Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Beijing’s ‘plausible deniability’ on arms supply is quickly becoming implausible – and could soon extend to Iran

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Linggong Kong, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science, Auburn University

    Could longtime allies have a closer relationship than meets the eye? Thomas Peter/Pool Photo via AP

    China has long maintained that it does not supply arms to any party at war – a central tenet of its “noninterference” foreign policy. But in recent years, Beijing has repeatedly faced accusations of doing the opposite: providing direct military assistance to nations engaged in conflict, while publicly denying doing so and even adopting a position of diplomatic neutrality.

    That has seemingly been the case for two of China’s closest allies: Russia in its war against Ukraine and Pakistan during its recent armed standoff with India in May.

    Now, Beijing is facing scrutiny over alleged military links to Iran – a country engaged in a long-running shadow conflict with Israel that recently tipped into a short-lived hot war.

    After the ceasefire that followed the 12-day war in the Middle East, China reportedly supplied batteries for surface-to-air missiles to Iran in exchange for oil. Such parts are a critical military need for Tehran after its air defense network was severely damaged by Israeli missiles.

    The Chinese Embassy in Israel denied the reports, stating that China firmly opposes the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and does not export arms to countries at war. But China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to issue an official statement on the alleged transfer.

    As an expert specializing in China’s grand strategy, I think it is highly possible that China would offer Iran military support while denying it publicly. Such plausible deniability would allow Beijing to assert military influence and showcase some of its hardware, while deflecting international criticism and preserving diplomatic flexibility.

    But the tactic works only so far. As indirect evidence accumulates, as many suggest it is, such covert action may gradually develop into an open secret – leading to what scholars term “implausible deniability,” where denial is no longer credible even if it is still officially maintained.

    An air-to-air missile on display at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in November 2024.
    Shen Ling/VCG via Getty Images

    China’s support for Russia’s war

    Although Beijing has consistently said it is neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war that broke out in 2022, China has, in practice, quietly supported Russia. In part, that is because China shares the same strategic goal of challenging the Western-led international order.

    Recently, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly told European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas that Beijing cannot afford to see Russia lose the war in Ukraine. He was said to have warned that a Russian defeat would likely bring the full force of U.S. strategic pressure to bear on China.

    From Beijing’s perspective, Moscow plays a vital role in keeping the West preoccupied, offering China valuable strategic breathing room by diverting American attention and resources away from the Asia-Pacific region.

    Beyond deepening trade relations that have become a lifeline for Moscow’s economy under Western sanctions, China has reportedly supplied Russia with large quantities of dual-use goods – goods that can be used for civilian and military purposes – to enhance both Moscow’s offensive and defensive capabilities, as well as to boost China’s military-industrial production. Beijing has also allegedly provided satellite imagery to assist Russia on the battlefield.

    While the U.S. and Europe have repeatedly tried to call out China for aiding Russia militarily, Beijing has consistently denied such claims.

    Most recently, on April 18, 2025, Ukraine formally accused China of directly supporting Russia and slapped sanctions on three Chinese-based firms that Kyiv said was involved in weapons production for the Russian war effort.

    In what has become a common refrain, China’s Foreign Ministry rejected the Ukrainian accusation, reaffirming that China has never provided lethal weapons to any party in the conflict and reiterating its official stance of promoting a ceasefire and peace negotiations.

    A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson gestures for questions during a daily briefing in Beijing in 2020.
    AP Photo/Ng Han Guan

    China’s quiet backing of Pakistan

    Beijing has long presented itself as a neutral party in the India-Pakistan conflict, too, and has called for restraint on both sides and urged peaceful dialogue.

    But in practice, China is allied with Pakistan. And the direct military support it has provided to Lahore appears driven by China’s desire to curb India’s regional influence, counterbalance the growing U.S.–India strategic partnership and protect the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor, a massive bilateral infrastructure project.

    In the latest flare-up between India and Pakistan in May, Pakistan deployed Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets in combat for the first time, reportedly downing five Indian aircraft.

    Pakistan’s air defense relied heavily on Chinese equipment during the short conflict, deploying Chinese-made surface-to-air missile systems, air-to-air missiles, advanced radar systems and drones for reconnaissance and strike operations. Overall, more than 80% of Pakistan’s military imports have come from China in the past five years.

    In what would be a far more stark example of military support if proven true, the deputy chief of India’s army alleged that China had provided Pakistan with real-time intelligence on Indian troop movements during the conflict.

    When asked to respond, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they had no knowledge of the matter. They reaffirmed that China’s ties with Pakistan are not directed against any third party and reiterated Beijing’s long-standing position in favor of a peaceful resolution to any India–Pakistan dispute.

    Extending ‘deniability’ to Iran?

    Like with Russia and Pakistan, Iran has increasingly been seen as a partner to China.

    In 2021, China and Iran signed a 25-year, US$400 billion comprehensive cooperation agreement that covered trade, energy and security, signaling the depth of their strategic relationship.

    The accord was indicative of the strategic value Beijing places on Iran. From Beijing’s perspective, Tehran presents a counterbalance to the influence of the U.S. and its allies – especially Israel and Saudi Arabia – in the region and helps divert Western resources and attention away from China.

    But recently, Tehran’s position in the region has become far weaker. Not only has its air defense infrastructure suffered badly in the confrontations with Israel, but its regional proxies and allies – Hamas, Hezbollah and the Assad regime in Syria – have either been devastated by Israel or collapsed altogether.

    Smoke rises over Tehran, Iran, following an Israeli strike on June 23, 2025.
    Nikan/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

    Under these circumstances, it is strategically compelling for Beijing to provide support to Tehran in order to maintain regime stability.

    Indeed, Beijing has frequently circumvented sanctions on Iranian energy, with an estimated 90% of Iran’s oil exports still going to China.

    Although Beijing did not extend any substantive support to Iran during the 12-day war, reports have abounded since that Iran is looking to China as an alternative supplier of its defense needs. The thinking here is that Russia, Tehran’s traditional military partner, is no longer able to provide sufficient, quality defense equipment to Iran. Some influential social media posters in China have gone as far as advocating for direct military sales by Beijing.

    If China does do this, I believe it is likely to follow the same playbook it has used elsewhere by denying involvement publicly while covertly providing assistance.

    Doing so allows China to maintain diplomatic ties with Iran’s regional rivals, such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, while simultaneously benefiting from a turbulent Middle East that distracts Washington and grants Beijing strategic breathing room.

    China’s use of plausible deniability reflects a broader strategic ambition. Namely, it wants to assert influence in key regional conflicts without triggering open backlash. By quietly supporting partners while maintaining a facade of neutrality, Beijing aims to undermine Western dominance, stretch U.S. strategic focus and secure its own interests – and all while avoiding the risks and responsibilities of open military alignment.

    Linggong Kong 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. Beijing’s ‘plausible deniability’ on arms supply is quickly becoming implausible – and could soon extend to Iran – https://theconversation.com/beijings-plausible-deniability-on-arms-supply-is-quickly-becoming-implausible-and-could-soon-extend-to-iran-261148

    MIL OSI Analysis

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi receives credentials of new ambassadors to China 2025-07-25 17:01:28 Chinese President Xi Jinping received the credentials of 16 new ambassadors to China in Beijing on Friday.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

    Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech after receiving the credentials of 16 new ambassadors to China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

    BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping received the credentials of 16 new ambassadors to China in Beijing on Friday.

    The ambassadors are:

    — Pham Thanh Binh from Vietnam

    — Miguel Lecaro Barcenas from Panama

    — Jose Julio Gomez Beato from Dominica

    — Riza Poda from Albania

    — Jonathan Edward Austin from New Zealand

    — Thaddeus Kambanei from Papua New Guinea

    — Dalva M. C. R. Allen from Angola

    — Khaled Nazmy from Egypt

    — Ramiro Jose Cruz Flores from Nicaragua

    — Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli from Iran

    — Pablo Arriaran from Chile

    — Olexander Nechytaylo from Ukraine

    — Franck E. W. Adjagba from Benin

    — David Alfred Perdue Jr from the United States

    — Eliav Belotsercovsky from Israel

    — Morris Simon Batali from South Sudan

    Xi also received Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Nurlan Yermekbayev.

    Welcoming the envoys to their new posts, Xi asked them to convey his best wishes to the leaders and the people of their respective countries, expressing hope that envoys will gain a full and in-depth understanding of China.

    China cherishes its friendship with people across the globe, and stands ready to strengthen all-around cooperation and exchanges with other countries on the basis of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, Xi said.

    Xi pointed out that, at present, China is advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernization, while its economy maintains a steadily improving momentum.

    Amid accelerating global changes and a turbulent international landscape, there is a pressing need more than ever for countries around the world to enhance solidarity and cooperation, embrace a broad vision to rise above estrangement and conflict, and bear in mind the future of all humanity, Xi noted.

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, Xi noted.

    Xi said China stands ready to work with all countries to firmly safeguard the international system with the UN at its core and the international order underpinned by international law.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech after receiving the credentials of 16 new ambassadors to China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI: HTX Hot Listings Weekly Recap (July 15 – 21): Ethereum Leads the Rally as Market Trends Ignite Wealth Effect

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HTX Hot Listings Weekly Recap

    PANAMA CITY, July 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HTX, a leading global crypto exchange, recorded robust performance from its newly listed and featured assets during the third week of July. The period was characterized by an intensified rotation of trending narratives across the crypto market, with capital increasingly shifting from established mainstream assets to promising emerging tokens and high-potential sectors.

    Ethereum ($ETH) once again stood out as the “hottest mainstream asset”, gaining an impressive 23% and reinforcing its appeal as a core market anchor. This consistent performance positions ETH as a primary allocation target for capital seeking both safety and stable growth. The escalating ETH 2.0 staking yields, the flourishing Layer 2 ecosystem, and sustained institutional accumulation continue to solidify ETH’s status as a core asset for substantial investments.

    Crucially, HTX’s strategic selection of key new listings proved highly effective, with several tokens across categories such as Meme, NFT, DeFi, Social, and Infrastructure more than doubling in value within a single week. Below is a highlight of the week’s top performers:

    Emerging Assets Fuel Gains, Boosting the Wealth Effect

    • Ani Grok Companion ($ANI): Crowned the week’s top gainer with a staggering 137% increase in just seven days. This AI+Meme project blends the “gooning” meme with xAI and Elon Musk’s Grok image, combining AI trends with community-driven content creation. Driven by organic community buzz, innovative gameplay, and short-term trading opportunities, ANI was one of the platform’s fastest-growing tokens by trading volume.
    • Elixir ($ELX): Signaled a strong resurgence of DeFi narratives, posting an impressive 115% weekly gain. Elixir is a blockchain project dedicated to advancing DeFi and liquidity solutions. With a TVL exceeding $300 million, Elixir has also introduced deUSD, a synthetic USD stablecoin that maintains stability via a “Delta Neutral Strategy” and generates returns through funding rates.
    • Decentralized Information Asset ($DIA): This on-chain infrastructure token also saw a 115% gain over the week. $DIA is a decentralized oracle platform that delivers reliable data feeds for DeFi and other blockchain applications. Its primary function is to provide on-chain and off-chain market data, price feeds, and oracle services. DIA’s positive price momentum was supported by increased Web3 development activity and rising expectations of application-layer adoption.
    • Pudgy Penguins ($PENGU): Following last week’s surge in NFT concept assets, PENGU maintained robust performance this week with a 111% gain. The Pudgy Penguins NFT collection features 8,888 unique penguin avatars known for their strong IP attributes and deeply engaged community. PENGU’s rise reflects renewed enthusiasm and potential in the NFT sector during the current cycle.

    Infrastructure and Public Chain Sectors Rotate Actively with Layer 1 Market Heating Up

    A notable structural rotation took place this week in the Layer 1 sector, with several key tokens experiencing sharp upward moves.

    • Conflux ($CFX): Rose 104% over the week. Conflux operates as a public Layer 1 blockchain, designed to power dApps, e-commerce, and Web 3.0 infrastructure by offering superior scalability, decentralization, and security compared to existing protocols. $CFX performed exceptionally well, driven by increased on-chain activity in Asia and the rollout of ecosystem support programs.
    • Tezos ($XTZ): Gained 62% this week. As a veteran Layer1 project, Tezos identified governance deficiencies in blockchain networks as early as 2014 and pioneered on-chain governance solutions. Tezos empowers token holders to determine the network’s upgrade roadmap and priorities, effectively resolving disputes and bypassing the need for disruptive network hard forks. Recent upgrades have further propelled its ecosystem expansion, and it has also garnered pilot adoption by several institutional entities.
    • Litecoin ($LTC): Increased 22% weekly. Litecoin’s adoption as a payment method has grown over the years, widely accepted by various merchants and organizations, including the American Red Cross, Newegg, and Twitch. Beyond its consistent price stability, its growing integration with traditional financial concepts has attracted considerable market attention. Recently, LTC was designated as one of the initial assets linked to a “crypto stock fund” launched by a major U.S. brokerage, endowing it with new “crypto ETF-like” attributes.

    HTX Hot Token Listing Winners

    About HTX

    Founded in 2013, HTX has evolved from a virtual asset exchange into a comprehensive ecosystem of blockchain businesses that span digital asset trading, financial derivatives, research, investments, incubation, and other businesses.

    As a world-leading gateway to Web3, HTX harbors global capabilities that enable it to provide users with safe and reliable services. Adhering to the growth strategy of “Global Expansion, Thriving Ecosystem, Wealth Effect, Security & Compliance,” HTX is dedicated to providing quality services and values to virtual asset enthusiasts worldwide.

    To learn more about HTX, please visit https://www.htx.com/ or HTX Square , and follow HTX on X, Telegram, and Discord. For further inquiries, please contact glo-media@htx-inc.com.

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by HTX. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bffad256-800a-488c-afb6-f8158fc13554

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5696437e-b9f3-4a34-907f-0e05c36de15e

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: HTX Hot Listings Weekly Recap (July 15 – 21): Ethereum Leads the Rally as Market Trends Ignite Wealth Effect

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HTX Hot Listings Weekly Recap

    PANAMA CITY, July 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HTX, a leading global crypto exchange, recorded robust performance from its newly listed and featured assets during the third week of July. The period was characterized by an intensified rotation of trending narratives across the crypto market, with capital increasingly shifting from established mainstream assets to promising emerging tokens and high-potential sectors.

    Ethereum ($ETH) once again stood out as the “hottest mainstream asset”, gaining an impressive 23% and reinforcing its appeal as a core market anchor. This consistent performance positions ETH as a primary allocation target for capital seeking both safety and stable growth. The escalating ETH 2.0 staking yields, the flourishing Layer 2 ecosystem, and sustained institutional accumulation continue to solidify ETH’s status as a core asset for substantial investments.

    Crucially, HTX’s strategic selection of key new listings proved highly effective, with several tokens across categories such as Meme, NFT, DeFi, Social, and Infrastructure more than doubling in value within a single week. Below is a highlight of the week’s top performers:

    Emerging Assets Fuel Gains, Boosting the Wealth Effect

    • Ani Grok Companion ($ANI): Crowned the week’s top gainer with a staggering 137% increase in just seven days. This AI+Meme project blends the “gooning” meme with xAI and Elon Musk’s Grok image, combining AI trends with community-driven content creation. Driven by organic community buzz, innovative gameplay, and short-term trading opportunities, ANI was one of the platform’s fastest-growing tokens by trading volume.
    • Elixir ($ELX): Signaled a strong resurgence of DeFi narratives, posting an impressive 115% weekly gain. Elixir is a blockchain project dedicated to advancing DeFi and liquidity solutions. With a TVL exceeding $300 million, Elixir has also introduced deUSD, a synthetic USD stablecoin that maintains stability via a “Delta Neutral Strategy” and generates returns through funding rates.
    • Decentralized Information Asset ($DIA): This on-chain infrastructure token also saw a 115% gain over the week. $DIA is a decentralized oracle platform that delivers reliable data feeds for DeFi and other blockchain applications. Its primary function is to provide on-chain and off-chain market data, price feeds, and oracle services. DIA’s positive price momentum was supported by increased Web3 development activity and rising expectations of application-layer adoption.
    • Pudgy Penguins ($PENGU): Following last week’s surge in NFT concept assets, PENGU maintained robust performance this week with a 111% gain. The Pudgy Penguins NFT collection features 8,888 unique penguin avatars known for their strong IP attributes and deeply engaged community. PENGU’s rise reflects renewed enthusiasm and potential in the NFT sector during the current cycle.

