Mastercard’s six payment trends shaping 2026 - Weekly roundup: 9 December
by Ben Poole
Volatile pound renews hedging focus for 2026; Lloyds completes first India-UK digital LC on WaveBL; Outlook for 2026 Fed cuts still uncertain.
News
AI in treasury moves from promise to practical progress
by Ben Poole
Treasury is now in a transition from rule-based workflows to learning systems and, eventually, autonomous agents.
Treasury teams struggle to automate as manual processes persist - Weekly roundup: 2 December
by Ben Poole
APAC finance leaders brace for tougher 2026 as growth remains top priority; EU reaches agreement on sweeping overhaul of payment services rules.
Corporates prioritise core systems as trade digitalisation accelerates - Weekly roundup: 25 November
by Ben Poole
Businesses settle into ‘constant adaptation’ as trade uncertainty persists; US corporates risk losing returns on idle cash.
Finance AI adoption holds steady as treasurers weigh next steps
by Ben Poole
Early AI momentum has cooled as organisations grapple with data, skills, and governance challenges.
Corporates cut FX hedging in Q3 as policy uncertainty grows - Weekly roundup: 18 November
by Ben Poole
UK, Singapore and Thailand explore synchronised cross-border FX settlement; Geopolitics reshapes global trade routes as fragmentation accelerates.
Treasury transformation gains pace but certain gaps persist
by Ben Poole
Treasury functions worldwide are accelerating efforts to modernise, but transformation remains uneven.
New Singapore-South Korea corridor strengthens sustainable trade links - Weekly roundup: 11 November
by Ben Poole
Steady recovery forecast for Sweden’s economy; Goldman Sachs expects Fed to cut rates in December; Citi expands tokenised payments platform to Europe.
EY upgrades UK growth forecast to 1.5% for 2025
by Ben Poole
EY has upgraded its forecast for UK GDP growth in 2025 from 1% to 1.5% after economy showed greater momentum than expected.
ECB advances digital euro with potential issuance in 2029 - Weekly roundup: 4 November
by Ben Poole
Fed delivers another rate cut as growth moderates and risks tilt toward jobs; Swift promotes AI tool to support ISO 20022 postal data compliance.
IPO momentum returns as global markets regain confidence
by Ben Poole
Global IPO markets staged a sharp recovery in Q3, signalling renewed investor confidence after nearly two years of subdued activity.
Markets show early bubble traits but fundamentals remain solid - Weekly roundup: 28 October
by Ben Poole
Growth gap widens in October as Eurozone and US accelerate, UK lags behind; Boost gears up for Visa’s enhanced data era.
Cost pressures mount as UK CFOs retreat from investment
by Ben Poole
UK finance leaders are entering Q4 in a cautious mood, with cost expectations rising sharply and profit forecasts falling to multi-year lows.
CFOs tighten overhead while keeping growth targets in sight - Weekly roundup: 21 October
by Ben Poole
Asia corporates brace for tariff turbulence; Ripple enters corporate treasury arena with US$1bn GTreasury deal.
China powers manufacturing rebound while the West cools
by Ben Poole
China’s factory resurgence drives Asia’s busiest production stretch since mid-2022 while North American and European manufacturers continue to slow.
Markets brace for data blackout as US government shutdown drags on - Weekly roundup: 14 October
by Ben Poole
G20 set to fall short of 2027 cross-border payments reform goals; Banks lag in monetising real-time payments revolution.
US CEOs bet on AI as supply chain costs and workforce pressures mount
by Ben Poole
US chief execs are accelerating their investment in AI while rethinking supply chain strategies and workforce models to sustain growth.
Treasurers sharpen focus on efficiency and digital transformation - Weekly roundup: 7 October
by Ben Poole
SNB and ECB to test cross-border instant payments link; Merck partners with Broadridge for real-time treasury visibility.
How treasurers can transform to create value in uncertain times
by Ben Poole
New EY research highlights that treasurers are now expected to provide insights that shape organisational growth.
European banks unite to counter US stablecoin lead - Weekly roundup: 30 September
by Ben Poole
Swift unveils blockchain ledger to support global cross-border payments; AI spending boosts US economy but official data undercounts impact.
Growth holds but confidence slips in September’s flash PMI data
by Ben Poole
Across the Eurozone, UK, and US, services have largely propped up activity, while manufacturing shows renewed fragility.
Indian treasurers turn to AI as automation tops investment agenda - Weekly roundup: 23 September
by Ben Poole
AI could lift global trade nearly 40% by 2040; UK leads European fintech revival; EBA outlines roadmap for OCT Inst adoption.
Trump in UK as Fed trims rates and BoE stays put
by Ben Poole
The Fed delivered its first interest rate cut of 2025, while the BoE opted to hold rates steady at 4%.
Swift tests AI blueprint for cross-border fraud prevention - Weekly roundup: 16 September
by Ben Poole
Dollar turbulence drives fund manager FX hedging boom; China to accelerate semiconductor investment; Four-step approach for CFOs managing layoffs.