Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI: SalesHood Launches Interactive Mutual Action Plans in Digital Sales Rooms to Scale Repeatable B2B Sales Execution

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    San Francisco, California, Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SalesHood, a leading revenue enablement platform provider, is excited to announce the launch of Mutual Action Plans (MAPs) in its Digital Sales Rooms. This new offering  fosters stronger collaboration between sales teams and their buyers, driving more predictable and successful sales outcomes. Based on Q3 2024 customer feedback, SalesHood’s Digital Sales Rooms have driven win rate increases ranging from 57% to as much as 200%.

    The newly released interactive sales tool empowers sales and customer success teams to co-create Mutual Action Plans with their buyers, outlining the key milestones, responsibilities, and timelines required to deliver value to a customer and close a deal. 

    As per the 2024 Gartner® ’s Market Guide for Digital Sales Rooms, one of the key findings includes: “Improved buyer-seller engagement leads to higher-quality deals, which is what chief sales officers (CSOs) are searching for to drive high-quality purchases that lead to improved long-term revenue results.”

    SalesHood’s MAPs are a collaborative resource ensuring that buyers and sellers are aligned, reducing friction and accelerating the sales process. SalesHood’s MAPs feature is seamlessly integrated into its existing platform, making it easy for sales teams to adopt and use. 

    Elay Cohen, CEO and Co-founder of SalesHood, stated, “We’re thrilled to bring Mutual Action Plans to our customers. This new feature underscores our commitment to empowering sales teams with the tools they need to succeed in today’s competitive market. By enabling stronger collaboration between sales teams and their buyers, we believe that MAPs will be a game-changer for our customers.”

    With the introduction of MAPs, SalesHood continues to set the standard for sales enablement and revenue acceleration. This new feature aligns with the company’s mission to help sales organizations close more deals faster and with greater predictability.

    New Mutual Action Plans capabilities:

    • Milestone Tracking: Empower buyers and sellers to co-create, align and track shared timelines, decision-making milestones and compelling events, driving joint accountability throughout the buyer’s journey.
    • Tasks and Notifications: Assign milestones to decision team members, complete with due dates and ownership. Automatic notifications for overdue tasks create urgency and ensure progress.
    • AI-Powered Recap Summaries: Leverage generative GenAI to summarize key call points and generate actionable next steps, ensuring clarity and efficient follow-up.
    • Salesforce Integration: Seamlessly sync buyer engagement data and sales activities with Salesforce for enhanced pipeline management and streamlined CRM updates.
    • Embedded Collaboration in Digital Sales Rooms: Mutual Action Plans are seamlessly embedded into Digital Sales Rooms, enabling real-time collaboration on timelines, tasks, next steps, and shared resources in a unified digital workspace.

    For more information about SalesHood’s Digital Sales Rooms and Mutual Action Plans, please visit https://saleshood.com

    You can also take a self-guided tour https://saleshood.com/digital-sales-rooms/guided-tour

    Gartner Disclaimer:
    Gartner, Market Guide for Digital Sales Rooms,  Melissa Hilbert ,  Varun Agarwal , et al., 26 February 2024
    GARTNER is registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

    About SalesHood

    SalesHood is a global leader in revenue enablement on a mission to empower salespeople to sell better. SalesHood’s comprehensive and award winning Revenue Enablement Platform powers repeatable sales execution, guiding sellers on what to do and what to share. SalesHood AI delivers highly personalized training, coaching and selling experiences across the customer journey. Trusted by high-growth, high-performing companies, SalesHood is purpose-built to deliver fast revenue results. Companies like Copado, Ewing-Foley, Frontline Education, Olo, Sage, SmartRecruiters, and Planview use SalesHood to realize increase sales productivity and win-rates. For more information, please visit https://saleshood.com/

    Contact
    media@saleshood.com

    Attachments

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: PR – Bitget Reports Strong Q3 2024 Performance, Strengthening Its Position as the 4th Largest Crypto Exchange

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has released its Q3 2024 Transparency Report, showcasing significant advancements in user growth, token offerings, and strategic initiatives. With a strong focus on enhancing financial accessibility and advancing blockchain technology, Bitget has reinforced its position as one of the top global players in the crypto industry.

    Key Q3 2024 Highlights:

    1. Surpassing 45 Million Users and Strengthening Market Position In Q3 2024, Bitget achieved a milestone by surpassing 45 million registered users globally, placing it as the 4th largest crypto exchange by trading volume. The platform’s user base growth, up by 400% since last year, was fueled by innovative product offerings and expansion into new regions, including Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. The company’s focus on accessibility and user-centric design aligns with its mission of enabling financial freedom for all.
    2. Expanding Token Offerings and Staking Opportunities Bitget added 72 new token listings in Q3, bringing its lineup to over 800 tokens and 900+ spot trading pairs. Among the new listings, POL, DRIFT, WUSD, REEF, and MOTHER stood out with the highest Total Value Locked (TVL) growth. Bitget’s Pre-market platform continued to attract early traders, featuring 12 tokens like CATI, MOCA, HMSTR, DOGS, and ZKL in Q3, with 53,800 traders participating and a cumulative transaction volume of $23 million.
    3. Additionally, Bitget’s PoolX staking platform, launched in April, has become a popular choice among users, offering high-yield staking options. In Q3, PoolX recorded over 94,805 participants, with the total staked amount doubling from Q2 to reach $2.3 billion USD. Popular pools include BGB, BTC, ETH, and USDT, providing users with new avenues to earn rewards on the platform.
    4. Commitment to the TON Ecosystem and Strategic Investments As part of its $30 million joint investment with Foresight Ventures into The Open Network (TON) ecosystem, Bitget has supported the rapid expansion of Telegram-based projects, including DOGS, Hamster Kombat, and Notcoin. With nearly 1 billion Telegram users worldwide, TON’s ecosystem has seen exponential growth, making Bitget a vital entry point for users interested in TON-based projects and decentralized applications.
    5. Strategic Partnership with LALIGA to Drive Web3 Adoption Bitget expanded its footprint in sports by forming a multi-million dollar partnership with LALIGA. This collaboration aims to increase crypto awareness and Web3 adoption across Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and LATAM, leveraging LALIGA’s massive global audience to attract a new wave of crypto enthusiasts. This partnership aligns with Bitget’s mission to bring blockchain technology to mainstream audiences.
    6. Enhanced Token-Discovery Through Nansen Collaboration Bitget collaborated with Nansen to refine its token-discovery strategies. By leveraging on-chain data and community insights, Bitget offers traders an advanced toolkit for identifying promising tokens. The strategic approach, combined with Nansen’s analytical tools, led to 240 new token listings since April, making it one of the most active exchanges in early-stage token offerings.

    Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget, commented on the report: “Our growth in Q3 2024 reflects our commitment to creating an accessible, secure, and innovative trading platform for users worldwide. By continuously expanding our offerings, supporting impactful projects, and forming strategic partnerships, Bitget is helping shape the future of blockchain and finance. We remain focused on our mission to drive financial freedom and to empower the next billion users through accessible and user-friendly digital solutions.”

    Bitget’s success in Q3 2024 shows its growing influence in the crypto industry, marked by strategic initiatives, innovative products, and a commitment to user engagement. Looking ahead, Bitget is bound to continue its mission of bridging the gap between centralized and decentralized finance while expanding its global reach.

    For more information, visit Bitget Blog.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 45 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, token swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more.

    Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM market, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/661a75c4-26df-4658-b301-5c44925c9290

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Coastal Financial Corporation Announces Third Quarter 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EVERETT, Wash., Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Coastal Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: CCB) (the “Company”, “Coastal”, “we”, “our”, or “us”), the holding company for Coastal Community Bank (the “Bank”), through which it operates a community-focused bank with an industry leading banking as a service (“BaaS”) segment, today reported unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, including net income of $13.5 million, or $0.97 per diluted common share, compared to $11.6 million, or $0.84 per diluted common share, for the three months ended June 30, 2024. 

    Management Discussion of the Quarter

    “The third quarter demonstrated strong momentum across both our community bank and CCBX operating segments, despite a still challenging operating environment,” said CEO Eric Sprink. “We saw high quality net loan growth of $92.4 million despite selling $423.7 million in loans. We are implementing strategies to increase fee income and we continue to build out and invest in an infrastructure that is scalable, and that we believe will enable us to be innovative leaders in financial services.”

    Key Points for Third Quarter and Our Go-Forward Strategy

    • Balance Sheet Well Positioned for Lower Rates. Our balance sheet stands in a modestly liability sensitive position as of September 30, 2024, with $1.95 billion of CCBX deposits that contractually reprice lower immediately upon any reduction in the Federal Funds Rate, with $1.09 billion of CCBX loans repricing in 90 days or less following such reduction. The Federal Open Market Committee recently lowered the targeted Federal Funds rate 0.50% on September 19, 2024; a reduction of 0.50% compared to June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023. The rate decrease came late in the quarter, so the full impact of this and any subsequent rate changes will be reflected in future periods.
    • Expanding Relationships with CCBX Partners. We continue to focus on expanding product offerings with existing CCBX partners. We believe that launching new products with existing partners positions us to reach a wide and established customer base with modest increase in enterprise risk. Products launched in 2024 with existing partners have gained traction and are growing the balance sheet and increasing income. The pipeline for CCBX is active, although we expect to remain selective in adding new partners to manage risk and capital.
    • On-going Loan Sales. We sold $423.7 million loans in the quarter ended September 30, 2024 as part of our strategy to balance credit risk, manage partner and lending limits, protect capital levels and move credit card balances to an off balance sheet fee generating model. We are retaining a portion of the fee income for our role in processing transactions on sold credit card balances. This provides an on-going and passive revenue stream with no on balance sheet risk.
    • Continued Regulatory and Compliance Infrastructure Investments Position Us Well for Next Phase of Growth. We continue to utilize co-sourced personnel as a component of our risk and compliance efforts. This flexible co-sourcing approach allows us to manage the growth of our internal team while also ensuring CCBX has the resources it needs. While we remain 100% indemnified against partner fraud losses, we were encouraged to see fraudulent activity amongst our partners remains low during the current quarter, compared to the same period last year, a positive indicator of our continued investments in our risk infrastructure.
    • Reorganization and Strengthening of Talent to Accommodate Growth and Plans for the Future. We recently announced the bifurcation of the President of the Bank into two roles, appointing Brian Hamilton as President of CCBX, the Fintech and BaaS segment of the Bank, with Curt Queyrouze serving as President of the community bank and corporate credit.

    Third Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights

    The tables below outline some of our key operating metrics.

        Three Months Ended
    (Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data; unaudited)   September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
      September 30,
    2023
    Income Statement Data:                    
    Interest and dividend income   $ 105,079     $ 97,487     $ 90,472     $ 88,243     $ 88,331  
    Interest expense     32,892       31,250       29,536       28,586       26,102  
    Net interest income     72,187       66,237       60,936       59,657       62,229  
    Provision for credit losses     70,257       62,325       83,158       60,789       27,253  
    Net interest (expense)/ income after provision for credit losses     1,930       3,912       (22,222 )     (1,132 )     34,976  
    Noninterest income     80,068       69,918       86,955       64,694       34,579  
    Noninterest expense     65,616       58,809       56,018       51,703       56,501  
    Provision for income tax     2,926       3,425       1,915       2,847       2,784  
    Net income     13,456       11,596       6,800       9,012       10,270  
                         
        As of and for the Three Month Period
        September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
      September 30,
    2023
    Balance Sheet Data:                    
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 484,026     $ 487,245     $ 515,128     $ 483,128     $ 474,946  
    Investment securities     48,620       49,213       50,090       150,364       141,489  
    Loans held for sale     7,565             797              
    Loans receivable     3,418,832       3,326,460       3,199,554       3,026,092       2,967,035  
    Allowance for credit losses     (170,263 )     (147,914 )     (139,258 )     (116,958 )     (101,085 )
    Total assets     4,065,821       3,961,546       3,865,258       3,753,366       3,678,265  
    Interest bearing deposits     3,047,861       2,949,643       2,888,867       2,735,161       2,637,914  
    Noninterest bearing deposits     579,427       593,789       574,112       625,202       651,786  
    Core deposits (1)     3,190,869       3,528,339       3,447,864       3,342,004       3,269,082  
    Total deposits     3,627,288       3,543,432       3,462,979       3,360,363       3,289,700  
    Total borrowings     47,847       47,810       47,771       47,734       47,695  
    Total shareholders’ equity     331,930       316,693       303,709       294,978       284,450  
                         
    Share and Per Share Data (2):                    
    Earnings per share – basic   $ 1.00     $ 0.86     $ 0.51     $ 0.68     $ 0.77  
    Earnings per share – diluted   $ 0.97     $ 0.84     $ 0.50     $ 0.66     $ 0.75  
    Dividends per share                              
    Book value per share (3)   $ 24.51     $ 23.54     $ 22.65     $ 22.17     $ 21.38  
    Tangible book value per share (4)   $ 24.51     $ 23.54     $ 22.65     $ 22.17     $ 21.38  
    Weighted avg outstanding shares – basic     13,447,066       13,412,667       13,340,997       13,286,828       13,285,974  
    Weighted avg outstanding shares – diluted     13,822,270       13,736,508       13,676,917       13,676,513       13,675,833  
    Shares outstanding at end of period     13,543,282       13,453,805       13,407,320       13,304,339       13,302,449  
    Stock options outstanding at end of period     198,370       286,119       309,069       354,969       356,359  
                                             
    See footnotes that follow the tables below
     
        As of and for the Three Month Period
        September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
      September 30,
    2023
    Credit Quality Data:                    
    Nonperforming assets (5) to total assets     1.34 %     1.34 %     1.42 %     1.43 %     1.18 %
    Nonperforming assets (5) to loans receivable and OREO     1.60 %     1.60 %     1.71 %     1.78 %     1.47 %
    Nonperforming loans (5) to total loans receivable     1.60 %     1.60 %     1.71 %     1.78 %     1.47 %
    Allowance for credit losses to nonperforming loans     311.5 %     278.1 %     253.8 %     217.2 %     232.2 %
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans receivable     4.98 %     4.45 %     4.35 %     3.86 %     3.41 %
    Gross charge-offs   $ 53,305     $ 55,207     $ 58,994     $ 47,652     $ 37,879  
    Gross recoveries   $ 4,069     $ 1,973     $ 1,776     $ 2,781     $ 1,045  
    Net charge-offs to average loans (6)     5.65 %     6.57 %     7.34 %     5.92 %     4.77 %
                         
    Capital Ratios:                    
    Company                    
    Tier 1 leverage capital     8.40 %     8.31 %     8.24 %     8.10 %     8.03 %
    Common equity Tier 1 risk-based capital     9.26 %     9.03 %     8.98 %     9.10 %     9.00 %
    Tier 1 risk-based capital     9.35 %     9.13 %     9.08 %     9.20 %     9.11 %
    Total risk-based capital     11.90 %     11.70 %     11.70 %     11.87 %     11.80 %
    Bank                    
    Tier 1 leverage capital     9.29 %     9.24 %     9.19 %     9.06 %     8.99 %
    Common equity Tier 1 risk-based capital     10.36 %     10.15 %     10.14 %     10.30 %     10.21 %
    Tier 1 risk-based capital     10.36 %     10.15 %     10.14 %     10.30 %     10.21 %
    Total risk-based capital     11.65 %     11.44 %     11.43 %     11.58 %     11.48 %
                                             

    (1)  Core deposits are defined as all deposits excluding brokered and all time deposits.
    (2)  Share and per share amounts are based on total actual or average common shares outstanding, as applicable.
    (3)  We calculate book value per share as total shareholders’ equity at the end of the relevant period divided by the outstanding number of our common shares at the end of each period.
    (4)  Tangible book value per share is a non-GAAP financial measure. We calculate tangible book value per share as total shareholders’ equity at the end of the relevant period, less goodwill and other intangible assets, divided by the outstanding number of our common shares at the end of each period. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is book value per share. We had no goodwill or other intangible assets as of any of the dates indicated. As a result, tangible book value per share is the same as book value per share as of each of the dates indicated.
    (5)  Nonperforming assets and nonperforming loans include loans 90+ days past due and accruing interest.
    (6)  Annualized calculations.

    Key Performance Ratios

    Return on average assets (“ROA”) was 1.34% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 compared to 1.21% and 1.13% for the quarters ended June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively.  ROA for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, increased 0.13% and 0.21% compared to June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively. Noninterest expenses were higher for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 compared to the quarters ended June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023 largely due to an increase in BaaS loan expense, which is directly related to the increase in the amount of interest earned on CCBX loans.

    The following table shows the Company’s key performance ratios for the periods indicated.  

        Three Months Ended
    (unaudited)   September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
      September 30,
    2023
                         
    Return on average assets (1)   1.34 %   1.21 %   0.73 %   0.97 %   1.13 %
    Return on average equity (1)   16.67 %   15.22 %   9.21 %   12.35 %   14.60 %
    Yield on earnings assets (1)   10.79 %   10.49 %   10.07 %   9.77 %   10.08 %
    Yield on loans receivable (1)   11.43 %   11.23 %   10.85 %   10.71 %   10.84 %
    Cost of funds (1)   3.62 %   3.60 %   3.52 %   3.39 %   3.18 %
    Cost of deposits (1)   3.59 %   3.58 %   3.49 %   3.36 %   3.14 %
    Net interest margin (1)   7.41 %   7.13 %   6.78 %   6.61 %   7.10 %
    Noninterest expense to average assets (1)   6.54 %   6.14 %   6.04 %   5.56 %   6.23 %
    Noninterest income to average assets (1)   7.98 %   7.30 %   9.38 %   6.95 %   3.81 %
    Efficiency ratio   43.10 %   43.19 %   37.88 %   41.58 %   58.36 %
    Loans receivable to deposits (2)   94.46 %   93.88 %   92.42 %   90.05 %   90.19 %
                                   

    (1)  Annualized calculations shown for quarterly periods presented.
    (2)  Includes loans held for sale.

    Management Outlook; CEO Eric Sprink

    “As we look ahead to the fourth quarter and 2025, we remain laser focused on building out our technology and risk management infrastructure to more efficiently support our next phase of growth within CCBX. While the balance sheet re-mix earlier this year resulted in a short-term reduction to income, we continue to make strategic decisions which are enhancing credit quality, generating passive fee income, strengthening our talent and growing relationships with established and prospective CCBX partners all of which are expected to position Coastal to be more profitable in 2025.”

    Coastal Financial Corporation Overview

    The Company has one main subsidiary, the Bank which consists of three segments: CCBX, the community bank and treasury & administration.  The CCBX segment includes all of our BaaS activities, the community bank segment includes all community banking activities, and the treasury & administration segment includes treasury management, overall administration and all other aspects of the Company.  

    CCBX Performance Update

    Our CCBX segment continues to evolve, and we have 22 relationships, at varying stages, as of September 30, 2024.  We continue to refine the criteria for CCBX partnerships, are exiting relationships where it makes sense for us to do so and are focusing on larger more established partners, with experienced management teams, existing customer bases and strong financial positions.

    We are expanding product offerings with our existing CCBX partners. We believe that launching new products with existing partners positions us to reach a wide and established customer base with a modest increase in regulatory risk given we have already vetted these partners and have operational history. Products launched earlier in the year with existing partners have gained traction and are growing the balance sheet and increasing income. We continue to sell loans as part of our strategy to balance partner and lending limits, and manage the loan portfolio and credit quality. We retain a portion of the fee income for our role in processing transactions on sold credit card balances. This is expected to provide an on-going and passive revenue stream with no on balance sheet risk.

    The following table illustrates the activity and evolution in CCBX relationships for the periods presented.

        As of
    (unaudited)   September 30,
    2024
    June 30,
    2024
    September 30,
    2023
    Active   19 19 18
    Friends and family / testing   1 1 1
    Implementation / onboarding   1 1 1
    Signed letters of intent   1 0 1
    Wind down – active but preparing to exit relationship   0 0 1
    Total CCBX relationships   22 21 22
     

    CCBX loans increased $106.9 million, or 7.6%, despite selling $423.7 million loans during the three months ended September 30, 2024 to $1.52 billion, while we continued to enhance credit standards on new CCBX loan originations. In accordance with the program agreement for one partner, effective April 1, 2024, the portion of the CCBX portfolio that we are responsible for losses on decreased from 10% to 5%. At September 30, 2024 the portion of this portfolio for which we are responsible represented $19.8 million in loans.

    The following table details the CCBX loan portfolio:

    CCBX   As of
        September 30, 2024   June 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total
    Commercial and industrial loans:                        
    Capital call lines   $ 103,924     6.8 %   $ 109,133     7.7 %   $ 114,174     9.6 %
    All other commercial & industrial loans     36,494     2.4       41,731     3.0       58,869     5.0  
    Real estate loans:                        
    Residential real estate loans     265,402     17.5       287,950     20.4       251,775     21.3  
    Consumer and other loans:                        
    Credit cards     633,691     41.6       549,241     38.7       440,993     37.3  
    Other consumer and other loans     482,228     31.7       426,809     30.2       316,987     26.8  
    Gross CCBX loans receivable     1,521,739     100.0 %     1,414,864     100.0 %     1,182,798     100.0 %
    Net deferred origination (fees) costs     (447 )         (438 )         (424 )    
    Loans receivable   $ 1,521,292         $ 1,414,426         $ 1,182,374      
    Loan Yield – CCBX (1)(2)     17.35 %         17.77 %         17.05 %    
                             

    (1)  CCBX yield does not include the impact of BaaS loan expense.  BaaS loan expense represents the amount paid or payable to partners for credit enhancements and originating & servicing CCBX loans. See reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures at the end of this earnings release for the impact of BaaS loan expense on CCBX loan yield.
    (2)  Loan yield is annualized for the three months ended for each period presented and includes loans held for sale and nonaccrual loans.

    The increase in CCBX loans in the quarter ended September 30, 2024, includes an increase of $139.9 million or 14.3%, in consumer and other loans, partially offset by a $22.5 million, or 7.8%, decrease in residential real estate loans and a decrease of $5.2 million, or 4.8%, in capital call lines as a result of normal balance fluctuations and business activities. We continue to monitor and manage the CCBX loan portfolio, and sold $423.7 million in CCBX loans during the quarter ended September 30, 2024 compared to sales of $155.2 million in the quarter ended June 30, 2024. We continue to reposition ourselves by managing CCBX credit and concentration levels in an effort to optimize our loan portfolio and generate off balance sheet fee income.

    Our credit card program through CCBX continues to grow in dollars and number of active cards as shown in the graph below:

    The following table details the CCBX deposit portfolio:

    CCBX   As of
        September 30, 2024   June 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total
    Demand, noninterest bearing   $ 60,655     2.9 %   $ 62,234     3.0 %   $ 67,782     3.9 %
    Interest bearing demand and money market     1,991,858     94.6       1,989,105     96.7       1,679,921     95.9  
    Savings     5,204     0.3       5,150     0.3       4,529     0.2  
    Total core deposits     2,057,717     97.8       2,056,489     100.0       1,752,232     100.0  
    Other deposits     47,046     2.2           0.0            
    Total CCBX deposits   $ 2,104,763     100.0 %   $ 2,056,489     100.0 %   $ 1,752,232     100.0 %
    Cost of deposits (1)     4.82 %         4.92 %         4.80 %    

    (1)  Cost of deposits is annualized for the three months ended for each period presented.

    CCBX deposits increased $48.3 million, or 2.3%, in the three months ended September 30, 2024 to $2.10 billion. This excludes the $214.5 million in CCBX deposits that were transferred off balance sheet for increased Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance coverage purposes, compared to $117.7 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. Amounts in excess of FDIC insurance coverage are transferred, using a third party facilitator/vendor sweep product, to participating financial institutions.

    Community Bank Performance Update

    In the quarter ended September 30, 2024, the community bank saw net loans decrease $14.5 million, or 0.8%, to $1.90 billion.

    The following table details the Community Bank loan portfolio:

    Community Bank   As of
        September 30, 2024   June 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total
    Commercial and industrial loans   $ 152,161     8.0 %   $ 144,436     7.5 %   $ 158,232     8.8 %
    Real estate loans:                        
    Construction, land and land development loans     163,051     8.6       173,064     9.0       167,686     9.4  
    Residential real estate loans     212,467     11.2       229,639     12.0       225,372     12.6  
    Commercial real estate loans     1,362,452     71.5       1,357,979     70.8       1,237,849     69.1  
    Consumer and other loans:                        
    Other consumer and other loans     14,173     0.7       14,220     0.7       2,483     0.1  
    Gross Community Bank loans receivable     1,904,304     100.0 %     1,919,338     100.0 %     1,791,622     100.0 %
    Net deferred origination fees     (6,764 )         (7,304 )         (6,961 )    
    Loans receivable   $ 1,897,540         $ 1,912,034         $ 1,784,661      
    Loan Yield(1)     6.64 %         6.52 %         6.20 %    

    (1)  Loan yield is annualized for the three months ended for each period presented and includes loans held for sale and nonaccrual loans.

