the third quarter last year. U.S. and Europe are also restructuring and are also on pace to meet their 2022 targets. We are accelerating the transformation of the Group, moving our focus from interest-rate sensitive business lines towards fee-generating businesses, and further reducing our operating costs, Quinn said. We also intend to increase our rate of investment in Asia, particularly in wealth, the Greater Bay Area, south Asia, trade finance, and sustainable finance.

    According to Quinn, ECL charge for 2020 is trending lower towards the $8-13 billion range but he notes that current guidance makes the assumption that further significant economic deterioration is unlikely.

    In addition, he also highlighted geopolitical risks including U.S.-China tensions as well as uncertainties linked to Brexit.

    We expect lower global interest rates to continue to put pressure on net interest income, Quinn said. Based on current interest rates, we expect further modest net interest income headwinds in 4Q20, with some stabilization as we move into 2021.

    Lees ook:

  • Fintech Launches Low-Cost Customizable Portfolio

    Fintech Launches Low-Cost Customizable Portfolio

    Digital wealth manager Endowus’ new product allows investors to build customizable portfolios with direct access to a selection of low-cost funds.

    The Fund Smart platform, launched Thursday, allows investors to directly access institutional share-class and trailer-free funds using cash, CPF, and Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS) funds.

    The platform’s curated model portfolios include an ultra-defensive fixed income portfolio that prioritizes capital preservation, flexible cash management solutions, as well as thematic and sector-focused portfolios such as ESG environment, social, governance (ESG) or socially responsible investing (SRI) funds, Shariah-compliant funds, and thematic funds.

    People struggle with too many options – a growing array of platforms, and far too many funds to choose from with confusing fee structures,» Samuel Rhee, Endowus chairman and chief investment officer, explained in the announcement.

    According to the company, Fund Smart was developed based on a survey of more than 700 investors that focused on their preferences and behavior patterns. Some 71.6 percent of respondents indicated a desire to customize their investment portfolios, with lower incurred costs (84 percent) and the flexibility to choose funds from specific geographies or sectors (74.5 percent) as key considerations.

    We want our clients to experience the same quality of advice we have provided with our core portfolio products, but now with greater flexibility, Rhee said.

    Fund Smart has no sales fees, no transaction fees, no lock-ups, and full trailer fee rebates, along with automated rebalancing and regular savings plans capabilities.

    Lees ook:

  • Banks maintain profit growth but bad debts rise

    Banks maintain profit growth but bad debts rise

    Most banks reported profit growth in the first nine months, but bad debts posted a double-digit rise due to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. VPBank saw its pre-tax profits surge by nearly 30 percent year-on-year to VND9.4 trillion ($402.75 million) as it managed to cut operating costs by nearly 6 percent. But its bad and doubtful debts rose by 15 percent to over VND10 trillion.

    Military Bank’s profits rose by nearly 7 percent to VND8.13 trillion while its bad and doubtful debts rose by 39 percent.

    ACB’s profits were up nearly 15 percent at VND6.41 trillion while bad and doubtful debts rose by 71 percent.

    But some banks also reported declines in profits.

    Vietcombank continued to be the most profitable, but its pre-tax profit fell by over 17 percent to VND15.96 trillion as revenues remained flat or declined but it had to hike provisions for bad debt by 25 percent.

    Bad and doubtful debts were up 15 percent to nearly VND7.9 trillion.

    Sacombank’s profits fell by nearly 7 percent to VND2.33 trillion as provisions for bad debts rose by nearly 70 percent.

    Financial data provider FiinGroup had said in a report in July that the financial health of businesses and their ability to repay debts have declined and people’s incomes have dropped, and these factors could affect the quality of credit in the near future.

    As lenders gradually have to increase provisions for doubtful debts, their profits in the coming quarters could slump, it added.

    Lees ook:

  • UBS’s Sergio Ermotti Lines Up Wall Street Gig

    UBS’s Sergio Ermotti Lines Up Wall Street Gig

    Sergio Ermotti is returning to his roots in high finance – cashing in on a boom in a niche style of stock-listing with potentially huge payoffs.

    The long-standing CEO of UBS, Sergio Ermotti, isn’t abandoning Wall Street altogether when he leaves the wealth manager next week: He is listed as the chairman of a so-called black-check company, which is seeking to raise $350 million, from January 1, citing U.S. securities filings.

    The 60-year-old Swiss banker is a veteran City trader who began his career in investment banking in 1987 in equity derivatives and capital markets at Merrill Lynch. Ermotti, who is withdrawing from UBS altogether after he hands over to successor Ralph Hamers next week, already took a board job at Swiss Re, where he is poised to take over as chairman in April.

