Open banking is transforming the financial industry, promising greater transparency, competition, and innovation. The European Union, which looks set to introduce updated rules about digital payments and financial services within the next two years, is at the leading edge of regulating open banking. This could enable Europe to bolster competition and accelerate innovation in its […]
Category: Banking
Hedge funds have long been shrouded in mystery, earning a reputation as lucrative yet elusive vehicles within the financial landscape. Hedge funds have gained increased attention over the years, with their involvement in financial markets drawing interest from investors, media, and the general public. However, many people still struggle to grasp what exactly hedge funds […]
In the previous article, we looked at how banks make money and how they must meet capital requirements. In this article, we will explore the importance of profitability ratios and valuation metrics that are crucial when analyzing banks. There are seven key profitability ratios and two valuation metrics that it is important to understand. We […]
How do banks make money? Where does this money ultimately go? What is a bank really worth? In this 2-part series, we will address these questions. Firstly, by outlining the major items on a bank’s income statement, and then by discussing key ratios that are commonly used to measure profitability and to estimate the market […]
The financial services industry comprises firms that operate across a range of sectors: Asset & Wealth Management, Banking & Capital Markets, and Insurance. Business conducted by each firm varies but the scope of financial services generally includes the following: Asset Management: managing assets and investments for retail and institutional clients such as stocks and bonds, […]
Investment banking forms part of the financial services industry involved in the underwriting, distribution, and trading of securities. Investment bankers work on behalf of both individual and institutional clients to raise capital by issuing securities, as well as to advise clients on financial matters such as mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate finance activities. What Investment Bankers […]
Banks – Industry Overview
The Business of Banking Banks are intermediaries for capital and hold the risk when supply and demand is not perfectly balanced. Historically, commercial banking and investment banking functions have been separated by law – these restrictions have since been repealed and larger banks tend to take on capital markets operations due to the complimentary nature […]
The financial services industry has seen drastic technology-driven change over the past few years, and digital has fundamentally reshaped consumer behaviour in banking. According to Oliver Wyman, a global management consulting firm, 90% of Canadian banking customers use digital channels and more than 30% are now banking exclusively virtually. In response, banks worldwide are making […]
Before we dive into why AI is the solution for the banking sector, let’s first explore what big tech companies have in common, how many of them have grown successfully, and what banks can learn. The three ingredients that have contributed to the massive success of big tech firms might be described as: Identify big […]
As I have been writing in this space of late, the days of the Wild West for cryptocurrency are absolutely at an end. The writing has been on the wall all summer. The latest news to hammer the point home? As September dawned last week, six more major banks joined a UBS-led effort to create […]
When news broke in late October that some of London’s largest banks were investing in Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies in general got another boost. According to reports, however, this latest move to embrace Bitcoin was not a positive embrace of the digital currency per se, but rather a move to stockpile Bitcoin to fend off denial of […]