    Community bank loans had a $10.0 million decrease in construction, land and land development loans, partially offset by an increase of $7.7 million in commercial and industrial loans and an increase in commercial real estate loans of $4.5 million during the quarter ended September 30, 2024; consumer and other loans were flat.

    The following table details the community bank deposit portfolio:

    Community Bank   As of
        September 30, 2024   June 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total
    Demand, noninterest bearing   $ 518,772     34.1 %   $ 531,555     35.6 %   $ 584,004     37.9 %
    Interest bearing demand and money market     552,108     36.3       876,668     59.0       852,747     55.5  
    Savings     62,272     4.1       63,627     4.3       80,099     5.2  
    Total core deposits     1,133,152     74.5       1,471,850     98.9       1,516,850     98.6  
    Other deposits     373,681     24.5       1     0.0       1     0.0  
    Time deposits less than $100,000     6,305     0.4       6,741     0.5       8,635     0.6  
    Time deposits $100,000 and over     9,387     0.6       8,351     0.6       11,982     0.8  
    Total Community Bank deposits   $ 1,522,525     100.0 %   $ 1,486,943     100.0 %   $ 1,537,468     100.0 %
    Cost of deposits(1)     1.92 %         1.77 %         1.31 %    

    (1)  Cost of deposits is annualized for the three months ended for each period presented.

    Community bank deposits increased $35.6 million, or 2.4%, during the three months ended September 30, 2024 to $1.52 billion. This is the second consecutive quarter of growth after allowing higher rate balances to run-off earlier in the year. The community bank segment includes noninterest bearing deposits of $518.8 million, or 34.1%, of total community bank deposits, resulting in a cost of deposits of 1.92%, which compared to 1.77% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.

    Net Interest Income and Margin Discussion

    Net interest income was $72.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, an increase of $5.9 million, or 9.0%, from $66.2 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and an increase of $10.0 million, or 16.0%, from $62.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The increase in net interest income compared to June 30, 2024, was a result of increased interest income due to an increase in average loans receivable partially offset by an increase in cost of funds. The increase in net interest income compared to September 30, 2023 was largely related to increased yield on loans resulting from higher interest rates and growth in higher yielding loans partially offset by an increase in cost of funds relating to higher interest rates and growth in interest bearing deposits.  

    Net interest margin was 7.41% for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to 7.13% for the three months ended June 30, 2024, with the increase primarily due to higher loan yields. Net interest margin was 7.10% for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The increase in net interest margin for the three months ended September 30, 2024 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2023 was largely due to an increase in loan yield partially offset by higher interest rates on interest bearing deposits. Interest and fees on loans receivable increased $8.6 million, or 9.5%, to $99.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $90.9 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024, and increased $15.9 million, or 19.1%, compared to $83.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, due to an increase in outstanding balances and higher interest rates. 

    Average investment securities decreased $795,000 to $49.0 million compared to the three months ended June 30, 2024 and decreased $69.0 million compared to the three months ended September 30, 2023 as a result of maturing securities.

    Cost of funds was 3.62% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, an increase of 2 basis points from the quarter ended June 30, 2024 and an increase of 44 basis points from the quarter ended September 30, 2023. Cost of deposits for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 was 3.59%, compared to 3.58% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and 3.14% for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The increased cost of funds and deposits compared to June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023 was due to the continued high interest rate environment. The late September reduction in the Fed funds rate is expected to help to lower our cost of deposits in future periods.

    The following table summarizes the average yield on loans receivable and cost of deposits:

        For the Three Months Ended
        September 30, 2024   June 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
        Yield on
    Loans (2)
      Cost of
    Deposits (2)
      Yield on
    Loans (2)
      Cost of
    Deposits (2)
      Yield on
    Loans (2)
      Cost of
    Deposits (2)
    Community Bank   6.64 %   1.92 %   6.52 %   1.77 %   6.20 %   1.31 %
    CCBX (1)   17.35 %   4.82 %   17.77 %   4.92 %   17.05 %   4.80 %
    Consolidated   11.43 %   3.59 %   11.23 %   3.58 %   10.84 %   3.14 %

    (1)  CCBX yield on loans does not include the impact of BaaS loan expense.  BaaS loan expense represents the amount paid or payable to partners for credit and fraud enhancements and originating & servicing CCBX loans.  To determine Net BaaS loan income earned from CCBX loan relationships, the Company takes BaaS loan interest income and deducts BaaS loan expense to arrive at Net BaaS loan income which can be compared to interest income on the Company’s community bank loans. See reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures at the end of this earnings release for the impact of BaaS loan expense on CCBX loan yield.
    (2)  Annualized calculations for periods shown.

    The following tables illustrates how BaaS loan interest income is affected by BaaS loan expense resulting in net BaaS loan income and the associated yield:

        For the Three Months Ended
        September 30, 2024   June 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
    (dollars in thousands, unaudited)   Income /
    Expense
      Income /
    expense divided
    by average
    CCBX loans
    (2)
      Income /
    Expense
      Income /
    expense divided
    by

    average CCBX
    loans
    (2)
      Income /
    Expense
      Income /
    expense divided
    by average
    CCBX loans
    (2)
    BaaS loan interest income   $ 67,692   17.35 %   $ 60,203   17.77 %   $ 56,279   17.05 %
    Less: BaaS loan expense     32,612   8.36 %     29,076   8.58 %     23,003   6.97 %
    Net BaaS loan income (1)   $ 35,080   8.99 %   $ 31,127   9.19 %   $ 33,276   10.08 %
    Average BaaS Loans(3)   $ 1,552,443       $ 1,362,343       $ 1,309,380    

    (1) A reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures are set forth at the end of this earnings release.
    (2) Annualized calculations shown for quarterly periods presented.
    (3) Includes loans held for sale.

    Noninterest Income Discussion

    Noninterest income was $80.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, an increase of $10.2 million from $69.9 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024, and an increase of $45.5 million from $34.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023.  The increase in noninterest income over the quarter ended June 30, 2024 was primarily due to an increase of $9.9 million in total BaaS income.  The $9.9 million increase in total BaaS income included a $9.3 million increase in BaaS credit enhancements related to the provision for credit losses, a $300,000 increase in BaaS fraud enhancements, and an increase of $340,000 in BaaS program income. The increase in BaaS program income is largely due to higher servicing and other BaaS fees, transaction fees and interchange fees and our primary BaaS source for recurring fee income (see “Appendix B” for more information on the accounting for BaaS allowance for credit losses and credit and fraud enhancements). Additionally, other income increased $229,000 largely due to increased incoming ACH activity.

    The $45.5 million increase in noninterest income over the quarter ended September 30, 2023 was primarily due to a $43.4 million increase in BaaS credit and fraud enhancements, and an increase of $2.0 million in BaaS program income.

    Noninterest Expense Discussion
    Total noninterest expense increased $6.8 million to $65.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $58.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024, and increased $9.1 million from $56.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The increase in noninterest expense for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, as compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2024, was primarily due to a $3.8 million increase in BaaS expense (including a $300,000 increase in BaaS fraud expense and a $3.5 million increase in BaaS loan expense). BaaS loan expense represents the amount paid or payable to partners for credit enhancements, fraud enhancements, and originating & servicing CCBX loans. BaaS fraud expense represents non-credit fraud losses on partner’s customer loan and deposit accounts. A portion of this expense is realized during the quarter in which the loss occurs, and a portion is estimated based on historical or other information from our partners, partially offset by a $1.5 million increase in excise taxes (due to the recording of $1.2 million business and occupation tax credit from the State of Washington which resulted in the recognition of a net credit of $706,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, compared to expense of $762,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2024). We also recorded an increase of $587,000 in data processing and software licenses as a result of our continued investment in our infrastructure and the automation of our processes so that they are scalable and an increase of $499,000 in point of sale expenses as a result of increased partner transaction activity.

    The increase in noninterest expenses for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2023 was largely due to an increase of $8.8 million in BaaS partner expense (including a $9.6 million increase in BaaS loan expense partially offset by a decrease of $766,000 in BaaS fraud expense), a $1.1 million increase in data processing and software licenses due to enhancements in technology, and a $526,000 increase in occupancy expense, largely due to higher software depreciation/amortization expense, partially offset by a $986,000 decrease in salary and employee benefits largely as a result of some one-time costs that were expensed in the quarter ended September 30, 2023 for which there was no similar expense in the current quarter, and an $850,000 decrease in legal and professional expenses as a result of risk management and projects being completed.

    Provision for Income Taxes

    The provision for income taxes was $2.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, $3.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and $2.8 million for the third quarter of 2023.  The income tax provision was lower for the three months ended September 30, 2024 compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2024 as a result of the deductibility of certain equity awards which reduced tax expense despite net income being higher and higher than the quarter ended September 30, 2023, primarily due to higher net income compared to that quarter.

    The Company is subject to various state taxes that are assessed as CCBX activities and employees expand into other states, which has increased the overall tax rate used in calculating the provision for income taxes in the current and future periods. The Company uses a federal statutory tax rate of 21.0% as a basis for calculating provision for federal income taxes and 2.62% for calculating the provision for state income taxes.

    Financial Condition Overview

    Total assets increased $104.3 million, or 2.6%, to $4.07 billion at September 30, 2024 compared to $3.96 billion at June 30, 2024.  The increase is primarily due to stronger loan growth partially offset by lower cash balances. Total loans receivable increased $92.4 million to $3.42 billion at September 30, 2024, from $3.33 billion at June 30, 2024.

    As of September 30, 2024, the Company had the capacity to borrow up to a total of $656.3 million from the Federal Reserve Bank discount window and Federal Home Loan Bank, and an additional $50.0 million from a correspondent bank no borrowings outstanding on these lines as of September 30, 2024.

    The Company had a cash balance of $5.9 million as of September 30, 2024, which is retained for general operating purposes, including debt repayment, and for funding $530,000 in commitments to bank technology funds.  

    Uninsured deposits were $542.2 million as of September 30, 2024, compared to $532.9 million as of June 30, 2024.

    Total shareholders’ equity increased $15.2 million since June 30, 2024.  The increase in shareholders’ equity was primarily due to $13.5 million in net earnings, combined with an increase of $1.8 million in common stock outstanding as a result of equity awards exercised during the three months ended September 30, 2024.

    The Company and the Bank remained well capitalized at September 30, 2024, as summarized in the following table.

    (unaudited)   Coastal
    Community
    Bank
      Coastal
    Financial
    Corporation
      Minimum Well
    Capitalized
    Ratios under
    Prompt
    Corrective
    Action
    (1)
    Tier 1 Leverage Capital (to average assets)   9.29 %   8.40 %   5.00 %
    Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to risk-weighted assets)   10.36 %   9.26 %   6.50 %
    Tier 1 Capital (to risk-weighted assets)   10.36 %   9.35 %   8.00 %
    Total Capital (to risk-weighted assets)   11.65 %   11.90 %   10.00 %

    (1) Presents the minimum capital ratios for an insured depository institution, such as the Bank, to be considered well capitalized under the Prompt Corrective Action framework. The minimum requirements for the Company to be considered well capitalized under Regulation Y include to maintain, on a consolidated basis, a total risk-based capital ratio of 10.0 percent or greater and a tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.0 percent or greater.

    Asset Quality

    The total allowance for credit losses was $170.3 million and 4.98% of loans receivable at September 30, 2024 compared to $147.9 million and 4.45% at June 30, 2024 and $101.1 million and 3.41% at September 30, 2023. The allowance for credit loss allocated to the CCBX portfolio was $150.1 million and 9.87% of CCBX loans receivable at September 30, 2024, with $20.1 million of allowance for credit loss allocated to the community bank or 1.06% of total community bank loans receivable.

    The following table details the allocation of the allowance for credit loss as of the period indicated:

        As of September 30, 2024   As of June 30, 2024   As of September 30, 2023
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Community
    Bank
      CCBX   Total   Community
    Bank
      CCBX   Total   Community
    Bank
      CCBX   Total
    Loans receivable   $ 1,897,540     $ 1,521,292     $ 3,418,832     $ 1,912,034     $ 1,414,426     $ 3,326,460     $ 1,784,661     $ 1,182,374     $ 2,967,035  
    Allowance for credit losses     (20,132 )     (150,131 )     (170,263 )     (21,045 )     (126,869 )     (147,914 )     (21,316 )     (79,769 )     (101,085 )
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans receivable     1.06 %     9.87 %     4.98 %     1.10 %     8.97 %     4.45 %     1.19 %     6.75 %     3.41 %
                                                                             

    Net charge-offs totaled $49.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to $53.2 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 and $36.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. Net charge-offs as a percent of average loans decreased to 5.65% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 compared to 6.57% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, which we believe is a result of the steps we took manage our credit quality.   CCBX partner agreements provide for a credit enhancement that covers the net-charge-offs on CCBX loans and negative deposit accounts by indemnifying or reimbursing incurred losses, except in accordance with the program agreement for one partner where the Company was responsible for credit losses on approximately 5% of a $400.8 million loan portfolio. At September 30, 2024, our portion of this portfolio represented $19.8 million in loans. Net charge-offs for this $19.8 million in loans were $1.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $1.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and $579,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2023.

    The following table details net charge-offs for the community bank and CCBX for the period indicated:

        Three Months Ended
        September 30, 2024   June 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Community
    Bank
      CCBX   Total   Community
    Bank
      CCBX   Total   Community
    Bank
      CCBX   Total
    Gross charge-offs   $ 398     $ 52,907     $ 53,305     $ 2     $ 55,205     $ 55,207     $ 3     $ 37,876     $ 37,879  
    Gross recoveries     (3 )     (4,066 )     (4,069 )     (4 )     (1,969 )     (1,973 )     (3 )     (1,042 )     (1,045 )
    Net charge-offs   $ 395     $ 48,841     $ 49,236     $ (2 )   $ 53,236     $ 53,234     $     $ 36,834     $ 36,834  
    Net charge-offs to average loans (1)     0.08 %     12.52 %     5.65 %     0.00 %     15.72 %     6.57 %     0.00 %     11.16 %     4.77 %

    (1) Annualized calculations shown for periods presented.

    During the quarter ended September 30, 2024, a $72.1 million provision for credit losses – loans was recorded for CCBX partner loans based on management’s analysis, compared to the $62.2 million provision for credit losses – loans that was recorded for CCBX for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. CCBX loans have a higher level of expected losses than our community bank loans, which is reflected in the factors for the allowance for credit losses. Agreements with our CCBX partners provide for a credit enhancement which protects the Bank by indemnifying or reimbursing incurred losses.

    In accordance with accounting guidance, we estimate and record a provision for expected losses for these CCBX loans and reclassified negative deposit accounts. When the provision for CCBX credit losses and provision for unfunded commitments is recorded, a credit enhancement asset is also recorded on the balance sheet through noninterest income (BaaS credit enhancements). Expected losses are recorded in the allowance for credit losses. The credit enhancement asset is relieved when credit enhancement recoveries are received from the CCBX partner. If our partner is unable to fulfill their contracted obligations then the Bank could be exposed to additional credit losses. Management regularly evaluates and manages this counterparty risk.

    The factors used in management’s analysis for community bank credit losses indicated that a provision recapture of $519,000 and was needed for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 compared to a provision recapture of $341,000 and provision of $664,000 for the quarters ended June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively. The recapture in the current period was largely due to a change in remaining average lives of community bank loans.

    The following table details the provision expense/(recapture) for the community bank and CCBX for the period indicated:

        Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      September 30,
    2023
    Community bank   $ (519 )   $ (341 )   $ 664
    CCBX     72,104       62,231       26,493
    Total provision expense   $ 71,585     $ 61,890     $ 27,157

    At September 30, 2024, our nonperforming assets were $54.7 million, or 1.34%, of total assets, compared to $53.2 million, or 1.34%, of total assets, at June 30, 2024, and $43.5 million, or 1.18%, of total assets, at September 30, 2023. These ratios are impacted by nonperforming CCBX loans that are covered by CCBX partner credit enhancements. As of September 30, 2024, $52.0 million of the $53.6 million in nonperforming CCBX loans were covered by CCBX partner credit enhancements described above.

    Nonperforming assets increased $1.5 million during the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2024. This change is largely due to an increase in CCBX nonaccrual loans partially offset by a decrease in community bank nonaccrual loans. CCBX nonaccrual loans increased $8.0 million as a result of a new collection practice that places certain loans on nonaccrual status to improve collectability, $5.3 million of these loans are less than 90 days past due as of September 30, 2024. CCBX loans that are past due 90 days or more and still accruing was $45.6 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 compared to $45.2 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. As a result of the type of loans (primarily consumer loans) originated through our CCBX partners we anticipate that balances 90 days past due or more and still accruing will generally increase as those loan portfolios grow. Installment/closed-end and revolving/open-end consumer loans originated through CCBX lending partners will continue to accrue interest until 120 and 180 days past due, respectively and are reported as substandard, 90 days or more days past due and still accruing. There were no repossessed assets or other real estate owned at September 30, 2024. Our nonperforming loans to loans receivable ratio was 1.60% at September 30, 2024, compared to 1.60% at June 30, 2024, and 1.47% at September 30, 2023.

    For the quarter ended September 30, 2024, there were $395,000 community bank net charge-offs and $1.1 million nonperforming community bank loans. For the quarter ended September 30, 2024 $48.8 million in net charge-offs were recorded on CCBX loans. These CCBX loans have a higher level of expected losses than our community bank loans, which is reflected in the factors for the allowance for credit losses.

    The following table details the Company’s nonperforming assets for the periods indicated.

    Consolidated   As of
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      September 30,
    2023
    Nonaccrual loans:            
    Commercial and industrial loans   $ 198     $     $ 2  
    Real estate loans:            
    Construction, land and land development                  
    Residential real estate     44       213       176  
    Commercial real estate     831       7,731       7,145  
    Consumer and other loans:            
    Credit cards     7,987              
    Total nonaccrual loans     9,060       7,944       7,323  
    Accruing loans past due 90 days or more:            
    Commercial & industrial loans     1,593       1,278       1,387  
    Real estate loans:            
    Residential real estate loans     3,025       2,722       1,462  
    Consumer and other loans:            
    Credit cards     34,562       36,465       24,807  
    Other consumer and other loans     6,412       4,779       8,561  
         Total accruing loans past due 90 days or more     45,592       45,244       36,217  
    Total nonperforming loans     54,652       53,188       43,540  
    Real estate owned                  
    Repossessed assets                  
    Total nonperforming assets   $ 54,652     $ 53,188     $ 43,540  
    Total nonaccrual loans to loans receivable     0.27 %     0.24 %     0.25 %
    Total nonperforming loans to loans receivable     1.60 %     1.60 %     1.47 %
    Total nonperforming assets to total assets     1.34 %     1.34 %     1.18 %
                             

    The following tables detail the CCBX and community bank nonperforming assets which are included in the total nonperforming assets table above.

    CCBX   As of
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      September 30,
    2023
    Nonaccrual loans:            
    Consumer and other loans:            
    Credit cards   $ 7,987     $     $  
    Total nonaccrual loans     7,987              
    Accruing loans past due 90 days or more:            
    Commercial & industrial loans     1,593       1,278       1,387  
    Real estate loans:            
    Residential real estate loans     3,025       2,722       1,462  
    Consumer and other loans:            
    Credit cards     34,562       36,465       24,807  
    Other consumer and other loans     6,412       4,779       8,561  
    Total accruing loans past due 90 days or more     45,592       45,244       36,217  
    Total nonperforming loans     53,579       45,244       36,217  
    Other real estate owned                  
    Repossessed assets                  
    Total nonperforming assets   $ 53,579     $ 45,244     $ 36,217  
    Total CCBX nonperforming assets to total consolidated assets     1.32 %     1.14 %     0.98 %
    Community Bank   As of
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      September 30,
    2023
    Nonaccrual loans:            
    Commercial and industrial loans   $ 198     $     $ 2  
    Real estate:            
    Construction, land and land development                  
    Residential real estate     44       213       176  
    Commercial real estate     831       7,731       7,145  
    Total nonaccrual loans     1,073       7,944       7,323  
    Accruing loans past due 90 days or more:            
    Total accruing loans past due 90 days or more                  
    Total nonperforming loans     1,073       7,944       7,323  
    Other real estate owned                  
    Repossessed assets                  
    Total nonperforming assets   $ 1,073     $ 7,944     $ 7,323  
    Total community bank nonperforming assets to total consolidated assets     0.03 %     0.20 %     0.20 %
                             

    About Coastal Financial

    Coastal Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: CCB) (the “Company”), is an Everett, Washington based bank holding company whose wholly owned subsidiaries are Coastal Community Bank (“Bank”) and Arlington Olympic LLC.  The $4.07 billion Bank provides service through 14 branches in Snohomish, Island, and King Counties, the Internet and its mobile banking application.  The Bank provides banking as a service to broker-dealers, digital financial service providers, companies and brands that want to provide financial services to their customers through the Bank’s CCBX segment.  To learn more about the Company visit www.coastalbank.com

    CCB-ER

    Contact

    Eric Sprink, Chief Executive Officer, (425) 357-3659
    Joel Edwards, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, (425) 357-3687

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This earnings release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, future events and our financial performance. Any statements about our management’s expectations, beliefs, plans, predictions, forecasts, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and may be forward-looking. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “believes,” “can,” “could,” “may,” “predicts,” “potential,” “should,” “will,” “estimate,” “plans,” “projects,” “continuing,” “ongoing,” “expects,” “intends” and similar words or phrases. Any or all of the forward-looking statements in this earnings release may turn out to be inaccurate. The inclusion of or reference to forward-looking information in this earnings release should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the future plans, estimates or expectations contemplated by us will be achieved. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties discussed under “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent period filed and in any of our subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    If one or more events related to these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may differ materially from what we anticipate. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

     
    COASTAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
    (Dollars in thousands; unaudited)
     
    ASSETS
        September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
      September 30,
    2023
    Cash and due from banks   $ 45,327     $ 59,995     $ 32,790     $ 31,345     $ 29,984  
    Interest earning deposits with other banks     438,699       427,250       482,338       451,783       444,962  
    Investment securities, available for sale, at fair value     38       39       41       99,504       98,939  
    Investment securities, held to maturity, at amortized cost     48,582       49,174       50,049       50,860       42,550  
    Other investments     10,757       10,664       10,583       10,227       11,898  
    Loans held for sale     7,565             797              
    Loans receivable     3,418,832       3,326,460       3,199,554       3,026,092       2,967,035  
    Allowance for credit losses     (170,263 )     (147,914 )     (139,258 )     (116,958 )     (101,085 )
    Total loans receivable, net     3,248,569       3,178,546       3,060,296       2,909,134       2,865,950  
    CCBX credit enhancement asset     167,251       143,485       137,276       107,921       91,867  
    CCBX receivable     16,060       11,520       10,369       9,088       10,623  
    Premises and equipment, net     25,833       24,526       22,995       22,090       20,543  
    Lease right-of-use assets     5,427       5,635       5,756       5,932       6,126  
    Accrued interest receivable     23,664       23,617       24,681       26,819       23,428  
    Bank-owned life insurance, net     13,255       13,132       12,991       12,870       12,970  
    Deferred tax asset, net     3,083       2,221       2,221       3,806       4,404  
    Other assets     11,711       11,742       12,075       11,987       14,021  
    Total assets   $ 4,065,821     $ 3,961,546     $ 3,865,258     $ 3,753,366     $ 3,678,265  
                         
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
    LIABILITIES                    
    Deposits   $ 3,627,288     $ 3,543,432     $ 3,462,979     $ 3,360,363     $ 3,289,700  
    Subordinated debt, net     44,256       44,219       44,181       44,144       44,106  
    Junior subordinated debentures, net     3,591       3,591       3,590       3,590       3,589  
    Deferred compensation     369       405       442       479       513  
    Accrued interest payable     1,070       999       1,061       892       1,056  
    Lease liabilities     5,609       5,821       5,946       6,124       6,321  
    CCBX payable     39,188       34,536       33,095       33,651       38,229  
    Other liabilities     12,520       11,850       10,255       9,145       10,301  
    Total liabilities     3,733,891       3,644,853       3,561,549       3,458,388       3,393,815  
    SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                    
    Common Stock     134,769       132,989       131,601       130,136       129,244  
    Retained earnings     197,162       183,706       172,110       165,311       156,299  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax     (1 )     (2 )     (2 )     (469 )     (1,093 )
    Total shareholders’ equity     331,930       316,693       303,709       294,978       284,450  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 4,065,821     $ 3,961,546     $ 3,865,258     $ 3,753,366     $ 3,678,265  
     
    COASTAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts; unaudited)
     