    Ermotti is the latest potent financial sponsor to put his name on a Spac, which has raised eyebrows for their opaque set-up, huge fees, and tendency to attract short-term shareholders versus long-term investors. The highest-paid banker in Europe, Ermotti has realized more than 50 million francs in pay since taking the helm at UBS in 2011.

    He is also passionate about the wealth manager’s prospects and apparently still a trader at heart: nearly two years ago, he doubled down with a $13 million personal bet on his own stock – effectively, one year’s pay worth of UBS shares. Ermotti is the biggest UBS shareholder in top management (4 million shares, or 0.2 percent voting rights).

    Once relegated to a corner of Wall Street, the blank-check playbook is to create a shell company, seek a public listing for it, and then use the money raised through the listing to merge with an actual business.

    The potentially lucrative special-purpose acquisition companies, or Spacs, have emerged primarily in the U.S. equity market. That is about to change: a Spac focused on European targets raised $600 million this month.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Line Launches Social Banking Platform in Thailand

    Line Launches Social Banking Platform in Thailand

    Thailand is the first market where Line has integrated banking services on its main mobile platform. Japan-based Line, which operates one of Thailand’s most popular social media platforms, has rolled out banking services in the kingdom in partnership with Kasikornbank.

    The Line BK service allows users to customers to transfer money, open savings accounts, apply for loans, and make payments directly from the messaging platform. It also promises high-interest rates for saving accounts and a range of banking services, including personal loans for freelancers and individuals without fixed incomes, according to an announcement on Tuesday.

    The company said it plans to expand banking services into other countries, including Japan, Taiwan, and Indonesia.

    The Line messaging app launched in 2011 and since then has grown into a diverse, global ecosystem that includes AI technology, fintech and more.

    In Thailand, LINE introduced its messenger service in 2012, and quickly grew into the country’s leading social media platform.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • UBS as Training Ground for Female Executives

    UBS as Training Ground for Female Executives

    Schwyzer Kantonalbank, one of the plethora of Swiss cantonal, or state, banks, has appointed a new female CEO. She joins the bank from banking giant UBS. The switch away from the big firm is not a first. Schwyzer Kantonalbank (SZKB) is early out of the starting block and has found a replacement for outgoing CEO Peter Hilfiker. Hilfiker is handing over responsibility for the bank at the end of March 2021 and will retire.

    Susanne Thellung has been selected as his successor. She joins from UBS, where she currently heads the business management corporate and institutional clients. From 2004 through 2018 Thellung was working for UBS Switzerland, including as regional head of all customer segments for the entire central Swiss region.

    She will be the first female head of a cantonal bank. These banks, typically owned by the regional tier of the Swiss state, have some catching up to do in respect to the representation of female top managers.

    In 2018, the share of female managers at 19 such banks was 45 percent. In the middle management though the share was 17 percent and among top managers, the number dropped to a paltry 9 percent, ie less than one in ten. The executive boards had 8 percent women, while 18 percent of supervisory board members was female, with 16 percent of the chairs taken by women. The background of Thellung comes as less of a surprise. UBS has a good reputation as a training ground for female managers. But, equally so, a perceived difficulty to tie the women to the bank. For a variety of reasons, they tend to leave earlier or later.

    One such example is Laura Meyer. She is managing director and head of digital distribution and analytics at UBS Switzerland. At the end of the year, Meyer will join Hotelplan, the travel agency of Swiss retail giant Migros. The company employs 2,100 staff and has sales of 1.54 billion Swiss francs.

    Another well-known case was Dagmar Kamber Borens. She first signed at the Swiss unit of Credit Suisse as chief operating officer (COO), before later joining Quintet, the private-banking group assembled by ex-UBS executive Juerg Zeltner.

    Kamber Borens had spent 17 years with UBS, having started in its private bank after her Ph.D. At the turn of the century, Kamber Borens joined the M&A-desk in London. For another four years, from 2004 through 2008, she worked in the personal staff of the chairman, before being appointed as chief of staff of the group finance.

    And sometimes they even retrace their steps and return to the fold. Simone Westerfeld (pictured below), who had been with the bank from 2000 to 2006 had then joined the University of St. Gallen. In 2015 she be CFO at Basler Kantonalbank and later had a spell as interim CEO of the bank (2018-2019).

    She has since rejoined UBS and received the position as deputy head of corporate and institutional clients international. There, she catered to the complex world of global corporate clients. In 2020, Westerfeld became head of personal banking, taking charge of the business with private clients for the bank in its home market of Switzerland.

