Who actually sets interest rates around the world?
Given the ongoing economic crises in various countries around the world, attention at the moment is rightly more focused on interest rate decisions than in normal times. The process for raising or lowering interest rates varies from country to country. For some, it’s a pretty simple decision made by the Finance Minister, for others, it […]
Close-up on the currencies of the BRICS
In last week’s article we looked at who the BRICS countries are and why they are considered the world’s most significant upcoming economies. They all have high levels of productivity, large relatively young populations and are often manufacturing or production powerhouses. This week we’ll look at these countries’ currencies, how strong/weak they are and any […]
Which are the world’s major reserve currencies?
A reserve currency is one that is held in large numbers by a foreign country’s central bank or monetary authority. Reserve currencies are held for a number of reasons including: To minimise exchange rate risks To sure up the domestic currency To make complex international payments between countries To help, support and facilitate global trade […]
What happened with the International Ease of Doing Business Index?
A report used around the world When companies are looking to expand abroad, there are a number of factors that go into choosing a new market. Is the demand there for the product? Does the market have a sufficiently trained workforce? Will it be cost-effective to produce/deliver locally? One of the biggest questions is often […]
West isolates Russia
The week has continued to be dominated by the horrific scenes of the invasion of Ukraine and the international fallout engulfing Russia. Sanctions have continued to be piled on the Russian state & high-profile individuals by governments from around the world. At the same time major companies are pulling out of Russia, divesting from Russian […]
2021’s best and worst performing currencies
(It’s been another great year for Renminbi) Doing well: Chinese Yuan It has been a really strong year for the Renminbi. Starting off the year at over 9 CNY to 1 GBP, the Chinese Yuan (CNY) has outperformed the pound. Over the course of the year, we have seen rates as low as 8.1. As […]
Cornerstone establishes Asia team
New team appointed to leverage increasing foreign investment from Asia in UK and to grow direct business Cornerstone FS plc (AIM: CSFS), the cloud-based provider of international payment, currency risk management and electronic account services to SMEs, announces that it has appointed a new team to market the Group’s services to businesses located in Asia, […]