        Three Months Ended
        September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
      September 30,
    2023
    INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME                    
    Interest and fees on loans   $ 99,590   $ 90,944     $ 84,621     $ 81,159     $ 83,652
    Interest on interest earning deposits with other banks     4,781     5,683       4,780       5,687       3,884
    Interest on investment securities     675     686       1,034       1,225       766
    Dividends on other investments     33     174       37       172       29
    Total interest income     105,079     97,487       90,472       88,243       88,331
    INTEREST EXPENSE                    
    Interest on deposits     32,083     30,578       28,867       27,916       25,451
    Interest on borrowed funds     809     672       669       670       651
    Total interest expense     32,892     31,250       29,536       28,586       26,102
    Net interest income     72,187     66,237       60,936       59,657       62,229
    PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES     70,257     62,325       83,158       60,789       27,253
    Net interest income/(expense) after provision for credit losses     1,930     3,912       (22,222 )     (1,132 )     34,976
    NONINTEREST INCOME                    
    Deposit service charges and fees     952     946       908       957       998
    Loan referral fees               168             1
    Gain on sales of loans, net                           107
    Unrealized gain (loss) on equity securities, net     2     9       15       80       5
    Other income     486     257       308       60       291
    Noninterest income, excluding BaaS program income and BaaS indemnification income     1,440     1,212       1,399       1,097       1,402
    Servicing and other BaaS fees     1,044     1,525       1,131       1,015       997
    Transaction fees     1,696     1,309       1,122       1,006       1,036
    Interchange fees     1,853     1,625       1,539       1,272       1,216
    Reimbursement of expenses     1,843     1,637       1,033       1,076       1,152
    BaaS program income     6,436     6,096       4,825       4,369       4,401
    BaaS credit enhancements     70,108     60,826       79,808       58,449       25,926
    BaaS fraud enhancements     2,084     1,784       923       779       2,850
    BaaS indemnification income     72,192     62,610       80,731       59,228       28,776
    Total noninterest income     80,068     69,918       86,955       64,694       34,579
    NONINTEREST EXPENSE                    
    Salaries and employee benefits     17,101     17,005       17,984       16,490       18,087
    Occupancy     1,750     1,686       1,518       1,340       1,224
    Data processing and software licenses     3,511     2,924       2,892       2,417       2,366
    Legal and professional expenses     3,597     3,631       3,672       2,649       4,447
    Point of sale expense     1,351     852       869       899       1,068
    Excise taxes     762     (706 )     320       449       541
    Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) assessments     740     690       683       665       694
    Director and staff expenses     559     470       400       478       529
    Marketing     67     14       53       138       169
    Other expense     1,482     1,383       1,867       1,089       1,523
    Noninterest expense, excluding BaaS loan and BaaS fraud expense     30,920     27,949       30,258       26,614       30,648
    BaaS loan expense     32,612     29,076       24,837       24,310       23,003
    BaaS fraud expense     2,084     1,784       923       779       2,850
    BaaS loan and fraud expense     34,696     30,860       25,760       25,089       25,853
    Total noninterest expense     65,616     58,809       56,018       51,703       56,501
    Income before provision for income taxes     16,382     15,021       8,715       11,859       13,054
    PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES     2,926     3,425       1,915       2,847       2,784
    NET INCOME   $ 13,456   $ 11,596     $ 6,800     $ 9,012     $ 10,270
    Basic earnings per common share   $ 1.00   $ 0.86     $ 0.51     $ 0.68     $ 0.77
    Diluted earnings per common share   $ 0.97   $ 0.84     $ 0.50     $ 0.66     $ 0.75
    Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:                    
    Basic     13,447,066     13,412,667       13,340,997       13,286,828       13,285,974
    Diluted     13,822,270     13,736,508       13,676,917       13,676,513       13,675,833
     
    COASTAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION
    AVERAGE BALANCES, YIELDS, AND RATES – QUARTERLY
    (Dollars in thousands; unaudited)
     
        For the Three Months Ended
        September 30, 2024   June 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
        Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
    Assets                                    
    Interest earning assets:                                    
    Interest earning deposits with other banks   $ 350,915     $ 4,781   5.42 %   $ 418,165     $ 5,683   5.47 %   $ 285,596     $ 3,884   5.40 %
    Investment securities, available for sale (2)     40               43         3.13       100,283       543   2.15  
    Investment securities, held to maturity (2)     48,945       675   5.49       49,737       686   5.55       17,703       223   5.00  
    Other investments     11,140       33   1.18       10,592       174   6.61       11,943       29   0.96  
    Loans receivable (3)     3,464,871       99,590   11.43       3,258,042       90,944   11.23       3,062,214       83,652   10.84  
    Total interest earning assets     3,875,911       105,079   10.79       3,736,579       97,487   10.49       3,477,739       88,331   10.08  
    Noninterest earning assets:                                    
    Allowance for credit losses     (151,292 )             (138,472 )             (100,329 )        
    Other noninterest earning assets     268,903               255,205               220,750          
    Total assets   $ 3,993,522             $ 3,853,312             $ 3,598,160          
                                         
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity                                    
    Interest bearing liabilities:                                    
    Interest bearing deposits   $ 2,966,527     $ 32,083   4.30 %   $ 2,854,575     $ 30,578   4.31 %   $ 2,515,093     $ 25,451   4.01 %
    FHLB advances and other borrowings     9,717       140   5.73       1,648       3   0.73                
    Subordinated debt     44,234       598   5.38       44,197       598   5.44       44,084       580   5.22  
    Junior subordinated debentures     3,591       71   7.87       3,590       71   7.95       3,589       71   7.85  
    Total interest bearing liabilities     3,024,069       32,892   4.33       2,904,010       31,250   4.33       2,562,766       26,102   4.04  
    Noninterest bearing deposits     588,178               584,661               698,532          
    Other liabilities     60,101               58,267               57,865          
    Total shareholders’ equity     321,174               306,374               278,997          
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 3,993,522             $ 3,853,312             $ 3,598,160          
    Net interest income       $ 72,187           $ 66,237           $ 62,229    
    Interest rate spread           6.46 %           6.17 %           6.04 %
    Net interest margin (4)           7.41 %           7.13 %           7.10 %

    (1)  Yields and costs are annualized.
    (2) For presentation in this table, average balances and the corresponding average rates for investment securities are based upon historical cost, adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts.
    (3)  Includes loans held for sale and nonaccrual loans.
    (4)  Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by the average total interest earning assets.

     
    COASTAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION
    SELECTED AVERAGE BALANCES, YIELDS, AND RATES – BY SEGMENT – QUARTERLY
    (Dollars in thousands; unaudited)
     
        For the Three Months Ended
        September 30, 2024   June 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
    (dollars in thousands, unaudited)   Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
    Community Bank                                    
    Assets                                    
    Interest earning assets:                                    
    Loans receivable (2)   $ 1,912,428   $ 31,898   6.64 %   $ 1,895,699   $ 30,741   6.52 %   $ 1,752,834   $ 27,373   6.20 %
    Total interest earning assets     1,912,428     31,898   6.64       1,895,699     30,741   6.52       1,752,834     27,373   6.20  
    Liabilities                                    
    Interest bearing liabilities:                                      
    Interest bearing deposits     982,280     7,264   2.94 %     938,033     6,459   2.77 %     920,707     5,067   2.18 %
    Intrabank liability     406,641     5,540   5.42       429,452     5,836   5.47       223,221     3,036   5.40  
    Total interest bearing liabilities     1,388,921     12,804   3.67       1,367,485     12,295   3.62       1,143,928     8,103   2.81  
    Noninterest bearing deposits     523,507             528,214             608,906        
    Net interest income       $ 19,094           $ 18,446           $ 19,270    
    Net interest margin(3)           3.97 %           3.91 %           4.36 %
                                         
    CCBX                                    
    Assets                                    
    Interest earning assets:                                    
    Loans receivable (2)(4)   $ 1,552,443   $ 67,692   17.35 %   $ 1,362,343   $ 60,203   17.77 %   $ 1,309,380   $ 56,279   17.05 %
    Intrabank asset     496,475     6,764   5.42       610,646     8,299   5.47       374,632     5,095   5.40  
    Total interest earning assets     2,048,918     74,456   14.46       1,972,989     68,502   13.96       1,684,012     61,374   14.46  
    Liabilities                                    
    Interest bearing liabilities:                                        
    Interest bearing deposits     1,984,247     24,819   4.98 %     1,916,542     24,119   5.06 %     1,594,386     20,384   5.07 %
    Total interest bearing liabilities     1,984,247     24,819   4.98       1,916,542     24,119   5.06       1,594,386     20,384   5.07  
    Noninterest bearing deposits     64,671             56,447             89,626        
    Net interest income       $ 49,637           $ 44,383           $ 40,990    
    Net interest margin(3)           9.64 %           9.05 %           9.66 %
    Net interest margin, net of Baas loan expense (5)           3.31 %           3.12 %           4.24 %
                                               
        For the Three Months Ended
        September 30, 2024   June 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
    (dollars in thousands, unaudited)   Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
    Treasury & Administration                            
    Assets                                    
    Interest earning assets:                                    
    Interest earning deposits with other banks   $ 350,915   $ 4,781   5.42 %   $ 418,165   $ 5,683   5.47 %   $ 285,596   $ 3,884   5.40 %
    Investment securities, available for sale (6)     40             43       3.13       100,283     543   2.15  
    Investment securities, held to maturity (6)     48,945     675   5.49       49,737     686   5.55       17,703     223   5.00  
    Other investments     11,140     33   1.18       10,592     174   6.61       11,943     29   0.96  
    Total interest earning assets     411,040     5,489   5.31 %     478,537     6,543   5.50 %     415,525     4,679   4.47 %
    Liabilities                                    
    Interest bearing liabilities:                                    
    FHLB advances and borrowings   $ 9,717   $ 140   5.73 %     1,648     3   0.73 %           %
    Subordinated debt     44,234     598   5.38 %     44,197     598   5.44 %     44,084     580   5.22 %
    Junior subordinated debentures     3,591     71   7.87       3,590     71   7.95       3,589     71   7.85  
    Intrabank liability, net (7)     89,834     1,224   5.42       181,194     2,463   5.47       151,411     2,059   5.40  
    Total interest bearing liabilities     147,376     2,033   5.49       230,629     3,135   5.47       199,084     2,710   5.40  
    Net interest income       $ 3,456           $ 3,408           $ 1,969    
    Net interest margin(3)           3.34 %           2.86 %           1.88 %

    (1)  Yields and costs are annualized. 
    (2)  Includes loans held for sale and nonaccrual loans. 
    (3)  Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by the average total interest earning assets. 
    (4)  CCBX yield does not include the impact of BaaS loan expense. BaaS loan expense represents the amount paid or payable to partners for credit enhancements, fraud enhancements and originating & servicing CCBX loans. See reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures at the end of this earnings release for the impact of BaaS loan expense on CCBX loan yield. 
    (5)  Net interest margin, net of BaaS loan expense includes the impact of BaaS loan expense. BaaS loan expense represents the amount paid or payable to partners for credit enhancements, fraud enhancements, originating & servicing CCBX loans. See reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures at the end of this earnings release. 
    (6) For presentation in this table, average balances and the corresponding average rates for investment securities are based upon historical cost, adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts. 
    (7)  Intrabank assets and liabilities are consolidated for period calculations and presented as intrabank asset, net or intrabank liability, net in the table above.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    The Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures to provide meaningful supplemental information regarding the Company’s operational performance and to enhance investors’ overall understanding of such financial performance.

    However, these non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental and are not a substitute for an analysis based on GAAP measures. As other companies may use different calculations for these adjusted measures, this presentation may not be comparable to other similarly titled adjusted measures reported by other companies.

    The following non-GAAP measures are presented to illustrate the impact of BaaS loan expense on net loan income and yield on CCBX loans and the impact of BaaS loan expense on net interest income and net interest margin.

    Net BaaS loan income divided by average CCBX loans is a non-GAAP measure that includes the impact BaaS loan expense on net BaaS loan income and the yield on CCBX loans. The most directly comparable GAAP measure is yield on CCBX loans.

    Net interest income net of BaaS loan expense is a non-GAAP measure that includes the impact BaaS loan expense on net interest income. The most directly comparable GAAP measure is net interest income.

    Net interest margin, net of BaaS loan expense is a non-GAAP measure that includes the impact of BaaS loan expense on net interest rate margin. The most directly comparable GAAP measure is net interest margin.

    Reconciliations of the GAAP and non-GAAP measures are presented below.

        As of and for the Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      September 30,
    2023
    Net BaaS loan income divided by average CCBX loans:
    CCBX loan yield (GAAP)(1)     17.35 %     17.77 %     17.05 %
    Total average CCBX loans receivable   $ 1,552,443     $ 1,362,343     $ 1,309,380  
    Interest and earned fee income on CCBX loans (GAAP)     67,692       60,203       56,279  
    BaaS loan expense     (32,612 )     (29,076 )     (23,003 )
    Net BaaS loan income   $ 35,080     $ 31,127     $ 33,276  
    Net BaaS loan income divided by average CCBX loans (1)     8.99 %     9.19 %     10.08 %
    Net interest margin, net of BaaS loan expense:                
    CCBX interest margin (1)     9.64 %     9.05 %     9.66 %
    CCBX earning assets     2,048,918       1,972,989       1,684,012  
    Net interest income     49,637       44,383       40,990  
    Less: BaaS loan expense     (32,612 )     (29,076 )     (23,003 )
    Net interest income, net of BaaS loan expense   $ 17,025     $ 15,307     $ 17,987  
    CCBX net interest margin, net of BaaS loan expense (1)     3.31 %     3.12 %     4.24 %

    (1) Annualized calculations for periods presented.

    APPENDIX A –
    As of September 30, 2024

    Industry Concentration

    We have a diversified loan portfolio, representing a wide variety of industries. Our major categories of loans are commercial real estate, consumer and other loans, residential real estate, commercial and industrial, and construction, land and land development loans. Together they represent $3.43 billion in outstanding loan balances. When combined with $2.29 billion in unused commitments the total of these categories is $5.72 billion.

    Commercial real estate loans represent the largest segment of our loans, comprising 39.8% of our total balance of outstanding loans as of September 30, 2024. Unused commitments to extend credit represents an additional $41.5 million, and the combined total in commercial real estate loans represents $1.40 billion, or 24.6% of our total outstanding loans and loan commitments.

    The following table summarizes our loan commitment by industry for our commercial real estate portfolio as of September 30, 2024:

    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Outstanding
    Balance
      Available
    Loan
    Commitments
      Total
    Outstanding
    Balance &
    Available
    Commitment
      %
    of Total
    Loans

    (Outstanding
    Balance &

    Available
    Commitment)
      Average
    Loan
    Balance
      Number
    of
    Loans
    Apartments   $ 382,498   $ 5,685   $ 388,183   6.8 %   $ 3,714   103
    Hotel/Motel     155,441     189     155,630   2.7       6,758   23
    Convenience Store     142,366     614     142,980   2.5       2,296   62
    Office     123,423     8,204     131,627   2.3       1,371   90
    Warehouse     102,818     2,000     104,818   1.8       1,743   59
    Retail     107,934     620     108,554   1.9       1,018   106
    Mixed use     93,490     5,273     98,763   1.7       1,154   81
    Mini Storage     79,395     14,330     93,725   1.7       3,452   23
    Strip Mall     44,089         44,089   0.8       6,298   7
    Manufacturing     34,599     1,200     35,799   0.6       1,193   29
    Groups < 0.70% of total     96,393     3,392     99,785   1.8       1,205   80
    Total   $ 1,362,446   $ 41,507   $ 1,403,953   24.6 %   $ 2,055   663
     

    Consumer loans comprise 33.0% of our total balance of outstanding loans as of September 30, 2024. Unused commitments to extend credit represents an additional $1.07 billion, and the combined total in consumer and other loans represents $2.20 billion, or 38.4% of our total outstanding loans and loan commitments. As illustrated in the table below, our CCBX partners bring in a large number of mostly smaller dollar loans, resulting in an average consumer loan balance of just $900. CCBX consumer loans are underwritten to CCBX credit standards and underwriting of these loans is regularly tested, including quarterly testing for partners with portfolio balances greater than $10.0 million.

    The following table summarizes our loan commitment by industry for our consumer and other loan portfolio as of September 30, 2024:

    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Outstanding
    Balance
      Available
    Loan
    Commitments
      Total
    Outstanding
    Balance &
    Available
    Commitment
    (1)
      %
    of Total
    Loans

    (Outstanding
    Balance &

    Available
    Commitment)
      Average
    Loan
    Balance
      Number
    of
    Loans
    CCBX consumer loans
    Credit cards   $ 633,691   $ 1,055,684   $ 1,689,375   29.5 %   $ 1.7   369,404
    Installment loans     471,813     7,112     478,925   8.4       0.9   513,897
    Lines of credit     1,362         1,362   0.0       2.4   558
    Other loans     9,053         9,053   0.2         365,834
    Community bank consumer loans
                               
    Installment loans     1,291     1     1,292   0.0       51.6   25
    Lines of credit     194     365     559   0.0       6.1   32
    Other loans     12,688     3,000     15,688   0.3       32.5   390
    Total   $ 1,130,092   $ 1,066,162   $ 2,196,254   38.4 %   $ 0.9   1,250,140

    (1)  Total exposure on CCBX loans is subject to CCBX partner/portfolio maximum limits.

    Residential real estate loans comprise 13.9% of our total balance of outstanding loans as of September 30, 2024. Unused commitments to extend credit represents an additional $522.8 million, and the combined total in residential real estate loans represents $1.00 billion, or 17.5% of our total outstanding loans and loan commitments.

    The following table summarizes our loan commitment by industry for our residential real estate loan portfolio as of September 30, 2024:

    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Outstanding
    Balance
      Available
    Loan
    Commitments
      Total
    Outstanding
    Balance &
    Available
    Commitment
    (1)
      %
    of Total
    Loans

    (Outstanding
    Balance &

    Available
    Commitment)
      Average
    Loan
    Balance
      Number
    of
    Loans
    CCBX residential real estate loans                                  
    Home equity line of credit   $ 265,402   $ 472,385   $ 737,787   12.9 %   $ 25   10,742
    Community bank residential real estate loans                                  
    Closed end, secured by first liens     176,066     2,961     179,027   3.1       555   317
    Home equity line of credit     25,427     46,515     71,942   1.3       106   239
    Closed end, second liens     10,974     925     11,899   0.2       366   30
    Total   $ 477,869   $ 522,786   $ 1,000,655   17.5 %   $ 42   11,328

    (1)  Total exposure on CCBX loans is subject to CCBX partner/portfolio maximum limits.

    Commercial and industrial loans comprise 8.5% of our total balance of outstanding loans as of September 30, 2024. Unused commitments to extend credit represents an additional $598.4 million, and the combined total in commercial and industrial loans represents $891.0 million, or 15.6% of our total outstanding loans and loan commitments. Included in commercial and industrial loans is $103.9 million in outstanding capital call lines, with an additional $504.6 million in available loan commitments which is limited to a $350.0 million portfolio maximum. Capital call lines are provided to venture capital firms through one of our CCBX BaaS clients. These loans are secured by the capital call rights and are individually underwritten to the Bank’s credit standards and the underwriting is reviewed by the Bank on every capital call line.

    The following table summarizes our loan commitment by industry for our commercial and industrial loan portfolio as of September 30, 2024:

    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Outstanding
    Balance
      Available
    Loan
    Commitments
      Total
    Outstanding
    Balance &
    Available
    Commitment
    (1)
      %
    of Total
    Loans

    (Outstanding
    Balance &

    Available
    Commitment)
      Average
    Loan
    Balance
      Number
    of
    Loans
    Consolidated C&I loans
    Capital Call Lines   $ 103,924   $ 504,561   $ 608,485   10.6 %   $ 764   136
    Construction/Contractor Services     27,463     34,658     62,121   1.1       136   202
    Financial Institutions     48,648         48,648   0.9       4,054   12
    Retail     33,003     5,725     38,728   0.7       15   2,247
    Manufacturing     6,124     5,460     11,584   0.2       149   41
    Medical / Dental / Other Care     6,864     2,731     9,595   0.2       528   13
    Groups < 0.20% of total     66,553     45,299     111,852   2.0       58   1,143
    Total   $ 292,579   $ 598,434   $ 891,013   15.6 %   $ 77   3,794

    (1)  Total exposure on CCBX loans is subject to CCBX partner/portfolio maximum limits.

    Construction, land and land development loans comprise 4.8% of our total balance of outstanding loans as of September 30, 2024. Unused commitments to extend credit represents an additional $63.5 million, and the combined total in construction, land and land development loans represents $226.6 million, or 4.0% of our total outstanding loans and loan commitments.

    The following table details our loan commitment for our construction, land and land development portfolio as of September 30, 2024:

    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Outstanding
    Balance
      Available
    Loan
    Commitments
      Total
    Outstanding
    Balance &
    Available
    Commitment
      %
    of Total
    Loans

    (Outstanding
    Balance &

    Available
    Commitment)
      Average
    Loan
    Balance
      Number
    of
    Loans
    Commercial construction   $ 97,798   $ 41,521   $ 139,319   2.5 %   $ 7,523   13
    Residential construction     35,822     16,846     52,668   0.9       1,990   18
    Developed land loans     14,863     723     15,586   0.3       743   20
    Undeveloped land loans     8,606     4,086     12,692   0.2       574   15
    Land development     5,968     345     6,313   0.1       597   10
    Total   $ 163,057   $ 63,521   $ 226,578   4.0 %   $ 2,145   76
     

    Exposure and risk in our construction, land and land development portfolio is in line with our average historically, compared to June 30, 2024 when the balance was elevated as indicated in the following table:

        Outstanding Balance as of
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
      September 30,
    2023
    Commercial construction   $ 97,798   $ 110,372   $ 102,099   $ 81,489   $ 91,396
    Residential construction     35,822     34,652     28,751     34,213     33,971
    Undeveloped land loans     8,606     8,372     8,190     7,890     8,310
    Developed land loans     14,863     13,954     14,307     20,515     21,369
    Land development     5,968     5,714     7,515     12,993     12,640
    Total   $ 163,057   $ 173,064   $ 160,862   $ 157,100   $ 167,686
     

    Commitments to extend credit total $2.29 billion at September 30, 2024,   however we do not anticipate our customers using the $2.29 billion that is showing as available.

    The following table presents outstanding commitments to extend credit as of September 30, 2024:

    Consolidated    
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   As of September
    30, 2024
    Commitments to extend credit:    
    Commercial and industrial loans   $ 93,873
    Commercial and industrial loans – capital call lines     504,561
    Construction – commercial real estate loans     46,007
    Construction – residential real estate loans     17,514
    Residential real estate loans     522,786
    Commercial real estate loans     41,507
    Credit cards     1,055,684
    Consumer and other loans     10,478
    Total commitments to extend credit   $ 2,292,410
     

    We have individual CCBX partner portfolio limits with our each of our partners to manage loan concentration risk, liquidity risk, and counter-party partner risk. For example, as of September 30, 2024, capital call lines outstanding balance totaled $103.9 million, and while commitments totaled $504.6 million, the commitments are limited to a maximum of $350.0 million by agreement with the partner. If a CCBX partner goes over their individual limit, it would be a breach of their contract and the Bank may impose penalties and would not be required to fund the loan.

    See the table below for CCBX portfolio maximums and related available commitments:

    CCBX                
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Balance   Percent
    of CCBX
    loans
    receivable
    Available
    Commitments
    (1)
      Maximum
    Portfolio
    Size
    Cash
    Reserve/
    Pledge
    Account
    Amount
    (2)
    Commercial and industrial loans:            
    Capital call lines   $ 103,924     6.8 % $ 504,561   $ 350,000 $
    All other commercial & industrial loans     36,494     2.4     16,922     285,153   675
    Real estate loans:                
    Home equity lines of credit (3)     265,402     17.5     472,385     375,000   35,597
    Consumer and other loans:            
    Credit cards – cash secured     180              
    Credit cards – unsecured     633,511         1,055,684       37,065
    Credit cards – total     633,691     41.6     1,055,684     807,263   37,065
    Installment loans – cash secured     129,138         7,112      
    Installment loans – unsecured     342,675               2,222
    Installment loans – total     471,813     31.0     7,112     1,630,027   2,222
    Other consumer and other loans     10,415     0.7         7,557   383
    Gross CCBX loans receivable     1,521,739     100.0 %   2,056,664     3,455,000 $ 75,942
    Net deferred origination fees     (447 )            
    Loans receivable   $ 1,521,292              

    (1) Remaining commitment available, net of outstanding balance.
    (2) Balances are as of October 4, 2024.
    (3) These home equity lines of credit are secured by residential real estate and are accessed by using a credit card, but are classified as 1-4 family residential properties per regulatory guidelines.