    Infrastructure and Public Chain Sectors Rotate Actively with Layer 1 Market Heating Up

    A notable structural rotation took place this week in the Layer 1 sector, with several key tokens experiencing sharp upward moves.

    • Conflux ($CFX): Rose 104% over the week. Conflux operates as a public Layer 1 blockchain, designed to power dApps, e-commerce, and Web 3.0 infrastructure by offering superior scalability, decentralization, and security compared to existing protocols. $CFX performed exceptionally well, driven by increased on-chain activity in Asia and the rollout of ecosystem support programs.
    • Tezos ($XTZ): Gained 62% this week. As a veteran Layer1 project, Tezos identified governance deficiencies in blockchain networks as early as 2014 and pioneered on-chain governance solutions. Tezos empowers token holders to determine the network’s upgrade roadmap and priorities, effectively resolving disputes and bypassing the need for disruptive network hard forks. Recent upgrades have further propelled its ecosystem expansion, and it has also garnered pilot adoption by several institutional entities.
    • Litecoin ($LTC): Increased 22% weekly. Litecoin’s adoption as a payment method has grown over the years, widely accepted by various merchants and organizations, including the American Red Cross, Newegg, and Twitch. Beyond its consistent price stability, its growing integration with traditional financial concepts has attracted considerable market attention. Recently, LTC was designated as one of the initial assets linked to a “crypto stock fund” launched by a major U.S. brokerage, endowing it with new “crypto ETF-like” attributes.

    HTX Hot Token Listing Winners

    About HTX

    Founded in 2013, HTX has evolved from a virtual asset exchange into a comprehensive ecosystem of blockchain businesses that span digital asset trading, financial derivatives, research, investments, incubation, and other businesses.

    As a world-leading gateway to Web3, HTX harbors global capabilities that enable it to provide users with safe and reliable services. Adhering to the growth strategy of “Global Expansion, Thriving Ecosystem, Wealth Effect, Security & Compliance,” HTX is dedicated to providing quality services and values to virtual asset enthusiasts worldwide.

    To learn more about HTX, please visit https://www.htx.com/ or HTX Square , and follow HTX on X, Telegram, and Discord. For further inquiries, please contact glo-media@htx-inc.com.

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by HTX. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bffad256-800a-488c-afb6-f8158fc13554

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5696437e-b9f3-4a34-907f-0e05c36de15e

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: No Credit Check Loans “Guaranteed Approval” Searches Surge: RadCred Launches Bad‑Credit Loan Soft‑Pull for Borrowers with Poor Credit Scores

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Glendale, California, July 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RadCred, an online loan marketplace (not a lender), today announced an expanded soft‑pull pre‑qualification flow for Americans aggressively searching no credit check loans guaranteed approval.” The upgraded experience connects applicants only to state‑ or tribal‑licensed direct lenders, shows APR, fees, total repayment, and estimated funding speed up front, and can enable same‑day loans when verification and bank cut‑offs permit. Final approval, APRs, loan amounts, and timing vary by lender, income, and state law.

    Google Trends indicates sustained growth in intent phrases including no credit check loans, online loans no credit check, payday loan online no credit check, 1 hour payday loans no credit check, and online payday loans for bad credit all signals that borrowers with poor or sub‑580 credit scores are seeking faster, softer‑impact paths to funding. RadCred’s marketplace reframes those risky search terms into licensed, transparent, soft‑pull comparisons that reduce confusion and help consumers avoid unlicensed or predatory operators.

    Why No Credit Check Loans” Searches are Spiking

    Rising living costs, volatile gig‑economy income, and tighter bank underwriting have squeezed household budgets. The Federal Reserve’s most recent Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED) again shows many adults would struggle to cover a $400 emergency without borrowing, selling assets, or leaning on credit cards. In that gap, searches for payday loans online, online loans for bad credit, payday loans online same day, same‑day payday loans, $255 payday loans online same day, and small payday loans online no credit check continue to climb.

    Unfortunately, many of the pages ranking for those phrases over‑promise with “instant” or “guaranteed” language that licensed lenders simply cannot make.

    Why $500 Loans Dominate Financial Searches in 2025

    In 2025, $500 loans sit at the sweet spot between urgent need and realistic repayment. Inflation has pushed routine surprises car repairs, utility reconnections, insurance deductibles, last‑minute travel squarely into the $300–$700 band, and many households still report they’d struggle to cover even a $400 bill without borrowing. Add gig‑economy income volatility, tighter bank underwriting, and thin or sub‑580 credit files, and it’s clear why consumers are typing queries like “no credit check loans,” “payday loans online same day,” and “$255 payday loans online same day.”

    A $500 principal is small enough to be approved quickly (often via a soft‑pull pre‑qualification) yet large enough to bridge the month without stacking multiple advances. Marketplaces like RadCred translate those high‑intent searches into licensed, transparent offers whether a short‑term payday advance or a multi‑payment installment plan so borrowers can compare APR, total repay, and funding speed before committing, rather than accepting opaque, rollover‑heavy terms at a storefront.

    What is No Credit Check Loans and What  does it really Means 

    In everyday advertising, “no credit check loans” (often phrased as “online loans no credit check” or “payday loans online no credit check guaranteed approval”) suggests you can borrow money without anyone looking at your credit  and that approval is automatic. In regulated lending, that’s not accurate.

    Here’s what it actually means when you see the term used responsibly:

    • Soft credit inquiry first. Legitimate marketplaces like RadCred let you pre‑qualify with a soft pull, so you can view potential rates and terms without an immediate impact on your FICO score.
    • Verification still happens. Before funding, licensed direct lenders typically run a hard inquiry, verify your identity, review income/bank deposits, and assess ability to repay.
    • No true “guaranteed approval.” At best, it indicates a high preliminary match rate for eligible applicants, not a universal yes.
    • State law controls what’s offered. Some states cap APRs or restrict payday‑style products; compliant platforms filter out unlicensed or prohibited offers automatically.

    How RadCred’s No Credit Check Loans Marketplace Works

    RadCred is an online loan marketplace not a lender. It turns that no credit check loans into a compliant, transparent process that starts with a soft credit inquiry (so viewing offers won’t immediately affect your score) and ends with licensed, clearly priced options from direct lenders only. Here’s the flow:

    1. Soft‑pull pre‑qualification
      You complete a short, mobile‑friendly form. RadCred runs a soft inquiry to let you preview rates, terms, and amounts (e.g., small emergency loans such as $255) without an immediate FICO impact.
    2. ZIP‑code licensing filter
      The platform automatically filters out unlicensed or prohibited products, showing only state‑ or tribal‑licensed lenders that can legally serve your location.
    3. Income‑first matching
      Lenders assess real cash flow (pay stubs, benefits, bank deposits) and alternative datahelpful for online loans for bad credit or thin credit files.
    4. Transparent offer cards
      Each matched offer discloses APR, fees, total repayment, term length, and estimated funding speed including same day funding when verification and bank cut‑offs allow.
    5. E‑sign, verify, and fund
      If you accept an offer, the lender may conduct a hard credit pull and request documents before issuing funds via ACH.
    6. Secure handling & compliance
      RadCred employs encryption and vetting standards, while lenders set all final approval, APR, amount, and timing in line with federal, state, or tribal law.

    Step‑by‑step Guide to Apply for Bad credit loans Instant Approval without Hurting Credit Score

    1. Check your credit reports for errors before applying—especially if you’re considering payday loans online, online loans for bad credit, or small payday loans online no credit check.
    2. Pre‑qualify on RadCred with a soft credit check (often marketed as online loans no credit check) to preview direct lenders only offers for same day loans, online payday loans for bad credit, or installment options without an immediate FICO impact.
    3. Compare APRs, fees, and total repay—not just the monthly payment across payday loans online same day, bad credit payday loan options, and multi‑payment installment plans.
    4. Upload verification documents (pay stubs, bank‑deposit screenshots) if you accept an offer most licensed lenders require this before funding, even when ads say “1 hour payday loans no credit check.”
    5. E‑sign all disclosures (Truth‑in‑Lending, state notices) so you fully understand costs, terms, and any state limits tied to no credit check loans search results.
    6. Receive funds—often the same day when verification clears early and bank cut‑offs permit; popular amounts include $255 payday loans online same day and other small online loans.
    7. Repay on schedule (many lenders allow early payoff with no penalty), which can help you avoid rollovers and, when reported, may support rebuilding credit after using payday loans or other emergency products.

    What U.S. Borrowers Are Really Using Quick Loans For in 2025 — RadCred Research

    RadCred’s 2025 research shows most quick‑loan requests are small, urgent stopgaps not long‑term financing.

    • Rent or mortgage gaps
    • Utility shut‑off notices
    • Car repairs to stay working
    • Medical/dental bills & prescriptions
    • Covering bank overdrafts/fees
    • Emergency travel for family needs
    • Childcare or school expenses
    • Insurance deductibles after accidents

    What U.S. Borrowers Want Before Applying for “No Credit Check” Loans—and How RadCred Solves It

    What people want

    • No hit to their credit score just to see offers (soft check first, not a hard pull)
    • Clear costs up front — APR, fees, total they’ll pay back, and due dates
    • Real speed — honest timelines for same‑day funding (no empty “instant” promises)
    • Licensed, legit lenders only (legal in their state)
    • Small, emergency amounts (often $255–$500) and longer installment options when needed
    • Easy, secure online process with strong data protection
    •  Straight talk on what “no credit check” and “guaranteed approval” really mean

    How RadCred solves it

    • Uses a soft credit check so you can compare offers without hurting your score
    • Shows only state‑ or tribal‑licensed direct lenders that can legally lend to you
    • Puts APR, fees, total repayment, term, and funding speed on every offer car
    • Matches based on income and bank deposits, helping people with bad credit or thin files
    • Can fund the same day when verification clears and bank cut‑offs allow
    • Protects your info with bank‑grade encryption and vetted partners
    • Explains that a hard pull may happen only if you accept an offer—no “guaranteed approval” hype
    •  Points to safer alternatives (credit‑union PALs, credit‑builder loans) when they make more sense

    How Does Instant No Credit Check Loans Process Works

    It starts with a quick, mobile‑first application. You enter basic details income source, active checking account, employment or benefits status, and contact info on the RadCred marketplace. Instead of triggering a hard inquiry, RadCred begins with a no credit check loan, which is what most people mean when they search “no credit check loans” or “payday loans online same day.”

    After you submit, RadCred’s engine instantly routes your request only to state‑ or tribal‑licensed direct lenders that operate legally in your ZIP code. Within minutes, you may see multiple online loans for bad credit offers including small payday loans online no credit check amounts such as $255 payday loans online same day presented side by side with APR, fees, total repay, term length, and estimated funding speed.

    If you choose an offer, you finish directly with the lender. At that point, the lender may run a hard inquiry and request verification documents (pay stubs, bank‑deposit screenshots, ID). Approved loans can fund the same day (or next business day) via ACH, depending on verification speed and bank cut‑offs often as fast as ads promising “1 hour payday loans no credit check.”

    Crucially, RadCred is not a lender; it’s a compliant connector that converts risky search terms into transparent, licensed choices. Approval, APR, loan amount, and timing always vary by lender, income, and state law so you can compare first, then decide what’s affordable.

    FAQ

    Will applying through RadCred hurt my credit?
    Pre‑qualification uses a soft credit inquiry, which does not affect your score. A hard pull may follow if you accept and finalize an offer.

    How fast can I receive funds?
    Some lenders can fund the same day once verification clears and bank cut‑offs allow; later submissions often fund next business day.

    Are “no credit check loans” legal in every state?
    No. Some states cap APRs, restrict payday‑style products, or prohibit them. RadCred’s licensing filter hides offers not permitted in your ZIP code.

    What APRs should I expect with a sub‑580 score?
    APRs vary widely by state, lender, and risk. Sub‑prime loans typically carry higher rates compare total repay before committing.

    Can on‑time payments help my credit?
    Potentially. Some lenders report repayment to credit bureaus, which can help improve a thin or damaged file when payments are made on time.

    Conclusion

    As searches for “no credit check loans guaranteed approval” surge, RadCred offers a compliant alternative: soft‑pull pre‑qualification, licensed direct lenders only, transparent APR and fee disclosures, and same day payday loan funding potential all designed to give borrowers with poor credit scores (580 or below) a clearer, safer way to access emergency cash.

    About RadCred

    RadCred is an online loan marketplace for no credit check guaranteed approval , not a lender. The platform connects U.S. consumers to a vetted network of state‑licensed and tribal direct lenders offering payday, installment, and emergency personal loans typically from $255 to $5,000. RadCred emphasizes income‑first underwriting, soft‑pull access, encrypted processing, and clear cost disclosures to expand responsible access to small‑dollar credit for underserved borrowers.

    Disclaimer

    RadCred is not a lender and does not make credit decisions. Loan approval, APR, fees, loan amounts, and funding speed are determined solely by participating lenders and governed by applicable federal, state, or tribal law. Offers begin with a soft inquiry; a hard credit pull may occur before funding. Not all applicants will qualify. Borrow responsibly—only what you can comfortably repay.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: No Credit Check Loans “Guaranteed Approval” Searches Surge: RadCred Launches Bad‑Credit Loan Soft‑Pull for Borrowers with Poor Credit Scores

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Glendale, California, July 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RadCred, an online loan marketplace (not a lender), today announced an expanded soft‑pull pre‑qualification flow for Americans aggressively searching no credit check loans guaranteed approval.” The upgraded experience connects applicants only to state‑ or tribal‑licensed direct lenders, shows APR, fees, total repayment, and estimated funding speed up front, and can enable same‑day loans when verification and bank cut‑offs permit. Final approval, APRs, loan amounts, and timing vary by lender, income, and state law.

    Google Trends indicates sustained growth in intent phrases including no credit check loans, online loans no credit check, payday loan online no credit check, 1 hour payday loans no credit check, and online payday loans for bad credit all signals that borrowers with poor or sub‑580 credit scores are seeking faster, softer‑impact paths to funding. RadCred’s marketplace reframes those risky search terms into licensed, transparent, soft‑pull comparisons that reduce confusion and help consumers avoid unlicensed or predatory operators.

    Why No Credit Check Loans” Searches are Spiking

    Rising living costs, volatile gig‑economy income, and tighter bank underwriting have squeezed household budgets. The Federal Reserve’s most recent Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED) again shows many adults would struggle to cover a $400 emergency without borrowing, selling assets, or leaning on credit cards. In that gap, searches for payday loans online, online loans for bad credit, payday loans online same day, same‑day payday loans, $255 payday loans online same day, and small payday loans online no credit check continue to climb.

    Unfortunately, many of the pages ranking for those phrases over‑promise with “instant” or “guaranteed” language that licensed lenders simply cannot make.

    Why $500 Loans Dominate Financial Searches in 2025

    In 2025, $500 loans sit at the sweet spot between urgent need and realistic repayment. Inflation has pushed routine surprises car repairs, utility reconnections, insurance deductibles, last‑minute travel squarely into the $300–$700 band, and many households still report they’d struggle to cover even a $400 bill without borrowing. Add gig‑economy income volatility, tighter bank underwriting, and thin or sub‑580 credit files, and it’s clear why consumers are typing queries like “no credit check loans,” “payday loans online same day,” and “$255 payday loans online same day.”

    A $500 principal is small enough to be approved quickly (often via a soft‑pull pre‑qualification) yet large enough to bridge the month without stacking multiple advances. Marketplaces like RadCred translate those high‑intent searches into licensed, transparent offers whether a short‑term payday advance or a multi‑payment installment plan so borrowers can compare APR, total repay, and funding speed before committing, rather than accepting opaque, rollover‑heavy terms at a storefront.

    What is No Credit Check Loans and What  does it really Means 

    In everyday advertising, “no credit check loans” (often phrased as “online loans no credit check” or “payday loans online no credit check guaranteed approval”) suggests you can borrow money without anyone looking at your credit  and that approval is automatic. In regulated lending, that’s not accurate.

    Here’s what it actually means when you see the term used responsibly:

    • Soft credit inquiry first. Legitimate marketplaces like RadCred let you pre‑qualify with a soft pull, so you can view potential rates and terms without an immediate impact on your FICO score.
    • Verification still happens. Before funding, licensed direct lenders typically run a hard inquiry, verify your identity, review income/bank deposits, and assess ability to repay.
    • No true “guaranteed approval.” At best, it indicates a high preliminary match rate for eligible applicants, not a universal yes.
    • State law controls what’s offered. Some states cap APRs or restrict payday‑style products; compliant platforms filter out unlicensed or prohibited offers automatically.

