Banking & Finance

Microsoft to launch $30 billion investment fund for AI infrastructure with BlackRock

Funding to mobilize up to $100 billion in total investment potential when including debt financing

World Bank commits over $2 billion to support Bangladesh’s reforms

The Bank will reallocate $1 billion, totaling $3 billion in loans and grants for the fiscal year ending June 2025

China welcomes 36,968 new foreign firms and $81.7 billion in FDI in first 8 months of 2024

The high-tech manufacturing sector accounted for 12.4 percent of the total FDI, amounting to 72.1 billion yuan

U.S. aims for $250 billion in revenue with new corporate tax rules

This tax applies to companies with average adjusted income of $1 billion or more 

IMF supports U.S. Fed’s anticipated easing cycle as inflation risks diminish

IMF projects core U.S. PCE inflation to end 2024 at 2.5 percent, returning to the Fed's 2 percent target by mid-2025 

Russia’s Central Bank hikes interest rate to 19 percent, second increase this year amid ongoing inflation

Annual inflation in the country is currently at 9 percent, surpassing earlier predictions

South Korea invests $3.7 billion to revamp medical education by 2030

Starting in 2025, 1,000 full-time faculty will be added at state medical schools by 2027, including 330 next year 

Russia’s gold reserves rise 5.1 percent to $188.8 billion in August

For the first time in a quarter-century, the share of the precious metal in the country’s international reserves exceeded 30 percent

Euro area banks rebound as ECB begins rate cuts, disbursing $78.5 billion in loans in July 2024

This resurgence is encouraging for Europe’s banks, which heavily depend on mortgage lending for profits 

India’s foreign exchange reserves reach new peak of $684 billion in August 2024, says Central Bank

RBI noted that the reserves have been on an upward trend for some time

China’s foreign exchange reserves reach $3.2882 trillion at August end, up $31.8 billion

August's increase in the country’s reserves was due to currency translation and asset price changes

China pledges $51 billion in funding to Africa for infrastructure, job creation

China will provide Africa with RMB360 billion of financial support in the next three years, including RMB 210 billion in credit lines

ECB considers rate cuts as inflation reaches lowest levels since mid-2021, says official

Investors expect two or three more borrowing cost cuts this year, with additional actions in 2025 

EU approves $221 million subsidies to boost Germany’s offshore renewable energy infrastructure

New docking facilities on Germany's North Sea coast will handle heavy loads, including wind farm components

Japanese companies achieve record $244 billion in pretax profits during April-June

Capital spending surges 7.4 percent to 11.92 trillion yen in Q2

India’s fintech industry attracts $31 billion in investment

Startups in this field have surged by 500 percent, says Prime Minister

Eurozone inflation hits 3-year low of 2.2 percent in August, signaling possible ECB rate cut next month

The inflation landscape is gradually improving, highlighting the progress toward the ECB's 2 percent target

China’s lending to Africa rises for the first time in seven years in 2023, reaches $4.61 billion

Between 2000 to 2023, Chinese lenders provided 1,306 loans amounting to $182.28 billion to 49 African governments and 7 regional borrowers

South Korea sets 2025 budget at $509.71 billion amid fiscal restructuring

The country allocated 29.7 trillion Won for R&D in 2025 budget

India’s central bank to launch Unified Lending Interface platform to digitalize banking services

Platform is part of RBI's efforts to digitalize banking services, which has made India one of the fastest-growing digital payments markets globally

South Korea’s foreign currency deposits rise for 2nd straight month in July to 94.44 billion

U.S. dollar deposits jumped $4.57 billion dollars from a month earlier to $78.04 billion by the end of July

Pakistan’s IT exports surge 32 percent to $297 million in July on software and telecommunications

Software consultancy services saw a significant surge, increasing by 24.53 percent to reach $77.262 million

Taiwan’s TSMC breaks ground on $11 billion chip factory in Germany

TSMC expects to hold a 70 percent stake in the Germany plant, with the other partners will each hold 10 percent