    APPENDIX B –
    As of September 30, 2024

    CCBX – BaaS Reporting Information

    During the quarter ended September 30, 2024, $70.1 million was recorded in BaaS credit enhancements related to the provision for credit losses – loans and reserve for unfunded commitments for CCBX partner loans and negative deposit accounts. Agreements with our CCBX partners provide for a credit enhancement provided by the partner which protects the Bank by indemnifying or reimbursing incurred losses. In accordance with accounting guidance, we estimate and record a provision for expected losses for these CCBX loans, unfunded commitments and negative deposit accounts. When the provision for credit losses – loans and provision for unfunded commitments is recorded, a credit enhancement asset is also recorded on the balance sheet through noninterest income (BaaS credit enhancements) in recognition of the CCBX partner legal commitment to indemnify or reimburse losses. The credit enhancement asset is relieved as credit enhancement payments and recoveries are received from the CCBX partner or taken from the partner’s cash reserve account. Agreements with our CCBX partners also provide protection to the Bank from fraud by indemnifying or reimbursing incurred fraud losses. BaaS fraud includes noncredit fraud losses on loans and deposits originated through partners. Fraud losses are recorded when incurred as losses in noninterest expense, and the enhancement received from the CCBX partner is recorded in noninterest income, resulting in a net impact of zero to the income statement. Many CCBX partners also pledge a cash reserve account at the Bank which the Bank can collect from when losses occur that is then replenished by the partner on a regular interval. Although agreements with our CCBX partners provide for credit enhancements that provide protection to the Bank from credit and fraud losses by indemnifying or reimbursing incurred credit and fraud losses, if our partner is unable to fulfill their contracted obligation then the bank would be exposed to additional loan and deposit losses if the cash flows on the loans were not sufficient to fund the reimbursement of loan losses, as a result of this counterparty risk. If a CCBX partner does not replenish their cash reserve account the Bank may consider an alternative plan for funding the cash reserve. This may involve the possibility of adjusting the funding amounts or timelines to better align with the partner’s specific situation. If a mutually agreeable funding plan is not agreed to, the Bank could declare the agreement in default, take over servicing and cease paying the partner for servicing the loan and providing credit enhancements. The Bank would evaluate any remaining credit enhancement asset from the CCBX partner in the event the partner failed to determine if a write-off is appropriate. If a write-off occurs, the Bank would retain the full yield and any fee income on the loan portfolio going forward, and our BaaS loan expense would decrease once default occurred and payments to the CCBX partner were stopped.

    The Bank records contractual interest earned from the borrower on CCBX partner loans in interest income, adjusted for origination costs which are paid or payable to the CCBX partner. BaaS loan expense represents the amount paid or payable to partners for credit and fraud enhancements and originating & servicing CCBX loans. To determine net revenue (Net BaaS loan income) earned from CCBX loan relationships, the Bank takes BaaS loan interest income and deducts BaaS loan expense to arrive at Net BaaS loan income (A reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures are set forth in the preceding section of this earnings release.) which can be compared to interest income on the Company’s community bank loans.

    The following table illustrates how CCBX partner loan income and expenses are recorded in the financial statements:

    Loan income and related loan expense   Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      September 30,
    2023
    Yield on loans (1)     17.35 %     17.77 %     17.05 %
    BaaS loan interest income   $ 67,692     $ 60,203     $ 56,279  
    Less: BaaS loan expense     32,612       29,076       23,003  
    Net BaaS loan income (2)   $ 35,080     $ 31,127     $ 33,276  
    Net BaaS loan income divided by average BaaS loans (1)(2)     8.99 %     9.19 %     10.08 %

    (1) Annualized calculation for quarterly periods shown.
    (2) A reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures are set forth in the preceding section of this earnings release.

    An increase in average CCBX loans receivable resulted in increased interest income on CCBX loans during the quarter ended September 30, 2024 compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2024. The increase in average CCBX loans receivable was primarily due to growth in the CCBX loan portfolio as part of our strategy to optimize the CCBX loan portfolio and strengthen our balance sheet through originating higher quality new loans and enhanced credit standards. Increased interest rates and growth in CCBX loans and deposits has resulted in increases in interest income and expense for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

    The following tables are a summary of the interest components, direct fees, and expenses of BaaS for the periods indicated and are not inclusive of all income and expense related to BaaS.

    Interest income   Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      September 30,
    2023
    Loan interest income   $ 67,692   $ 60,203   $ 56,279
    Total BaaS interest income   $ 67,692   $ 60,203   $ 56,279
    Interest expense   Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      September 30,
    2023
    BaaS interest expense   $ 24,819   $ 24,119   $ 20,384
    Total BaaS interest expense   $ 24,819   $ 24,119   $ 20,384
    BaaS income   Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      September 30,
    2023
    BaaS program income:            
    Servicing and other BaaS fees   $ 1,044   $ 1,525   $ 997
    Transaction fees     1,696     1,309     1,036
    Interchange fees     1,853     1,625     1,216
    Reimbursement of expenses     1,843     1,637     1,152
    BaaS program income     6,436     6,096     4,401
    BaaS indemnification income:            
    BaaS credit enhancements     70,108     60,826     25,926
    BaaS fraud enhancements     2,084     1,784     2,850
    BaaS indemnification income     72,192     62,610     28,776
    Total noninterest BaaS income   $ 78,628   $ 68,706   $ 33,177
     

    Servicing and other BaaS fees decreased $481,000 in the quarter ended September 30, 2024 compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2024 while transaction fees and interchange fees increased $387,000 and $228,000, respectively. We expect servicing and other BaaS fees to decrease and transaction and interchange fees to increase as partner activity grows and contracted minimum fees are replaced with recurring fees and then exceed those minimum fees.

    BaaS loan and fraud expense:   Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      September 30,
    2023
    BaaS loan expense   $ 32,612   $ 29,076   $ 23,003
    BaaS fraud expense     2,084     1,784     2,850
    Total BaaS loan and fraud expense   $ 34,696   $ 30,860   $ 25,853
     

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2d50cba0-18d9-4c78-8e96-0418250a8658

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Europe: NRRP: European Commission visit successfully concluded

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    The European Commission’s sixth visit to discuss in detail implementation of Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, focusing on the strategic measures linked to the last four instalments, came to a successful conclusion today. 

    More than forty working groups were held as part of the visit, including both high-level institutional meetings and technical briefing sessions on specific topics, coordinated by the NRRP task force at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and with the active participation of all ministries and institutions involved. These meetings allowed the delegation from the European Commission to confirm the Italian Government’s ongoing commitment to implementing the Plan’s numerous measures.

    During the meetings, maximum attention was paid to the milestones and targets linked to the seventh instalment of the NRRP, also ahead of Italy submitting the respective payment request, while the final checks are being carried out regarding the milestones and targets for the sixth instalment in order to allow its disbursement.

    As on previous occasions, the European Commission’s visit was held in a climate of constructive collaboration, with the active participation of all the administrations involved in the Plan’s implementation, making it possible to accurately determine the progress of reforms and investments, with all requests for clarification from the European Commission services being answered.

    Over the course of the week, objectives were outlined regarding the progress of competition, justice, public procurement code and public administration reforms. With regard to public administration reform, ‘horizontal’ measures applicable to the Plan’s different missions are provided for, to digitalise administrative procedures and boost the efficiency and competitiveness of Italy’s economic system.

    There was a particular focus on checking the progress of numerous investments in the areas of transport, infrastructure, school buildings, sustainable mobility, ecological transition and healthcare, including the plan to modernise healthcare services and hospital infrastructure. Special attention was also paid to the measures included in the new REPowerEU mission, aimed at strengthening the nation’s energy independence and ecological transition. Objectives linked to energy security, strengthening energy networks, increasing renewable energy production, and decarbonisation incentives for companies were also discussed, together with support for energy-related production chains, in line with the Commission’s guidelines. 

    The European Commission’s visit was brought to a close with a meeting at the National Cybersecurity Agency this afternoon, to discuss both the measure regarding activation of an integrated network of cyber risk management and mitigation services to support the public administration and Italian industry, and the one linked to an operational plan for monitoring activities for the adoption of security measures in accordance with applicable legislation.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Gondia District Central Co-operative Bank Ltd., Maharashtra

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBl) has, by an order dated October 21, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹2.60 lakh (Rupees Two lakh sixty thousand only) on The Gondia District Central Co-operative Bank Ltd., Maharashtra (the bank) for contravention of the provisions of section 20 read with section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act) and non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Membership of Credit Information Companies (CICs) by Co-operative Banks’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI, conferred under section 47A(1)(c) read with sections 46(4)(i) and section 56 of the BR Act and section 25 of the Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005.

    The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of contravention of statutory provisions / non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said provisions/directions.

    After considering the bank’s reply to the notice, oral submissions made during the personal hearing and examination of additional submissions made by it, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The bank had:

    1. sanctioned a loan to its director; and

    2. failed to obtain the membership of three CICs.

    This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/1387

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Vaijapur Merchants Co-operative Bank Limited, Vaijapur, Maharashtra

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBl) has, by an order dated October 21, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹7.50 lakh (Rupees Seven lakh fifty thousand only) on The Vaijapur Merchants Co-operative Bank Limited, Vaijapur, Maharashtra (the bank), for non-compliance with specific directions issued by RBI under Supervisory Action Framework (SAF) and with the certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Know Your Customers (KYC) norms’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI, conferred under section 47A(1)(c) read with section 46(4)(i) and section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

    The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions.

    After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made by it during the personal hearing and examination of additional submissions made by it, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The bank had:

    1. made donation to certain entity and offered higher interest rates on deposits (fresh/renewal) than those offered by State Bank of India in non-adherence to directions issued under SAF.

    2. failed to put in place a robust software to throw alerts as part of effective identification and reporting of suspicious transactions.

    This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/1388

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM speech in Birmingham: 28 October 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer makes a speech in Birmingham.

    It’s always great to be here in Birmingham. A city that is at the heart, not just of our country but also – our plans for growth – as we announced two weeks ago £500m worth of new investment in battery storage will create the jobs of the future right here. And that’s a snapshot of the Britain we are building this week and beyond. 

    Our economy – stabilised. 

    The foundations – fixed. 

    Hope in the future – restored.  

    Another step taken on the long, difficult, but resolute path that we will walk.

    Towards a Britain returned to the service of working people.

    I said on the steps of Downing Street – the day after the election that this would be a government for the working people of this country. 

    That, when the cameras stopped rolling. When that black door closed. We would carry their hopes and aspirations with us. 

    That the basic, completely reasonable desire to want a better future for your family. That would become the driving purpose of this Government. 

    Now, I will never stand here and tell you to feel better, if you don’t. And I will never ask you to feel grateful for what you should expect as a given.  

    Trust in my project to return Britain to the service of working people can only be earned through actions not words: Change must be felt. 

    But every decision we have made. Every decision that we will make in the future will be made with working people in our minds’ eye. People who have been working harder and harder for years, just to stand still. 

    People doing the right thing maybe still finding a little bit of money to put away. Paying their way – even in the cost-of-living crisis but who feel this country no longer gives them or their children a fair chance. 

    People stuck on an NHS waiting list whose town centre is blighted by anti-social behaviour who can’t afford to buy a place they call home or can’t afford the home they have, because of the mortgage bombshell. 

    And people who feel ignored as their lives, no matter how hard they work slide into greater insecurity. Scared of the postman coming down the path – will it be another bill I can’t afford?

    People like that video, we just watched. [Political content removed]

    I know some people want to have a debate about this and I know there will always be the exception that proves the rule. Welcome to the wonders of a diverse country!  

    But I also know that the working people of this country know exactly who they are and that – they are the golden thread that runs through our agenda. Every single one of our national missions is about delivering for them. 

    And we are getting on with the job. That’s why we reformed planning rules to get Britain building again – restore the dream of home ownership.  

    It’s why we ended junior doctor strikes to lift the pressure on our NHS. Start cutting waiting lists. 

    It’s why we stopped the riots with tough sentences for violent thugs. 

    Launched a Border Security Command to smash the people-smugglers. 

    Switched on Great British Energy to get Putin’s boot off our throat. Make our country more secure. Create good jobs – right across the country. 

    And it’s also why we’ve started the work of changing our economy. Stabilising it. Fixing its foundations. 

    But also – changing how it works for them. An employment bill that will finally make work pay.  That will contribute to growth and raise living standards for working people. A direct response to the cost-of-living crisis, we were elected to tackle for them. Because let me tell you, it is working people who pay the price when their Government fails to deliver economic stability. They’ve had enough of slow growth, stagnant living standards and crumbling public services.

    They know that austerity is no solution. And they’ve seen the chaos when politicians let borrowing get out of control.

    We choose a different path. Honest, responsible, long-term decisions in the interests of working people.

    Because it’s stability that means we can invest. And reform that will maximise that investment. £63 billion worth of investment secured from business two weeks ago – a record-breaking show of confidence in our plan for growth.  

    That’s investment that will create tens of thousands of jobs. Good jobs – in every corner of the country. 

    I know some people will recoil when we say we have to take the tough decisions needed to fix the foundations. 

    This doesn’t happen by accident it’s because business can see we are fixing the foundations. Everyone who finds damp in their house – know they have a decision. Paint over it or strip it out, pull off the plaster, deal with it once and for all. 

    So, I will defend our tough decisions all day long.

    It’s the right thing for our country. The only way you get the investment we need. Stability. Investment. Reform.

    That is how we fix the NHS, rebuild Britain, and protect the payslips of working people, delivering on our mandate of change.  

    That’s what the Budget this week will be about.  It’s what every week of this Government will be about. 

    A Budget for working people, from a government for working people. Because returning Britain to their service, that’s our fundamental cause – and it never changes. 

    It will also be the first budget delivered by a woman – ever. That is a moment of pride. That is a moment of pride. When Rachel Reeves stands up – she will be making history – young women and girls will watching across the country. They will look up – and they will notice.   

    It will also be a Budget which will show to the British people that we won’t be distracted from our task.  

    We will stick to our long-term plan.  Run towards the tough decisions, rip-off the short-term sticking plasters, so we can lead our country finally but decisively out of this ‘pay-more, get less’ doom-loop [political content removed].

    Of course there will still be tough decisions. Rebuilding Britain and delivering growth, that will take the skills and effort of all of us. 

    That is why this Budget will also Get Britain Working. It will pave the way for reforms that tackle the root causes of economic inactivity, make sure – that those who can work, do work. 

    [Political content removed] we will always help those who cannot support themselves, but the UK is the only G7 country where economic inactivity is still higher than it was before Covid.

    That is not just bad for our economy, it’s also bad for all those who are locked out of opportunity. So the Chancellor will announce £240 million in funding to provide local services that can help people back into work, and the dignity it brings.

    A Britain that works for working people. With all those who can, playing their part.

    We will also be ruthless in clamping down on government waste, just as we will be ruthless on clamping down on tax avoidance, so the British people that every penny counts.

    Every single person in this country had to do that during the cost-of-living crisis and government must be no different. 

    And frankly, when we’re asking broader shoulders to carry a higher burden on tax, that determination to be more productive and efficient in government, that’s the very least their contribution deserves.  

    Look – nobody wants higher taxes, just like nobody wants public spending cuts. But we have to be realistic about where we are as a country. This is not 1997, when the economy was decent but public services were on their knees.  And it’s not 2010, where public services were strong, but the public finances were weak. We have to deal with both sides of that coin.

    These are unprecedented circumstances, but the budget the Chancellor will deliver on Wednesday, will prevent devastating austerity in our public services and prevent a disastrous path for our public finances.

    [Political content removed]  

    And yes – things are worse than we could possibly have expected during the election – the Budget will set that out very clearly. 

    I mean – just look at the state of our prisons last week.

    [Political content removed]

    On Rwanda, asylum hotels, propping up failing train companies [Political content removed] .  An economy riddled with weakness on productivity and investment. A state that needs urgent modernisation to face down the challenge of a volatile world.  

    A country where people don’t just lack faith in politicians to fix any of this but also wonder – whether Britain can. Whether we still have the resources to move forward or whether decline is now an incurable disease.

    [Political content removed]

    I expect to be judged on my ability to deal with this. I expect to be judged on my ability to deal with it. Politics is always a choice. So we won’t hide from our decisions on Wednesday or for that matter, any day. 

    Besides, as I said two weeks ago at our International Investment Summit we have huge assets in this country. Leading positions in the industries of the future:

    Clean energy, artificial intelligence, life sciences, the creative industries, a technology sector that is the envy of Europe. A heritage steeped in science, trade and innovation. And values. Values deep in the bones of this nation and which say, to the world – this country is open for business. This country respects diversity and difference under the same flag. 

    We are still the country, known all around the world for our pragmatism and our creativity, the ingenuity and industry of our people and so if we do grasp the nettle on our economy, if we do fix those foundations, stick to those values and deliver the change working people need we won’t just get through this – better days are ahead. 

    Seriously – this is an economic plan that will change long-term British growth for the better. We are tackling the biggest challenges in our economy.  

    Higher investment – we’re dealing with it.

    Planning – we’re reforming it.

    The labour market – we’re getting people back to work, but also making sure work pays. 

    On competition – we’re stripping out the needless regulation that holds back private investment and all of this built on that foundation of economic stability. This is what fixing the foundations means.  

    What delivering change means. Everyone in this country will benefit from this. Everyone can wake up on Thursday and see that a new future is being built. A better future. But I tell you now – what we can’t do. Is waste any more time. 

    Politics is a choice and it’s time to choose a clear path.  

    It’s time to embrace the harsh light of fiscal reality. So we can come together behind a credible, long-term plan.  

    It’s time we ran towards the tough decisions because ignoring them set us on the path of decline. 

    It’s time we ignored the populist chorus of easy answers because we saw what happens if you reject the constraints of economic stability and we’re never going back to that. 

    That is our choice. Stability – to prevent chaos.

    Borrowing that will drive long-term growth.

    Tax rises – to prevent austerity and rebuild public services.

    We choose – to protect working people.

    We choose – to get the NHS back on its feet.

    We choose – to fix the foundations reject decline and rebuild our country with investment. 

    And while I’m sure you understand I can’t get into individual measures before Wednesday. I will say this. 

    If people want to criticise the path we choose – that’s their prerogative. But let them then spell out a different direction. 

    If they think the state has grown too big let them tell working people which public services they would cut. 

    If they think tax rises are unfair let them tell working people which taxes they’d raise instead. 

    If they don’t see our long-term investment in infrastructure as necessary let them explain to working people how they would grow the economy for them. 

    [Political content removed]

    Because I have said it before and I will say it again the time is long overdue for politicians in this country, to level with you, honestly about the trade-offs this country faces. 

    To stop insulting your intelligence with the chicanery of easy answers. Working people know that hard choices are necessary. 

    [Political content removed]

    They lived through the cost-of-living crisis so they know that the things they want from us:

    Protecting their living standards. 

    Rebuilding our nation.

    Fixing our public services.

    They know – that this can only be achieved alongside economic stability. There are no short-cuts. 

    No, what they want to see on Wednesday is a country on a different path. Making different choices. They don’t want to pay the price anymore, in times of crisis because our economic foundations are weak and they don’t want to see the proceeds of growth which could serve their family, their community, their public services – instead – always serving those at the top. 

    They want change and that is what they will get. 

    Because that is the mandate we were elected to deliver and the only path consistent with our driving purpose to return Britain to the service of working people.

    That purpose also runs through the priorities we set out in our manifesto. 

    The national missions which capture the hope working people have for the future of our country. Look – there is a paradox in politics at the moment.  

    All around the world, traditional values. Democratic values. Values that have underpinned the way countries like ours have operated for years. The pragmatism that is part of our identity, it’s under attack. 

    Why? 

    Because people – working people most of all have lost faith it can still deliver for their family. And yet, at the same time, what people want from politics that hasn’t changed. 

    People want a stable economy, they want their country to be safe, their borders secure. Economic security, national security, border security. Those are still the foundations everything rests upon. 

    And then beyond that they want exactly what those national missions promise. 

    A growing economy.

    Safer streets.

    Clean British energy in their home. 

    Opportunities for their children.

    And an NHS that is there when they need it. 

    I know populism preys on the fears people have that these things no longer belong to them.  But I have never felt the right response is to ignore those concerns rather than showing that they can still be delivered. 

    So I am never going to pick just one of these missions – and say that’s everything because every single one of them matters to working people. And for the same reason – I will never turn away from them either. 

    In fact, because I know actions speak louder than words because I expect to be judged by the British people.  

    In the coming weeks, on every mission, we will publish clear ambitions for this Parliament and we will also track our progress against them, so that every single person in this country can see exactly how we measure up to things that matter to them. 

    [Political content removed]

    They want to see us build 1.5m homes, make sure a record number of children start school ready to learn, raise living standards so that there is more cash in their pocket, restore confidence crime will be punished. Guaranteed neighbourhood policing in every community. 

    Make our energy system more secure by harnessing clean British energy, accelerating towards net-zero. 

    And on our NHS, they want us to cut waiting times dramatically and meet the 18-week target – that is still the best benchmark for an NHS that is back on its feet facing the future, once more – a beacon of pride to the world.

    These are my priorities for change and I won’t change course.  

    The budget will light the way and we will use the power of government.

    Stability, investment and reform, partnership across the whole of society, galvanised by clear objectives.

    To deliver on the priorities of the British people.  

    The foundations – fixed.  

    Public services – renewed. 

    A country rebuilt by investment.

    Released from decline.

    Returned once more.

    To the service of working people. 

    Now that is the course we set this week.

    That is the driving purpose of this government.

    That is the change we will deliver.

    Thank you very much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Speech: PM speech in Birmingham: 28 October 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer makes a speech in Birmingham.

    It’s always great to be here in Birmingham. A city that is at the heart, not just of our country but also – our plans for growth – as we announced two weeks ago £500m worth of new investment in battery storage will create the jobs of the future right here. And that’s a snapshot of the Britain we are building this week and beyond. 

    Our economy – stabilised. 

    The foundations – fixed. 

    Hope in the future – restored.  

    Another step taken on the long, difficult, but resolute path that we will walk.

    Towards a Britain returned to the service of working people.

    I said on the steps of Downing Street – the day after the election that this would be a government for the working people of this country. 

    That, when the cameras stopped rolling. When that black door closed. We would carry their hopes and aspirations with us. 

    That the basic, completely reasonable desire to want a better future for your family. That would become the driving purpose of this Government. 

    Now, I will never stand here and tell you to feel better, if you don’t. And I will never ask you to feel grateful for what you should expect as a given.  

    Trust in my project to return Britain to the service of working people can only be earned through actions not words: Change must be felt. 

    But every decision we have made. Every decision that we will make in the future will be made with working people in our minds’ eye. People who have been working harder and harder for years, just to stand still. 

    People doing the right thing maybe still finding a little bit of money to put away. Paying their way – even in the cost-of-living crisis but who feel this country no longer gives them or their children a fair chance. 

    People stuck on an NHS waiting list whose town centre is blighted by anti-social behaviour who can’t afford to buy a place they call home or can’t afford the home they have, because of the mortgage bombshell. 

    And people who feel ignored as their lives, no matter how hard they work slide into greater insecurity. Scared of the postman coming down the path – will it be another bill I can’t afford?

    People like that video, we just watched. [Political content removed]

    I know some people want to have a debate about this and I know there will always be the exception that proves the rule. Welcome to the wonders of a diverse country!  

    But I also know that the working people of this country know exactly who they are and that – they are the golden thread that runs through our agenda. Every single one of our national missions is about delivering for them. 

    And we are getting on with the job. That’s why we reformed planning rules to get Britain building again – restore the dream of home ownership.  

    It’s why we ended junior doctor strikes to lift the pressure on our NHS. Start cutting waiting lists. 

    It’s why we stopped the riots with tough sentences for violent thugs. 

    Launched a Border Security Command to smash the people-smugglers. 

    Switched on Great British Energy to get Putin’s boot off our throat. Make our country more secure. Create good jobs – right across the country. 

    And it’s also why we’ve started the work of changing our economy. Stabilising it. Fixing its foundations. 

    But also – changing how it works for them. An employment bill that will finally make work pay.  That will contribute to growth and raise living standards for working people. A direct response to the cost-of-living crisis, we were elected to tackle for them. Because let me tell you, it is working people who pay the price when their Government fails to deliver economic stability. They’ve had enough of slow growth, stagnant living standards and crumbling public services.

    They know that austerity is no solution. And they’ve seen the chaos when politicians let borrowing get out of control.

    We choose a different path. Honest, responsible, long-term decisions in the interests of working people.

    Because it’s stability that means we can invest. And reform that will maximise that investment. £63 billion worth of investment secured from business two weeks ago – a record-breaking show of confidence in our plan for growth.  

    That’s investment that will create tens of thousands of jobs. Good jobs – in every corner of the country. 

    I know some people will recoil when we say we have to take the tough decisions needed to fix the foundations. 

    This doesn’t happen by accident it’s because business can see we are fixing the foundations. Everyone who finds damp in their house – know they have a decision. Paint over it or strip it out, pull off the plaster, deal with it once and for all. 

    So, I will defend our tough decisions all day long.

    It’s the right thing for our country. The only way you get the investment we need. Stability. Investment. Reform.

    That is how we fix the NHS, rebuild Britain, and protect the payslips of working people, delivering on our mandate of change.  

    That’s what the Budget this week will be about.  It’s what every week of this Government will be about. 

    A Budget for working people, from a government for working people. Because returning Britain to their service, that’s our fundamental cause – and it never changes. 

    It will also be the first budget delivered by a woman – ever. That is a moment of pride. That is a moment of pride. When Rachel Reeves stands up – she will be making history – young women and girls will watching across the country. They will look up – and they will notice.   

    It will also be a Budget which will show to the British people that we won’t be distracted from our task.  

    We will stick to our long-term plan.  Run towards the tough decisions, rip-off the short-term sticking plasters, so we can lead our country finally but decisively out of this ‘pay-more, get less’ doom-loop [political content removed].

