What’s going on here? Visa is buying fintech Plaid for $5.3 billion and expects the deal to close in the next three to six months (Mar-Jun, 2020). Plaid offers technology that allows consumers to link their bank accounts to its 2,600 fintech clients (including Venmo) and 11,000 financial institutions – making it one of several players…
Category: Daily News
Ep 83: What ‘stepping back’ from Royal family means for Harry, Meghan, Archie and the wider family
What’s going on here? The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have announced they are stepping back as senior members of the royal family and work to become financially independent while continuing to support the Queen. Why did Harry and Meghan take the decision? The couple spoke of their struggles dealing with royal life and the intense tabloid…
Ep 82: Thai fintech startup Lightnet banks $31.2m in Series A round
What’s going on here? Bangkok-based fintech company Lightnet has nabbed $31.2 million in a Series A funding round to further develop a blockchain financial mobility network. Blockchain financial mobility network: by connecting existing financial systems with its vast network of non-bank agents and fiat-transaction network, improve the efficiency, convenience and affordability of legacy remittance and…
Ep 81: Vietnam’s industrial growth is slowing down
Industrial GDP in the fourth quarter of 2019 increased by only 7.92%, much lower than that of the third quarter (10.42%) and the first 9 months of 2019 (9.56%). Growth of metal ore mining cannot make up for the whole mining industry Growth of the mining industry decreased by 0.92% in the fourth quarter of 2019. Crude…
Ep 80: On The Pull
What’s Going On Here? With Germany’s unemployment rate unexpectedly falling in November, the country might now dig its heels in more than ever against the European Central Bank (ECB). What Does This Mean? The ECB has long been calling for Germany to boost its economy through extra public spending, but positive unemployment data might give the country’s…
Ep 79: Konnichiwa Ocado
What’s Going On Here? Shares of Ocado – the British online grocery store and, now, tech company – rose 11% after the company announced a new partnership with Japan’s biggest supermarket chain, Aeon. What Does This Mean? Ocado started life as just an online grocer, but it became tougher to stay ahead of big UK supermarkets…
Ep 78: Exports Fan
What’s Going On Here? A key survey of eurozone activity showed the bloc’s export-driven manufacturing sector – though still shrinking – ticked up in November. What Does This Mean? The promising data for the eurozone’s manufacturing sector raised hopes that the worst of the region’s recent industrial slump may finally be over. But the bloc still has…
Ep 77: Rally Baba
What’s Going On Here? Alibaba completed its share sale in Hong Kong, revealing $11 billion in hidden riches. What Does This Mean? Alibaba is actually already a public company: it raised a record $25 billion by selling shares in 2014. But it did so in New York rather than in the East because the Hong Kong Stock Exchange’s…
Ep 76: A Recipe For Success
What’s Going On Here? Morgan Stanley whipped up an optimistic prediction: it reckons the start of next year will provide all the ingredients we need for a global economic recovery. What Does This Mean? The past two years have seen global economic growth slow from 3.8% to 3%, in part because of the US-China trade…
Ep 75: Desperate Measures
What’s Going On Here? Oil firm Saudi Aramco came up short of the $2 trillion valuation it was aiming for in its forthcoming IPO, but it can still walk tall: the $1.7 trillion it now wants will still make it the world’s biggest public company. What Does This Mean? Aramco, which extracts and refines Saudi Arabia’s…
with HT 