KBW, a Stifel company, and Nasdaq  announced the launch of the KBW Nasdaq Financial Technology Index (Ticker: KFTX), a preeminent index designed to precisely track the performance of those companies that leverage technology to deliver financial products and services. Their distribution is nearly exclusively electronic, with limited or no “bricks and mortar,” and their revenue mix is predominantly fee-based. These firms leverage new assets such as advanced data aggregation and analysis, innovative technology, and creative thinking.

With the DOL fiduciary rule taking shape and many companies creating action plans to implement the anticipated impact, Advicent is building a DOL Education Center in Advisor Briefcase, a powerful marketing communications tool, which will be released to users in the near future.

Mobile penetration in Brazil is high, with an average of more than one phone per capita. From the Copacabana beach to the Amazon basin, over half (53.7 per cent) of Brazilians are now accessing the internet and by 2017, it is estimated that almost all of these internet users will access the internet with a mobile device. It is therefore vital that merchants keep mobile payments in mind to fully capitalise on the future potential in the market.

You may have noticed that the MiFID II Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) continue to roll off the press at a steady pace signalling finalisation of the Level 2 detail. Last week alone seven RTS documents were adopted by the European Commission, including the long-debated RTS 2 on non-equity transparency and also an RTS on registration of third country firms which could become the focus of significantly more interest in light of the Brexit vote.

From oil price plunges to cheap gas, from renewables’ in-built unpredictability to baseline shifts in the global dynamics of energy market supply and demand, the risk profile of energy trades is increasing and petrochemical companies are finding themselves smack in the middle of these changeable times.

ATB Financial, the largest Alberta-based financial institution, has collaborated with SAP SE, financial technology start-up Ripple Labs Inc. and ReiseBank AG in Germany to send the first real international blockchain payment from Canada to Germany. 

Experian^®, the leading global information services company, today published its first annual global business report covering the convergence of growth strategies and fraud prevention. The report, Global Business Trends: Protecting Growth Ambitions Against Rising Fraud Threats, is designed as a guide for senior executives and fraud prevention professionals, offering new insights on how the alignment of strategies for business growth and fraud prevention can help a business grow revenues while managing risks in an increasingly virtual world.

Impact of FinTech on financial services 

Financial services companies have always been able to adapt their business in the face of external pressure. Companies have become successful by offering new products and services demanded by their customers, complying with evolving regulation by enhancing their control and oversight procedures and investing in new systems. The pressure to grow their business and manage their costs, means many firms have used acquisitions to gain economies of scale or enter new markets.

ABBYY Europe, a leading provider of document recognition, data capture and linguistic technologies, has improved and standardised automated invoice processing for Röchling Automotive AG & Co. KG. The business now uses ABBYY’s FlexiCapture for Invoices at branch offices in four countries to process invoices received via e-mail and paper format. The software captures the documents, extracts the invoice data and sends it to the SAP systems.

Earthport has partnered with Bank of The Bahamas Limited, to provide local payment capability into The Bahamas.

Through this new partnership Earthport will help support the efficient, secure and cost effective payment services into the country and further strengthen payment capability into the Caribbean. Currently, this market is only available for financial institution clients due to a condition of Earthport’s regulatory approval in the Bahamas.