    Of course there will still be tough decisions. Rebuilding Britain and delivering growth, that will take the skills and effort of all of us. 

    That is why this Budget will also Get Britain Working. It will pave the way for reforms that tackle the root causes of economic inactivity, make sure – that those who can work, do work. 

    [Political content removed] we will always help those who cannot support themselves, but the UK is the only G7 country where economic inactivity is still higher than it was before Covid.

    That is not just bad for our economy, it’s also bad for all those who are locked out of opportunity. So the Chancellor will announce £240 million in funding to provide local services that can help people back into work, and the dignity it brings.

    A Britain that works for working people. With all those who can, playing their part.

    We will also be ruthless in clamping down on government waste, just as we will be ruthless on clamping down on tax avoidance, so the British people that every penny counts.

    Every single person in this country had to do that during the cost-of-living crisis and government must be no different. 

    And frankly, when we’re asking broader shoulders to carry a higher burden on tax, that determination to be more productive and efficient in government, that’s the very least their contribution deserves.  

    Look – nobody wants higher taxes, just like nobody wants public spending cuts. But we have to be realistic about where we are as a country. This is not 1997, when the economy was decent but public services were on their knees.  And it’s not 2010, where public services were strong, but the public finances were weak. We have to deal with both sides of that coin.

    These are unprecedented circumstances, but the budget the Chancellor will deliver on Wednesday, will prevent devastating austerity in our public services and prevent a disastrous path for our public finances.

    [Political content removed]  

    And yes – things are worse than we could possibly have expected during the election – the Budget will set that out very clearly. 

    I mean – just look at the state of our prisons last week.

    [Political content removed]

    On Rwanda, asylum hotels, propping up failing train companies [Political content removed] .  An economy riddled with weakness on productivity and investment. A state that needs urgent modernisation to face down the challenge of a volatile world.  

    A country where people don’t just lack faith in politicians to fix any of this but also wonder – whether Britain can. Whether we still have the resources to move forward or whether decline is now an incurable disease.

    [Political content removed]

    I expect to be judged on my ability to deal with this. I expect to be judged on my ability to deal with it. Politics is always a choice. So we won’t hide from our decisions on Wednesday or for that matter, any day. 

    Besides, as I said two weeks ago at our International Investment Summit we have huge assets in this country. Leading positions in the industries of the future:

    Clean energy, artificial intelligence, life sciences, the creative industries, a technology sector that is the envy of Europe. A heritage steeped in science, trade and innovation. And values. Values deep in the bones of this nation and which say, to the world – this country is open for business. This country respects diversity and difference under the same flag. 

    We are still the country, known all around the world for our pragmatism and our creativity, the ingenuity and industry of our people and so if we do grasp the nettle on our economy, if we do fix those foundations, stick to those values and deliver the change working people need we won’t just get through this – better days are ahead. 

    Seriously – this is an economic plan that will change long-term British growth for the better. We are tackling the biggest challenges in our economy.  

    Higher investment – we’re dealing with it.

    Planning – we’re reforming it.

    The labour market – we’re getting people back to work, but also making sure work pays. 

    On competition – we’re stripping out the needless regulation that holds back private investment and all of this built on that foundation of economic stability. This is what fixing the foundations means.  

    What delivering change means. Everyone in this country will benefit from this. Everyone can wake up on Thursday and see that a new future is being built. A better future. But I tell you now – what we can’t do. Is waste any more time. 

    Politics is a choice and it’s time to choose a clear path.  

    It’s time to embrace the harsh light of fiscal reality. So we can come together behind a credible, long-term plan.  

    It’s time we ran towards the tough decisions because ignoring them set us on the path of decline. 

    It’s time we ignored the populist chorus of easy answers because we saw what happens if you reject the constraints of economic stability and we’re never going back to that. 

    That is our choice. Stability – to prevent chaos.

    Borrowing that will drive long-term growth.

    Tax rises – to prevent austerity and rebuild public services.

    We choose – to protect working people.

    We choose – to get the NHS back on its feet.

    We choose – to fix the foundations reject decline and rebuild our country with investment. 

    And while I’m sure you understand I can’t get into individual measures before Wednesday. I will say this. 

    If people want to criticise the path we choose – that’s their prerogative. But let them then spell out a different direction. 

    If they think the state has grown too big let them tell working people which public services they would cut. 

    If they think tax rises are unfair let them tell working people which taxes they’d raise instead. 

    If they don’t see our long-term investment in infrastructure as necessary let them explain to working people how they would grow the economy for them. 

    [Political content removed]

    Because I have said it before and I will say it again the time is long overdue for politicians in this country, to level with you, honestly about the trade-offs this country faces. 

    To stop insulting your intelligence with the chicanery of easy answers. Working people know that hard choices are necessary. 

    [Political content removed]

    They lived through the cost-of-living crisis so they know that the things they want from us:

    Protecting their living standards. 

    Rebuilding our nation.

    Fixing our public services.

    They know – that this can only be achieved alongside economic stability. There are no short-cuts. 

    No, what they want to see on Wednesday is a country on a different path. Making different choices. They don’t want to pay the price anymore, in times of crisis because our economic foundations are weak and they don’t want to see the proceeds of growth which could serve their family, their community, their public services – instead – always serving those at the top. 

    They want change and that is what they will get. 

    Because that is the mandate we were elected to deliver and the only path consistent with our driving purpose to return Britain to the service of working people.

    That purpose also runs through the priorities we set out in our manifesto. 

    The national missions which capture the hope working people have for the future of our country. Look – there is a paradox in politics at the moment.  

    All around the world, traditional values. Democratic values. Values that have underpinned the way countries like ours have operated for years. The pragmatism that is part of our identity, it’s under attack. 

    Why? 

    Because people – working people most of all have lost faith it can still deliver for their family. And yet, at the same time, what people want from politics that hasn’t changed. 

    People want a stable economy, they want their country to be safe, their borders secure. Economic security, national security, border security. Those are still the foundations everything rests upon. 

    And then beyond that they want exactly what those national missions promise. 

    A growing economy.

    Safer streets.

    Clean British energy in their home. 

    Opportunities for their children.

    And an NHS that is there when they need it. 

    I know populism preys on the fears people have that these things no longer belong to them.  But I have never felt the right response is to ignore those concerns rather than showing that they can still be delivered. 

    So I am never going to pick just one of these missions – and say that’s everything because every single one of them matters to working people. And for the same reason – I will never turn away from them either. 

    In fact, because I know actions speak louder than words because I expect to be judged by the British people.  

    In the coming weeks, on every mission, we will publish clear ambitions for this Parliament and we will also track our progress against them, so that every single person in this country can see exactly how we measure up to things that matter to them. 

    [Political content removed]

    They want to see us build 1.5m homes, make sure a record number of children start school ready to learn, raise living standards so that there is more cash in their pocket, restore confidence crime will be punished. Guaranteed neighbourhood policing in every community. 

    Make our energy system more secure by harnessing clean British energy, accelerating towards net-zero. 

    And on our NHS, they want us to cut waiting times dramatically and meet the 18-week target – that is still the best benchmark for an NHS that is back on its feet facing the future, once more – a beacon of pride to the world.

    These are my priorities for change and I won’t change course.  

    The budget will light the way and we will use the power of government.

    Stability, investment and reform, partnership across the whole of society, galvanised by clear objectives.

    To deliver on the priorities of the British people.  

    The foundations – fixed.  

    Public services – renewed. 

    A country rebuilt by investment.

    Released from decline.

    Returned once more.

    To the service of working people. 

    Now that is the course we set this week.

    That is the driving purpose of this government.

    That is the change we will deliver.

    Thank you very much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council calls for action over national £2.2 billion council housing budget black hole

    Source: City of Canterbury

    Canterbury City Council has urged the government to act now on England’s “broken council housing finances”, including “unsustainable” levels of debt previously given to councils by government.

    It has joined local authorities from across England calling for action ahead the budget this Wednesday (30 October)

    A report this autumn – Securing the Future of Council Housing – backed by more than 100 councils, highlighted that our national council housing system is in crisis, with finances pushed to the brink by past national policy decisions.

    The city council has signed a joint statement urging the government to help turn things round.

    “The new government’s commitment to a ‘council housing revolution’ is a huge step forward for communities across our country,” says the statement.

    “The Chancellor’s first Budget and spending review are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix England’s broken council housing finances.

    “The last government tore up its 2012 council housing settlement and left local government with a £2.2 billion black hole in housing budgets.

    “Our report urges the new government to turn this round, investing in urgently needed new council homes, addressing the unsustainable debt previously allocated to councils and creating a Green and Decent Homes Programme, so together we can deliver the more and better council homes and growth that communities up and down the country so desperately need.”

    Cabinet member for housing, Cllr Pip Hazelton, said: “It is widely recognised that this country’s council housing is in a state of crisis. 

    “Finances are absolutely dire, and we have reached a point where the levels of debt are no longer sustainable.

    “Council homes are the bedrock of the structure of British housing, providing a roof over the head of those who really need it.

    “We are calling on the government to step up and address the many issues we and all councils face, so that we can continue to be there supporting local families and making sure they have good quality, long term homes to live in.”

    Securing the Future of Council Housing was supported by 109 councils across England, led by Southwark Council.

    It highlighted that without urgent action a £2.2bn black hole in councils’ housing budgets is expected by 2028.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The correspondence stage of the main stage of the All-Russian TIM-Championship of SPbGASU has started

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    On October 28, the correspondence stage of the main stage of the All-Russian TIM-Championship of SPbGASU started.

    The goal of the championship is to involve students, the university professional community, and representatives of Russian and international organizations in the process of mastering information modeling in construction and improving the level of training of future specialists.

    The general partners of the championship are the National Association of Surveyors and Designers (NOPRIZ) and the Metropolis company.

    The participants of the championship in 2024 are students of the following universities from various regions of Russia:

    Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (SPbGASU); Tomsk State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (TSUACE); Moscow State University of Civil Engineering (NRU MGSU); Far Eastern State Transport University (FESU); Vyatka State University (VyatSU); Ivanovo State Polytechnical University (IVGPU); South Ural State University (SUSU (NRU)); Nizhny Novgorod State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (NNGASU); Tomsk State University (TSU); Samara State Technical University (SamSTU); Tyumen Industrial University (TIU); Perm National Research Polytechnic University (PNRPU).

    According to the competition specifications, the design object in 2024 is a cinema building in St. Petersburg.

    The correspondence stage will last until November 11, 2024. The on-site stage, during which teams from all participating universities will come to SPbGASU, will be held from November 20 to November 25, 2024. Project defense and award ceremony – November 27, 2024.

    More detailed information is available on the championship website

    For questions about participating in the project defense and the award ceremony (as observers), please contact educational center of digital competencies of SPbGASU

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI: U.S. Representatives Ritchie Torres (NY-15) and Gregory Meeks (NY-5) Announce Federal Home Loan Bank of New York Now Accepts Mortgage Collateral Using VantageScore 4.0

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — United States Representatives Ritchie Torres (NY-15) and Gregory Meeks (NY-5) announced today that members of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (“FHLBNY”) can now pledge mortgage collateral using VantageScore 4.0 credit scores, which considers rental payments and other data points that are not included in traditional scoring models – expanding the number of diverse and creditworthy mortgage applicants and creating more opportunities across the region to help narrow the racial homeownership gap.

    In August 2024, Reps. Torres and Meeks formally requested that the FHLBNY consider accepting mortgage collateral originated using alternative credit scores such as VantageScore to expand homeownership opportunities across the FHLBNY’s District. In response, the FHLBNY initiated a review of its ability to incorporate VantageScore 4.0 into its collateral processes, and today’s announcement marks the culmination of this effort to offer this option to its membership of more than 330 local lenders.

    “In partnership with Congressman Meeks, I worked with the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York to implement Vantage Score 4.0, which will provide liquidity for mortgages that had originated on the basis of a credit score that includes alternative data like rent payments. The decision by the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York to recognize Vantage Score 4.0 lays a critical foundation for broad base wealth creation in America,” said Congressman Ritchie Torres. “I have constituents who have reliably paid their rent in full and on time for decades, and yet none of their rental history is taken into account by conventional credit scoring. The inclusion of alternative data like rent payments in credit scoring is a simple, sensible policy change that will revolutionize access to credit for the lowest income families.”

    “I remain committed to creating more wealth building opportunities for the people of Southeast Queens, and homeownership is the best route to do so,” said Congressman Gregory W. Meeks. “My family’s own experience is a personal attestation to the importance of home ownership. By allowing for the use of VantageScore 4.0 credit scores, the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York is broadening opportunity and ensuring that people who have been traditionally left out will have the ability to begin their homeownership journeys. Addressing racial homeownership disparities is a key step in bridging the wealth gap and I commend the FHLBNY for taking this important step.”

    “The Federal Home Loan Bank of New York is grateful to Representatives Ritchie Torres and Gregory Meeks for their continued efforts to address housing affordability across New York and throughout our District, and for their focus on ensuring that the FHLBNY remains best-positioned to meet the needs of the communities we all serve,” said José R. González, president and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York. “We are excited to incorporate VantageScore 4.0 into our collateral practices, providing another tool for our cooperative to support inclusive housing and community development efforts throughout our region.”

    The FHLBNY joins the Federal Home Loan Banks of Chicago and San Francisco in accepting mortgage collateral originated using VantageScore 4.0. In October 2022, the Federal Housing Finance Agency – the regulator of the Federal Home Loan Bank System – announced its approval of VantageScore 4.0 for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. VantageScore estimates that using the VantageScore 4.0 credit model will result in approximately 33 million more consumers nationwide having access to a credit score that may aid them in obtaining a mortgage. This includes an estimated 3.1 million consumers within the FHLBNY’s District, which comprises New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

    “The Federal Home Loan Bank of New York’s decision to accept mortgage collateral backed by VantageScore is a significant step forward in expanding access to homeownership for creditworthy individuals, particularly in underserved communities,” said Anthony Hutchinson, SVP of Government and Industry Relations, VantageScore. “By addressing the long-standing disparities in mortgage lending, this initiative supports our shared goal of narrowing the homeownership gap in communities of color while ensuring financial stability and inclusion for all.”

    Broad Community Support

    Through the first 10 months of 2024, the FHLBNY has made $135 million in affordable housing and community support available through multiple programs:

    • $70.8 million in grant funding through its 2024 Affordable Housing Program Round
    • $28.9 million in grant funding through its 2024 Homebuyer Dream Program® (“HDP®”) Round
    • $10.3 million in grant funding through inaugural HDP Plus Round
    • $15 million in interest rate credits through its 2024 0% Development Advance Program
    • $5 million in supplemental credits for low-to-moderate income mortgages sold into its Mortgage Asset Program
    • $5 million in grant funding through its 2024 Small Business Recovery Grant Program Round

    These programs are funded directly by the FHLBNY’s earnings and are incorporated into its strategy, reflecting the FHLBNY’s continuing commitment to strengthening the communities it serves. The FHLBNY makes its broadest impact through the execution of its foundational liquidity mission, through which it provides its members with a stable source of liquidity to facilitate the extension of credit to consumers, communities, and small businesses across its region.

    Federal Home Loan Bank of New York
    The Federal Home Loan Bank of New York is a Congressionally chartered, wholesale Bank. It is part of the Federal Home Loan Bank System, a national wholesale banking network of 11 regional, stockholder-owned banks. As of September 30, 2024, the FHLBNY serves 338 financial institutions and housing associates in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The mission of the FHLBNY is to provide members with reliable liquidity in support of housing and local community development.

    Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
    This report may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon our current expectations and speak only as of the date hereof. These statements may use forward-looking terms, such as “projected,” “expects,” “may,” or their negatives or other variations on these terms. The Bank cautions that, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk or uncertainty and that actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements or could affect the extent to which a particular objective, projection, estimate, or prediction is realized. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the Risk Factors set forth in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC, as well as regulatory and accounting rule adjustments or requirements, changes in interest rates, changes in projected business volumes, changes in prepayment speeds on mortgage assets, the cost of our funding, changes in our membership profile, the withdrawal of one or more large members, competitive pressures, shifts in demand for our products, and general economic conditions. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

    CONTACT:   Brian Finnegan
    (212) 441-6877
    brian.finnegan@fhlbny.com       

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: STMicroelectronics’ innovative biosensing technology enables next-generation wearables for individual healthcare and fitness

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    STMicroelectronics’ innovative biosensing technology
    enables next-generation wearables for individual healthcare and fitness

    Highly integrated biosensor device combines input channel for cardio and neurological sensing with motion tracking and embedded AI core

    Demonstration to take place at Electronica 2024, Munich, November 12-15

    Geneva, Switzerland, October 28, 2024 – STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has introduced a new bio-sensing chip for the next generations of healthcare wearables like smart watches, sports bands, connected rings, or smart glasses. The ST1VAFE3BX chip combines a high-accuracy biopotential input with ST’s proven inertial sensing and AI core, which performs activity detection in the chip to ensure faster performance with lower power consumption.

    Wearable electronics is the critical enabling technology for the upsurge in individual health awareness and fitness. Today, everyone can have heart-rate monitoring, activity tracking, and geographical location on their wrist,” said Simone Ferri, APMS Group VP, MEMS Sub-Group General Manager at STMicroelectronics. “Our latest biosensor chip now raises the game in wearables, delivering motion and body-signal sensing in an ultra-compact form-factor with frugal power budget.”

    Analysts at Yole Development see opportunities for wearable monitors transcending the general wellness market, including consumer healthcare devices that are approved by health organizations and available over the counter1. By creating a complete precision sensor input in silicon, ST’s chip-design experts are facilitating innovation in all segments, with advanced capabilities such as heart-rate variability, cognitive function, and mental state.

    The ST1VAFE3BX provides opportunities to extend wearable applications beyond the wrist to other locations on the body, such as intelligent patches for lifestyle or medical monitoring purposes. ST customers BM Innovations GmbH (BMI) and Pison are working at the frontiers in this sector and have quickly adopted the new sensor to drive new-product development.

    BMI is an electronic design contracting company experienced in wireless sensing and with an extensive portfolio of projects including several leading-edge heart rate and performance monitoring systems. “ST’s new biosensor has enabled us to develop the next generation of precise athlete performance monitoring systems including ECG analysis in a chest band or a small patch,” said Richard Mayerhofer, Managing Director BM innovations GmbH. “Combining the analog signal from the vAFE with motion data from the acceleration sensor within a compact single package facilitates precise and context-aware data analysis. And with additional support for our AI algorithms directly on the sensor, this is exactly what we have been looking for.”

    David Cipoletta, CTO of Pison, a developer focusing on advanced technologies to enhance health and human potential, added, “ST’s new biosensor stands out as a great solution for smartwatch gesture recognition, cognitive performance, and neurological health. Leveraging this advancement, we have significantly enhanced the functionality and user experience of our wearable devices.”

    The ST1VAFE3BX is in production now in a 2mm x 2mm 12-lead LGA package and available from the eSTore (free samples available) and distributors from $1.50 for orders of 1000 units.

    Visitors to Electronica 2024, the major industry trade event happening in Munich November 12-15, can see the ST1VAFE3BX in a sensing technologies demonstration at the ST booth, Hall C3 101. More information is available online at www.st.com/biosensors

    Further technical information

    The analog front-end circuits for biopotential sensors are difficult to design and subject to unpredictable effects such as skin preparation and the position of electrodes attached to the body. The ST1VAFE3BX provides a complete vertical analog front end (vAFE) that simplifies the detection of different types of vital signs that can indicate physical or emotional state.

    Manufacturers of wellness and healthcare devices can thus extend their product ranges to include functionality such as electrocardiography (ECG), electroencephalography (EEG), seismocardiography (SCG), and electroneurography (ENG). This can drive the emergence of new devices that are affordable, easy to use, and reliably indicate health status or physiological responses to events such as stress or excitement. The future could contain a greater diversity of wearable devices that can contribute towards enhanced healthcare, fitness, and self-awareness.

    Bringing this precision front end on-chip, the ST1VAFE3BX is building on ST’s established competencies in MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) devices by integrating an accelerometer for inertial sensing. The accelerometer provides information about the wearer’s movement, which is synchronized with the biopotential sensing to help the application infer any link between measured signals and physical activity.

    The ST1VAFE3BX also integrates ST’s machine-learning core (MLC) and finite state machine (FSM) that enable product designers to implement simple decision trees for neural processing on the chip. These AI skills let the sensor handle functions such as activity detection autonomously, offloading the main host CPU to accelerate system responses and minimize power consumption. In this way, ST’s sensors let smart devices provide more sophisticated functions and operate for longer between battery charging, enhancing usability. ST also provides software tools like MEMS Studio in the ST Edge AI Suite dedicated to helping designers unleash the maximum performance from the ST1VAFE3BX, including tools for configuring decision trees in the MLC.

    The ST1VAFE3BX’s bio-detection signal channel comprises the vAFE with programmable gain and 12-bit ADC resolution. The maximum output data rate of 3200Hz is suitable for a wide variety of biopotential measurements to quantify heart, brain, and muscular activity.
    The device is powered from a supply voltage in the range 1.62V to 3.6V and has typical operating current of just 50µA, which can be cut to just 2.2µA in power-saving mode.

    The integrated low-noise accelerometer has programmable full-scale range from ±2g to ±16g.
    In addition to the machine-learning core and programmable finite state machine, which can provide functionality such as activity detection, the ST1VAFE3BX implements advanced pedometer, step detector, and step counting functions.

    About STMicroelectronics
    At ST, we are over 50,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of cloud-connected autonomous things. We are committed to achieving our goal to become carbon neutral on scope 1 and 2 and partially scope 3 by 2027. Further information can be found at www.st.com.

    For Press Information Contact:

    Alexis Breton        
    Corporate External Communications
    Tel: +33.6.59.16.79.08
    alexis.breton@st.com


    1 Report “Sensors and Actuators for Wearables 2023” (www.yolegroup.com)

    Attachments

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Global: Cancer care in Africa: translations of key words convey fear and need to change

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hannah Simba, Associate Research Scientist, African Population and Health Research Center

    Language can give people the power to take an active part in their own healthcare, or it can create barriers.

    Effective communication raises awareness about diseases and is key to delivering good care to patients.

    Yet in many African settings, this aspect of care is often overlooked.

    Take cancer, for example. Understanding how cancer is discussed in various languages and cultural contexts is crucial. Better communication about the disease can reduce fear and stigma, improve patient outcomes and promote more informed decision-making.




    Read more:
    Demon disease, worse than HIV: Soweto women’s views on breast cancer


    The cancer burden in Africa is rising at a faster rate than anywhere else in the world. In a region where around 2,000 languages are spoken, the way cancer is communicated is important.

    I am an epidemiologist and global health researcher who recently coauthored a paper about the way cancer terminology is expressed in African languages.

    The findings suggest that translations of key terms, including “cancer”, “malignant”, “chronic” and “radiotherapy”, commonly conveyed elements of fear and tragedy. And that the words used may contribute to fear, health disparities and barriers to care, and pose communication difficulties for health professionals.

    The results reinforce the need for culturally sensitive cancer terminology. This would improve cancer awareness and communication.

    For cancer patients, the words used to describe their diagnosis and treatment can affect how they perceive their condition, their willingness to seek treatment, and their interaction with healthcare providers.

    A study on cancer terminology

    Our study investigated translations of cancer-related terms from various African languages and explored their cultural significance. We surveyed 107 healthcare professionals, community health workers and researchers from 32 African countries, representing 44 languages.

    Participants were asked to provide translations of 16 common medical terms in their local languages and explain what those terms meant. These were terms like “cancer”, “radiotherapy”, “metastasis” and “survival”.

    Results revealed a diversity of terminology and translations. Many local terms contained linguistic references that reflected cultural and social contexts.

    Fear and stigma

    The findings uncovered a striking pattern: many cancer-related terms carried deeply negative connotations. Often they were associated with fear, tragedy and incurability. Some translations even had malevolent spiritual meanings.

    The term “cancer” is often associated with weightiness. It creates a feeling of being overwhelming, unbeatable and frequently final.

    Terms like “malignant” and “chronic” carry similar weight, frequently coming with ideas of hopelessness and fatality.

    What if the treatment meant to save your life sounded as terrifying as the disease itself?

    One example in our study was the translation of “radiotherapy”. In several languages, the term was associated with burning – being scorched by fire, heat or electricity.

    Such associations can make treatments seem more frightening than they are. They might deter patients from seeking the care they need.

    Rich expressions to draw from

    One fascinating example of how language shapes the understanding of cancer comes from a Ugandan participant. Their translation of “metastasis” (meaning “spread”) in Luganda was ekiziba kyasindika obwana bwayo ahare. This means “the mother mass has sent seedlings into another site”.

    This vivid metaphor, deeply rooted in the local idioms and proverbs, likens the spread of cancer to the dispersal of seedlings from a central plant.

    It shows how African languages can convey complex medical concepts through culturally resonant expressions.

    In other instances cancer was referred to as the “wound with which we will be buried” (translated from Wolof), “forest disease” (translated from Djerma) and “parasitic plant” (translated from Shona).

    These expressions extend beyond literal translation, providing valuable insights into how cultures think of cancer as a powerful and pervasive force in the natural world.