    How RadCred’s No Credit Check Loans Marketplace Works

    RadCred is an online loan marketplace not a lender. It turns that no credit check loans into a compliant, transparent process that starts with a soft credit inquiry (so viewing offers won’t immediately affect your score) and ends with licensed, clearly priced options from direct lenders only. Here’s the flow:

    1. Soft‑pull pre‑qualification
      You complete a short, mobile‑friendly form. RadCred runs a soft inquiry to let you preview rates, terms, and amounts (e.g., small emergency loans such as $255) without an immediate FICO impact.
    2. ZIP‑code licensing filter
      The platform automatically filters out unlicensed or prohibited products, showing only state‑ or tribal‑licensed lenders that can legally serve your location.
    3. Income‑first matching
      Lenders assess real cash flow (pay stubs, benefits, bank deposits) and alternative datahelpful for online loans for bad credit or thin credit files.
    4. Transparent offer cards
      Each matched offer discloses APR, fees, total repayment, term length, and estimated funding speed including same day funding when verification and bank cut‑offs allow.
    5. E‑sign, verify, and fund
      If you accept an offer, the lender may conduct a hard credit pull and request documents before issuing funds via ACH.
    6. Secure handling & compliance
      RadCred employs encryption and vetting standards, while lenders set all final approval, APR, amount, and timing in line with federal, state, or tribal law.

    Step‑by‑step Guide to Apply for Bad credit loans Instant Approval without Hurting Credit Score

    1. Check your credit reports for errors before applying—especially if you’re considering payday loans online, online loans for bad credit, or small payday loans online no credit check.
    2. Pre‑qualify on RadCred with a soft credit check (often marketed as online loans no credit check) to preview direct lenders only offers for same day loans, online payday loans for bad credit, or installment options without an immediate FICO impact.
    3. Compare APRs, fees, and total repay—not just the monthly payment across payday loans online same day, bad credit payday loan options, and multi‑payment installment plans.
    4. Upload verification documents (pay stubs, bank‑deposit screenshots) if you accept an offer most licensed lenders require this before funding, even when ads say “1 hour payday loans no credit check.”
    5. E‑sign all disclosures (Truth‑in‑Lending, state notices) so you fully understand costs, terms, and any state limits tied to no credit check loans search results.
    6. Receive funds—often the same day when verification clears early and bank cut‑offs permit; popular amounts include $255 payday loans online same day and other small online loans.
    7. Repay on schedule (many lenders allow early payoff with no penalty), which can help you avoid rollovers and, when reported, may support rebuilding credit after using payday loans or other emergency products.

    What U.S. Borrowers Are Really Using Quick Loans For in 2025 — RadCred Research

    RadCred’s 2025 research shows most quick‑loan requests are small, urgent stopgaps not long‑term financing.

    • Rent or mortgage gaps
    • Utility shut‑off notices
    • Car repairs to stay working
    • Medical/dental bills & prescriptions
    • Covering bank overdrafts/fees
    • Emergency travel for family needs
    • Childcare or school expenses
    • Insurance deductibles after accidents

    What U.S. Borrowers Want Before Applying for “No Credit Check” Loans—and How RadCred Solves It

    What people want

    • No hit to their credit score just to see offers (soft check first, not a hard pull)
    • Clear costs up front — APR, fees, total they’ll pay back, and due dates
    • Real speed — honest timelines for same‑day funding (no empty “instant” promises)
    • Licensed, legit lenders only (legal in their state)
    • Small, emergency amounts (often $255–$500) and longer installment options when needed
    • Easy, secure online process with strong data protection
    •  Straight talk on what “no credit check” and “guaranteed approval” really mean

    How RadCred solves it

    • Uses a soft credit check so you can compare offers without hurting your score
    • Shows only state‑ or tribal‑licensed direct lenders that can legally lend to you
    • Puts APR, fees, total repayment, term, and funding speed on every offer car
    • Matches based on income and bank deposits, helping people with bad credit or thin files
    • Can fund the same day when verification clears and bank cut‑offs allow
    • Protects your info with bank‑grade encryption and vetted partners
    • Explains that a hard pull may happen only if you accept an offer—no “guaranteed approval” hype
    •  Points to safer alternatives (credit‑union PALs, credit‑builder loans) when they make more sense

    How Does Instant No Credit Check Loans Process Works

    It starts with a quick, mobile‑first application. You enter basic details income source, active checking account, employment or benefits status, and contact info on the RadCred marketplace. Instead of triggering a hard inquiry, RadCred begins with a no credit check loan, which is what most people mean when they search “no credit check loans” or “payday loans online same day.”

    After you submit, RadCred’s engine instantly routes your request only to state‑ or tribal‑licensed direct lenders that operate legally in your ZIP code. Within minutes, you may see multiple online loans for bad credit offers including small payday loans online no credit check amounts such as $255 payday loans online same day presented side by side with APR, fees, total repay, term length, and estimated funding speed.

    If you choose an offer, you finish directly with the lender. At that point, the lender may run a hard inquiry and request verification documents (pay stubs, bank‑deposit screenshots, ID). Approved loans can fund the same day (or next business day) via ACH, depending on verification speed and bank cut‑offs often as fast as ads promising “1 hour payday loans no credit check.”

    Crucially, RadCred is not a lender; it’s a compliant connector that converts risky search terms into transparent, licensed choices. Approval, APR, loan amount, and timing always vary by lender, income, and state law so you can compare first, then decide what’s affordable.

    FAQ

    Will applying through RadCred hurt my credit?
    Pre‑qualification uses a soft credit inquiry, which does not affect your score. A hard pull may follow if you accept and finalize an offer.

    How fast can I receive funds?
    Some lenders can fund the same day once verification clears and bank cut‑offs allow; later submissions often fund next business day.

    Are “no credit check loans” legal in every state?
    No. Some states cap APRs, restrict payday‑style products, or prohibit them. RadCred’s licensing filter hides offers not permitted in your ZIP code.

    What APRs should I expect with a sub‑580 score?
    APRs vary widely by state, lender, and risk. Sub‑prime loans typically carry higher rates compare total repay before committing.

    Can on‑time payments help my credit?
    Potentially. Some lenders report repayment to credit bureaus, which can help improve a thin or damaged file when payments are made on time.

    Conclusion

    As searches for “no credit check loans guaranteed approval” surge, RadCred offers a compliant alternative: soft‑pull pre‑qualification, licensed direct lenders only, transparent APR and fee disclosures, and same day payday loan funding potential all designed to give borrowers with poor credit scores (580 or below) a clearer, safer way to access emergency cash.

    About RadCred

    RadCred is an online loan marketplace for no credit check guaranteed approval , not a lender. The platform connects U.S. consumers to a vetted network of state‑licensed and tribal direct lenders offering payday, installment, and emergency personal loans typically from $255 to $5,000. RadCred emphasizes income‑first underwriting, soft‑pull access, encrypted processing, and clear cost disclosures to expand responsible access to small‑dollar credit for underserved borrowers.

    Disclaimer

    RadCred is not a lender and does not make credit decisions. Loan approval, APR, fees, loan amounts, and funding speed are determined solely by participating lenders and governed by applicable federal, state, or tribal law. Offers begin with a soft inquiry; a hard credit pull may occur before funding. Not all applicants will qualify. Borrow responsibly—only what you can comfortably repay.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: 2025 Future Economist Essay Competition25 July 2025 The Government of Jersey has launched its 2025 Future Economist Essay Competition for young Islanders with an interest in economics. A paid internship with the Government’s Economic Unit is being offered… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    25 July 2025

    The Government of Jersey has launched its 2025 Future Economist Essay Competition for young Islanders with an interest in economics. 

    A paid internship with the Government’s Economic Unit is being offered for the winning candidate, alongside the prestigious Colin Powell Award. 

    The free competition, led by the Department for the Economy, aims to inspire Jersey’s next generation of economists by inviting them to write about the challenges our Island is facing – including trade wars, inflation, and growth. It is open to all students aged 14 to 18 with the right to work in Jersey. 

    The deadline for submission is 21 September 2025 and essays will be judged by an expert panel, including the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel, and the Government of Jersey’s Chief Economist, Tom Holvey. 

    Deputy Morel said: “Jersey is at a crossroads driven by our demographics, but we can successfully navigate the way forward for the coming decades with the help of young Islanders thinking about our economic future. I hope this competition encourages them to do so.” 

    Tom Holvey said: “The Future Economist Essay Competition is a fantastic opportunity for young people in Jersey to engage with real-world economic challenges and share their perspectives with us. We’re excited to hear fresh ideas from the next generation, as they help us shape Jersey’s future.” 

    Full details are available here: Future Economists Essay Competition​.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: About two thousand managers will undergo training under the Presidential program in 2025–2026

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The competitive selection of participants in the Presidential Management Training Program has been completed. The training will begin in September 2025 and will help strengthen the human resources potential of the regions of Russia.

    “The presidential program is aimed at training highly qualified personnel for the real sector of the economy in order to solve key problems of the country’s socio-economic development. During the competitive selection, about 2.5 thousand applications were received from 62 subjects of the Russian Federation. More than 1.7 thousand specialists will undergo the educational program,” noted Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia Tatyana Ilyushnikova.

    The Presidential Program studies various aspects of enterprise development: financial management, strategic management, marketing, logistics. Participants apply the knowledge they gain when developing their own project, which they defend at the end of their studies.

    This year, 78 leading educational organizations of the country are participating in the implementation of the program. The largest number of participants will be hosted by RANEPA, as well as the Southern Federal University, St. Petersburg State University of Economics, Penza State University and Siberian Federal University.

    The program participants represent 21 sectors of the economy, among which the most widely represented are manufacturing, professional, scientific and technical activities, wholesale and retail trade, and construction.

    Upon successful completion of their studies, graduates will have the opportunity to undergo internships in friendly countries, including China, Egypt, India, Belarus, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: Budget loans attracted 3.4 trillion rubles of private investment into the economy

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The program of infrastructure budget and special treasury loans helps to create comfortable living conditions for people and stimulates the development of Russian regions. Thus, thanks to infrastructure projects at the expense of IBC and SKK, almost 31.4 million square meters of housing were put into operation in Russia and about 3.4 trillion rubles of private investment were attracted to the economy, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin reported.

    “The main goal of the large-scale interdepartmental national project “Infrastructure for Life” is the comprehensive development of populated areas and the creation of high-quality and modern infrastructure for people to live, work and relax. Infrastructure budget and special treasury loans have become effective tools in solving the problems of improving the quality of life of Russians. Thanks to them, new schools, kindergartens, clinics and roads are opened in the regions, utility infrastructure and public transport are updated. This, in turn, contributes to the development of territories and their economic growth. Thus, only thanks to the IBC projects, since 2022, it has been possible to commission about 28.8 million square meters of housing, create 155.3 thousand jobs and attract 3.15 trillion rubles of extra-budgetary funds to the economy. In addition, the SCC program stimulated the commissioning of another 2.6 million square meters of housing and attracted 230.6 billion rubles of private investment. Considering the effectiveness and demand for these mechanisms, on behalf of The President, within the framework of the national project “Infrastructure for Life”, the program continues in the form of treasury infrastructure loans,” said Marat Khusnullin.

    According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the largest volume of housing thanks to infrastructure projects financed by budget loans was put into operation in the Republic of Tatarstan – 4.4 million sq. m, St. Petersburg 3.3 million sq. m, Moscow region – 2.6 million sq. m, Sverdlovsk region – 2.5 million sq. m and Moscow – 1.3 million sq. m.

    The IBC and SKK program is supervised by the Russian Ministry of Construction, and the operator is the public-law company Territorial Development Fund. Such loans are issued to regions at 3% per annum for a period of up to 15 years.

    “Infrastructure budget and special treasury loans are an accessible financial mechanism through which socially significant projects are implemented. This work, among other things, has allowed for tax and non-tax budget revenues in the amount of 250.7 billion rubles. The Territorial Development Fund, as an operator, provides support to regions – it helps in preparing applications for financial assistance, in launching the necessary processes, and monitors the projects themselves. We will also take part in monitoring the implementation of projects through treasury infrastructure loans,” said Vasily Kupyzin, CEO of the Territorial Development Fund.

    Currently, applications from regions for financing projects within the framework of treasury infrastructure loans are being accepted. The regions mainly plan to use these funds for the modernization of housing and communal services, as well as the implementation of social, road transport, and tourism infrastructure projects.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI: Southside Bancshares, Inc. Announces Financial Results for the Second Quarter Ended June 30, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Second quarter net income of $21.8 million;
    • Second quarter earnings per diluted common share of $0.72;
    • Tax-equivalent net interest margin(1)linked quarter increased nine basis points to 2.95%;
    • Annualized return on second quarter average assets of 1.07%;
    • Annualized return on second quarter average tangible common equity of 14.38%(1); and
    • Nonperforming assets remain low at 0.39% of total assets.

    TYLER, Texas, July 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Southside Bancshares, Inc. (“Southside” or the “Company”) (NYSE: SBSI) today reported its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. Southside reported net income of $21.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025, a decrease of $2.9 million, or 11.6%, compared to $24.7 million for the same period in 2024. Earnings per diluted common share decreased $0.09, or 11.1%, to $0.72 for the three months ended June 30, 2025, from $0.81 for the same period in 2024. The annualized return on average shareholders’ equity for the three months ended June 30, 2025 was 10.73%, compared to 12.46% for the same period in 2024. The annualized return on average assets was 1.07% for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to 1.19% for the same period in 2024.

    “We reported excellent financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025, which included earnings per share of $0.72, a return on average assets of 1.07%, and a return on average tangible common equity of 14.38%,” stated Lee R. Gibson, Chief Executive Officer of Southside. “Linked quarter, the net interest margin(1) increased nine basis points to 2.95%, net interest income increased $414,000 to $54.3 million, and deposits net of public fund and brokered deposits increased $90.1 million. The linked quarter total loans increased $35 million, while average loans decreased $106 million due primarily to heavy payoffs during the first two months of the quarter. Total loan growth during the month of June was $104 million. Our loan pipeline is solid and we currently anticipate three to four percent loan growth for all of 2025. During the quarter we expensed $1.2 million related to the write-off and demolition of an existing branch that was replaced with a new building.”

    Operating Results for the Three Months Ended June 30, 2025

    Net income was $21.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $24.7 million for the same period in 2024, a decrease of $2.9 million, or 11.6%. Earnings per diluted common share were $0.72 for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $0.81 for the same period in 2024, a decrease of 11.1%. The decrease in net income was a result of increases in noninterest expense and provision for credit losses, partially offset by increases in net interest income and noninterest income and a decrease in income tax expense. Annualized returns on average assets and average shareholders’ equity for the three months ended June 30, 2025 were 1.07% and 10.73%, respectively, compared to 1.19% and 12.46%, respectively, for the three months ended June 30, 2024. Our efficiency ratio and tax-equivalent efficiency ratio(1) were 55.67% and 53.70%, respectively, for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to 54.90% and 52.71%, respectively, for the three months ended June 30, 2024, and 57.04% and 55.04%, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2025.

    Net interest income for the three months ended June 30, 2025 was $54.3 million, an increase of $0.7 million, or 1.2%, compared to the same period in 2024. The increase in net interest income was due to decreases in the average rate paid on and average balance of our interest bearing liabilities, partially offset by decreases in the average yield of and average balance of our interest earning assets. Linked quarter, net interest income increased $0.4 million, or 0.8%, compared to $53.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, due to the decrease in the average balance of interest bearing liabilities, the increase in the average yield on our interest earning assets and the decrease in the rate paid on interest bearing liabilities, partially offset by the decrease in the average balance of our interest earning assets.

    Our net interest margin and tax-equivalent net interest margin(1) increased to 2.82% and 2.95%, respectively, for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to 2.74% and 2.87%, respectively, for the same period in 2024. Linked quarter, net interest margin and tax-equivalent net interest margin(1) increased from 2.74% and 2.86%, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2025.

