Award Winners
INTRA-ASIAN FLOWS: EDDIE LISTORTI, ANZ
Eddie Listorti, co-global head of fixed income, currencies and commodities at ANZ Group in Singapore, sees intra-Asian currency flows as a lucrative opportunity.
Capital Raising & Corporate Finance
Join the global community of corporate and public-sector finance industry leaders reading Global Finance monthly in print.
Click Here
Capital Raising & Corporate Finance
LITHUANIA FINALLY JOINS THE EUROZONE
<strong>Lithuania | Milestones</strong><br />
On January 1, Lithuania abandoned the litas, becoming the 19th member of the eurozone and joining Baltic peers Estonia and Latvia in the economic and monetary union.
Capital Raising & Corporate Finance
MEXICAN COMPANIES GAIN ACCESS TO EUROCLEAR FOR PESO DEBT
<strong>Corporate Debt | Capital Markets</strong><br />
Euroclear will extend its cross-border settlement services at the end of January to Mexican corporate debt instruments known as cebures, or “bourse certificates.” This will enable Mexican companies to issue peso-denominated debt specifically targeted to international investors.
Award Winners
NEW PRODUCT PROLIFERATION: PHILIP NEL, STANDARD BANK
Philip Nel, head of FX trading for Africa at Standard Bank in Johannesburg, anticipates a proliferation of new foreign exchange products in countries across the continent.
Capital Raising & Corporate Finance
OECD MOVES FORWARD ON BEPS TAX-AVOIDANCE PROJECT
<strong>Regulation | Management</strong><br />
In October the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project released a report outlining its progress on a series of steps it was taking to combat tactics—often legal but ethically questionable—used by many multinational companies to reduce or eliminate tax liabilities across their operations.
Capital Raising & Corporate Finance
OFFSHORE TRADING GETS A CORPORATE EMBRACE
<strong>Renminbi | Trends</strong><br />
Autumn was a sweet season for the offshore progress of the renminbi. One-third (31%) of major German corporations polled in a November survey by Deutsche Bank are trading in renminbi with cross-border customers and suppliers, while another 17% said they intended to do so in 2015.
Capital Raising & Corporate Finance
PROXY VOTING: CHANGES TO ISS EQUITY PLAN GUIDELINES
<strong>Proxy Voting | Management</strong><br />
Proxy advisory firm ISS updated its proxy voting guidelines last fall to introduce a more detailed approach to the recommendations it makes on companies’ equity plans and shareholder proposals for an independent chairman. The changes could create uncertainty for companies during this year’s proxy season.
Capital Raising & Corporate Finance
QATAR INVESTMENT AUTHORITY: AL-THANI TO HEAD SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND
Qatar | Newsmakers<br />
Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohamed bin Saud Al-Thani, a member of Qatar’s ruling family, was appointed CEO of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) as part of a reshuffle that includes the addition of other Al-Thani family members.
Award Winners
RUSSIAN OPPORTUNITY: MIKHAIL PALEI, VTB CAPITAL
Mikhail Palei, head of foreign exchange flow at VTB Capital in Moscow, expects international banks to lose their appetite for risk in the Russian ruble—which he sees as an opportunity for Russia’s FX desks.
Capital Raising & Corporate Finance
SOUTH AMERICA’S TOTAL TAX RATE SURPASSES THAT OF AFRICA
<strong>Corporate Tax | Trends</strong><br />
By replacing cascading sales taxes with a value-added tax (VAT), Africa has succeeded in lowering its total tax rate to 46.6% from a peak of 72.2% in 2005.
Capital Raising & Corporate Finance
SOUTH KOREA: A TIGHTROPE WALK WITH TRADING PARTNERS
<strong>South Korea | Country Report</strong><br />
One of Asia’s most powerful economies, South Korea is maneuvering deftly between even more powerful neighbors and allies.
Capital Raising & Corporate Finance
SOVEREIGN DEBT: AFRICAN BORROWERS ACTIVE AHEAD OF FED RATE MOVES
<strong>Sovereign Debt | Capital Markets</strong><br />
Governments in Africa issued a record amount of debt in international markets in 2014, taking advantage of strong investor demand and low borrowing costs ahead of the Federal Reserve’s expected rate increases this year.