    What next?

    The study highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity in cancer communication.

    When the language used to describe cancer and its treatments instils fear or perpetuates stigma, it becomes harder for healthcare workers to provide effective care.

    Patients may delay seeking treatment, struggle to understand their condition, or feel hopeless about their prognosis.




    Read more:
    Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the world. 5 reads that could save lives


    Efforts to overcome stigmatising language during the early years of the HIV epidemic in Africa can serve as a blueprint for improving cancer communication.

    Initiatives like the Stop TB Partnership’s Tuberculosis Language Guide offer lessons on using non-stigmatising terminology, which could be adapted to oncology.

    Programmes such as the American Cancer Society’s patient education initiatives and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Rays of Hope radiotherapy programme highlight the potential for positive language alternatives and effective translations in African cancer care.

    The language used to communicate about cancer also matters because it can make a difference to health disparities.




    Read more:
    Breast cancer: why it’s difficult to treat and what new approaches are on the horizon


    Linguists, healthcare professionals and cultural leaders should work together to create new terminologies or adapt existing ones to be more neutral or positive.

    Such efforts could pave the way for more compassionate, effective and culturally aligned healthcare communication across the continent.

    Hannah Simba does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. Cancer care in Africa: translations of key words convey fear and need to change – https://theconversation.com/cancer-care-in-africa-translations-of-key-words-convey-fear-and-need-to-change-241928

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Exploring the Future of Cash in Germany — A Foresight Study | Guest contribution in Central Bank Payments News

    Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English

    Safeguarding the role of cash …
    Many continue to experience the payment landscape in Germany as being shaped by cash. But in Germany, too, the use of cash has been declining for some years now. The coronavirus pandemic has significantly accelerated change processes in payment behaviour. While cash payments accounted for 82.5% of total transactions in 2008, their share fell to 51% in 2023. At the same time, we see an increase in the use of debit cards (27% in 2023) and mobile payments (6% in 2023).
    Nevertheless, cash remains an important part of economic life in Germany. Consumers expect to be able to pay with cash and want to maintain the freedom of choice between cash and cashless means of payment. On top of consumers’ preferences in favour of cash, the Bundesbank considers resilience, crisis preparedness, and inclusivity for all groups in society as further reasons why cash should be firmly anchored in the payment landscape. A functioning cash infrastructure with good access to cash and high acceptance rates of cash is crucial for this.
    The Bundesbank has a statutory mandate to facilitate the smooth functioning of cash and cashless payments. Together with the other Eurosystem central banks, the Bundesbank works to ensure that euro cash remains generally available and accepted as a means of payment and store of value. That said, some developments such as the declining use of cash for payments and the thinning out of ATM networks suggest that a future with cash cannot be taken for granted.
    … calls for future-oriented research
    With this in mind, the Bundesbank has turned its attention to exploring what sort of long-term future cash might have in Germany. In order to be able to proactively shape the evolution of cash in light of the trends we are currently seeing, we need an idea of the environment in which cash will be embedded in future. What developments and trends will influence the payment landscape and the cash cycle over the next 15 to 20 years?
    To take due account of the intricacies of the way in which cash is embedded in social and economic structures, a future-oriented study design is called for. One option is to take the strategic foresight route. The Bundesbank has therefore commissioned a study looking at the cash of the future, which uses this kind of method.
    Future scenarios for Germany’s payment landscape
    A commonly used approach in strategic foresight involves the development of future scenarios. These scenarios are hypothetical visions of the future on a set topic. The scenarios presented in the study describe potential futures for cash and the cash cycle in Germany from the perspective of the year 2037. They show alternative development paths and the influencing factors behind them.
    The scenarios are based on empirical evidence and were developed by strategic foresight experts working with established academic methods. It is important to appreciate that scenarios are not forecasts and, as such, do not represent precise predictions of a future that will definitely come to pass. What scenarios actually provide us with is a way to orient ourselves. What developments are possible, what are the dependencies between different developments and what are the consequences? The scenarios can thus play a role in decision-making and strategy-building and aid communication with stakeholders and the general public.
    A total of three scenarios were developed. In all three scenarios, cash use continues, albeit to different degrees. In all scenarios, cash is the only means of payment available as a fallback option in the event of technical outages.
    The hyperdigital payment world — artificially intelligent, convenient, and vulnerable
    This scenario is characterised by economic and social transformation aimed at safeguarding peace and prosperity. Geopolitical shifts and far-reaching digitalisation are the driving forces of this transformation. All areas of life are highly digitalised, and that includes making payments. The digital euro has already been introduced as legal tender. The majority of the public has a high degree of confidence in digital solutions, in the government, and in the providers of cashless means of payment. In this scenario, cash serves, at most, as a store of value.
    Cash has all but disappeared from everyday payment situations. Only 15% of all transactions are settled using cash in 2037. Payments between individuals are almost exclusively made via payment apps.
    Conventional online commerce, in which cash plays virtually no role, continues to grow strongly. When it comes to bricks-and mortar retail, hardly any checkouts are staffed anymore. Only a scarce few self-checkouts still accept cash payments. With a small number of exceptions, local governments, authorities, and public enterprises do not provide facilities for paying in cash either.
    Banks have massively thinned out their ATM network. With the disappearance of staffed checkouts in the retail sector and the cutback in cash payment options for customers, in-store cash withdrawal services — which are currently still commonplace — vanish as well. Cost pressures on the cash cycle increase considerably up to the end of the decade. Only a small number of effective measures to cut costs in the cash cycle are implemented.
    In accordance with an EU regulation, the Federal Government responds to the massive decline in the use of cash, adopting statutory standards to secure a basic level of cash provision for retailers and the general public. The aim of this move is to maintain the cash infrastructure in case there is a crisis.
    In summary, this scenario shows us a highly digitalised world in which cash plays only a minor role. It is barely able to perform its function as a crisis preparedness measure.
    The cash renaissance payment world — smart, self-determined, and resilient
    The world of this scenario has been shaped by the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, advances in general-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) and the war in Ukraine. On the back of recent experiences, the public has become more aware of the need to prepare for disasters and crises.
    Moreover, many people fear heteronomy and the notion of being controlled by self-learning AI systems trained on mass data. Ambitious individuals tending towards alternative lifestyles are advocating for the right to an analogue life, drawing attention to the dangers of AI and calling for data minimisation and digital sovereignty.
    The benefits of cash are being rediscovered. Cash is associated with values such as sovereignty, independence, and constructive rebellion. This heightened awareness of the benefits of cash gradually spreads into society’s centre ground. Despite the stabilising effects on cash use, cash made up less than 50% of transactions at the end of the 2020s.
    Policymakers were aware of the public’s desire for freedom of choice, as well as of the significance of cash for certain groups in society. Considerations around resilience and autonomy in payments prompted the Federal Government to take regulatory steps to strengthen cash as a means of payment. At the beginning of the 2030s, the Federal Government recommended that retailers should, as a basic principle, accept cash. All of the major supermarket chains offer both staffed checkouts and self-checkouts with cash payment modules.
    Due to an EU regulation on access to cash, the trend towards branch closures and the thinning out of the ATM network started to slow again from the mid-2020s. Clear regulation for maintaining cash infrastructures gives cash cycle stakeholders greater certainty for investing in innovation and cost-saving measures.
    All in all, in this scenario, we see parts of society circling back to cash and its benefits, meaning that cash use is declining only slowly and stabilises in the 2030s.
    The vanishing hybrid payment world — pluralistic, segregated, and indifferent
    In the 2020s, there was significantly greater individualisation and pluralisation in people’s living standards, lifestyles, and personal environments compared with the 2010s. Members of more progressive milieus, in particular, are regarded as early adopters when it comes to innovations in cashless payment instruments. But still, even those who mainly opt for cashless payments often carry an “emergency stash” of a few notes in their smartphone case or in their bag or pocket.
    At the end of the 2030s, cash is still being used by a large part of the population to pay street vendors, when tipping, as a gift to friends or family and when paying smaller amounts. The decline in cash use is gradual (31% of all transactions in 2037).
    The remaining bricks-and-mortar retailers are aware of the diverse preferences of their customer base. This means there is huge variation in terms of cashier system facilities and cash acceptance. However, bricks-and-mortar retailers encourage customers to use cashless payment methods. Public authorities are also coming to favour cashless means of payment.
    Banks continued to significantly reduce the number of their branches and ATMs throughout the country up to the end of the 2020s. As the share of cash is shrinking, less and less cash is coming into shop tills, meaning that in-store cash withdrawal services
    deteriorate. Overall, it becomes harder to access cash.
    A major crisis or disaster that could draw society’s attention to cash as a resilient means of payment fails to materialise. A pro-cash movement among the general public cannot be orchestrated in an increasingly segregated society. This means there is no political pressure to act and no resistance against the gradual decline of cash.
    A downward spiral is created: the use of cash continues to decline as access to and acceptance of cash become restricted. The fixed costs for the supply and removal of cash appear disproportionately high as cash volumes fall. Options for accessing cash and situations where it is accepted are therefore limited further. A hybrid payment landscape — something desired by large parts of society — slowly but surely disappears as it becomes more and more difficult to actually use cash.
    Current developments
    Once scenarios have been developed, they should be checked against current developments from time to time. It is important to bear in mind that certain trends already visible today might appear in one scenario or another but this does not necessarily mean that a particular scenario will occur. Nor do these trends make it more likely that one of the scenarios will prevail. This is because the developments described in the scenarios should not be looked at in isolation; it is only through their interplay that they mesh to form a holistic projection of the payment landscape in 2037.
    Cashless payments more convenient
    Recently published research by the Bundesbank shows that cash currently accounts for 51% of all transactions in Germany. Contactless cards and mobile payment methods are being used more and more frequently. Cashless means of payment are increasingly perceived as more convenient, faster, and easier than cash. These are characteristics regarded as key reasons in deciding for or against a means of payment in the “hyperdigital payment world” and “hybrid payment world” scenarios. On top of this, acceptance of cashless means of payment has risen sharply, including in former cash strongholds such as restaurants and cafés and the services industry. Against this background, the general trend of declining cash usage in the scenarios appears highly plausible.
    Cash availability and acceptance declining
    Acceptance of cash in Germany remains high, although it is slightly declining. Cash payments are almost universally accepted at retail outlets for day-to-day purchases. At retail outlets for durable goods and in the food services sector, acceptance has somewhat deteriorated. In public administration, meanwhile, cash acceptance is low and falling.
    As anticipated in all three scenarios, the number of ATMs and bank offices is declining sharply. The number of ATMs fell by 12% between 2019 and 2023. A weakening of this decline in the mid-2020s does not seem to be on the cards so far. As things currently stand, legal framework conditions creating guaranteed access to cash are lacking. Although more and more people are making use of the option to withdraw cash in shops, Germany’s Retail Federation (Handelsverband) is warning of service constraints if the declining propensity to pay in cash results in there not being enough cash in registers. These developments make a downward spiral of declining cash usage, acceptance of cash, and cash availability highly likely.
    Cash should not be taken for granted
    Cash use does not increase again in any of the scenarios. While the share of cash payments does slowly stabilise in the “cash renaissance” scenario, it steadily contracts in the other two. That said, neither of those two scenarios anticipate a complete disappearance of cash. But two of three scenarios — as well as the developments that we are currently seeing — suggest that its stabilising function and freedom of choice between cash and digital payments are not fully given anymore.
    The Bundesbank considers cash to be its core physical product and takes active measures to safeguard its continued existence and future use alongside its complement, the digital euro. However, the Bundesbank, too, has to adapt to the changing payment landscape. Under its new branch strategy the Bundesbank is aiming to create a more efficient branch network. Branch closures will go hand in hand with extensive investment into new and modern branches. Increased automation and simpler access routes for CIT companies will ensure a secure and efficient supply of cash in the long term.
    Society and policymakers called to action
    The scenarios also show that the responsibility does not lie solely with the Bundesbank. The Bundesbank’s measures will not be adequate unless they are accompanied by action from policymakers and society. That is why it is initiating further collaborative activities. The National Cash Forum brings the relevant stakeholders to the table to lay the groundwork for enhancing and stabilising the cash cycle. A joint dialogue with various interest groups from society culminated in position papers expressing a clear commitment to cash. We at the Bundesbank are committed to contributing to a future with cash.

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK sanctions Putin’s interference actors

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The UK has sanctioned three Russian agencies and three senior figures who are attempting to undermine and destabilise Ukraine and its democracy.

    • UK sanctions Russian disinformation agencies seeking to undermine Ukraine.   

    • Kremlin tasked Social Design Agency (SDA) is exposed for trying to incite anti-Ukraine protests across Europe.    

    • New sanctions also hit three leaders directing the firm’s operations.

    Three Russian agencies and three senior figures who are attempting to undermine and destabilise Ukraine and its democracy have been sanctioned today by the UK.  

    The Social Design Agency (SDA) is tasked and funded directly by the Russian State, and along with its partner company Structura, has attempted to deliver a series of interference operations designed to undermine democracy and weaken international support for Ukraine.    

    This year, the SDA also attempted to incite protests in half a dozen European countries. However, despite Russian pouring money into these malign organisations’ interference activities, their lies have consistently struggled online, with bots and fake sites getting limited interaction. This has forced the SDA to consider buying social media views.  

    The Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said:   

    Putin is so desperate to undermine European support for Ukraine he is now resorting to clumsy, ineffective efforts to try and stoke unrest.   

    Today’s sanctions send a clear message; we will not tolerate your lies and interference, and we are coming after you.  

    Putin’s desperate attempts to divide us will fail. We will constrain the Kremlin, and stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. 

    These firms and their leadership are responsible for a vast malign online network, also commonly known as Doppelganger, which plagues social media with fake posts, counterfeit documents and deepfake material. These deceitful tactics are designed to mask the truth around Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and distract from the true nature of the war. Their murky actions are part of a co-ordinated attempt to use deceptive information operations to undermine democracy in pursuit of their aims.    

    These new sanctions demonstrate that no matter how desperate the Russian interference activity has become, the UK is committed to taking action against Russian information manipulation. We will continue to bear down on anyone conducting such activities on behalf of SDA.    

    The US, Canada, France, European External Action Service (EEAS), Germany and Australia join us in calling out the SDA’s underhand activity globally. 

    Background:    

    The full list of those sanctioned today is:   

    • PR agency Social Design Agency (SDA).   

    • PR agency Structura National Technologies.    

    • PR agency ANO DIALOG.    

    • Ilya Andreevich GAMBASHIDZE, the founder of SDA.    

    • Nikolay Aleksandrovich TUPIKIN, the CEO of SDA and owner of Structura.    

    • Andrey Naumovich PERLA, SDA Project Director.    

    These firms are responsible for a vast malign online network, commonly known as Doppelganger. Content including fake posts, counterfeit documents and deepfake material has been pushed out to audiences in English, German and French through a complex online network. The SDA has crafted a web of at least 120 sites spoofing existing news and government websites, towards which it deceptively redirects unsuspecting social media users. Tactics included avoiding common trigger words to circumvent content moderation tools and evade account takedowns. We are working with social media platforms to ensure they are aware of this activity.    

    Our international partners have also previously exposed Doppelganger’s malign interference networks, including France and the EEAS. As part of the monitoring and analysis for the 2024 European Parliament Elections. The European External Action Service has detected that an Doppelganger / RRN Media operation actively promoted Russian narratives to disrupt and interfere with the electoral process. This network was previously attributed by META to the SDA and revealed to be running global information operations aimed at weakening support for Ukraine. France has exposed these Russian actors in June 2023 through the publication of a report by its agency, Viginum.

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT SHEET: One Month Following Hurricane Helene, Biden-⁠ Harris Administration Spearheads Ongoing Recovery Efforts and Support for  Survivors

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Since Hurricane Helene’s destructive landfall one month ago, the Biden-Harris Administration has mobilized a Federal response that has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in financial assistance to survivors, substantial debris removal and power restoration, and a sustained commitment to long-term recovery efforts. As President Biden and Vice President Harris have said, their Administration will be with the people across the Southeast and Appalachia no matter how long it takes.
    Thus far, the Administration has approved over $2.1 billion in Federal assistance for those affected by Hurricane Helene, as well as Hurricane Milton, which made landfall in Florida shortly after Helene.
    This includes over $1 billion in assistance for individuals and families to help pay for housing repairs, personal property replacement, and other recovery efforts. To date, the Administration has also approved over $1.1 billion in Public Assistance funding to support local and state governments. This funding is primarily being used to support debris removal, as well to pay for emergency protective measures like surging first responders and providing shelter, food, and water during and after the storms.
    President Biden, Vice President Harris, and senior leaders across the Administration have spoken with and coordinated closely with Governors, Senators, Representatives, Mayors, and other state and local elected officials in impacted states before, during, and after the storms. The President, Vice President, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, and multiple cabinet members and other Administration leaders have been in impacted states to meet with state and local counterparts, survey damage, assess what additional Federal support should be prioritized, and meet with first responders and survivors. 
    On October 26, White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall traveled to North Carolina to coordinate recovery efforts with Governor Roy Cooper, FEMA, and philanthropic partners on the ground. She underscored the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to innovative partnerships that can speed recovery and rebuilding — through collaboration with state and local officials, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and philanthropic donors—for as long as it takes.
    Nearly 5,000 Federal personnel remain deployed to North Carolina and Florida, working side-by-side with state and local officials, to help survivors get what they need to accelerate their recovery.
    For communities affected by Helene, FEMA has delivered over 11 million meals and 9.6 million liters of water. FEMA now has 65 Disaster Recovery Centers open throughout all of the affected communities to provide survivors with in-person assistance with more opening each day. As of October 27, there will be 21 Disaster Recovery Centers open in North Carolina. Power and cellular service are restored for 99 percent of customers in impacted areas.
    As communities begin their road to rebuilding, the Administration continues to provide support and resources, including:
    Defense Personnel Supporting On-The-Ground Recovery
    Throughout Hurricane Helene response operations, the National Guard and Department of Defense have been engaged in the whole-of-government response efforts across the impacted areas. Members of the North Carolina National Guard, together with active duty servicemembers and guardsmen from 15 other states, have conducted more than 1,200 ground missions and more than 400 air missions in coordination with the state of North Carolina, and under the direction of the Dual Status Commander. 
    These efforts delivered more than 13,500 tons of humanitarian aid overland, and nearly another 2,000 tons through the air. This includes 614,881 gallons of bulk water, 4,331 pallets of bottles of water, and 3,108 pallets of food. Service members were active in route clearance – clearing hundreds of miles of roads, which enabled increased access to some of the hardest hit areas of the state.
    From the onset of this mission, the primary goal of active-duty Department of Defense Title 10 personnel and equipment was to provide immediate, short-term assistance to aid the most urgent response efforts. As of last week, Governor Cooper determined that the active-duty troops were no longer needed for this phase, and active-duty service members transitioned their mission to the National Guard and returned to their home bases. The National Guard, working with FEMA, and other Federal, state, and local partners, will remain actively engaged to address ongoing needs, rebuild infrastructure, and aid communities in long term recovery.
    The National Guard has roughly 2,000 Guardsmen, 65 high-water vehicles, and 7 helicopters still mobilized across seven states for the response to Hurricane Helene.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has more than 450 personnel engaged in missions across six states – supporting debris removal, temporary power, infrastructure assessments, , and safe waterways assessments. 
    Supporting and Protecting Public Health
    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking action to support providers and suppliers impacted by Hurricane Helene. These providers and suppliers may face significant cash flow issues from the unusual circumstances impacting facilities’ operations, preventing facilities from submitting claims and receiving Medicare claims payments. As a result of the presidential disaster declaration, and HHS public health emergencies declared in the wake of Hurricane Helene, CMS made available accelerated payments to Medicare Part A providers and advance payments to Medicare Part B suppliers affected by Hurricane Helene beginning October 2, 2024. CMS has also made available certain flexibilities related to provider and supplier fee-for-service Medicare debt.
    Following storm damage from Hurricane Helene at Baxter International Inc.’s North Cove facility in North Carolina, the Biden-Harris Administration continues taking action to support access to IV fluids, including ensuring restoration of key production sites, protecting products, and opening imports, in partnership with manufacturers, distributors, hospitals, and other stakeholders. As a result of these steps, Baxter anticipates restarting the highest-throughput IV solutions manufacturing line within the next week. The Biden-Harris Administration also moved quickly to open up imports from six facilities around the world and made it easier for hospitals to produce their own IV fluid during the shortage.
    Supporting Students and Student Loan Borrowers
    The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is partnering with disaster-declared states to determine the extent of impacts to educational communities; identify gaps in resources for response and recovery; and share critical resources to help restore learning conditions. These resources include Project SERV, which provides funding for local educational agencies and institutions of higher education that have experienced a traumatic crisis, including weather-related natural disasters, to assist in restoring a safe learning environment. 
    ED is ensuring affected borrowers in areas impacted by the hurricanes can focus on their critical needs without having to worry about missing their student loan payments. Direct Loan borrowers and federally-serviced Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) borrowers in the affected area who miss their payments will be automatically placed into a natural disaster forbearance. During forbearance, payments are temporarily postponed or reduced, and interest is still charged. Thanks to regulations issued by the Biden-Harris Administration, months in this forbearance will count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income Driven Repayment forgiveness. Direct Loan and federally serviced FFEL borrowers are not required to take an action, but have the option to call their servicer if they wish to enroll in the forbearance proactively. Perkins loan borrowers should contact their loan holder to request natural disaster forbearance. 
    ED continues to monitor impacts to schools in the affected states, including school closures, damage to school buildings including ongoing utility outages, schools being used as shelters, and the number of displaced students and staff. ED is sending an assessment team to North Carolina this coming week to evaluate damages and work with the state to develop a plan to get students back into classrooms as quickly as possible. In parallel, ED is closely communicating with the leadership of 531 Title IV-participating institutions, across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia due to impacts associated with Hurricane Helene. ED has also posted electronic announcements, reminding impacted institutions of available regulatory flexibilities, and providing guidance on managing Title IV student aid during disaster situations. 
    Supporting Farmers, Agriculture, and Consumers
    The Department of Agriculture (USDA), in coordination with approved insurance providers, announced more than $233 million to help farmers recover from hurricane damage during the fall harvest season. Currently, Hurricane Helene indemnities are estimated to be nearly $208 million for Georgia, nearly $13 million for Florida, $5 million for Alabama, and more than $4 million each for North and South Carolina.  
    To date, USDA has approved Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits to help eligible residents cover the cost of groceries in 112 counties in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee. D-SNAP is a program focused on getting food assistance to those in need for people in communities affected by disasters, who may not otherwise be eligible.
    Supporting Infrastructure and Transportation Recovery
    Since Hurricane Helene made landfall, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been committed to helping water utilities and health departments in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina as they work around the clock to bring clean, safe drinking water back to communities impacted by the storm. EPA and its state and local partners have made significant progress restoring drinking water and wastewater services in a vast majority of communities. In Western North Carolina, EPA has deployed two mobile water testing labs. EPA has received and analyzed approximately 700 samples, giving residents clear data about the safety of their drinking water. In addition to water testing, EPA has collected approximately 1,000 containers with oil, hazardous materials, or propane since clean-up efforts began in North Carolina.  
    The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) continues to support response and recovery efforts in impacted communities in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) worked with partners in affected areas to ensure the national airspace quickly returned to normal operations. The FAA deployed personnel to conduct vital infrastructure assessments and restore communications to impacted towers and airports, including Asheville Regional Airport in North Carolina and ongoing work at Valdosta Regional Airport in Georgia, among others. Approximately 133 personnel from Technical Operations and the communications support team remain on the ground supporting a range of response and restoration activities.
    The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) sent $144 million in “Quick Release” Emergency Relief funding to North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. These funds represent a ‘down payment’ to help with the immediate aftermath of the hurricane. Additional funding will be flowing to affected communities from the Emergency Relief program pending availability of funds. FHWA also worked closely with all impacted states and other federal agencies to help support their assessments of infrastructure damage.
    Providing Financial Flexibilities to Homeowners, Renters and Taxpayers
    The Department of Housing and Urban Development is providing a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) as well as foreclosures of mortgages to Native American borrowers guaranteed under the Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee program. The moratorium and extension are effective as of the President’s disaster declaration date in each state. When homes are destroyed or damaged to an extent that reconstruction or complete replacement is necessary, HUD’s Section 203(h) program provides FHA insurance to disaster victims, including renters. Borrowers from participating FHA approved lenders are eligible for 100 percent financing including closing costs. HUD’s Section 203(k) loan program enables individuals to finance the purchase or refinance of a house, along with its repair, through a single mortgage. Homeowners can also finance the rehabilitation of their existing homes if damaged. FHA is coordinating and collaborating with the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Agriculture to ensure consistent messaging and policies for single family loans regarding foreclosure moratoriums and repayment/arrearage agreements. Additionally, affected homeowners that have mortgages through Government-Sponsored Enterprises – including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – and the FHA are eligible to suspend their mortgage payments through a forbearance plan for up to 12 months.
    The Internal Revenue Service announced disaster tax relief for all individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Helene, including the entire states of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina and parts of Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. Taxpayers in these areas now have until May 1, 2025, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. In addition, the Internal Revenue Service provided more than 1,000 employees to help with FEMA disaster relief call lines and intake initial information to help disaster victims get federal relief. IRS Criminal Investigation agents were also on the ground in devastated areas to help with search and rescue efforts and other relief work – including assisting with door-to-door search efforts.
    Supporting Workers and Worker Safety
    Working alongside the Department of Labor, the States of Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee have all announced that eligible workers can receive federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance to compensate for income lost directly resulting from Hurricane Helene. And, through the Department of Labor’s innovative partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, displaced workers from North Carolina and South Carolina can now go to the post office in any other state and verify their ID for purposes of getting their benefits quickly.
    Additional Response and Recovery Efforts
    The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has offered over $51 million in tentatively approved disaster loan funding to survivors of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The SBA also has hundreds of staff working on the ground supporting communities in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia in disaster recovery centers, as well as in loan processing and customer service centers that are fielding around 15,000 calls a day with an average wait time of 15 seconds. The SBA is continuing to process disaster loan applications while it awaits Congressional action to replenish their disaster loan funds.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Atwater’s Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Tree Nuts in “Spider Web Tart”

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    FDA Publish Date:
    Product Type:
    Food & Beverages
    Allergens
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description

    info@atwatersfood.com

    Company Name:
    One Roof, LLC.
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)

    Atwater’s

    Product Description:

    Product Description

    Tarts


    Company Announcement

    Atwater’s of Baltimore, MD, is recalling its clam shell packages of spider web tarts sold 10/19/24 and 10/20/24 because they contain undeclared almond flour. People who have allergies to tree nuts run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

    The recalled spider web tarts were distributed on 10/19/24 and 10/20/24 at the following farmers markets located in the MD/DC/VA area: Arlington Courthouse, Falls Church, H Street, Mount Pleasant, Silver Spring, Dupont Circle, Greenbelt, and Westover. The product was in a clear clam shell plastic package marked with a green Atwater’s “Spider Web Tart” label on top and a Julian date of 292 labeled on the bottom.