    Noninterest income was $12.1 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025, an increase of $0.6 million, or 5.1%, compared to $11.6 million for the same period in 2024. The increase was primarily due to a decrease in net loss on sale of securities available for sale (“AFS”) and increases in other noninterest income and trust fees, partially offset by a decrease in bank owned life insurance income (“BOLI”). On a linked quarter basis, noninterest income increased $1.9 million, or 18.8%, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2025. The increase was primarily due to an increase in other noninterest income, a decrease in net loss on sale of securities AFS, and increases in deposit services income, trust income and brokerage services income. The increase in other noninterest income was primarily due to an increase in swap fee income for the three months ended June 30, 2025.

    Noninterest expense increased $3.5 million, or 9.8%, to $39.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $35.8 million for the same period in 2024, primarily due to increases in other noninterest expense, professional fees and salaries and employee benefits expense. On a linked quarter basis, noninterest expense increased by $2.2 million, or 5.8%, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2025, due to increases in other noninterest expense and net occupancy expense. The increase in other noninterest expense was primarily due to a one-time charge of $1.2 million on the demolition of an old branch facility following completion of the new branch during the three months ended June 30, 2025.

    Income tax expense decreased $0.5 million, or 9.5%, for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. On a linked quarter basis, income tax expense remained the same at $4.7 million. Our effective tax rate (“ETR”) increased slightly to 17.8% for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to 17.4% for the three months ended June 30, 2024, and decreased slightly from 18.0% for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The higher ETR for the three months ended June 30, 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, was primarily due to an increase in state income tax expense.

    Operating Results for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2025

    Net income was $43.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $46.2 million for the same period in 2024, a decrease of $2.9 million, or 6.2%. Earnings per diluted common share were $1.42 for the six months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $1.52 for the same period in 2024, a decrease of 6.6%. The decrease in net income was a result of increases in noninterest expense and provision for credit losses, partially offset by increases in net interest income and noninterest income and a decrease in income tax expense. Returns on average assets and average shareholders’ equity for the six months ended June 30, 2025 were 1.05% and 10.65%, respectively, compared to 1.11% and 11.74%, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2024. Our efficiency ratio and tax-equivalent efficiency ratio(1) were 56.34% and 54.36%, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2025, compared to 56.41% and 54.11%, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2024.

    Net interest income was $108.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $107.0 million for the same period in 2024, an increase of $1.2 million, or 1.1%, due to decreases in the average rate paid on and average balance of our interest bearing liabilities, partially offset by the decrease in the average yield of interest earning assets.

    Our net interest margin and tax-equivalent net interest margin(1) were 2.78% and 2.91%, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2025, compared to 2.73% and 2.87%, respectively, for the same period in 2024.

    Noninterest income was $22.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025, an increase of $1.1 million, or 5.1%, compared to $21.3 million for the same period in 2024. The increase was primarily due to increases in trust fees, other noninterest income and gain on sale of loans, partially offset by a decrease in BOLI income.

    Noninterest expense was $76.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025, compared to $72.6 million for the same period in 2024, an increase of $3.7 million, or 5.1%. The increase was primarily due to increases in other noninterest expense and professional fees, partially offset by a decrease in salaries and employee benefits expense.

    Income tax expense decreased $0.4 million, or 4.0%, for the six months ended June 30, 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. Our ETR was approximately 17.9% and 17.6% for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The higher ETR for the six months ended June 30, 2025, as compared to the same period in 2024, was primarily due to an increase in state income tax expense.

    Balance Sheet Data

    At June 30, 2025, Southside had $8.34 billion in total assets, compared to $8.52 billion at December 31, 2024 and $8.36 billion at June 30, 2024.

    Loans at June 30, 2025 were $4.60 billion, an increase of $12.6 million, or 0.3%, compared to $4.59 billion at June 30, 2024. Linked quarter, loans increased $34.7 million, or 0.8%, due to increases of $28.8 million in commercial real estate loans, $12.3 million in construction loans and $9.0 million in commercial loans. These increases were partially offset by decreases of $7.5 million in municipal loans, $5.3 million in 1-4 family residential loans and $2.5 million in loans to individuals.

    Securities at June 30, 2025 were $2.73 billion, an increase of $18.1 million, or 0.7%, compared to $2.71 billion at June 30, 2024. Linked quarter, securities decreased $6.2 million, or 0.2%, from $2.74 billion at March 31, 2025.

    Deposits at June 30, 2025 were $6.63 billion, an increase of $136.0 million, or 2.1%, compared to $6.50 billion at June 30, 2024. Linked quarter, deposits increased $41.1 million, or 0.6%, from $6.59 billion at March 31, 2025.

    At June 30, 2025, we had 178,970 total deposit accounts with an average balance of $34,000. Our estimated uninsured deposits were 38.5% of total deposits as of June 30, 2025. When excluding affiliate deposits (Southside-owned deposits) and public fund deposits (all collateralized), our total estimated deposits without insurance or collateral was 21.1% as of June 30, 2025. Our noninterest bearing deposits represent approximately 20.6% of total deposits. Linked quarter, our cost of interest bearing deposits decreased one basis point from 2.83% in the prior quarter to 2.82%. Linked quarter, our cost of total deposits remained at 2.26%.

    Our cost of interest bearing deposits decreased 16 basis points, from 2.99% for the six months ended June 30, 2024, to 2.83% for the six months ended June 30, 2025. Our cost of total deposits decreased 11 basis points, from 2.37% for the six months ended June 30, 2024, to 2.26% for the six months ended June 30, 2025.

    Capital Resources and Liquidity

    Our capital ratios and contingent liquidity sources remain solid. During the second quarter ended June 30, 2025, we purchased 424,435 shares of the Company’s common stock at an average price of $28.13 per share, pursuant to our Stock Repurchase Plan. Under this plan, repurchases of our outstanding common stock may be carried out in open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to any trading plan that might be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company has no obligation to repurchase any shares under the Stock Repurchase Plan and may modify, suspend or discontinue the plan at any time. Subsequent to June 30, 2025, and through July 23, 2025, we purchased 2,443 shares of common stock at an average price of $30.29 pursuant to the Stock Repurchase Plan.

    As of June 30, 2025, our total available contingent liquidity, net of current outstanding borrowings, was $2.33 billion, consisting of FHLB advances, Federal Reserve Discount Window and correspondent bank lines of credit.

    Asset Quality

    Nonperforming assets at June 30, 2025 were $32.9 million, or 0.39% of total assets, an increase of $26.0 million, or 375.7%, compared to $6.9 million, or 0.08% of total assets, at June 30, 2024, due primarily to an increase of $27.4 million in restructured loans. The increase in restructured loans was due to the extension of maturity in the first quarter of 2025 on a $27.5 million commercial real estate loan to allow for an extended lease up period. Linked quarter, nonperforming assets increased $0.7 million, or 2.2%, from $32.2 million at March 31, 2025.

    The allowance for loan losses totaled $44.4 million, or 0.97% of total loans, at June 30, 2025, compared to $44.6 million, or 0.98% of total loans, at March 31, 2025. The allowance for loan losses was $42.4 million, or 0.92% of total loans, at June 30, 2024. The increase in allowance as a percentage of total loans compared to June 30, 2024 was primarily due to an increase in economic uncertainty forecasted in the CECL model.

    For the three months ended June 30, 2025, we recorded a provision for credit losses for loans of $0.7 million, compared to a reversal of provision of $0.9 million and a provision of $42,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and March 31, 2025, respectively. Net charge-offs were $0.9 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to net charge-offs of $0.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and March 31, 2025. Net charge-offs were $1.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025, compared to net charge-offs of $0.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024.

    We recorded a reversal of provision for credit losses on off-balance-sheet credit exposures of $19,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2025, compared to provision for losses on off-balance-sheet credit exposures of $0.4 million and $0.7 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and March 31, 2025, respectively. We recorded a provision for losses on off-balance-sheet credit exposures of $0.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025, compared to a reversal of provision for credit losses on off-balance-sheet credit exposures of $0.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024. The balance of the allowance for off-balance-sheet credit exposures was $3.8 million and $3.2 million at June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and is included in other liabilities.

    Dividend

    Southside Bancshares, Inc. declared a second quarter cash dividend of $0.36 per share on May 8, 2025, which was paid on June 5, 2025, to all shareholders of record as of May 22, 2025.

    _______________

    (1) Refer to “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below and to “Non-GAAP Reconciliation” at the end of the financial statement tables in this Earnings Release for more information and for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest GAAP financial measure.
       

    Conference Call

    Southside’s management team will host a conference call to discuss its second quarter ended June 30, 2025 financial results on Friday, July 25, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. CDT. The conference call can be accessed by webcast, for listen-only mode, on the company website, https://investors.southside.com, under Events.

    Those interested in participating in the question and answer session, or others who prefer to call-in, can register at https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIad8374913fda48e3a6a27e230e7c4225 to receive the dial-in number and unique code to access the conference call seamlessly. While not required, it is recommended that those wishing to participate, register 10 minutes prior to the conference call to ensure a more efficient registration process.

    For those unable to attend the live event, a webcast recording will be available on the company website, https://investors.southside.com, for at least 30 days, beginning approximately two hours following the conference call.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    Our accounting and reporting policies conform to generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States and prevailing practices in the banking industry. However, certain non-GAAP measures are used by management to supplement the evaluation of our performance. These include the following fully taxable-equivalent measures (“FTE”): (i) Net interest income (FTE), (ii) net interest margin (FTE), (iii) net interest spread (FTE), and (iv) efficiency ratio (FTE), which include the effects of taxable-equivalent adjustments using a federal income tax rate of 21% to increase tax-exempt interest income to a tax-equivalent basis. Interest income earned on certain assets is completely or partially exempt from federal income tax. As such, these tax-exempt instruments typically yield lower returns than taxable investments.

    Net interest income (FTE), net interest margin (FTE) and net interest spread (FTE). Net interest income (FTE) is a non-GAAP measure that adjusts for the tax-favored status of net interest income from certain loans and investments and is not permitted under GAAP in the consolidated statements of income. We believe that this measure is the preferred industry measurement of net interest income and that it enhances comparability of net interest income arising from taxable and tax-exempt sources. The most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is our net interest income. Net interest margin (FTE) is the ratio of net interest income (FTE) to average earning assets. The most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is our net interest margin. Net interest spread (FTE) is the difference in the average yield on average earning assets on a tax-equivalent basis and the average rate paid on average interest bearing liabilities. The most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is our net interest spread.

    Efficiency ratio (FTE). The efficiency ratio (FTE) is a non-GAAP measure that provides a measure of productivity in the banking industry. This ratio is calculated to measure the cost of generating one dollar of revenue. The ratio is designed to reflect the percentage of one dollar which must be expended to generate that dollar of revenue. We calculate this ratio by dividing noninterest expense, excluding amortization expense on intangibles and certain nonrecurring expense by the sum of net interest income (FTE) and noninterest income, excluding net gain (loss) on sale of securities available for sale and certain nonrecurring impairments. The most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is our efficiency ratio.

    These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered alternatives to GAAP-basis financial statements and other bank holding companies may define or calculate these non-GAAP measures or similar measures differently. Whenever we present a non-GAAP financial measure in an SEC filing, we are also required to present the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP and reconcile the differences between the non-GAAP financial measure and such comparable GAAP measure.

    Management believes adjusting net interest income, net interest margin and net interest spread to a fully taxable-equivalent basis is a standard practice in the banking industry as these measures provide useful information to make peer comparisons. Tax-equivalent adjustments are reflected in the respective earning asset categories as listed in the “Average Balances with Average Yields and Rates” tables.

    A reconciliation of our non-GAAP financial measures to the comparable GAAP financial measures is included at the end of the financial statement tables.

    About Southside Bancshares, Inc.

    Southside Bancshares, Inc. is a bank holding company with approximately $8.34 billion in assets as of June 30, 2025, that owns 100% of Southside Bank. Southside Bank currently has 53 branches in Texas and operates a network of 71 ATMs/ITMs.

    To learn more about Southside Bancshares, Inc., please visit our investor relations website at https://investors.southside.com. Our investor relations site provides a detailed overview of our activities, financial information and historical stock price data. To receive email notification of company news, events and stock activity, please register on the website under Resources and Investor Email Alerts. Questions or comments may be directed to Lindsey Bailes at (903) 630-7965, or lindsey.bailes@southside.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements of other than historical fact that are contained in this press release and in other written materials, documents and oral statements issued by or on behalf of the Company may be considered to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of and subject to the safe harbor protections of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, nor should they be relied upon as representing management’s views as of any subsequent date. These statements may include words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “anticipate,” “appear,” “believe,” “could,” “should,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “would,” “seek,” “intend,” “probability,” “risk,” “goal,” “target,” “objective,” “plans,” “potential,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are statements with respect to the Company’s beliefs, plans, expectations, objectives, goals, anticipations, assumptions, estimates, intentions and future performance and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. For example, benefits of the Share Repurchase Plan, trends in asset quality, capital, liquidity, the Company’s ability to sell nonperforming assets, expense reductions, planned operational efficiencies and earnings from growth and certain market risk disclosures, including the impact of interest rates and our expectations regarding rate changes, tax reform, inflation, tariffs, the impacts related to or resulting from other economic factors are based upon information presently available to management and are dependent on choices about key model characteristics and assumptions and are subject to various limitations. By their nature, certain of the market risk disclosures are only estimates and could be materially different from what actually occurs in the future. Accordingly, our results could materially differ from those that have been estimated. The most significant factor that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated by our forward-looking statements include the ongoing impact of higher inflation levels, interest rate fluctuations, including the impact of changes in interest rates on our financial projections, models and guidance, and general economic and recessionary concerns, as well as the effects of declines in the real estate market, tariffs or trade wars (including reduced consumer spending, lower economic growth or recession, reduced demand for U.S. exports, disruptions to supply chains, and decreased demand for other banking products and services), high unemployment and increasing insurance costs, as well as the financial stress to borrowers as a result of the foregoing, all of which could impact economic growth and could cause a reduction in financial transactions and business activities, including decreased deposits and reduced loan originations, and our ability to manage liquidity in a rapidly changing and unpredictable market.

    Additional information concerning the Company and its business, including additional factors that could materially affect the Company’s financial results, is included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, under “Part I – Item 1. Forward Looking Information” and “Part I – Item 1A. Risk Factors” and in the Company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any factors or to announce publicly the result of revisions to any of the forward-looking statements included herein to reflect future events or developments.

