Technavio’s latest report on the global mobile payment security software market provides an analysis on the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook from 2016-2020. Technavio defines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline.

I was chatting about Unicorns yesterday.  I won’t say which one we talked about, but one specific firm was being picked on as unsustainable and incorrectly valued.  I was particularly surprised to hear that their cost of customer acquisition is estimated to be $400 per customer.  For a start-up firm that is dealing in high volume, low cost transactions (a small clue) that is a shocker if true.

Despite a dip in consumer confidence and the introduction of new FCA regulations, the motor finance industry has continued to show strong growth, outperforming other sectors. Graham Donald, managing director, Equiniti Pancredit, explores how lenders in other industries might learn from the sector’s delivery of a seamless customer experience.

Big Data Fed by Social Media

Social media is creating a torrent of data every minute.  But how much of this firehose is relevant to making better investment decisions?

As hedge funds and asset managers eye an explosion in unstructured data from Twitter, Google searches, and other social content, many are subscribing to feeds that mine this data to detect events.

London Stock Exchange Group announced today that UnaVista, their award winning MiFID Approved Reporting Mechanism (ARM), has made user acceptance testing (UAT) available for MiFIR transaction reporting 17 months ahead of expected go-live.

MiFIR transaction reporting, expected to go-live in January 2018, is replacing the existing MiFID reporting regime with an expanded scope and field list. Reporting firms will need to report up to 65 fields to their home-state National Competent Authority (NCA).

Regions Financial has named Rick Ulmer President and CEO of Regions Insurance Group, Inc. with responsibility for Regions Insurance operations in 10 states. Regions Insurance Group, Inc.

Pacific City Financial Corporation, the holding company of Pacific City Bank, today announced the closing of a private placement to accredited investors totaling $15.3 million of common stock. The proceeds from the capital raise will be used for general corporate purposes, including supporting the growth of Pacific City Bank. In the private placement, the Company issued 1,273,000 shares of common stock, no par value, at a price of $12.00 per share.

StepStone Group, a leading global private markets asset management and advisory firm, today announced that the expanded StepStone Infrastructure and Real Assets Group (“SIRA”) is now fully integrated into the firm and actively conducting business for StepStone clients. In May, StepStone announced that KPMG’s Infrastructure and Real Assets Investment Advisory Team would join StepStone.

Wells Fargo & Company, the nation’s No. 1 lender to middle market companies, announced today that Portland will be home to its newest Middle Market Banking office, staffed with local, senior relationship managers who will serve Maine companies statewide.

The Portland team will offer a full suite of commercial banking products and services, including commercial and real estate loans, treasury management, global banking, foreign exchange, and capital markets, in addition to multiple specialty lending divisions, including Food & Agribusiness and Beverage Finance.

 Metamako, the leading specialist in deterministic network devices for the world’s financial institutions, announced today that it has expanded its team and appointed Kevin Covington CEO. Since the company’s launch at the end of 2013, Metamako’s presence worldwide has been increasing quickly and steadily.