    No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem and none were sold in retail stores.

    The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the almond containing product was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of almonds, see below for photos of both the product and packaging in question. Subsequent investigation indicated the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company’s production and labeling processes.

    Consumers who purchased spider web tarts on 10/19/24 and 10/20/24 at any of the listed farmers markets are urged to call or email Atwater’s directly to return the product and initiate a refund. Consumers may call Atwater’s Mon-Fri from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm EST at 410-644- 3435 or email us at info@atwatersfood.com.


    Company Contact Information

    Consumers:
    Atwater’s
    410-644- 3435

    Product Photos

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Aktsiaselts Infortar Investor Webinar introducing the results of the Q3 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Infortar will organize a webinar for investors on 4 November 2024 at 12:00 (EET) in Estonian and at 14:00 (EET) in English to introduce the third quarter 2024 results. The webinar will be attended by the Chairman of the Board of Infortar Ain Hanschmidt, the Managing Director of Infortar Martti Talgre and Investor Relations Manager Kadri Laanvee.

    The webinar will be hosted on the Microsoft Teams platform. Please note that to participate, no prior registration is required, and no reminder of the webinar will be sent. You can either participate by joining from your web browser or via Microsoft Teams application. When using a smart device to join the webinar, you first need to download the Microsoft Teams application from either Play Store or App Store.

    Please join the webinar via the following links:

    Questions can be sent to kadri.laanvee@infortar.ee before the webinar and via Teams Q/A during the event. The webinar will be recorded and will be available online for everyone on the company’s website at https://infortar.ee/en/reports.

    Aktsiaselts Infortar operates in seven countries, the company’s main fields of activity are maritime transport, energy and real estate. Aktsiaselts Infortar owns a 68.47% stake in Aktsiaselts Tallink Grupp, a 100% stake in AS Eesti Gaas and a versatile and modern real estate portfolio of approx. 113,000 m2. In addition to the three main areas of activity, Aktsiaselts Infortar also operates in construction and mineral resources, agriculture, printing, taxi business and other areas. A total of 104 companies belong to the Aktsiaselts Infortar group: 95 subsidiaries, 4 affiliated companies and 5 subsidiaries of affiliated companies. Excluding affiliates, Aktsiaselts Infortar employs 6,625 people.

    Additional information:

    Kadri Laanvee
    Investor Relations Manager
    Phone: +372 5156662
    e-mail: kadri.laanvee@infortar.ee
    www.infortar.ee/en/investor

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Bank of Åland Plc: Managers’ Transactions (Holmström)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Bank of Åland Plc
    Managers’ Transactions
    October 28, 2024,16.45 EET


    Managers’ Transactions (Holmström)
    __

    Person subject to the notification requirement
    Name: Sofie Holmström
    Position: Other senior manager
    Issuer: Ålandsbanken Abp
    LEI: 7437006WYM821IJ3MN73
    Notification type: INITIAL NOTIFICATION
    Reference number: 82672/5/4
    __

    Transaction date: 2024-10-24
    Outside a trading venue
    Instrument type: SHARE
    ISIN: FI0009001127

    Nature of transaction: SUBSCRIPTION

    Transaction details
    (1): Volume: 95 Unit price: 30.77 EUR

    Aggregated transactions (1):
    Volume: 95 Volume weighted average price: 30.77 EUR

    For further information, please contact:

    Peter Wiklöf, Managing Director and Chief Executive, tel +358 40 512 7505

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Global: My family lived the horrors of Native American boarding schools – why Biden’s apology doesn’t go far enough

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Rosalyn R. LaPier, Professor of History, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

    A photograph archived at the Center for Southwest Research at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque shows a group of Indigenous students who attended the Ramona Industrial School in Santa Fe. AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan

    I am a direct descendant of family members that were forced as children to attend either a U.S. government-operated or church-run Indian boarding school. They include my mother, all four of my grandparents and the majority of my great-grandparents.

    On Oct. 25, 2024, Joe Biden, the first U.S. president to formally apologize for the policy of sending Native American children to Indian boarding schools, called it one of the most “horrific chapters” in U.S. history and “a mark of shame.” But he did not call it a genocide.

    Yet, over the past 10 years, many historians and Indigenous scholars have said that what happened at the Indian boarding schools “meets the definition of genocide.”

    From the 19th to 20th century, children were physically removed from their homes and separated from their families and communities, often without the consent of their parents. The purpose of these schools was to strip Native American children of their Indigenous names, languages, religions and cultural practices.

    The U.S. government operated the boarding schools directly or paid Christian churches to run them. Historians and scholars have written about the history of Indian boarding schools for decades. But, as Biden noted, “most Americans don’t know about this history.”

    As an Indigenous scholar who studies Indigenous history and the descendant of Indian boarding school survivors, I know about the “horrific” history of Indian boarding schools from both survivors and scholars who contend they were places of genocide.

    Was it genocide?

    The United Nations defines “genocide” as the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” Scholars have researched different cases of genocide of Indigenous peoples in the United States.

    Historian Jeffery Ostler, in his 2019 book “Surviving Genocide,” argues that the unlawful annexation of Indigenous lands, the deportation of Indigenous peoples and the numerous deaths of children and adults that occurred as they walked hundreds of miles from their homelands in the 19th century constitute genocide.

    The mass killings of Indigenous peoples after gold was found in the 19th century in what is now California also constitutes genocide, writes historian Benjamin Madley in his 2017 book “An American Genocide.” At the time, a large migration of new settlers to California to mine gold brought with it the killing and displacement of Indigenous peoples.

    Other scholars have focused on the forced assimilation of children at Indian boarding schools. Sociologist Andrew Woolford argues that scholars need to start calling what happened at Indian boarding schools in the 19th and 20th century “genocide” because of the “sheer destructiveness of these institutions.”

    Woolford, a former president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, explains in his 2015 book “This Benevolent Experiment” that the goal of Indian boarding schools was the “forcible transformation of multiple Indigenous peoples so that they would no longer exist as an obstacle (real or perceived) to settler colonial domination on the continent.”

    First- and second-grade students sit in a classroom at the former Genoa Indian Industrial School in Genoa, Neb. Researchers are now trying to locate the bodies of more than 80 Native American children buried near the school.
    National Archives/AP

    Indigenous writers have explained how this transformation at Indian boarding schools occurred. “Federal agents beat Native children in such schools for speaking Native languages, held them in unsanitary conditions, and forced them into manual and dangerous forms of labor,” writes Indigenous law professor Maggie Blackhawk.

    What my grandmother witnessed

    Secretary of the Interior Debra Anne Haaland has stated that every Native American family has been impacted by the “trauma and terror” of Indian boarding schools. And my family is no different.

    One of the more horrific stories that my maternal grandmother shared with her grandchildren was that she witnessed the death of another student. They were both under the age of 10. The student died of poisoning after lye soap was put in her mouth as a punishment for speaking her Indigenous language.

    We know that similar punishments happened and children died at Indian boarding schools. The Department of Interior reported in 2024 that 973 children died at Indian boarding schools.

    Tribes are increasingly seeking the return of the remains of children who died and are buried at Indian boarding schools.

    A worker digs for the suspected remains of children who once attended the Genoa Indian Industrial School, on July 11, 2023, in Genoa, Neb.
    AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

    Lasting legacy

    The U.S. government is beginning to encourage survivors to tell their stories of their Indian boarding school experiences. The Department of the Interior is in the process of recording and documenting their stories on digital video, and they will be placed in a government repository.

    At 84 years old, my mother is the only living Indian boarding school survivor in our family. She shared her story with the Department of the Interior this past summer, as did dozens of other survivors.

    Haaland stated these “first person narratives” can be used in the future to learn about the history of Indian boarding schools, and to “ensure that no one will ever forget.”

    “For too long, this nation sought to silence the voices of generations of Native children,” Biden added at the apology ceremony, “but now your voices are being heard.”

    As a descendant of Indian boarding school survivors, I appreciate President Biden’s apology and his effort to break the silence. But, I am also convinced that what my mother, grandmother and other survivors experienced was genocide.

    Rosalyn R. LaPier does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. My family lived the horrors of Native American boarding schools – why Biden’s apology doesn’t go far enough – https://theconversation.com/my-family-lived-the-horrors-of-native-american-boarding-schools-why-bidens-apology-doesnt-go-far-enough-242249

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lord Mayor of Leeds to open major Commonwealth trade and investment conference

    Source: City of Leeds

    The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, is set to welcome guests from across the Commonwealth to a major trade and Investment conference in Leeds tomorrow (Tuesday 29 October). 

    The Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Commonwealth conference has been organised by law firm, Womble Bond Dickinson, and is being jointly hosted by Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

    The conference will feature a range of speakers including; Megan Wood, Trade Commissioner at the Canadian High Commissioner in London, Dr Olushola Kolawole, lecturer at the University of Bradford’s School of Management, and the Pakistani Consul General in Bradford, Zahid Jatoi. Several influential British-based groups, such as the Ethnic Minority Business and Policy Forum and British Friends of Pakistan, will also attend along with Chief Executive of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce James Mason.

    The event brings together experts from India, Canada, Pakistan, and Nigeria to reflect on the outcomes of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024, held in Samoa last week, and will explore how the UK’s commercial links to the Commonwealth can be enhanced. 

    The 56 nations of the Commonwealth are among the UK’s largest and fastest-growing trading partners. The UK exports £83 billion to Commonwealth markets annually, which accounts for 10% of overall UK exports, with significant further trade and investment opportunities for companies in West Yorkshire.

    The event will be an opportunity to encourage further West Yorkshire-Commonwealth trade, upskill businesses on commercial opportunities in the Commonwealth, and highlight the synergies around culture, education, and diasporic communities. It supports our mission to create an economy that works for everyone as set out in the Leeds Inclusive Growth Strategy.

    The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, said: “It gives me the greatest pleasure to welcome our distinguished Commonwealth guests and partners to Leeds.

    “I look forward to discussing furthering trade, culture, and education opportunities for our city, region and the Commonwealth markets. Leeds has a vibrant range of industries that would directly benefit from increasing opportunities with our Commonwealth partners, especially in our professional and financial services, advanced manufacturing, and digital and technology sectors, highlighted as growth-driving sectors in the UK’s recent Modern Industrial Strategy Green Paper.

    “The strength of our city and a driver of its success is its diversity, vibrancy, and people. Forging closer links with our Commonwealth partners is a great opportunity to build on that diversity, create new ideas and investment opportunities and succeed together.”

    Leeds City Council deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport, and sustainable development Councillor Jonathan Pryor said:

    “We are delighted that Leeds is hosting honoured guests from around the world to this trade and investment conference. As a city Leeds is very proud of the diverse make-up of our communities, and this is reflected in our commitment to welcome and support international trade and businesses to invest here.

    “As one of the leading UK cities for private-sector job creation, international investment and supporting business creation and growth across a wide-ranging economy, we very much look forward to this conference and the benefits it can help deliver through further strengthening international relationships and boosting the city and regional economy for all to benefit from.”

    Notes for editors:

    Leeds City Council Inclusive Growth Strategy: https://www.inclusivegrowthleeds.com/ 

    West Yorkshire Trade and Investment Statistics

    • India: 629 West Yorkshire businesses export goods to India at a total value of £126m, and 963 West Yorkshire businesses import goods from India at a total value of £356m. The value of services exported from West Yorkshire is £113m, and the total value of services imported from India to West Yorkshire is £134m. Total bilateral trade in goods and services between West Yorkshire and India is worth £729 million.
    • Indian Tech company Mastek delivers significant UK digital infrastructure projects (including the NHS Spine, and MOD contracts). Mastek has a substantial presence in Leeds including an ambitious new graduate programme. Mastek continues to strengthen its Leeds operation, recently creating an additional 200 new jobs.
    • In 2021 Mphasis launched a new UK Centre of Excellence in Leeds for their insurance clients. In 2022, Mphasis, announced plans to create an additional 1,000 new jobs in West Yorkshire. The investment will be worth tens of millions of pounds to the West Yorkshire economy.
    • Prime Focus Technologies create high-tech AI-enabled software for the media and entertainment industry.  Leeds is home to their UK headquarters and new state-of-the-art Media Centre which delivers Media and Online services for Channel 4 and other media companies.
    • The latest published figures are for the 2021/22 academic year and show the count of Indian students at West Yorkshire institutions to be 4,080. Indian visitors to Yorkshire as a whole spend £14 million annually. British Indian’s make up roughly 2.7% of the population in West Yorkshire which is higher than most groups except for British Pakistani’s (10.7%).
    • Pakistan: Pakistani’s make up the largest West Yorkshire Diaspora group, with 10.7% of the population.
    • Yorkshire and Humber accounted for over 5% of UK exports to Pakistan in 2023, with a value of £23 million and over 7% of imports from Pakistan, valued at £111 million.
    • Pakistan’s trade with the UK is covered by the Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which allows for preferential and tariff free trade on many products. 94% of goods exported from Pakistan to the UK are covered by the scheme, reducing tariffs by £120 million. Trade is expected to double between 2022-25.
    • The UK is Pakistan’s largest export destination in Europe and the third globally.
    • Canada: In 2023, the value of UK goods traded between Yorkshire and the Humber and Canada amounted to £442 million in exports (7.8% of total exports) and £0.3 billion in imports (5.1% of total imports).
    • With both Canada and the UK being signatories of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), 99% of goods traded between CPTPP member countries will be tariff-free. This is projected to diversify both countries’ supply chains within the broader Asia-Pacific region whilst boosting trade, investment and innovation in sectors such as automotive, pharmaceuticals, and machinery.
    • Leeds-based construction company Turner & Townsend have developed a strong presence in Canada with offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.
    • In the UK in 2020-21 the total number of Canadian students was 6615 while the amount of Canadian academic staff amounted to 1635. Academic partnership has seen 40,745 UK publications co-authored with Canadians, between 2018-2021.
    • Nigeria: In 2023, Yorkshire and Humber was the largest UK regional exporter to Nigeria, accounting for 45.5% of exports worth £661 million. In terms of imports, the region imported £29 million of goods from Nigeria during the same period.
    • The UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP) is the first the UK has signed with an African country and is designed to grow the UK and Nigeria’s already thriving trading relationship, which totalled £7 billion in the year to September 2023.
    • In 2022/23 Nigerian students were the third largest international group in Yorkshire. Council figures suggest that between 2018/19 and 2022/23 the number of students coming from Nigeria to Leeds Beckett rose from 17 to 677.

    ENDS

    For media enquiries please contact:

    Leeds City Council communications and marketing,

    Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk

    Tel: 0113 378 6007

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: The deposit auction of the Moscow Small Business Lending Assistance Fund will take place on 10/28/2024

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    Parameters;

    The date of the deposit auction is 28.10.2024. The placement currency is RUB. The maximum amount of funds placed (in the placement currency) is 103,000,000.00. The placement period, days is 16. The date of depositing funds is 28.10.2024. The date of return of funds is 13.11.2024. The minimum placement interest rate, % per annum is 20.00. The terms of the conclusion are urgent or special (Urgent). The minimum amount of funds placed for one application (in the placement currency) is 103,000,000.00. The maximum number of applications from one Participant, pcs. 1. Auction form is open or closed (Open). The basis of the Agreement is the General Agreement. Schedule (Moscow time). Applications in preliminary mode from 11:30 to 11:40. Applications in competition mode from 11:40 to 11:45. Setting the cut-off percentage or declaring the auction invalid before 11:55.

    Additional conditions Placement of funds with the possibility of early withdrawal of the entire deposit amount and payment of interest accrued on the deposit amount at the rate established by the deposit transaction, in the event of non-compliance of the Bank with the requirements established by paragraph 2.1. of the Regulation “On the procedure for selecting banks for placing funds of the Moscow Small Business Lending Assistance Fund in deposits (deposits) under the GDS” (as amended on the date of the deposit transaction), early withdrawal at the “on demand” rate, payment of interest at the end of the term, without replenishment.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    https://www.moex.com/n74330

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of British Columbia

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    October 28, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada  

    The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

    The Honourable Peter H. Edelmann, a Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, is appointed a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia in Vancouver. Justice Edelmann replaces Justice P. Willcock, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective June 19, 2024.

    Scott Morishita, Associate Counsel at Rice Harbut Elliott LLP in Vancouver, is appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver. Justice Morishita replaces Justice P.H. Edelmann (Vancouver), who was elevated to the Court of Appeal for British Columbia effective October 25, 2024.

    Quote

    “I wish Justices Edelmann and Morishita every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve the people of British Columbia well as members of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia and the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

    —The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

    Biographies

    Justice Peter H. Edelmann is fluently bilingual and was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 2019. He received an undergraduate degree in French literature and philosophy from the University of Toronto and went on to pursue graduate studies at the University of British Columbia. In 2004, he received both LL.B. and Civil Law degrees from McGill University. He was called to the bar of British Columbia in 2005.

    Prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 2019, Justice Edelmann was a partner at Edelmann and Company, a recognized immigration and refugee law firm in Vancouver. He had begun his career as a sole practitioner primarily focused on criminal defence, in a practice that came to encompass national security, extradition, immigration and refugee law.

    Justice Edelmann appeared before all levels of the federal and provincial courts, as well as the various divisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board. He was an active member of the Immigration Section of the Canadian Bar Association and sat on the litigation committee for the Canadian Council for Refugees. He appeared regularly before Parliamentary committees and before the Supreme Court of Canada.

    Justice Scott Morishita was born and raised in Richmond. He is Japanese Canadian and a proud member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of British Columbia and an LL.B. from the University of Victoria. He was called to the British Columbia bar in 2007.

    Justice Morishita was Associate Counsel at Rice Harbut Elliott LLP, where he acted for plaintiffs in personal injury claims. Prior to that, he was Legal Counsel at the Municipal Insurance Association of British Columbia, where he defended local governments in various types of liability claims. He spent his career as a civil litigator, representing a diverse range of clients, including individuals, insurance companies, and local governments.

    Justice Morishita is a passionate volunteer and a strong advocate for lawyers’ mental health. He dedicated his time to numerous legal organizations, serving as President of the Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia (B.C.) Branch for the 2023-24 term, and as a Law Society of B.C. appointee to the Transitional Board of Legal Professions B.C. He was also a past board member of the Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C. and an active member of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (B.C.).

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Violet, Louisiana, Man Sentenced for Possessing Firearm to Further Drug Trafficking

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MALI WILLIAMS (“WILLIAMS”), age 26, of Violet, Louisiana, was sentenced on October 15, 2024 by United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey to 60 months of imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).

    According to court documents, on October 12, 2023, New Orleans Police Officers saw WILLIAMS selling marijuana in the Central Business District of New Orleans.  While attempting to flee from police, WILLIAMS dropped his backpack that contained marijuana and tapentadol tablets.  When apprehended, WILLIAMS possessed a Taurus Model G3C, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol.   

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter.  The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Ollinger of the Violent Crime Unit.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: NVIDIA Ethernet Networking Accelerates World’s Largest AI Supercomputer, Built by xAI

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NVIDIA today announced that xAI’s Colossus supercomputer cluster comprising 100,000 NVIDIA Hopper Tensor Core GPUs in Memphis, Tennessee, achieved this massive scale by using the NVIDIA Spectrum-X™ Ethernet networking platform, which is designed to deliver superior performance to multi-tenant, hyperscale AI factories using standards-based Ethernet, for its Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) network.

    Colossus, the world’s largest AI supercomputer, is being used to train xAI’s Grok family of large language models, with chatbots offered as a feature for X Premium subscribers. xAI is in the process of doubling the size of Colossus to a combined total of 200,000 NVIDIA Hopper GPUs.

    The supporting facility and state-of-the-art supercomputer was built by xAI and NVIDIA in just 122 days, instead of the typical timeframe for systems of this size that can take many months to years. It took 19 days from the time the first rack rolled onto the floor until training began.

    While training the extremely large Grok model, Colossus achieves unprecedented network performance. Across all three tiers of the network fabric, the system has experienced zero application latency degradation or packet loss due to flow collisions. It has maintained 95% data throughput enabled by Spectrum-X congestion control.

    This level of performance cannot be achieved at scale with standard Ethernet, which creates thousands of flow collisions while delivering only 60% data throughput.

    “AI is becoming mission-critical and requires increased performance, security, scalability and cost-efficiency,” said Gilad Shainer, senior vice president of networking at NVIDIA. “The NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet networking platform is designed to provide innovators such as xAI with faster processing, analysis and execution of AI workloads, and in turn accelerates the development, deployment and time to market of AI solutions.”

    “Colossus is the most powerful training system in the world,” said Elon Musk on X. “Nice work by xAI team, NVIDIA and our many partners/suppliers.”

    “xAI has built the world’s largest, most-powerful supercomputer,” said a spokesperson for xAI. “NVIDIA’s Hopper GPUs and Spectrum-X allow us to push the boundaries of training AI models at a massive-scale, creating a super-accelerated and optimized AI factory based on the Ethernet standard.”

    At the heart of the Spectrum-X platform is the Spectrum SN5600 Ethernet switch, which supports port speeds of up to 800Gb/s and is based on the Spectrum-4 switch ASIC. xAI chose to pair the Spectrum-X SN5600 switch with NVIDIA BlueField-3® SuperNICs for unprecedented performance.

    Spectrum-X Ethernet networking for AI brings advanced features that deliver highly effective and scalable bandwidth with low latency and short tail latency, previously exclusive to InfiniBand. These features include adaptive routing with NVIDIA Direct Data Placement technology, congestion control, as well as enhanced AI fabric visibility and performance isolation — all key requirements for multi-tenant generative AI clouds and large enterprise environments.

    About NVIDIA
    NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the world leader in accelerated computing.

    For further information, contact:
    Alex Shapiro
    NVIDIA Corporation
    +1-415-608-5044
    ashapiro@nvidia.com

    Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements as to: the benefits, impact, and performance of NVIDIA’s products, services, and technologies, including NVIDIA Hopper Tensor Core GPUs, NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet networking platform, NVIDIA Spectrum SN5600 Ethernet switch, Spectrum-4 switch ASIC, and NVIDIA BlueField-3 SuperNICs; features of xAI’s Colossus supercomputer cluster; xAI being in the process of doubling the size of Colossus to a combined total of 200,000 NVIDIA Hopper GPUs; the NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet networking platform being designed to provide innovators such as xAI with faster processing, analysis and execution of AI workloads, and in turn accelerating the development, deployment and time to market of AI solutions; NVIDIA’s Hopper GPUs and Spectrum-X allowing xAI to push the boundaries of training AI models at a massive scale, creating a super-accelerated and optimized AI factory based on the Ethernet standard are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: global economic conditions; our reliance on third parties to manufacture, assemble, package and test our products; the impact of technological development and competition; development of new products and technologies or enhancements to our existing product and technologies; market acceptance of our products or our partners’ products; design, manufacturing or software defects; changes in consumer preferences or demands; changes in industry standards and interfaces; unexpected loss of performance of our products or technologies when integrated into systems; as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the most recent reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on the company’s website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

    © 2024 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, NVIDIA Spectrum-X and BlueField are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability and specifications are subject to change without notice.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/32f7e01d-2845-40ac-9a09-2226d1f79ec0

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Almost there – navigating the last mile of disinflation in Latin America

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    The Covid-19 pandemic required unprecedented policy actions from central bankers. After a faster-than-expected economic recovery, inflation surged to decades-high levels. Central banks raised policy rates and inflation fell substantially. Strong monetary policy frameworks helped Latin American central banks in keeping long-term inflation expectations anchored and avoiding financial crises.