    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Summary (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      As of
        2025       2024  
      Jun 30,   Mar 31,   Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Jun 30,
    ASSETS                  
    Cash and due from banks $ 109,669     $ 103,359     $ 91,409     $ 130,147     $ 114,283  
    Interest earning deposits   260,357       293,364       281,945       333,825       272,469  
    Federal funds sold   20,069       34,248       52,807       22,325       65,244  
    Securities available for sale, at estimated fair value   1,457,124       1,457,939       1,533,894       1,408,437       1,405,944  
    Securities held to maturity, at net carrying value   1,272,906       1,278,330       1,279,234       1,288,403       1,305,975  
    Total securities   2,730,030       2,736,269       2,813,128       2,696,840       2,711,919  
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost   24,384       34,208       33,818       40,291       32,991  
    Loans held for sale   428       903       1,946       768       1,352  
    Loans   4,601,933       4,567,239       4,661,597       4,578,048       4,589,365  
    Less: Allowance for loan losses   (44,421 )     (44,623 )     (44,884 )     (44,276 )     (42,407 )
    Net loans   4,557,512       4,522,616       4,616,713       4,533,772       4,546,958  
    Premises & equipment, net   147,263       142,245       141,648       138,811       138,489  
    Goodwill   201,116       201,116       201,116       201,116       201,116  
    Other intangible assets, net   1,333       1,531       1,754       2,003       2,281  
    Bank owned life insurance   138,826       137,962       138,313       137,489       136,903  
    Other assets   148,979       135,479       142,851       124,876       133,697  
    Total assets $ 8,339,966     $ 8,343,300     $ 8,517,448     $ 8,362,263     $ 8,357,702  
                       
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                  
    Noninterest bearing deposits $ 1,368,453     $ 1,379,641     $ 1,357,152     $ 1,377,022     $ 1,366,924  
    Interest bearing deposits   5,263,511       5,211,210       5,297,096       5,058,680       5,129,008  
    Total deposits   6,631,964       6,590,851       6,654,248       6,435,702       6,495,932  
    Other borrowings and Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings   611,367       691,417       808,352       865,856       763,700  
    Subordinated notes, net of unamortized debt
    issuance costs
      92,115       92,078       92,042       92,006       91,970  
    Trust preferred subordinated debentures, net of unamortized debt issuance costs   60,277       60,276       60,274       60,273       60,272  
    Other liabilities   137,043       92,055       90,590       103,172       144,858  
    Total liabilities   7,532,766       7,526,677       7,705,506       7,557,009       7,556,732  
    Shareholders’ equity   807,200       816,623       811,942       805,254       800,970  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 8,339,966     $ 8,343,300     $ 8,517,448     $ 8,362,263     $ 8,357,702  
     
    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Summary (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      Three Months Ended
        2025       2024  
      Jun 30,   Mar 31,   Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Jun 30,
    Income Statement:                  
    Total interest and dividend income $ 98,562     $ 100,288     $ 101,689     $ 105,703     $ 104,186  
    Total interest expense   44,296       46,436       47,982       50,239       50,578  
    Net interest income   54,266       53,852       53,707       55,464       53,608  
    Provision for (reversal of) credit losses   622       758       1,384       2,389       (485 )
    Net interest income after provision for (reversal of) credit losses   53,644       53,094       52,323       53,075       54,093  
    Noninterest income                  
    Deposit services   6,125       5,829       6,084       6,199       6,157  
    Net gain (loss) on sale of securities available for sale         (554 )           (1,929 )     (563 )
    Gain (loss) on sale of loans   99       55       138       115       220  
    Trust fees   1,879       1,765       1,773       1,628       1,456  
    Bank owned life insurance   833       799       848       857       1,767  
    Brokerage services   1,219       1,120       1,054       1,068       1,081  
    Other   1,990       1,209       2,384       233       1,439  
    Total noninterest income   12,145       10,223       12,281       8,171       11,557  
    Noninterest expense                  
    Salaries and employee benefits   22,272       22,382       22,960       22,233       21,984  
    Net occupancy   3,621       3,404       3,629       3,613       3,750  
    Advertising, travel & entertainment   950       924       884       734       795  
    ATM expense   405       378       378       412       368  
    Professional fees   1,401       1,520       1,645       1,206       1,075  
    Software and data processing   3,027       2,839       2,931       2,951       2,860  
    Communications   342       383       320       423       410  
    FDIC insurance   955       947       931       939       977  
    Amortization of intangibles   198       223       249       278       307  
    Other   6,086       4,089       4,232       3,543       3,239  
    Total noninterest expense   39,257       37,089       38,159       36,332       35,765  
    Income before income tax expense   26,532       26,228       26,445       24,914       29,885  
    Income tax expense   4,719       4,721       4,659       4,390       5,212  
    Net income $ 21,813     $ 21,507     $ 21,786     $ 20,524     $ 24,673  
                       
    Common Share Data:      
    Weighted-average basic shares outstanding   30,234       30,390       30,343       30,286       30,280  
    Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding   30,308       30,483       30,459       30,370       30,312  
    Common shares outstanding end of period   30,082       30,410       30,379       30,308       30,261  
    Earnings per common share                  
    Basic $ 0.72     $ 0.71     $ 0.72     $ 0.68     $ 0.81  
    Diluted   0.72       0.71       0.71       0.68       0.81  
    Book value per common share   26.83       26.85       26.73       26.57       26.47  
    Tangible book value per common share   20.10       20.19       20.05       19.87       19.75  
    Cash dividends paid per common share   0.36       0.36       0.36       0.36       0.36  
                       
    Selected Performance Ratios:                  
    Return on average assets   1.07 %     1.03 %     1.03 %     0.98 %     1.19 %
    Return on average shareholders’ equity   10.73       10.57       10.54       10.13       12.46  
    Return on average tangible common equity (1)   14.38       14.14       14.12       13.69       16.90  
    Average yield on earning assets (FTE) (1)   5.25       5.23       5.24       5.51       5.45  
    Average rate on interest bearing liabilities   2.98       3.03       3.12       3.28       3.32  
    Net interest margin (FTE) (1)   2.95       2.86       2.83       2.95       2.87  
    Net interest spread (FTE) (1)   2.27       2.20       2.12       2.23       2.13  
    Average earning assets to average interest bearing liabilities   129.33       128.10       129.55       128.51       128.62  
    Noninterest expense to average total assets   1.92       1.78       1.80       1.73       1.72  
    Efficiency ratio (FTE) (1)   53.70       55.04       54.00       51.90       52.71  
    (1) Refer to “Non-GAAP Reconciliation” at the end of the financial statement tables in this Earnings Release for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest GAAP financial measure.
       
    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Highlights (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      Three Months Ended
        2025       2024  
      Jun 30,   Mar 31,   Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Jun 30,
    Nonperforming Assets: $ 32,909     $ 32,193     $ 3,589     $ 7,656     $ 6,918  
    Nonaccrual loans   4,998       4,254       3,185       7,254       6,110  
    Accruing loans past due more than 90 days                            
    Restructured loans   27,512       27,505       2             145  
    Other real estate owned   380       388       388       388       648  
    Repossessed assets   19       46       14       14       15  
                       
    Asset Quality Ratios:                  
    Ratio of nonaccruing loans to:                  
    Total loans   0.11 %     0.09 %     0.07 %     0.16 %     0.13 %
    Ratio of nonperforming assets to:                  
    Total assets   0.39       0.39       0.04       0.09       0.08  
    Total loans   0.72       0.70       0.08       0.17       0.15  
    Total loans and OREO   0.72       0.70       0.08       0.17       0.15  
    Ratio of allowance for loan losses to:                  
    Nonaccruing loans   888.78       1,048.97       1,409.23       610.37       694.06  
    Nonperforming assets   134.98       138.61       1,250.60       578.32       613.00  
    Total loans   0.97       0.98       0.96       0.97       0.92  
    Net charge-offs (recoveries) to average loans outstanding   0.08       0.03       0.08       0.04       0.02  
                       
    Capital Ratios:                  
    Shareholders’ equity to total assets   9.68       9.79       9.53       9.63       9.58  
    Common equity tier 1 capital   13.36       13.44       13.04       13.07       12.72  
    Tier 1 risk-based capital   14.41       14.49       14.07       14.12       13.76  
    Total risk-based capital   16.91       17.01       16.49       16.59       16.16  
    Tier 1 leverage capital   10.03       9.73       9.67       9.61       9.40  
    Period end tangible equity to period end tangible assets (1)   7.43       7.54       7.33       7.38       7.33  
    Average shareholders’ equity to average total assets   9.94       9.75       9.76       9.67       9.52  

     

    (1) Refer to the “Non-GAAP Reconciliation” at the end of the financial statement tables in this Earnings Release for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest GAAP financial measure.
       
    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Highlights (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      Three Months Ended
        2025       2024  
    Loan Portfolio Composition Jun 30,   Mar 31,   Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Jun 30,
    Real Estate Loans:                  
    Construction $ 470,380     $ 458,101     $ 537,827     $ 585,817     $ 546,040  
    1-4 Family Residential   736,108       741,432       740,396       755,406       738,037  
    Commercial   2,606,072       2,577,229       2,579,735       2,422,612       2,472,771  
    Commercial Loans   380,612       371,643       363,167       358,854       359,807  
    Municipal Loans   363,746       371,271       390,968       402,041       416,986  
    Loans to Individuals   45,015       47,563       49,504       53,318       55,724  
    Total Loans $ 4,601,933     $ 4,567,239     $ 4,661,597     $ 4,578,048     $ 4,589,365  
                       
    Summary of Changes in Allowances:                  
    Allowance for Securities Held to Maturity                  
    Balance at beginning of period $ 64     $     $     $     $  
    Provision for (reversal of) securities held to maturity   (9 )     64                    
    Balance at end of period $ 55     $ 64     $     $     $  
                       
    Allowance for Loan Losses                  
    Balance at beginning of period $ 44,623     $ 44,884     $ 44,276     $ 42,407     $ 43,557  
    Loans charged-off   (1,194 )     (613 )     (1,232 )     (773 )     (721 )
    Recoveries of loans charged-off   342       310       277       365       444  
    Net loans (charged-off) recovered   (852 )     (303 )     (955 )     (408 )     (277 )
    Provision for (reversal of) loan losses   650       42       1,563       2,277       (873 )
    Balance at end of period $ 44,421     $ 44,623     $ 44,884     $ 44,276     $ 42,407  
                       
    Allowance for Off-Balance-Sheet Credit Exposures                  
    Balance at beginning of period $ 3,793     $ 3,141     $ 3,320     $ 3,208     $ 2,820  
    Provision for (reversal of) off-balance-sheet credit exposures   (19 )     652       (179 )     112       388  
    Balance at end of period $ 3,774     $ 3,793     $ 3,141     $ 3,320     $ 3,208  
    Total Allowance for Credit Losses $ 48,250     $ 48,480     $ 48,025     $ 47,596     $ 45,615  
     
    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Highlights (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      Six Months Ended
      June 30,
        2025       2024  
    Income Statement:      
    Total interest and dividend income $ 198,850     $ 206,944  
    Total interest expense   90,732       99,988  
    Net interest income   108,118       106,956  
    Provision for (reversal of) credit losses   1,380       (427 )
    Net interest income after provision for (reversal of) credit losses   106,738       107,383  
    Noninterest income      
    Deposit services   11,954       12,142  
    Net gain (loss) on sale of securities available for sale   (554 )     (581 )
    Gain (loss) on sale of loans   154       (216 )
    Trust fees   3,644       2,792  
    Bank owned life insurance   1,632       2,551  
    Brokerage services   2,339       2,095  
    Other   3,199       2,498  
    Total noninterest income   22,368       21,281  
    Noninterest expense      
    Salaries and employee benefits   44,654       45,097  
    Net occupancy   7,025       7,112  
    Advertising, travel & entertainment   1,874       1,745  
    ATM expense   783       693  
    Professional fees   2,921       2,229  
    Software and data processing   5,866       5,716  
    Communications   725       859  
    FDIC insurance   1,902       1,920  
    Amortization of intangibles   421       644  
    Other   10,175       6,631  
    Total noninterest expense   76,346       72,646  
    Income before income tax expense   52,760       56,018  
    Income tax expense   9,440       9,834  
    Net income $ 43,320     $ 46,184  
    Common Share Data:      
    Weighted-average basic shares outstanding   30,311       30,271  
    Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding   30,397       30,310  
    Common shares outstanding end of period   30,082       30,261  
    Earnings per common share      
    Basic $ 1.43     $ 1.52  
    Diluted   1.42       1.52  
    Book value per common share   26.83       26.47  
    Tangible book value per common share   20.10       19.75  
    Cash dividends paid per common share   0.72       0.72  
           
    Selected Performance Ratios:      
    Return on average assets   1.05 %     1.11 %
    Return on average shareholders’ equity   10.65       11.74  
    Return on average tangible common equity (1)   14.26       15.99  
    Average yield on earning assets (FTE) (1)   5.24       5.42  
    Average rate on interest bearing liabilities   3.01       3.27  
    Net interest margin (FTE) (1)   2.91       2.87  
    Net interest spread (FTE) (1)   2.23       2.15  
    Average earning assets to average interest bearing liabilities   128.71       128.16  
    Noninterest expense to average total assets   1.85       1.74  
    Efficiency ratio (FTE) (1)   54.36       54.11  

     

    (1) Refer to “Non-GAAP Reconciliation” at the end of the financial statement tables in this Earnings Release for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest GAAP financial measure.
       
    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Highlights (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      Six Months Ended
      June 30,
        2025       2024  
    Nonperforming Assets: $ 32,909     $ 6,918  
    Nonaccrual loans   4,998       6,110  
    Accruing loans past due more than 90 days          
    Restructured loans   27,512       145  
    Other real estate owned   380       648  
    Repossessed assets   19       15  
           
    Asset Quality Ratios:      
    Ratio of nonaccruing loans to:      
    Total loans   0.11 %     0.13 %
    Ratio of nonperforming assets to:      
    Total assets   0.39       0.08  
    Total loans   0.72       0.15  
    Total loans and OREO   0.72       0.15  
    Ratio of allowance for loan losses to:      
    Nonaccruing loans   888.78       694.06  
    Nonperforming assets   134.98       613.00  
    Total loans   0.97       0.92  
    Net charge-offs (recoveries) to average loans outstanding   0.05       0.02  
           
    Capital Ratios:      
    Shareholders’ equity to total assets   9.68       9.58  
    Common equity tier 1 capital   13.36       12.72  
    Tier 1 risk-based capital   14.41       13.76  
    Total risk-based capital   16.91       16.16  
    Tier 1 leverage capital   10.03       9.40  
    Period end tangible equity to period end tangible assets (1)   7.43       7.33  
    Average shareholders’ equity to average total assets   9.84       9.43  
    (1)  Refer to the “Non-GAAP Reconciliation” at the end of the financial statement tables in this Earnings Release for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest GAAP financial measure.
       
    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Highlights (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      Six Months Ended
      June 30,
    Loan Portfolio Composition   2025       2024  
    Real Estate Loans:      
    Construction $ 470,380     $ 546,040  
    1-4 Family Residential   736,108       738,037  
    Commercial   2,606,072       2,472,771  
    Commercial Loans   380,612       359,807  
    Municipal Loans   363,746       416,986  
    Loans to Individuals   45,015       55,724  
    Total Loans $ 4,601,933     $ 4,589,365  
           
    Summary of Changes in Allowances:      
    Allowance for Securities Held to Maturity      
    Balance at beginning of period $     $  
    Provision for (reversal of) securities held to maturity   55        
    Balance at end of period $ 55     $  
           
    Summary of Changes in Allowances:      
    Allowance for Loan Losses      
    Balance at beginning of period $ 44,884     $ 42,674  
    Loans charged-off   (1,807 )     (1,355 )
    Recoveries of loans charged-off   652       791  
    Net loans (charged-off) recovered   (1,155 )     (564 )
    Provision for (reversal of) loan losses   692       297  
    Balance at end of period $ 44,421     $ 42,407  
           
    Allowance for Off-Balance-Sheet Credit Exposures      
    Balance at beginning of period $ 3,141     $ 3,932  
    Provision for (reversal of) off-balance-sheet credit exposures   633       (724 )
    Balance at end of period $ 3,774     $ 3,208  
    Total Allowance for Credit Losses $ 48,250     $ 45,615  
     

    The tables that follow show average earning assets and interest bearing liabilities together with the average yield on the earning assets and the average rate of the interest bearing liabilities for the periods presented. The interest and related yields presented are on a fully taxable-equivalent basis and are therefore non-GAAP measures. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Non-GAAP Reconciliation” for more information.

    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Average Balances and Average Yields and Rates (Annualized) (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      Three Months Ended
      June 30, 2025   March 31, 2025
      Average Balance   Interest   Average Yield/Rate (3)   Average Balance   Interest   Average Yield/Rate (3)
    ASSETS                      
    Loans (1) $ 4,519,668     $ 67,798   6.02 %   $ 4,625,902     $ 68,160   5.98 %
    Loans held for sale   1,108       16   5.79 %     752       11   5.93 %
    Securities:                      
    Taxable investment securities (2)   735,669       6,205   3.38 %     749,155       6,363   3.44 %
    Tax-exempt investment securities (2)   1,130,903       10,351   3.67 %     1,134,590       10,253   3.66 %
    Mortgage-backed and related securities (2)   1,003,887       13,040   5.21 %     1,041,038       13,523   5.27 %
    Total securities   2,870,459       29,596   4.14 %     2,924,783       30,139   4.18 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost, and equity investments   31,169       524   6.74 %     43,285       483   4.53 %
    Interest earning deposits   259,617       2,753   4.25 %     319,889       3,370   4.27 %
    Federal funds sold   27,778       308   4.45 %     43,813       478   4.42 %
    Total earning assets   7,709,799       100,995   5.25 %     7,958,424       102,641   5.23 %
    Cash and due from banks   84,419               89,703          
    Accrued interest and other assets   452,573               457,948          
    Less: Allowance for loan losses   (44,747 )             (45,105 )        
    Total assets $ 8,202,044             $ 8,460,970          
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                      
    Savings accounts $ 596,125       1,451   0.98 %   $ 593,953       1,429   0.98 %
    Certificates of deposit   1,407,017       14,905   4.25 %     1,336,815       14,406   4.37 %
    Interest bearing demand accounts   3,311,330       21,071   2.55 %     3,406,342       21,412   2.55 %
    Total interest bearing deposits   5,314,472       37,427   2.82 %     5,337,110       37,247   2.83 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings   394,119       3,721   3.79 %     614,897       5,837   3.85 %
    Subordinated notes, net of unamortized debt issuance costs   92,097       935   4.07 %     92,060       932   4.11 %
    Trust preferred subordinated debentures, net of unamortized debt issuance costs   60,276       1,015   6.75 %     60,275       1,014   6.82 %
    Repurchase agreements   72,295       634   3.52 %     75,291       666   3.59 %
    Other borrowings   28,022       564   8.07 %     33,061       740   9.08 %
    Total interest bearing liabilities   5,961,281       44,296   2.98 %     6,212,694       46,436   3.03 %
    Noninterest bearing deposits   1,339,463               1,334,933          
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities   85,827               88,450          
    Total liabilities   7,386,571               7,636,077          
    Shareholders’ equity   815,473               824,893          
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 8,202,044             $ 8,460,970          
    Net interest income (FTE)     $ 56,699           $ 56,205    
    Net interest margin (FTE)         2.95 %           2.86 %
    Net interest spread (FTE)         2.27 %           2.20 %
    (1) Interest on loans includes net fees on loans that are not material in amount.
    (2) For the purpose of calculating the average yield, the average balance of securities do not include unrealized gains and losses on AFS securities.
    (3) Yield/rate includes the impact of applicable derivatives.
       