    Lees ook:

  • StanChart Eyes Mainland Brokerage Business

    StanChart Eyes Mainland Brokerage Business

    Standard Chartered is reportedly applying for a brokerage license in China, joining its peers in the wave of foreign entry into the mainland market.

    Mainland’s securities watchdog, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), has accepted an application from Standard Chartered Hong Kong on October 10 to set up a securities firm in the market, according to a report from state-owned media Xinhua.

    According to Standard Chartered, the bank was looking to further develop onshore business through acquiring new licenses.

    Since Beijing made good on a trade deal signed with the U.S. to scrap foreign ownership caps on securities and mutual fund firms, foreign financial institutions from the U.S., Europe, Japan and Singapore have been rapidly seeking to establish a presence to capitalize on new opportunities. Within brokerage, Japan’s SBI was the most recent to express greater interest in the mainland’s sub-sector due in part to growing political instability in Hong Kong.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • BNP Paribas Nabs Lombard Odier’s Head of Asian Equities

    BNP Paribas Nabs Lombard Odier’s Head of Asian Equities

    BNP Paribas Asset Management hired a trio from Lombard Odier, including a new Hong Kong-based head of Asian equities.

    The French asset manager appointed Zhikai Chen as head of Asia equities, according to a statement, replacing Arthur Kwong who will leave the firm to pursue other opportunities. Chen will report to Guy Davies, global CIO for fundamental actives equities.

    Chen is a 20-year veteran in the financial industry with a wide range of experience including the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He was most recently with Lombard Odier where he was its head of Asia ex-Japan equities since 2012.

    Asian equities is an important asset class for our clients in the region, said Steven Billiet, APAC head of BNP Paribas Asset Management. We will also continue to focus on bringing our Asian equities capabilities to our international client base which is eager to leverage on the growth dynamic of Asia.

    Joining Chen from Lombard Odier are two portfolio managers, Jinwen Ouyang and Roxy Wong.

    Ouyang has 13 years of industry experience and was a portfolio manager for Asia at Lombard Odier. Previously, she had also worked with Value Partners and Société Générale.

    Wong has 20 years of markets and technology experience and was most recently a senior portfolio manager for Asia at Lombard Odier. Previously, she held various tech research roles with Mirae Asset, RCM and Bear Stearns.

    Lees ook:

  • Revolut Singapore Partners Income to Offer Insurance

    Revolut Singapore Partners Income to Offer Insurance

    Both platforms see customer empowerment and digitally-enabled collaborations as key to supporting customer needs. Snack by NTUC Income (Income) and Revolut Singapore will work together to incorporate lifestyle-based insurance offerings on Revolut’s digital banking app to provide more flexibility and boost customer empowerment in money management.

    Snack, launched in June, is a stackable, micro-insurance offering that embeds the purchase of coverage into daily activities. Its partners include Visa, EZLink, FoodPanda and more.

    The partnership with Snack layers insurance protection over our Revolut’s existing money management features and allows our customers access to micro-insurance products that are underwritten by NTUC Income. Customers will have the ability to purchase insurance products such as Term Life, Critical Illness and Personal Accident, with more products to be launched going forward, the announcement said. As part of the partnership, Revolut Singapore customers will also receive a one-time complimentary insurance coverage of S$500 ($367) when they sign up for an account on the Snack app.

    Snack’s modular approach to bite-sized insurance reimagines how people obtain and consume insurance. This provides tremendous flexibility in tailoring solutions based on the needs of customers and integrating it with partners’ platforms to create a unique experience, Peter Tay, Income chief digital officer, said.

    Revolut has reached over 70,000 signups in the republic since its launch one year ago. It has expanded its footprint this year with launches in the U.S., Australia and Japan. In the coming weeks, Revolut will be introducing fast and free top-ups using bank accounts and a prepaid debit card for children aged 7-17 to teach children to better manage money digitally.

    Lees ook:

  • UBS Poaches Tech Executive From Credit Suisse

    UBS Poaches Tech Executive From Credit Suisse

    UBS is nabbing a prominent technology executive from crosstown rival Credit Suisse. It is the second such hire in short order.

    The Swiss bank is poaching David Tobin from Credit Suisse as its head of risk technology, a source familiar with the hire said. A spokesman for UBS confirmed the hire.

    Tobin relocates to Zurich for the job, effective October 19 and reports to Julie Shapiro, the Swiss bank’s head of risk and financial technology. He is currently the head of Credit Suisse’s investment bank credit risk as well as technology chief in Poland.

    The hire marks is the second high-ranking technologist UBS has poached from Credit Suisse in recent months: the larger bank also poached Jason Shane, a ten-year Credit Suisse veteran, as its new head of compliance, regulatory, and governance technology earlier this year.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Standard Chartered Names Management Team for New Unit

    Standard Chartered Names Management Team for New Unit

    Announced in March, the Financing and Securities Services (FSS) unit brings together Securities Services (previously under Transaction Banking) and Portfolio Risk Management in the Financial Markets business.

