South Africa’s Absa Bank has signed the first ever Green Loan Principles-adherent loan in Africa, with the International Finance Corporate providing the funding for renewable projects in South Africa.

When Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the US, became a public company in April, it sent shockwaves through the global financial community. Many are trying to decipher if now, after years of tantalising headlines, digital currencies are about to go mainstream.

A new digital-first bank for the mass-affluent, Monument has hired an impressive list of industry veterans and hopes to corner what it sees as an underserved demographic. 

The London Stock Exchange has contracted Julia Hoggett to be its chief executive officer, taking over from interim boss Denzil Jenkins.

The coronavirus pandemic sparked an unprecedented monetary response from major central banks, and credit market participants think that this could lead to a bumper year for emerging market bond issuance in 2021. 

VH Global Sustainable Energy Opportunities became the first company to list on the London Stock Exchange this year with more likely to follow close behind, but investors have shown themselves to be hesitant to pump in the upper amounts hoped for by new listings.

The Islamic Development Bank’s largest sustainable Sukuk issuance and its largest every US dollar denominated funding ignites the Islamic finance market across the GCC region where a shift towards Shariah-compliant instruments is accelerating.

The coronavirus pandemic sent entire industries spiralling last year as lockdowns made revenues vanish overnight. Venture capitalists saw an opportunity, and deal value in the sector hit a new annual record according to new data.

The Romanian sovereign has hit international bond markets three times this year to raise more than €12bn-equivalent, and there has been renewed M&A interest from international companies looking at the country’s corporate sector. However, analysts are still warning that it will take until at least 2022 for GDP to return to pre coronavirus pandemic levels.

The payments industry veteran will spearhead the company’s European growth, at a time of fast-evolving customer expectations.

The UK is set to sever its existing ties with the European Union at the end of this year, and with no deal finalised, financial markets are still scrabbling to try and work out what the fallout might be.

The industry offers good working conditions for employees, but struggles with cultural diversity, according to the 2020 D&I Index.