    Note: As of June 30, 2025 and March 31, 2025, loans totaling $5.0 million and $4.3 million, respectively, were on nonaccrual status. Our policy is to reverse previously accrued but unpaid interest on nonaccrual loans; thereafter, interest income is recorded to the extent received when appropriate.

    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Average Balances and Average Yields and Rates (Annualized) (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      Three Months Ended
      December 31, 2024   September 30, 2024
      Average Balance   Interest   Average Yield/Rate (3)   Average Balance   Interest   Average Yield/Rate (3)
    ASSETS                      
    Loans (1) $ 4,604,175     $ 70,155   6.06 %   $ 4,613,028     $ 72,493   6.25 %
    Loans held for sale   1,562       23   5.86 %     871       11   5.02 %
    Securities:                      
    Taxable investment securities (2)   784,321       6,949   3.52 %     791,914       7,150   3.59 %
    Tax-exempt investment securities (2)   1,138,271       10,793   3.77 %     1,174,445       11,825   4.01 %
    Mortgage-backed and related securities (2)   1,031,187       12,043   4.65 %     886,325       11,976   5.38 %
    Total securities   2,953,779       29,785   4.01 %     2,852,684       30,951   4.32 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost, and equity investments   37,078       591   6.34 %     41,159       582   5.63 %
    Interest earning deposits   273,656       3,160   4.59 %     281,313       3,798   5.37 %
    Federal funds sold   43,121       508   4.69 %     33,971       488   5.71 %
    Total earning assets   7,913,371       104,222   5.24 %     7,823,026       108,323   5.51 %
    Cash and due from banks   102,914               100,578          
    Accrued interest and other assets   454,387               455,091          
    Less: Allowance for loan losses   (44,418 )             (42,581 )        
    Total assets $ 8,426,254             $ 8,336,114          
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                      
    Savings accounts $ 594,196       1,456   0.97 %   $ 598,116       1,490   0.99 %
    Certificates of deposit   1,187,800       13,537   4.53 %     1,087,613       12,647   4.63 %
    Interest bearing demand accounts   3,459,122       23,468   2.70 %     3,409,911       24,395   2.85 %
    Total interest bearing deposits   5,241,118       38,461   2.92 %     5,095,640       38,532   3.01 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings   572,993       5,557   3.86 %     618,708       6,488   4.17 %
    Subordinated notes, net of unamortized debt issuance costs   92,024       945   4.09 %     91,988       937   4.05 %
    Trust preferred subordinated debentures, net of unamortized debt issuance costs   60,274       1,095   7.23 %     60,273       1,180   7.79 %
    Repurchase agreements   80,891       782   3.85 %     83,297       899   4.29 %
    Other borrowings   61,196       1,142   7.42 %     137,482       2,203   6.37 %
    Total interest bearing liabilities   6,108,496       47,982   3.12 %     6,087,388       50,239   3.28 %
    Noninterest bearing deposits   1,383,204               1,344,165          
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities   112,320               98,331          
    Total liabilities   7,604,020               7,529,884          
    Shareholders’ equity   822,234               806,230          
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 8,426,254             $ 8,336,114          
    Net interest income (FTE)     $ 56,240           $ 58,084    
    Net interest margin (FTE)         2.83 %           2.95 %
    Net interest spread (FTE)         2.12 %           2.23 %
    (1) Interest on loans includes net fees on loans that are not material in amount.
    (2) For the purpose of calculating the average yield, the average balance of securities do not include unrealized gains and losses on AFS securities.
    (3) Yield/rate includes the impact of applicable derivatives.
       

    Note: As of December 31, 2024 and September 30, 2024, loans totaling $3.2 million and $7.3 million, respectively, were on nonaccrual status. Our policy is to reverse previously accrued but unpaid interest on nonaccrual loans; thereafter, interest income is recorded to the extent received when appropriate.

    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Average Balances and Average Yields and Rates (Annualized) (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      Three Months Ended
      June 30, 2024
      Average Balance   Interest   Average Yield/Rate (3)
    ASSETS          
    Loans (1) $ 4,595,980     $ 70,293   6.15 %
    Loans held for sale   1,489       24   6.48 %
    Securities:          
    Taxable investment securities (2)   783,856       7,009   3.60 %
    Tax-exempt investment securities (2)   1,254,097       12,761   4.09 %
    Mortgage-backed and related securities (2)   830,504       11,084   5.37 %
    Total securities   2,868,457       30,854   4.33 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost, and equity investments   40,467       573   5.69 %
    Interest earning deposits   300,047       4,105   5.50 %
    Federal funds sold   75,479       1,021   5.44 %
    Total earning assets   7,881,919       106,870   5.45 %
    Cash and due from banks   110,102          
    Accrued interest and other assets   424,323          
    Less: Allowance for loan losses   (43,738 )        
    Total assets $ 8,372,606          
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY          
    Savings accounts $ 604,753       1,454   0.97 %
    Certificates of deposit   1,020,099       11,630   4.59 %
    Interest bearing demand accounts   3,513,068       25,382   2.91 %
    Total interest bearing deposits   5,137,920       38,466   3.01 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings   606,851       6,455   4.28 %
    Subordinated notes, net of unamortized debt issuance costs   92,017       936   4.09 %
    Trust preferred subordinated debentures, net of unamortized debt issuance costs   60,271       1,171   7.81 %
    Repurchase agreements   88,007       955   4.36 %
    Other borrowings   143,169       2,595   7.29 %
    Total interest bearing liabilities   6,128,235       50,578   3.32 %
    Noninterest bearing deposits   1,346,274          
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities   101,399          
    Total liabilities   7,575,908          
    Shareholders’ equity   796,698          
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 8,372,606          
    Net interest income (FTE)     $ 56,292    
    Net interest margin (FTE)         2.87 %
    Net interest spread (FTE)         2.13 %

     

    (1) Interest on loans includes net fees on loans that are not material in amount.
    (2) For the purpose of calculating the average yield, the average balance of securities do not include unrealized gains and losses on AFS securities.
    (3) Yield/rate includes the impact of applicable derivatives.
       

    Note: As of June 30, 2024, loans totaling $6.1 million were on nonaccrual status. Our policy is to reverse previously accrued but unpaid interest on nonaccrual loans; thereafter, interest income is recorded to the extent received when appropriate.

    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Average Balances and Average Yields and Rates (Annualized) (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      Six Months Ended
      June 30, 2025   June 30, 2024
      Average Balance   Interest   Average Yield/Rate   Average Balance   Interest   Average Yield/Rate
    ASSETS                      
    Loans (1) $ 4,572,492     $ 135,958   6.00 %   $ 4,577,791     $ 139,142   6.11 %
    Loans held for sale   931       27   5.85 %     5,162       42   1.64 %
    Securities:                      
    Taxable investment securities (2)   742,375       12,568   3.41 %     782,139       13,976   3.59 %
    Tax-exempt investment securities (2)   1,132,736       20,604   3.67 %     1,270,010       25,929   4.11 %
    Mortgage-backed and related securities (2)   1,022,360       26,563   5.24 %     797,608       21,203   5.35 %
    Total securities   2,897,471       59,735   4.16 %     2,849,757       61,108   4.31 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost, and equity investments   37,194       1,007   5.46 %     40,265       906   4.52 %
    Interest earning deposits   289,586       6,123   4.26 %     340,114       9,307   5.50 %
    Federal funds sold   35,751       786   4.43 %     69,039       1,859   5.41 %
    Total earning assets   7,833,425       203,636   5.24 %     7,882,128       212,364   5.42 %
    Cash and due from banks   87,046               112,241          
    Accrued interest and other assets   455,245               432,904          
    Less: Allowance for loan losses   (44,925 )             (43,356 )        
    Total assets $ 8,330,791             $ 8,383,917          
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                      
    Savings accounts $ 595,045       2,880   0.98 %   $ 604,641       2,878   0.96 %
    Certificates of deposit   1,372,110       29,311   4.31 %     981,023       21,971   4.50 %
    Interest bearing demand accounts   3,358,573       42,483   2.55 %     3,574,001       51,815   2.92 %
    Total interest bearing deposits   5,325,728       74,674   2.83 %     5,159,665       76,664   2.99 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings   503,898       9,558   3.83 %     606,942       12,405   4.11 %
    Subordinated notes, net of unamortized debt issuance costs   92,079       1,867   4.09 %     92,956       1,892   4.09 %
    Trust preferred subordinated debentures, net of unamortized debt issuance costs   60,275       2,029   6.79 %     60,271       2,346   7.83 %
    Repurchase agreements   73,785       1,300   3.55 %     90,092       1,922   4.29 %
    Other borrowings   30,528       1,304   8.61 %     140,228       4,759   6.82 %
    Total interest bearing liabilities   6,086,293       90,732   3.01 %     6,150,154       99,988   3.27 %
    Noninterest bearing deposits   1,337,210               1,342,329          
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities   87,131               100,558          
    Total liabilities   7,510,634               7,593,041          
    Shareholders’ equity   820,157               790,876          
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 8,330,791             $ 8,383,917          
    Net interest income (FTE)     $ 112,904           $ 112,376    
    Net interest margin (FTE)         2.91 %           2.87 %
    Net interest spread (FTE)         2.23 %           2.15 %
    (1) Interest on loans includes net fees on loans that are not material in amount.
    (2) For the purpose of calculating the average yield, the average balance of securities is presented at historical cost.
       

    Note: As of June 30, 2025 and 2024, loans totaling $5.0 million and $6.1 million, respectively, were on nonaccrual status. Our policy is to reverse previously accrued but unpaid interest on nonaccrual loans; thereafter, interest income is recorded to the extent received when appropriate.

    The following tables set forth the reconciliation of return on average common equity to return on average tangible common equity, book value per share to tangible book value per share, net interest income to net interest income adjusted to a fully taxable-equivalent basis assuming a 21% marginal tax rate for interest earned on tax-exempt assets such as municipal loans and investment securities, along with the calculation of total revenue, adjusted noninterest expense, efficiency ratio (FTE), net interest margin (FTE) and net interest spread (FTE) for the applicable periods presented.

    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Non-GAAP Reconciliation (Unaudited)
    (Dollars and shares in thousands, except per share data)
     
        Three Months Ended   Six Months Ended
          2025       2024       2025       2024  
        Jun 30,   Mar 31,   Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Jun 30,   Jun 30,   Jun 30,
    Reconciliation of return on average common equity to return on average tangible common equity:                            
    Net income   $ 21,813     $ 21,507     $ 21,786     $ 20,524     $ 24,673     $ 43,320     $ 46,184  
    After-tax amortization expense     157       176       196       220       243       333       509  
    Adjusted net income available to common shareholders   $ 21,970     $ 21,683     $ 21,982     $ 20,744     $ 24,916     $ 43,653     $ 46,693  
                                 
    Average shareholders’ equity   $ 815,473     $ 824,893     $ 822,234     $ 806,230     $ 796,698     $ 820,157     $ 790,876  
    Less: Average intangibles for the period     (202,569 )     (202,784 )     (203,020 )     (203,288 )     (203,581 )     (202,676 )     (203,745 )
    Average tangible shareholders’ equity   $ 612,904     $ 622,109     $ 619,214     $ 602,942     $ 593,117     $ 617,481     $ 587,131  
                                 
    Return on average tangible common equity     14.38 %     14.14 %     14.12 %     13.69 %     16.90 %     14.26 %     15.99 %
                                 
    Reconciliation of book value per share to tangible book value per share:                            
    Common equity at end of period   $ 807,200     $ 816,623     $ 811,942     $ 805,254     $ 800,970     $ 807,200     $ 800,970  
    Less: Intangible assets at end of period     (202,449 )     (202,647 )     (202,870 )     (203,119 )     (203,397 )     (202,449 )     (203,397 )
    Tangible common shareholders’ equity at end of period   $ 604,751     $ 613,976     $ 609,072     $ 602,135     $ 597,573     $ 604,751     $ 597,573  
                                 
    Total assets at end of period   $ 8,339,966     $ 8,343,300     $ 8,517,448     $ 8,362,263     $ 8,357,702     $ 8,339,966     $ 8,357,702  
    Less: Intangible assets at end of period     (202,449 )     (202,647 )     (202,870 )     (203,119 )     (203,397 )     (202,449 )     (203,397 )
    Tangible assets at end of period   $ 8,137,517     $ 8,140,653     $ 8,314,578     $ 8,159,144     $ 8,154,305     $ 8,137,517     $ 8,154,305  
                                 
    Period end tangible equity to period end tangible assets     7.43 %     7.54 %     7.33 %     7.38 %     7.33 %     7.43 %     7.33 %
                                 
    Common shares outstanding end of period     30,082       30,410       30,379       30,308       30,261       30,082       30,261  
    Tangible book value per common share   $ 20.10     $ 20.19     $ 20.05     $ 19.87     $ 19.75     $ 20.10     $ 19.75  
                                 
    Reconciliation of efficiency ratio to efficiency ratio (FTE), net interest margin to net interest margin (FTE) and net interest spread to net interest spread (FTE):                            
    Net interest income (GAAP)   $ 54,266     $ 53,852     $ 53,707     $ 55,464     $ 53,608     $ 108,118     $ 106,956  
    Tax-equivalent adjustments:                            
    Loans     565       581       598       608       633       1,146       1,289  
    Tax-exempt investment securities     1,868       1,772       1,935       2,012       2,051       3,640       4,131  
    Net interest income (FTE) (1)     56,699       56,205       56,240       58,084       56,292       112,904       112,376  
    Noninterest income     12,145       10,223       12,281       8,171       11,557       22,368       21,281  
    Nonrecurring income (2)           554       (25 )     2,797       (576 )     554       (558 )
    Total revenue   $ 68,844     $ 66,982     $ 68,496     $ 69,052     $ 67,273     $ 135,826     $ 133,099  
                                 
    Noninterest expense   $ 39,257     $ 37,089     $ 38,159     $ 36,332     $ 35,765     $ 76,346     $ 72,646  
    Pre-tax amortization expense     (198 )     (223 )     (249 )     (278 )     (307 )     (421 )     (644 )
    Nonrecurring expense (3)     (2,090 )     (1 )     (919 )     (219 )     2       (2,091 )     19  
    Adjusted noninterest expense   $ 36,969     $ 36,865     $ 36,991     $ 35,835     $ 35,460     $ 73,834     $ 72,021  
                                 
    Efficiency ratio     55.67 %     57.04 %     56.08 %     53.94 %     54.90 %     56.34 %     56.41 %
    Efficiency ratio (FTE) (1)     53.70 %     55.04 %     54.00 %     51.90 %     52.71 %     54.36 %     54.11 %
                                 
    Average earning assets   $ 7,709,799     $ 7,958,424     $ 7,913,371     $ 7,823,026     $ 7,881,919     $ 7,833,425     $ 7,882,128  
                                 
    Net interest margin     2.82 %     2.74 %     2.70 %     2.82 %     2.74 %     2.78 %     2.73 %
    Net interest margin (FTE) (1)     2.95 %     2.86 %     2.83 %     2.95 %     2.87 %     2.91 %     2.87 %
                                 
    Net interest spread     2.15 %     2.08 %     1.99 %     2.10 %     2.00 %     2.11 %     2.01 %
    Net interest spread (FTE) (1)     2.27 %     2.20 %     2.12 %     2.23 %     2.13 %     2.23 %     2.15 %
    (1) These amounts are presented on a fully taxable-equivalent basis and are non-GAAP measures.
    (2) These adjustments may include net gain or loss on sale of securities available for sale, BOLI income related to death benefits realized and other investment income or loss in the periods where applicable.
    (3) These adjustments may include foreclosure expenses, branch closure expenses and other miscellaneous expense, in the periods where applicable.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Drive for energy efficiency sees registration of 7 000 buildings

    Source: Government of South Africa

    The Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy, Samantha Graham-Maré, has announced that over 7 000 public and private buildings have registered for an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

    An EPC is a certificate that indicates how much energy is being used to operate a building, which is indicated through a performance scale of A-G, with A indicating a building is most energy efficient and G being least energy efficient. 