    However, the final stage of reducing inflation to target levels, “the last mile,” remains challenging. While inflation is much lower, it is still not yet at target. Some countries even experienced a rebound. The final stage of disinflation will be different from the first phase. Base effects from the waning of the transitory factors that pushed up inflation play a much smaller role now. High and persistent growth in services prices will be a challenge, especially as wages continue to rise. Expansionary fiscal policies are counteracting restrictive monetary policies, complicating the path to achieving inflation targets. In addition, inflation is increasingly driven by domestic factors, reflecting greater economic and labour market disparities among countries.

    Central banks will have to proceed cautiously in the period ahead.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Denis Beau: Perspectives on increasing prominence of digital money

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    I am glad to join you virtually today for the Hong Kong FinTech Week, to share our perspective at the Banque de France on the development of digital payments and its implication for the fulfilment of our mandate to ensure the proper functioning of payment systems.

    Although wholesale and retail payments are being transformed by distinct trends, they present similar challenges from a safety and efficiency perspective. To meet these challenges, we have been at the Banque de France simultaneously acting on three key levers. First, the provision of central bank money services. Second, the support to industry initiatives in line with our policy goals. Third, the promotion of adjustments to the regulatory and supervisory framework. 

    In that context, I would like to explain in my introductory remarks how we consider using our first lever, the provision of central bank money services.

    1. Wholesale digital payments

    In the wholesale space, the security and efficiency of financial transactions between financial intermediaries importantly hinges on the nature of the settlement asset chosen. 

    Lessons learned from past financial crises have underlined the critical importance of using secure settlement assets. In response, members of the Bank for International Settlements have committed to promoting the use of central bank money in the wholesale payments space and mitigate both liquidity and counterparty risks. This commitment is reflected in Principle 9 of the CPMI-IOSCO’s Principles for financial market infrastructures (PFMIs), designed to strengthen and preserve financial stability. And they have been successful in the implementation of this policy as central bank money is actually the very dominant settlement asset in the wholesale space.

    However, as tokenisation of assets gains momentum, private settlement assets, particularly stablecoins, are being used and are likely to be settlement assets of choice, to settle transactions in tokenised assets, absent the availability of central bank money on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). In addition, the proliferation of uncoordinated settlement solutions resulting from the lack of public sector response to the tokenisation of finance could lead to increased liquidity fragmentation.

    This is why we consider that we need to adapt the provision of central bank money to the demands of an increasingly digital financial system, particularly as transactions involving tokenised assets gain prominence, to prevent regression in the safety and efficiency of wholesale transactions. 

    Accordingly, the Banque de France was one of the first central banks to launch an ambitious experimental program focused on the use of wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) in various settlement processes for varied assets. 

    In addition, in an evolving landscape, where traditional infrastructures are likely to coexist with new DLT systems, interoperability will be crucial in preventing market fragmentation and central bank money can help ensure it. The Payment-vs-Payment (PvP) experiment in CBDC we recently conducted with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority is an illustration of this, with an interoperability mechanism supported by SWIFT to ensure synchronised settlement of both legs of the transaction.

    Since May 2024, the Eurosystem has also been testing various interoperable solutions for settling tokenised financial assets via central bank money and we are actively contributing to it. Looking further ahead, the BIS has put forward the vision of a global unified ledger-a long-term vision that could begin with the establishment of regional unified ledgers, such as a European Unified Ledger. Project Agorá is likely to be an important building block in an exploratory approach to make this vision concrete and test it, and we are also taking part in it.

    2. Retail digital payments

    In the retail space, contrary to the wholesale one, we observe the coexistence and complementarity of central bank money – in the form of cash – and private money. While their respective role has evolved over time with users’ habits, in Europe it has undergone very rapid and significant changes in the past few decades, in relation with the development of the digital economy. The use of cash has steadily declined: in 2022, cash was used in 50% of in-store payments in France, compared with 68% in 2016. Meanwhile, cashless payment solutions have rapidly developed, boosted by the growth of e-commerce and innovative solutions such as contactless and mobile payments.

    These changes bring many benefits for consumers, with payments becoming increasingly convenient, faster and innovative. The Banque de France therefore strongly supports and encourages innovation by payments stakeholders and the private sector. 

    However, digitalisation also comes with challenges for central banks. 

    • First, regulatory and supervisory frameworks need to be adopted to foster innovation in a trusted environment. This is what we have done in the case of private digital assets in Europe where the MiCA regulation has provided a clear, harmonised regulatory framework for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) and stablecoins issuers, with the support of the Banque de France.
    • Second, the development of digital payments comes with increased dependence on a few dominant non-EU players – international card schemes and global technology providers (BigTechs). Those stakeholders exploit large network effects and own many proprietary standards used in retail payments. In Europe, that trend raises issues in terms of operational resilience, market competition and innovation, and ultimately, challenges the strategic autonomy of European players.

    The Banque de France has helped to address those dependency issues with first a clear support, along with the Eurosystem, to the emergence of pan-European solutions for retail payments such as the European Payments Initiative. Their digital wallet called Wero has just been launched in France, after Germany and Belgium, for person-to-person payments in the first stage. It will gradually expand coverage, to other countries and use cases (e-commerce and in-store payments) in the next years.

    We have also intensively contributed to the preparation underway of a retail CBDC, namely the digital euro. This new form of public money would be comparable to a “digital banknote”. Its legal tender would make it usable everywhere in the euro area, in all contexts – therefore supporting European integration. It would offer cash-like privacy – notably thanks to the offline functionality that would also strengthen our resilience. The underlying standards and infrastructures would be governed by European players – also supporting our strategic autonomy.

    The digital euro is also intended to perpetuate the “public-private partnership” that lies at the heart of our monetary system. It would be distributed by banks and other private intermediaries, with a viable and attractive business model, therefore preserving financial intermediation. It could also facilitate the development of private pan-European projects that could benefit from its open and harmonised standards to extend their scope and benefit from large network effects.

    Conclusion

    As payments become increasingly digital, central banks face the issue of revisiting the way they provide central bank money services to their economy. At the Banque de France, we consider that the Eurosystem should stand ready to adapt its provision of central bank money both in the wholesale and retail spaces. We see this as necessary to maintain the ‘singleness of money’ in our economy and the robustness of our monetary system, both from a stability and sovereignty perspective. On the wholesale side, a CBDC would appropriately accompany and secure a trend towards the tokenisation of financial assets. It could also be a first step towards the provision of a new and decentralised form of infrastructure, a European Unified Ledger. In the retail sphere, we see the deployment of a digital euro as a natural evolution of, and complement to cash, whose success should be built on a strong public-private partnership.

     

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Eddie Yue: Keynote address – Hong Kong FinTech Week 2024

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Good morning everyone. Welcome to the 9th Hong Kong FinTech Week, an annual event where vision, inspiration and innovation come together to shape the future of fintech.  It’s wonderful to welcome so many old and new friends today to discuss this exciting topic.

    This year’s theme is “Illuminating New Pathways in Fintech”. It captures where we are right now – at a critical juncture on our fintech journey.  We are seeing an unprecedented acceleration in financial development, fuelled by cutting-edge technologies.

    Having arrived at this point after marking a number of significant milestones along the way, it’s perhaps time to take stock and ask ourselves “What’s on the horizon for Fintech?”

    What we have learned from innovation and fintech

    Before I delve into that question, let’s revisit our overarching vision, which is to nurture a vibrant fintech ecosystem. Like instruments in an orchestra, so do individual players in the fintech ecosystem, whether they are agile start-ups or established institutions, each have their own parts to play. 

    But let’s be honest, a vibrant fintech ecosystem cannot be built overnight. Technology is continuously disrupting everything, including our financial markets.  For many of us, embracing change isn’t always easy, and sometimes the process of driving innovation may even feel uncomfortable and disorienting.  But change is often also a good opportunity to reflect on how we can innovate to better serve the greater good.

    Our Fintech 2025 strategy is a powerful testament to our commitment to innovation. Over the last few years, we have driven some positive transformations in our fintech ecosystem, and I would like to take the next few minutes to share three lessons we have learned along the way.

    First, innovation is not an end in itself, but a means to solve real-world problems. Whether it’s faster payments or better banking access for SMEs, technology is a means to help transform everyday experience and bring benefits to the real economy.  One area we’ve been focusing on is enhancing cross-border payments.  The link between our Faster Payment System (FPS) and Thailand’s PromptPay is one example, providing consumers with a seamless cross-border payment experience and bringing us closer to a world of truly borderless transactions.  Another example is the cross-boundary e-CNY pilot, which allows Hong Kong people to set up e-CNY wallets locally, with linkage to the FPS for cross-boundary payments.  Whether you are buying coffee in Bangkok or settling a bill in a Shenzhen restaurant, payment is as simple as if you were in Hong Kong.

    Another example is the use of technology to address long-standing pain points in the data ecosystem. By linking up isolated data islands and combining sources from the public and private sectors, we are expanding and diversifying our data network.  The linkage between HKMA’s Commercial Data Interchange and the Government’s data gateway is now fully operational, helping to address the industry’s need for government data which can be used to support the credit needs of SMEs.  

    The second thing we have learned is the need to be bold in driving innovation. We need to have an “explorer” mindset to try out innovative ideas even if they are only at a formative stage.  One good example is tokenisation, which is just taking shape as we pioneer different use cases and solutions with Project Ensemble to explore and define the tokenisation landscape.  Working with the industry, we hope to showcase how innovation and regulation can work together to create new opportunities for our financial markets. 

    But a major trend like this inevitably comes with a need for clear guidance and market confidence, and we value your feedback and views as we navigate this evolving landscape. That is why we have been engaging with market players through the Ensemble and stablecoin sandboxes to help us formulate regulatory requirements that are risk-based and fit-for-purpose.

    Our third lesson is the importance of collaboration. Innovation thrives when we come together – cross-sector and cross-border partnerships let us tap into network effects and our collective knowledge, while playing to our individual strengths.

    Numerous collaborations are underway between the HKMA, various jurisdictions, and fintech players from both local and global markets. These partnerships, big and small, have proved to be essential building blocks that support further progress.

    I’ve talked about the three lessons we’ve learned so far: focus on real-world problems, be bold and be collaborative. These lessons are steering us into the next phase of our fintech journey.

    “What’s on the horizon for fintech?”

    So what’s this next phase? While we have yet to chart out our Fintech 2030 Strategy, I can think of two areas that the HKMA should focus on in the next few years. 

    Our first area of focus is tokenisation, including the novel idea of “Finternet” coined by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). Let me first make clear that tokenisation is not the same as crypto-assets.  There has been some confusion because they both ride on blockchain technology, but don’t mix them up.  Crypto-assets are mostly speculative and our stance is to let the market grow and develop while putting guardrails around it to protect investors.  Tokenisation, on the other hand, is an innovative way to record the value and ownership of money and assets in digital form on a programmable ledger.  This will make it much easier for individuals, corporates, and financial institutions to access and trade these assets, thereby creating a more inclusive ecosystem that benefits everyone, whoever and wherever they are.

    We believe that tokenisation has the potential to create hyper-connectivity among users, data, and services that is essential to drive economic progress. This calls for a visionary shift to align with the constant advances in technology.

    The BIS has also recently introduced the “Finternet” concept. This envisions an internet-like network of interoperable financial ecosystems that places individuals and businesses at the heart of financial interactions.    

    Many of the ideas and concepts from the “Finternet” resonate closely with the HKMA’s tokenisation project. We envision a future where tokenisation integrates seamlessly with financial and real-world assets, enabling operations and transactions otherwise impossible with today’s technology.  Now you might be wondering, how can something as virtual as tokenisation connect with tangible assets?

    Let’s look at trade finance. Imagine you’re an SME importing goods from overseas.  Traditionally, you’d face a mountain of paper documents, like bills of lading and invoices.  With tokenised electronic bills of lading, you can now transfer these digital assets to a financial institution in exchange for funding. 

    Unlike a mere PDF copy of a bill of lading, this approach allows you to track real-time shipment status on the blockchain, eliminates paper, reduces the need for verification, and lowers fraud risks. We are actively exploring this through the Ensemble Sandbox to resolve frictions in trade finance.

    Tokenisation also ties in with green and sustainable finance, as it may open up new business models and opportunities for businesses and investors. For example, tokenised carbon credits traded on blockchain offer better transparency and credibility in carbon data, helping us tackle the issue of double counting that bedevils carbon trading today. 

    Another example can be found in the infrastructure for the electric vehicle (EV) industry. By leveraging real-time data from EV charging stations, we can turn the energy generated into a tokenised revenue stream for institutional investors.  We are looking closely at this model, as it has the potential to be replicated in various settings, mobilising funds to support the transition to a low-carbon economy.

    Our second area of focus is Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and data, which will help build a smarter and data-driven financial future for everyone. I would like to expand on those two keywords “Smarter” and “Data-driven”.  When I say “Smarter”, I’m talking about the need to promote digitalisation in the banking industry, while ensuring we have the right safeguards in place. 

    In recent years, the banking industry has been leveraging A.I. to promote efficiency, analyse data, and enhance customer experience. The HKMA stance is clear: we are committed to encouraging responsible A.I. adoption.  Back in 2019, we already outlined the high-level principles on the use of A.I. by banks, and this policy guidance remains relevant today.

    Then we see the explosive uptake of Generative A.I. (GenA.I.) in the past two years. GenA.I. has the potential to transform how financial institutions operate, innovate, and engage with their customers.  As we stand at the dawn of this revolution, the HKMA recognises the opportunity to provide more targeted support to accelerate GenA.I. development, by collaborating with the best minds from various sectors.  To achieve this, we have launched various cross-sectoral initiatives, including the FiNETech series, research projects, and training sessions, all aimed at expediting digital transformation.

    Financial institutions are actively exploring the vast potential of GenA.I., from risk assessment to anti-fraud measures and customer interactions. In August this year, we launched the GenA.I.  Sandbox in collaboration with Cyberport to unlock the full potential of tailored GenA.I.  applications catering to the unique needs of Hong Kong’s financial market.  This innovative platform allows banks to pilot GenA.I.  use cases in a risk-managed environment, complete with technical support and targeted supervisory feedback.

    As we move forward, the HKMA will take an interactive and iterative approach, carefully evaluating the results of the Sandbox trials and sharing best practices. We will also provide additional supervisory guidance as necessary to ensure that the adoption of GenA.I. promotes responsible innovation, while maintaining the integrity of the banking sector.

    So, what about “Data-driven”? The aim here is to harness the power of data to reinforce Hong Kong’s leading position as a smart digital economy, both locally and globally.  To do that, open data flow is key.  Domestically, our two initiatives – Commercial Data Interchange and Interbank Account Data Sharing – will continue to integrate data networks which used to run in isolated silos.  This will help simplify KYC and credit risk assessments, thereby helping SMEs secure bank financing more easily, faster, and hopefully more cheaply.

    Meanwhile, we are working closely with the Mainland to facilitate cross-boundary data sharing, first by expediting the pilot for cross-boundary credit referencing with Mainland credit reference platforms.  This will allow SMEs with cross-boundary operations to use this full set of credit data to enhance their access to bank financing.  Internationally, we are collaborating with the BIS Innovation Hub on Project Aperta, which aims to connect domestic open finance infrastructures across jurisdictions, to enable secure and consumer-consented sharing of financial data.   Seamless cross-border data portability will allow consumers to open overseas accounts much faster, and speed up international trade at reduced cost.

    Closing

    What the future may hold for us is uncertain, but we are committed to charting the next phase of financial innovation with continuing efforts in the two areas I just talked about: tokenisation and AI.

    Ultimately, we envision a borderless fintech ecosystem where innovation will drive business development.  To realise this vision, we must dream big and push the boundaries of what is possible.   Let’s all embrace the spirit of innovation and collaboration as we move forward together. 

    If we liken our Fintech journey to an orchestra playing a symphony, we are about to begin the next movement of our fintech symphony.  We don’t know whether it will be “allegro”, or “adagio”.  What we know is that the stage is already set, the instruments are tuned, and the world is waiting.  Hong Kong’s commitment to shaping a vibrant and dynamic financial future has never been stronger.

    Thank you and I hope you gain inspiration from the coming week.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Klaas Knot: Partly cloudy skies in the euro area, with a silver lining

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Good morning everyone,

    It is my pleasure to present the euro area perspective in this panel session on the Global Economic Outlook. The latest PMI releases point to steady global growth.  Weakness in manufacturing is compensated by strong growth in the service sector.

    However, as you can see in the left hand chart, the economic situation in the euro area is less favorable than the global average. The current mood is a bit like October weather in Amsterdam. Not as bad as some people would have you believe, but definitely not great either.

    Economic growth in the euro area has been sluggish for two years now. As shown in the right hand chart, especially domestic demand has been weak. Initially, this could be explained by falling real wages. Over the past two years, however, wages have largely been catching up with prices. The short-term outlook is pointing to slow growth while economic sentiment remains subdued and the household savings rate is still higher than before the pandemic. Looking further ahead though, we do expect the economy to strengthen. Rising real incomes will allow households to consume more and the gradually fading effects of restrictive monetary policy will support consumption and investment.

    Zooming in on the various member states, confidence is not low everywhere. Economic sentiment is significantly above the long-term average in for instance Spain, Portugal and Greece. The mood is especially good in the service sector, benefiting from the reallocation of consumption from goods to services after the pandemic. This growth boost is particularly visible in tourism and hospitality. But also other sectors of the economy perform relatively well in these countries.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Klaas Knot: Want a strong financial system? Implement Basel III

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Thank you Ralph, and thank you for the invitation to speak here before this distinguished audience.

    You are all leaders of big organisations. So you are familiar with the question of strategic change: how do you navigate your bank through the waves of financial market sentiment, changing consumer preferences and technological innovation? A sound strategy starts with a lot of thinking, for sure. Strategic thinking. Board room discussions. A couple of consultants perhaps.

    Finally there is a strategy. A Strategy with a capital S. You know where you want to go and how. But now you enter a crucial phase: implementation. How do you get all corners of your bank from A to B? Because all the strategic thinking in the world will come to nothing if your bank does not follow suit. Implementation is key.

    So how would you feel if, after 13 years, your plans are still stuck in the implementation phase? I ask because that’s the situation we are in with Basel III. When I became governor back in 2011, we were discussing the implementation of Basel III. And now, towards the end of my second term, we are still discussing the implementation of Basel III.

    By now, some of you might think: ‘ok, so this morning we got war for breakfast, and now for lunch we get a central banker who wants to talk about the rules. What’s next? We’ve heard this scratchy old broken record dozens of times before!’ But, as you know, these are often the best records.

    So let me take a step back here. Where are we coming from? In 2010, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision introduced the first set of Basel III standards. A set of international rules designed to fortify the global banking system after the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. These reforms were not just a patch-up job. They were a complete overhaul of banking regulation to improve bank resilience, transparency, and risk management. Basel III focused on increasing capital adequacy, introducing the leverage ratio, and creating more stringent liquidity requirements. With the memory of the crisis still fresh, national implementation of this first part of Basel III went relatively quickly.

    This first set of standards was then complemented in 2017 by the final Basel III standards. They focused on enhancing the risk-weighting framework, introducing more robust capital floors, and limiting the variation in banks’ internal risk models. These standards, by now famously known as the Basel endgame, have not yet been implemented by jurisdictions around the world. The EU, in its implementation, deviated on important points, making banking regulation weaker than agreed in the new standards. In the US and the UK, initial legislation proposals have also been weakened, with some elements not fully aligned with the Basel III agreement. Legislators also point at each other when making these adjustments. US banks spent tens of millions of dollars on a lobbying campaign that included ads in the middle of American football games. I don’t think it’s ethical to interrupt football games for any kind of message, let alone on Basel III.

    But on a serious note: our failure to implement fully what had already been agreed upon back in 2017 should be worrying. Not only to me, as a regulator, but also to you, as bankers. To explain why, let me give you my version of a pro-Basel lobbying commercial.

    Implementation of Basel III will increase the credibility of capital ratios and strengthen the banking sector. Think of it as a safety net, your safety net. It will ensure that when the next economic shock comes-and it will come-you will be better prepared to withstand it. The capital buffers required by Basel III are not a burden; they are a shield, allowing you to absorb losses while maintaining operations, protecting your customers and preserving your reputation in times of stress.

    Many in the banking sector view regulation as a constraint, something that limits profitability and imposes undue costs. But it’s just the other way around. Basel III is not an obstacle to growth, it is an enabler of sustainable, long-term growth. Banks with strong capital positions and sound liquidity management are better positioned to extend and rollover credit, invest in new technologies and fund large-scale projects. They are better able to maintain lending during an economic downturn. And stronger banks can secure more favourable funding conditions, attract long-term customers and build partnerships that increase shareholder value.

    Basel III works best when it works everywhere. When Basel III is implemented unevenly across jurisdictions, it creates a patchwork of regulations that opens the door to regulatory arbitrage. Banks may be tempted to shift operations to regions with looser standards. Consistency across borders is not just in regulators’ interests-it’s in yours as well. An uneven playing field undermines confidence in the global banking system, disrupts competition, and ultimately increases systemic risk. It puts banks at risk of operating in jurisdictions where regulatory frameworks are not equipped to deal with crises, leaving you exposed when things go wrong.

    By contrast, global implementation of Basel III creates a level playing field, ensuring that all banks-no matter where they operate-adhere to the same high standards. This uniformity strengthens global financial stability and, in turn, enhances the confidence of your shareholders, customers, and counterparties.

    The opposition to Basel III reflects a kind of short-term thinking, that, frankly, I find hard to understand. Weakening of Basel III may give you a few basis points in capital relief, but it exposes you to long-term vulnerabilities. As the memory of the global financial crisis fades, we risk entering a race to the bottom. A race that would be very dangerous for financial stability. Or, as Daniel Davis said in his much-quoted Financial Times article, ‘while the road to hell is paved with good intentions, the road to the next banking crisis is paved with good exemptions.’

    So in short, it is essential to implement the Basel III standards in all jurisdictions. Not least because, as you know, financial markets are not waiting for us to learn the lessons of 13 years ago. New risks are always emerging, as the events in March last year showed. The demise of Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse not only brought lessons for banks and supervisors. They also highlighted that we may need some targeted changes in banking regulation beyond Basel III. I want to mention three areas here: liquidity, interest risk and AT1 instruments.

    First on liquidity. Partly as a result of social media and digitalisation, the outflow of deposits at SVB was much faster than in previous cases, and much faster than LCR calculations take into account. This raises the question of whether the LCR should be calibrated differently for certain types of deposits. The aim would be to increase banks’ resilience and provide incentives to attract longer and more diversified funding.

    Another avenue which should be explored in the light of the SVB case is whether unrealised losses should be better reflected in the capitalisation of banks. Here I’m referring to the difference between market and book value for bonds which are held to maturity. And we should look at how to address the issue that, in times of stress, banks may be hesitant to use instruments in the liquidity buffer that are not marked to market daily for accounting purposes.

    The turmoil last year also showed how important it is that banks are operationally prepared for liquidity stress. Banks need credible and tested contingency funding plans and they must be operationally ready to access central bank liquidity facilities in times of stress. While this may be more of an issue in the US, we should also look at how this can be improved in the EU. 

    Then interest rate risk. When banks fail to cover this risk sufficiently, changes in market interest rates can lead to substantial losses and, in extreme cases, even to bank failure. The recent developments at regional banks in the US offer a vivid illustration of this.

    The events last year underline the importance of regulation for interest rate risk management and the need for prudent assumptions about customer behaviour. Capital is also necessary to absorb the uncertainty of customer behaviour. In order to promote global harmonisation, we should explore the inclusion of interest rate risk in the Pillar 1 requirements. 

    And last but not least, we need to think about AT1. Rather than acting to stabilise a bank as a going concern in stress, international experience has shown that AT1 absorbs losses only at a very late stage of a bank failure. We saw this in the case of Credit Suisse in 2023, with the Swiss National Bank noting that ‘the AT1 features designed for early loss absorption in a going concern were not effective’. In this instance, AT1 only absorbed losses when the point of non-viability was imminent and failed to stabilise the entity at an earlier stage of stress. This should encourage regulators to reflect on the role and functioning of AT1 instruments in determining the capital position of banks.

    These are all important things that we have to look into. But first and foremost we have to implement Basel III. And while I know this is primarily a message to regulators and lawmakers, it is also a message to you. Because what a strong signal it would be if you as a group would say: don’t water down Basel III. Don’t give us weak rules, give us strong rules. Strong rules that apply to all banks wherever they are and whatever their size. It would not only be a strong signal to us, regulators and lawmakers, it would also be the rational thing to do. Because strong rules are in your interest. Because a strong financial system based on a level playing field is in your interest. Because regulation is not a constraint on the financial industry, it is a license to operate.

    MIL OSI Economics