Global Finance

Costa Rica: New Law-And-Order President Taking Office. Laura Fernández won the Costa Rican presidency last month in a rare first-round victory, with over 45% of votes in her favour. She will be the country’s 50th and its second female president. However, political rivals question her autonomy, fearing Fernández will clear a constitutional path for Chaves to return as president. #Finance #Economics #Politics gfmag.com/economics-poli…

Treasury and Cash Management Awards Global Finance is pleased to announce that submissions for the 26th annual World’s Best Treasury & Cash Management Providers is now open. Global Finance’s Best Treasury and Cash Management award winners will be the organizations that are embracing digital innovation, enhancing real-time liquidity and cash visibility capabilities, and helping clients navigate economic uncertainty, market volatility, and an increasingly complex global financial environment. Click the link to find out more and to make a submission, the deadline is April 27th. #Finance #Treasury #Economics gfmag.com/awards/treasur…

Saudi Arabia Turns to Fahad Al-Saif As Vision 2030 Faces Reality Check. The urgent need for foreign investment crystallized last month when a royal decree replaced veteran cabinet member and investment minister Khalid Al-Falih amid broader funding concerns over the kingdom’s signature Vision 2030 development framework. Vision 2030, which now appears to be under review, represents Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s blueprint for diversifying an economy still heavily reliant on hydrocarbon revenues. #finance #economics #investment gfmag.com/economics-poli…

Kuwait Returns To The Global Debt Market. Political gridlock kept the country out of the sovereign market for eight years. With a multi-billion-dollar issue, it’s back in the game. Last September, Kuwait issued its first international sovereign deal since 2017, worth $11.25 billion, returning to global markets as geopolitical tensions in the Gulf and volatile oil prices sharpen the case for fiscal flexibility. Razan Nasser, emerging markets sovereign analyst at T. Rowe Price, suggests that consistent issuance could help re-anchor Kuwait in global fixed-income portfolios and support funding for corporates and quasi-sovereigns. Click the link to read more: gfmag.com/capital-raisin… #Finance #Economics #Banking

How Techcombank is Shaping Private Banking. Acknowledged as Vietnam’s Best Private Bank for 2026 by Global Finance, Techcombank Private is raising the bar for Vietnam’s fast developing wealth management industry. Vietnam’s private banking industry is coming into its own as one of the most refined and competitive markets in the region. Today’s affluent clients now demand more than the basic investment services, they expect tailored strategies, global connectivity, and a partner who can support their ambitions at every stage. Click the link below to read more on the sponsored article on how Techcombank has created a 'red carpet banking experience’ for their clients. gfmag.com/banking/vietna… #Finance #Privatebank #Banking

Global Finance hosted its FX/SME awards at the wonderful Royal Society of Arts, a venue founded in 1754 that for more than 270 years, has served as a meeting place for bold and innovative minds. The synergy of creativity and novelty brought together the organisations playing a pivotal role in navigating an increasingly complex global economy. A big congratulations to all the winners. #finance #FX #SME #Economics

PayPal’s New CEO Faces a Digital Payments Reckoning Enrique Lores, who has led HP since 2019, takes over as chief executive this month as the payments giant confronts slowing growth, intensifying competition, and a stock price down roughly 80% from its peak five years ago. While the company has been racing to reduce its dependence on checkout fees by scaling its debit card business and extracting greater value from its peer-to-peer mobile payment app Venmo, analysts caution that the strategy may not be sufficient. Lores must confront the challenge of updating the legacy payment player just as AI-powered commerce tools. #Finance #Paypal #corporatefinance gfmag.com/capital-raisin…

Oil Underinvestment Could Hinder US’ Iran-Crisis Response: Here’s Why. No matter how the Iran war gets resolved, the US and other countries will be forced to reckon with a global oil market in complete disarray. The price of Brent crude spiked to $119.50 per barrel, the highest it has been since the summer of 2022. And it could get worse, according to Wood Mackenzie, a consultancy firm for the energy sector. On Tuesday, the firm determined that $200 per barrel is not outside the realms of possibility in 2026. Can Any Country Fill The Gap? Click the link to find out more: gfmag.com/news/oil-under… #Finance #economics #oilprices