    The requirement of having an EPC will play a key role in greenhouse gas emissions reduction, which is a key requirement to improve energy efficiency and saving costs.

    As part of the Department of Electricity and Energy’s (DEE) and South African Energy Development Institute’s (Sanedi) priority to drive energy efficiency in South Africa, organisations have until 7 December 2025 to register for the certificate.

    “With only five months left before registrations close, large building owners need to prioritise this. We aim to reach 60 000 registrations by the closing date. I am working with the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Mcpherson, and will also be working with Premiers and Mayors to ensure that this issue gets immediate attention. 

    “There is an opportunity for all South Africans to play a vital role in reducing carbon emissions and benefit from the programme,” said the Deputy Minister.

    Since its launch in December 2020 until 21 July 2025, a total of 7 113 buildings have registered, and 3 884 EPCs have been issued. 

    “I urge all building owners, both public and private, to adopt and implement alternative and energy-saving methods. We need to be creative and innovative so that we save on energy. 

    “Some practical ways to do this include installing LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulbs and smart geysers, fitting solar panels, and turning off appliances when they are not in use. I encourage anyone to engage my department about the programme and how they can implement this initiative,” Graham-Maré said.

    The purpose of EPCs:

    • Indicates the energy performance of a building,
    • Serve as regulatory tools/instruments targeting inefficient buildings, encouraging transformation towards energy-efficient buildings,
    • Are indicators for building owners to note and change their consumption patterns to benefit financially and comply with regulations, and
    • In the long term, they promote the reduction of Greenhouse gas emissions through the implementation of energy efficiency interventions using reliable data from existing EPCs. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Africa: G20 nations called to be bold in addressing development challenges

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa, has called on G20 nations to demonstrate bold leadership and shared accountability in addressing the world’s most pressing development challenges.

    Ramokgopa has emphasised the importance of inclusive growth, social protection, and sustainable financing.

    “This week is crucial for the advancement of our shared commitment to confront global development challenges. We gather not just as Ministers and officials, but as stewards of a common ambition to build a world in which progress does not bypass the most vulnerable,” the Minister said.

    The Minister addressed the Fourth G20 Development Working Group (DWG) Meeting at Skukuza Lodge, in the Kruger National Park which wraps up today.

    The working group meetings, hosted under South Africa’s G20 Presidency brought together G20 member states, invited countries, and international organisations to discuss key development priorities.  

    These include the need to tackle illicit financial flows, strengthen domestic resource mobilisation, advance inclusive social protection systems and align development finance with the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Ramokgopa underscored the urgent need to address illicit financial flows, describing them as a threat to financial stability and a barrier to development.

    “Illicit financial flows undermine public trust, drain essential resources, and destabilise economies. We urge global cooperation on automatic data sharing, beneficial ownership transparency, and digital identity tracking. We must shine light into the shadowy corners of the global financial system to finance sustainable futures,” she said.

    The Minister said social protection should not be viewed as an act of charity but as a core pillar of sustainable development contributing to economic growth, societal cohesion, and gender equity.

    The Development Working Group meetings were a culmination of negotiations working toward the ministerial declarations that were handed over for the Ministerial Meeting.

    There was an introduction to the G20 USA Presidency, and the meeting was closed with a tribute to the delegation whose hard work and determination were instrumental in shaping a progressive and unified outcome.

    South Africa’s G20 Presidency continues to prioritise inclusive dialogue and bold action in driving global progress through sustainable development, justice, and financial reform. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Africa: KZN Treasury withdraws support to Umkhanyakude District Municipality

    Source: Government of South Africa

    KwaZulu-Natal Treasury has officially withdrawn its financial support services to Umkhanyakude District Municipality, citing concerns over wasteful expenditure and lack of cooperation from municipal officials.

    Finance MEC Francois Rodgers confirmed the decision in a formal letter addressed to the municipality’s mayor, Siphile Mdaka, on Thursday.

    Rodgers said the decision was taken in a bid to conserve provincial government resources and redirect them where it is possible to work freely in the spirit of building a capable and ethical state.

    According to the MEC, KZN Treasury teams had on various occasions travelled to Umkhanyakhude a day in advance, to facilitate a full productive day with municipal officials.

    However, the teams have often found themselves subjected to late cancellations of sessions by municipal officials, either the evening before, the mornings of scheduled meetings.

    “These [recurring late cancellations] has resulted in fruitless and wasteful expenditure being incurred by KZN Provincial Treasury,” Rodgers said.

    In his letter to the mayor, Rodgers emphasised that Treasury has limited resources, and in determining which municipalities to support; the municipal manager is required to “commit to the initiative and to provide assurance that the Treasury teams will receive full cooperation.”

    “This clearly has not happened, and I have therefore instructed my team to withdraw from the municipality and to reassign the resources to other municipalities that desperately require our support,” Rodgers said.

    Intervention in municipality

    The withdrawal of support comes as Umkhanyakude District Municipality faces heightened scrutiny.

    KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Thulasizwe Buthelezi, recently invoked Section 139(1)(b) of the Constitution to place the municipality under administration.

    The section empowers the provincial government to intervene when a municipality fails to fulfil its constitutional mandate to deliver services.

    Buthelezi has launched a forensic investigation under Section 106 of the Municipal Systems Act to probe allegations of corruption and maladministration within the municipality.

    “This investigation, being conducted in terms of Section 106 of the Municipal Systems Act, aims to thoroughly examine the various allegations. The intervention will ensure that officials are held accountable should any wrongdoing be uncovered by the investigators,” Buthelezi said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Sierra Leone and African Development Bank Target $90 Billion in Annual Illicit Financial Flows

    Source: APO

    A four-day high-level seminar concluded last week with concrete recommendations to combat the estimated $90 billion that Africa loses annually to illicit financial flows, as the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) and Sierra Leone Government intensify efforts to strengthen natural resource governance.

    More than 70 stakeholders from government, civil society, private sector, and international organizations gathered at The Place Resort in Tokeh  under the theme “Harnessing Africa’s Wealth: Curbing Illicit Financial Flows for Resilient Growth and Development.” Illicit financial flows are among Africa’s most pressing economic challenges.

    The dialogue produced specific policy recommendations, including establishing national communities of practice, implementing institutional reforms, and enhancing transparency in resource-backed lending (RBL). Participants agreed that RBLs should be treated as “an option of last resort” and used only with maximum transparency and for investments that directly contribute to repayment capacity.

    “This initiative can help us improve revenue from natural resources by blocking leakages through illegal natural resource trade and improved management of resource-backed lending,” said Sierra Leone’s Finance Minister Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura.

    The workshop sessions focused on identifying illicit financial flows, managing resource-backed lending, and developing transparent governance mechanisms. Participants reviewed findings from the Sierra Leone Country Diagnostic Report, which examined illegal natural resource trade and institutional capacity gaps.

    International expert Bernd Schlenter from Rand Sandton Consulting Group presented technical insights on illicit financial flows patterns and policy recommendations during the intensive sessions.

    Halima Hashi, African Development Bank Country Manager for Sierra Leone, noted the project aligns with the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy 2024-2033 and Natural Resources Management and Investment Action Plan 2025-2029.

    Broader Impact

    The GONAT Project, funded by the African Development Bank’s Transitional Support Facility, has three pillars: policy analysis and diagnostics, capacity strengthening, and high-level policy dialogue. The initiative supports the African Development Bank’s mission to optimize Africa’s natural wealth for inclusive prosperity.

    “Achieving transparent and equitable natural resource management is not merely a technical exercise—it is a strategic imperative for Africa’s future,” said Dr. Eric Ogunleye, Director of the African Development Bank’s African Development Institute.

    The seminar produced a draft communique for national adoption, with participants pledging to transform the policy recommendations into actionable reforms.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

    Media Contact:
    Natalie Nkembuh
    Communication and Media Relations Department
    media@afdb.org

    Media files

    .

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Champions Women-Led Digital Trade in West Africa

    Source: APO


    .

    The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and with the support of the Western Africa Regional Digital Integration Program (WARDIP) funded by World Bank, convened an eTrade for Women Joint Workshop in Lagos, on Friday July 17th, 2025, to spotlight and strengthen the role of women-led digital businesses in regional trade. This event was held as part of a broader regional agenda to build a more inclusive, connected, and digitally enabled West Africa.

    In his statement on behalf of Madame Massandjé TOURE-LITSE, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mr. Kolawole SOFOLA, Director of Trade at the ECOWAS Commission, welcomed participants and noted the event’s importance in advancing inclusive digital transformation. He highlighted that the ECOWAS E-Commerce Strategy, adopted by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in July 2023, places women, youth, and small-scale producers at the centre of digital trade reforms to promote regional integration and inclusive development. Through platforms and dialogues such as the workshop, ECOWAS reaffirms its commitment to gender-responsive policymaking and sustainable digital trade development in West Africa.

    In her opening remarks, Madam Sonia NNAGOZIE, the representative of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) highlighted the role of digital trade in unlocking new opportunities for women entrepreneurs across West Africa. She echoed the importance of the workshop in delivering actionable recommendations to improve women’s participation in digital trade. She went on to commend ECOWAS for leading the way in building an enabling digital ecosystem that supports women and appreciated the ongoing partnership between UNCTAD and ECOWAS.

    The workshop served as a platform for dialogue, policy coordination, and knowledge sharing. Participants discussed the structural and policy barriers women face in participating in the digital economy, and shared practical solutions and good practices that promote women’s digital empowerment.

    The event also showcased ECOWAS-led initiatives such as the ECOWAS Trade and Gender Action Plan, export readiness trainings, and platforms like the 50 Million African Women Speak (50MAWS) and the Business-to-Business matchmaking platform of the West Africa Competitiveness Observatory.

    The Workshop was attended by a cross-section of stakeholders including women entrepreneurs, representatives of Ministries responsible for trade in ECOWAS, and development partners.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Launches Regional E-Commerce Committee to Accelerate Digital Trade Integration

    Source: APO


    .

    The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has officially launched the Regional E-Commerce Committee, marking another milestone in the implementation of the ECOWAS Regional E-Commerce Strategy (2023–2027) on Wednesday July 16th, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria. The launch was immediately followed by the Committee’s first meeting, which brought together representatives from Member States and Community institutions.

    In his opening remarks during the launch ceremony, Dr. Tony Luka Elumelu, the Acting Director of Private Sector, ECOWAS Commission highlighted the private sector as both a key driver and beneficiary of digital transformation. He stressed the significance of e-commerce in unlocking opportunities under African Continental Free Trade Agreement and called for robust implementation of digital reforms. He described the establishment of the Regional E-Commerce Committee as pivotal to fostering private-sector-led digital economies.

    Madam Sally Koroma, the representative of the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Sierra Leone and Chair of the Meeting emphasized the potential of e-commerce to boost inclusive growth. She highlighted the importance of harmonized regulations, secure infrastructure, digital literacy, and tailored financing to unlock the full benefits of digital trade. She commended the ECOWAS E-Commerce Strategy as critical to addressing these barriers and called for collective action among Member States, development partners, and the private sector to move from ambition to implementation, and build an inclusive, gender-responsive digital economy.

    In his goodwill message, Mr. Pedro Manuel Moreno, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) congratulated ECOWAS on its 50th anniversary, marking five decades of regional cooperation. He celebrated the adoption of the ECOWAS Regional E-Commerce Strategy and highlighted the role of digitalisation in realizing ECOWAS Vision 2050. He reaffirmed UNCTAD’s commitment to support digital reform, encourage inclusive digital ecosystems, and advance women’s economic empowerment within the region. He closed with a call to action to make e-commerce a driver of prosperity, innovation, and regional unity.

    In the keynote address, on behalf of Madame Massandjé TOURE-LITSE, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mr. Kolawole SOFOLA, Director of Trade of the ECOWAS Commission, underscored the significance of the launch of the Regional E-Commerce Committee during the 50th Anniversary celebrations of ECOWAS, noting the progress that had been made in advancing regional integration and the opportunities that lay ahead through digitalisation. He emphasized that the Committee would serve as a platform for implementing strategic goals, aligning policies, and accelerating digital trade across borders.

    Mr. Sofola called for continued collaboration across all stakeholders to realise the Strategy’s vision of an inclusive and sustainable digital future for West Africa. Finally, he declared the ECOWAS Regional E-Commerce Committee launched.

    The newly established Committee is a central feature of the governance framework outlined in the ECOWAS E-Commerce Strategy, which was adopted by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in July 2023. It is designed to steer the implementation of digital trade reforms, foster inter-institutional coordination, and promote inclusive participation across the region, particularly of women, youth, and MSMEs.

    The launch and first meeting were attended by representatives of the Ministries responsible for Trade from ECOWAS Member States and the internal working group on e-commerce, consisting of key directorates and agencies of the ECOWAS Commission. Prior to the launch, the internal working group on e-commerce received a training on the e-Trade Reform Tracker, a tool for monitoring implementation of the E-Commerce Strategy. Both activities were supported by the UNCTAD and the Western Africa Regional Digital Integration Program (WARDIP) funded by World Bank.

    The meeting considered the overview of the ECOWAS E-Commerce Strategy, continental and regional digital initiatives as well as key initiatives from Member States in advancing e-commerce. The meeting concluded with the adoption of the terms of reference for the Committee and a call for continued collaboration among ECOWAS Member States to promote implementation of the E-Commerce Strategy.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: At UN High-Level Political Forum, UNECE calls for engagement of all enablers and partnerships to achieve SDGs

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    With just five years remaining to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the world faces a deepening social crisis. Economic insecurity, widening inequalities, and declining social trust undermine progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and threaten the foundations of peaceful, inclusive societies.  

    Taking part in the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York (14 – 23 July), UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean outlined the tools, initiatives and partnerships from the UNECE region that can help develop efficient and inclusive policy solutions for some of the most pressing issues, including demographic pressure, education, employment, housing, and social care. This requires the full engagement of all of society and harnessing of several key enablers. 

    Enablers and partnerships to advance SDGs 

    To advance the 2030 Agenda, and identify efficient and inclusive policy solutions, UNECE engages key enablers and all relevant stakeholders: 

    These enablers and stakeholders play a strong role in co-creating and implementing standards and policies, guiding progress in many technology-driven areas, such as autonomous vehicles, the smart energy transition, cross-border connectivity, but also in environmental governance, namely transboundary water cooperation, noted the Executive Secretary at the HLPF regional session. 

    To unlock financing for the SDGs, UNECE prioritizes bringing together the public and private sectors through its PPP and Infrastructure Evaluation and Rating System (PIERS), a quality assurance tool that helps governments and stakeholders ensure that PPP and infrastructure projects are well designed and aligned with the SDGs and can therefore attract investors. They are crucial for building resilient infrastructure and maintaining public services. 

    Given the importance of local policies and action in advancing SDGs, UNECE’s Forum of Mayors promotes exchanges between cities and gives them a voice at the multilateral level.  

    Finally, with their valuable perspectives, civil society and youth play an important role in finding and devising policy solutions across many areas of UNECE work, which is why they are an important pillar of the UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development.  

    Strengthening social inclusion and adequate housing 

    Despite considerable wealth and innovation, the UNECE region is witnessing deep and growing disparities: between urban and rural areas, generations, and different groups. Social protection systems facing significant demographic pressures, fiscal constraints, and new labour dynamics. This requires investing in inclusive education, training and re-skilling initiatives, especially for disadvantaged groups, such as youth, women and older people, noted the Executive Secretary at the UNDESA global policy dialogue “Accelerating Social Progress to Boost SDG Implementation.”  