    Standard Chartered Bank on Thursday named its FSS management team, who will support Singapore-based co-heads Margaret Harwood-Jones and Emmanuel Ramambason.

    Members of the FSS senior management team include:

    • Francois Verlaine – Regional Head, FSS, ASEAN & South Asia
    • Simon Kellaway – Regional Head, FSS, Greater China & North Asia
    • Luke Brereton – Global Head, FSS Sales and Business Development
    • Ryan Cuthbertson – Global Head, FSS Products
    • Liu Chee Wei – Head, Central Funding Desk and XVA, ASEAN & South Asia, Greater China & North Asia
    • Sam Phillips – Head, Central Funding Desk and XVA, Africa & Middle East, Europe & Americas
    • Madeleine Senior – Regional Head, FSS, Europe & Americas
    • Scott Dickinson – Regional Head, FSS, Africa & Middle East
    • Marten Bengt – Head, Modelling and Analytics Group
    • Tan Ying Ying – Chief Operating Officer, FSS

    The reorganization aims for the bank to become more client-centric and having targeted and integrated engagement with clients across various solutions and services, Standard Chartered said.

    Separately, the bank announced the addition of independent non-executive director Maria Ramos, with effect January 1, 2021.

    Based in South Africa, Ramos was chief executive officer of ABSA Group (previously Barclays Africa) from 2009 to 2019. Before joining ABSA, she was the group chief executive of state-owned freight transport and logistics service provider Transnet and served as director-general of South Africa’s National Treasury (formerly the Department of Finance).

    Standard Chartered also appointed independent non-executive director David Tang to the Board Risk Committee. Tang brings deep understanding of the bank’s key market of Greater China, and will contribute his expertise in relation to emerging technologies, digital and associated risks.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Banking-as-a-Service Startup to Expand in Singapore

    Banking-as-a-Service Startup to Expand in Singapore

    Singapore-headquartered fintech RootAnt has raised $1.46 million in a seed investment round, led by Linear Capital and co-investor KZM Group.

    The funds will be used for expansion in Singapore, the rest of Southeast Asia, and Japan, with an aim to provide both anchor corporates and SMEs with new and enhanced solutions on its platform, as well as R&D and the development of its multi-tier financing platform the startup announced on Thursday.

    RootAnt operates a cloud transaction banking engine and specializes in embedded financing for enterprises, connecting financial institutions with new tech solutions, data sources, enterprise systems, blockchain networks, and business partner platforms.

    The company said it is also planning to launch other financial solutions this year that will cover verticals such as SME finance, green finance, Islamic finance, and supply chain finance.

    The entry of digital-only banks into the market, along with increased challenges among SMEs to make payments while ensuring healthy liquidity has prompted a need for more innovative and relevant digital banking solutions has become a priority.

    We aim to address the financial challenges faced by businesses caused by COVID-19, and also to create avenues for business sustainability, growth, and continuity, Lincoln Yin, RootAnt CEO and founder, said about the seed funding.

    We aim to become a key player in this industry to continue supporting businesses with their financing demands as they recover from the impact of COVID-19, Yin added.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Wirecard Ordered to Cease Activities in Singapore

    Wirecard Ordered to Cease Activities in Singapore

    The ability of its Singapore entities to continue providing payment services here has been affected, following its parent company’s insolvency filing in Germany.

    The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has ordered Wirecard Singapore to cease payment services in the country and to return all customers’ funds by 14 October 2020, the regulator said in an announcement on Wednesday.

    As a result, Credit card payments at merchants using Wirecard Singapore’s services, as well as usage of pre-paid cards issued by Wirecard Singapore, will be affected, and customers are advised to look for alternative service providers.

    MAS has assessed that it is in the interest of the public for Wirecard SG to cease its payments services and promptly return all customers’ funds. This provides the greatest certainty to customers on their appropriate course of action, including seeking alternative service providers, the announcement said.

    The firm is at the center of one of the region’s biggest corporate accounting scandals in recent years, having admitted that €1.9 billion is missing from its financial accounts. The firm’s CEO Markus Braun as well as other top executives have been arrested, while former operating chief Jan Marsalek remains missing.

    The collapsed German fintech’s sacked operating chief went to an extreme – and adventurous – lengths to bamboozle auditors, according to a German report.

    So far, one Singaporean has been indicted – a director of a local accounting firm that allegedly helped Wirecard falsify letters about the funds held in its escrow accounts.