How to strengthen transparency and alignment. Juho Maalahti, head of Sustainable Finance Advisory at @Nordea and this year's Best Bank for Sustainability Transparency in Western Europe, discusses the next phase of sustainable finance. Maalahti explains what will be expected to be the biggest challenge for the Sustainability market in 2026 and points out that the fundamental need for a transition to a more resilient and sustainable economy has not disappeared. Maalahti highlights which risks related to sustainability will most affect company balance sheets over the near term. Click the link to find out more: gfmag.com/award/winner-i… #Sustainablefinance #Finance #economics

Global Finance is pleased to announce that applications for our 2nd Annual AI in Finance Awards 2026 are now open. This is the first awards program recognizing the pivotal role of AI in the Financial sector. Winning organizations are established as the definitive AI leaders in their markets and gain a significant competitive edge over their rivals. Click to learn more details. ai-awards.evessiocloud.com/2026/en/page/e… #AI #AIfinance #Finance

GCC Mulls Action Over Iranian Attacks For decades, cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have been regarded as safe havens. Yet the US-Iran war has introduced a new layer of geopolitical risk. With the economic implications still uncertain, governments across the Gulf are on high alert, business activity has begun to slow and investors are reassessing their exposure to the region. For now, most governments and businesses are in a wait-and-see mode, but as the conflict widens longer-term scenarios are beginning to enter boardroom discussions. gfmag.com/news/war-in-th… #Finance #Geopolitics #Economics

The data couldn’t be clearer; the fastest-expanding pool of new clients for wealth management is in the $1 million to $5 million band. Serving them requires a new business model. Banks are responding with models designed to deliver high-touch outcomes through standardized workflows and technology. Click the link to read more: gfmag.com/banking/privat… #Banking #Privatebanking #Finance

A wonderful evening at the Park Plaza hotel as Global Finance hosted our World’s Best Trade Finance and Supply Chain Awards during the @BAFT Europe Forum. It was great to see so many leaders from across the globe , and to celebrate the banks and providers that are successfully mobilising AI and digital platforms to streamline cross-border trade. A big congratulations to all our winners and to BNY on winning our World's Best Trade Finance Bank and DBS winning World's Best Supply Chain Finance Provider. #TradeFinance #SupplyChainFinance #BNY

US strikes on Iran escalate Strait of Hormuz tensions, spiking energy prices, disrupting trade and heightening global geopolitical risk. Trade traffic within the Strait of Hormuz has nearly halted as fuel tankers and other shipping remain vulnerable to attacks and are virtually uninsurable, amplifying fears that the US-Israeli war on Iran is turning into a broader global conflict with major economic consequences. Click the link to read more: gfmag.com/news/us-iran-w…

Ford, BYD Talks Amp Up Concerns. Ford is weighing battery talks with China’s BYD to fuel its hybrid and extended-range push, sparking backlash from U.S. lawmakers. There’s a concern that If Ford partners with a second Chinese battery company, it would diminish Ford’s well known status as an iconic American company. Click here to read more: gfmag.com/capital-raisin… #Finance #Corporatefinance

How Europe’s Stablecoins Could Redefine Digital Money. Once viewed as peripheral to traditional banking, stablecoins are now entering the mainstream of European financial strategy, as regulation matures and institutions explore new ways to modernise payments without sacrificing trust or stability. Europe however faces a strategic question: how to ensure that the future architecture of digital money is not shaped solely by non-European actors or dominated by dollar-based instruments. Click the link to the sponsored article: gfmag.com/technology/how…

Czech Republic Sees Defence-Sector IPOs Surge. Czechoslovak Group, an influential European defence firm, has listed 15.2% of its ordinary shares on Euronext Amsterdam, implying a €25 billion (about $30 billion) valuation in what is expected to be the largest defence-sector IPO ever. Czechoslovak Group’s chairman Michal Strnad, explains that becoming a publicly listed company strengthens our ability to invest in innovation and expand our global reach. gfmag.com/capital-raisin… #Finance #Innovation

Kinetic Treasury Arrives. New blockchain offerings that integrate corporate treasury and retail banking, which opens the transaction system to multiple issuers of tokenized deposits and stablecoins, have regulators worried. Arif Khan, Chief Product Officer of Kinexys Digital Payments explains that their mandate for Kinexys by J.P. Morgan transforms how information, money, and assets move around globally from an institutional perspective. Although Kinexys’s offerings are not focused on retail clients, it enables banks to use retail assets as collateral for institutional clients. gfmag.com/transaction-ba… #Finance #Blockchain #Retailbanking