    UNECE’s work in this area shows that investing in adequate care infrastructure is not only a social imperative but also economically beneficial as it empowers people to participate in society and the economy. The upcoming World Summit for Social Development in Doha offers an important opportunity to act on commitments from the recent 4th International Conference on Financing for Development and to align both public spending and private finance with inclusive objectives. 

    Access to adequate and affordable housing has emerged as an issue central to achieving social inclusion and the SDGs. Through its Committee on Housing, Urban Development and Land Management, as well as the Forum of Mayors, UNECE supports national and local governments to design and implement inclusive, energy-efficient and climate-responsive urban policies and help them transform housing into a pillar of social stability, the Executive Secretary stressed at the high-level dialogue on adequate housing, co-hosted by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and UN-Habitat. 

    The upcoming UNECE Forum of Mayors in October 2025 will feature a dedicated segment on adequate housing, with discussion feeding into a Ministerial Meeting on Housing Affordability and Sustainability on 8 October in Geneva. 

    Role of UNECE and other UN Regional Commissions  

    The UN Regional Commissions play a key role in convening, coordinating and driving innovative policy solutions. As the custodian of several global conventions, agreements and treaties with strong implications for multiple industries, UNECE plays a unique role in helping UN Member States to achieve social and economic wellbeing.  

    UNECE’s policy, standard-setting and capacity-building work across areas, such as energy, environment, trade, transport and many more, helps to boost predictability, investor confidence, as well as institutional, regulatory and policy conditions to facilitate bankable projects.      

    In that respect the UN80 initiative, which aims to strengthen efficiencies and coordination across the UN system, can unlock further benefits for member States, noted the Executive Secretary during her exchanges with representatives of Denmark, France, The Netherlands, Slovenia, United States, and Uzbekistan.  

    Photo credits: UN / UNECE

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: WFP concludes El Nino Emergency Drought Relief Response through the global humanitarian fund in Namibia

    Source: World Food Programme

    WINDHOEK – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in collaboration with partner organisations, has successfully wrapped up a critical a nine-month emergency response in support of the Government of Namibia’s Emergency Drought Response Plan to the El Niño-induced drought.

    With a contribution of US$3 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (UN-CERF), WFP supported the government in delivering life-saving food and nutrition assistance to over 63,000 vulnerable people across Kavango East, Kavango West, and Omaheke regions between October 2024 and June 2025.

    In addition to food assistance, the project served as a platform for integrated service delivery. At food distribution sites, UNICEF provided outreach and basic health screenings for more than 83,500 people and facilitated referrals for malnourished children. UNFPA reached more than 22,400 people with Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) services through daily mobile outreach in schools and communities. A community feedback mechanism system was also established, enabling affected populations to share their needs, concerns and suggestions to help shape and improve the response. 

    “This emergency response was about more than just delivering food, it was about restoring dignity and hope to communities hit hardest by the drought,” said Naouar Labidi, WFP Country Representative in Namibia. “Thanks to the generous support from UN-CERF and our collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister and UN partners, namely the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), we reached tens of thousands of people with vital humanitarian assistance. But we also used this moment to invest in local capacity, strengthen partnerships, and helping communities build the resilience they need to face climate shocks.”

    The contribution from CERF allowed over 41,000 people (nearly 7000 households) to receive three rounds of food vouchers, enabling them to purchase essential items such as maize meal, canned fish and cooking oil from 25 participating retailers. This not only supported immediate needs, but also helped boost the local economy, laying the groundwork for longer-term resilience by supporting local businesses, creating employment opportunities, and strengthening local supply chains. At the same time, 22,000 children received hot and nutritious meals from 155 conveniently located soup kitchens.

    WFP remains committed to working closely with the Government of Namibia, UN agencies and partners to strengthen food systems, build community resilience and enhance emergency preparedness to future climate shocks.

    #                 #                   #

    About the World Food Programme

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.

    Follow us on Twitter; @wfp_media, @WFP_SAfrica, @WFPNamibia

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ‘Container Village’ plans get greenlight

    Source: City of Norwich

    Published on Friday, 25th July 2025

    Plans to create a ‘container village’ in Magdalen Street car park were given the thumbs up at Norwich City Council’s planning committee yesterday (24 July).

    The proposals from Meanwhile Creative will see a thriving meanwhile space, named St Saviours Yard, comprising 86 containers at the site which will offer an eclectic retail and leisure offer plus workspaces for business start-ups, makers and creatives.

    Councillor Carli Harper, cabinet member for finance and major projects said: “I am really looking forward to seeing St Saviours Yard up and running. With the addition of the container village Magdalen Street is set to become a buzzing part of the city.”

    Fred Wyatt, founder at Meanwhile Creative said: “At Meanwhile Creative, we know that the world of small business is changing. Nationwide there is a shortage of suitable and affordable commercial workspace offering startups, makers and creatives the necessary flexibility to grow and try new things. Whether that flexibility is to grow and shrink or how they adapt and use the space, our aim is to accommodate everyone.”

    The new meanwhile space is part of wider plans to redevelop Anglia Square and yesterday’s decision follows news last week of a new investment partnership between the council and Aviva Capital Partners.

    Ben Luckett, Chair of Aviva Capital Partners and Norwich Community Ambassador, said: “The regeneration of Anglia Square is an important moment for Norwich, and we’re proud to be supporting a development that reflects the city’s vibrant future. The introduction of a box park-style container village is an exciting first step, bringing together small businesses, creatives and entrepreneurs.”

    Work will now begin to prepare St Saviours car park ready to host the box park, which is expected to open its doors in the autumn.

    For more information on the container village go to www.stsavioursyard.co.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: InvestHK visits UK to forge stronger Hong Kong-UK partnerships on sustainability and green tech innovation (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         ​Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) completed a fruitful visit to the United Kingdom (UK) from July 13 to 20, championing Hong Kong as a premier international green technology hub for UK companies seeking growth and collaboration opportunities in Asia and beyond.

         During the visit, the Senior Vice President (Sustainability) for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at InvestHK, Ms Olivia To, engaged with key stakeholders in London and Cambridge to foster two-way business opportunities and deepen co-operation in sustainability and green tech innovation.

         In London, Ms To held extensive discussions with leading UK’s new energy, new materials and digital companies, as well as UK Research and Innovation, the national funding agency investing in science and research, Sustainable Ventures, a leading green tech hub and ecosystem provider, Generation Investment Management, a sustainable investment management firm, London & Partners, London’s business growth and destination agency, and London GreenCity, a clean technology entrepreneurs accelerator providing prototyping lab and collaborative community.

         In Cambridge, Ms To spoke at the event titled “Powering Tomorrow: Deep Tech Innovations for a Sustainable Energy Future”, co-organised by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and Full Vision Capital, highlighting the competitive advantages Hong Kong offers energy and technology companies to grow and thrive across the region. The conference featured dynamic keynotes on growth strategies for clean energy start-ups, panel discussions on disruptive energy innovations, and a start-up demo where over 30 start-ups showcased their cutting-edge solutions. The event culminated in the announcement of the 4th TERA-Award Winner receiving a prize of US$1 million and a celebratory Gala Dinner, fostering further global networking and collaboration opportunities.

         Ms To said, “Hong Kong’s unparalleled status as a global financial powerhouse connects the East and West markets, bolstered by its dynamic green tech ecosystem and visionary government initiatives like the Green Tech Fund, the Innovation and Technology Fund and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation’s GreenTech Hub, and positions it as the premier gateway for UK companies to amplify green innovations across Asia. This visit underscores our dedication to fostering collaboration in sustainability and green technology between Hong Kong and the UK. We look forward to supporting more UK companies in establishing and expanding their presence in Hong Kong, utilising our robust financial infrastructure to facilitate financing and IPO listings that attract international capital.”

         The Executive Chairman of the TERA-Award, Mr Alan Chan, stated, “It was our pleasure to have InvestHK’s participation in our TERA-Award event. Together, we are building a stronger global innovation ecosystem that connects investors, start-ups, and green organisations, fostering groundbreaking solutions in smart energy. We look forward to working closely with InvestHK to further expand our promotion of the TERA-Award to the global market and establish a bridge between the international energy contexts.”

         The Chief Innovation Officer from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Mr James Cole, said, “We are delighted to welcome InvestHK’s participation in our event, enhancing the collaboration between the UK and Hong Kong economies, supporting sustainability start-ups and strengthening the ecosystem. This collaboration ignites our commitment to forge global partnerships that will propel deep tech innovations, fostering a greener and more resilient future. Together, we anticipate to deepen our collaboration to accelerate the transition to a sustainable future and empower the next generation of innovators.”

         Co-Founder of London GreenCity Mr Laith Anezi said, “Both Hong Kong and the UK share a strong commitment to driving innovation in green technology. InvestHK’s visit has forged a robust foundation for strengthening ties between Hong Kong and British sustainability and green tech companies. We are excited to deepen our partnership with InvestHK, driving innovation to shape a sustainable world together.”

         Hong Kong, as the world’s third-largest financial hub, is well positioned to be the global leader in green tech and finance. The city is transitioning to cleaner energy sources, targeting carbon neutrality by 2050, supported by the Strategy of Hydrogen Development in Hong Kong and significant investments in the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone.

         In green mobility, Hong Kong’s roadmap for electric vehicles has seen 70 per cent of newly registered private cars in 2024 be electric, with plans to establish the city as a green maritime fuel bunkering centre.

         This visit to the UK is a testament to Hong Kong’s dedication to fostering international collaboration and driving the global transition to a sustainable future. By attracting more UK companies in sustainable technology and innovation, Hong Kong aims to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions that address the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Persons wanted for suspected contravention of Hong Kong National Security Law

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force today (July 25) announced that 19 persons suspected of committing offences under the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong National Security Law) by organising, establishing, or participating in, outside Hong Kong, a subversive organisation named the “Hong Kong Parliament” have been put on wanted list, with reward in respect of each wanted person being offered.  The court has, upon application by Police, issued arrest warrants against the following persons at large:

    (1) Nine persons including male Yuan Gong-yi, male Ho Leung-mau Victor, male Fok Ka-chi, male Choi Ming-da, female Chan Lai-chun, male Feng Chongyi, female Gong Sasha, male Ng Man-yan and male Tsang Wai-fan, who organised, outside the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), election for the “Hong Kong Parliament” to establish the so-called “Hong Kong Parliament”; and

    (2) Ten persons including female Chin Po-fun, male Ha Hoi-chun Paul, male Hau Chung-yu, male Ho Wing-yau, male Keung Ka-wai, male Lam Tony, female Ng Agnes, male Wong Chun-wah, male Wong Sau-wo and female Zhang Xinyan, who participated as candidates in the “Hong Kong Parliament” election and, upon being elected, took an oath to serve as so-called “members of the Hong Kong Parliament”.

    The “Hong Kong Parliament” aims to subvert state power; its objectives include promoting “self-determination”, promulgating the so-called “Hong Kong Constitution”, and overthrowing or undermining the basic system of the People’s Republic of China established by the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China or overthrowing the body of the central power of People’s Republic of China or the body of power of the HKSAR with unlawful means, thereby suspected of committing the offence of “Subversion” contrary to Article 22 of the Hong Kong National Security Law.  Thus, Police applied to the court for arrest warrants in accordance with the law and put the persons on wanted list. The legal basis and basic facts for putting the persons on the wanted list are in the Annex.

    Amongst the aforementioned fugitives, Yuan Gong-yi, Ho Leung-mau Victor, Fok Ka-chi and Choi Ming-da have been put on wanted list with a reward of HK$1 million each for suspected of committing offences endangering national security.  The Secretary for Security has also exercised powers conferred by section 89 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, in June and December 2024, to specify Yuan Gong-yi, Fok Ka-chi and Choi Ming-da as absconders and to specify the measures to be applied against them by notices published in Gazette.  Police will continue to make every effort to bring all the wanted persons to justice.

    For the remaining 15 wanted persons, a reward of HK$200,000 in respect of each of them is being offered by Police to any member of the public, who can provide information on the wanted persons or related cases. The investigation is ongoing, and further persons will be put on wanted list with rewards offered if necessary.

    Police reiterated that “endangering national security is a very serious offence, and such acts or activities may lead to extremely serious consequences.  According to Article 37 of the Hong Kong National Security Law, this Law shall apply to a person who is a permanent resident of the HKSAR or an incorporated or unincorporated body such as a company or an organisation which is set up in the HKSAR if the person or the body commits an offence under the Hong Kong National Security Law outside the HKSAR.  Additionally, Article 38 of the Hong Kong National Security Law stipulates that this Law shall apply to offences under this Law committed against the HSKAR from outside the HKSAR by a person who is not a permanent resident of the HKSAR. Therefore, the Hong Kong Police Force has the responsibility to pursue, in accordance with the law, persons suspected of committing offences under the Hong Kong National Security Law outside Hong Kong.”

    “According to Article 33 of the Hong Kong National Security Law, if an offender voluntarily discontinues the commission of the offence; voluntarily surrenders himself or herself and gives a truthful account of the offence; or reports on the offence committed by other person or provides material information which assists in solving other criminal case, a lighter penalty may be imposed, or the penalty may be reduced.  The above wanted persons are urged to surrender to Hong Kong Police over their roles in engaging in endangering national security activities, so as to rectify their mistakes.”

    Police also pointed out that no matter in what ways, including through the internet, it is illegal for any person to aid, abet or provide pecuniary or other financial assistance or property to other persons for participating in any illegal activities related to the “Hong Kong Parliament” or to commit other offences endangering national security. Police urge members of the public to abide by the law and Police will strictly enforce the law.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI: Webcast details for Orrön Energy’s Q2 presentation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Orrön Energy AB (“Orrön Energy”) will publish its financial report for the second quarter 2025 on Wednesday, 6 August 2025 at 07:30 CEST, followed by a webcast at 14:00 CEST.

    Listen to Daniel Fitzgerald, CEO and Espen Hennie, CFO commenting on the report and describing the latest developments in Orrön Energy at a webcast on 6 August 2025 at 14:00 CEST, followed by a question-and-answer session.

    Registration for the webcast presentation is available on the website and the below link:
    https://orron-energy.events.inderes.com/q2-report-2025

    For further information, please contact:

    Robert Eriksson
    Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations
    Tel: +46 701 11 26 15
    robert.eriksson@orron.com

    Jenny Sandström
    Communications Lead
    Tel: +41 79 431 63 68
    jenny.sandstrom@orron.com

    Orrön Energy is an independent, publicly listed (Nasdaq Stockholm: “ORRON”) renewable energy company within the Lundin Group of Companies. Orrön Energy’s core portfolio consists of high quality, cash flow generating assets in the Nordics, coupled with greenfield growth opportunities in the Nordics, the UK, Germany and France. With significant financial capacity to fund further growth and acquisitions, and backed by a major shareholder, management and Board with a proven track record of investing into, leading and growing highly successful businesses, Orrön Energy is in a unique position to create shareholder value through the energy transition.

    Forward-looking statements
    Statements in this press release relating to any future status or circumstances, including statements regarding future performance, growth and other trend projections, are forward-looking statements. These statements may generally, but not always, be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “seek”, “will”, “would” or similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that could occur in the future. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements due to several factors, many of which are outside the company’s control. Any forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date on which the statements are made and the company has no obligation (and undertakes no obligation) to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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  • MIL-OSI: COFICERT : ORGANIZATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL CEREMONY FOR THE AWARDING OF FINANCIAL AND NON-FINANCIAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATES AT EURONEXT

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

                 

    ORGANIZATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL CEREMONY FOR THE AWARDING OF FINANCIAL AND NON-FINANCIAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATES AT EURONEXT

    On Tuesday, June 25, COFICERT, in partnership with IGSF, hosted an official ceremony to award financial and non-financial compliance certificates at the Euronext headquarters, located at the Paris Stock Exchange.

    Several delegations from institutions known for their dedication to compliance and responsible finance, representing almost fifteen nations, came together for this event. A number of organisations received compliance certificates in line with globally accepted standards, such as the AML 30001® Standard (AML/CFT 2025 version), which is focused on counter-terrorism financing and anti-money laundering, and the MSI 20000® Standard, which is focused on governance and financial quality. The ISO 37001® Standard, which focusses on anti-corruption, and the ESG 1000® Standard, which is dedicated to governance and quality of non-financial governance structures, were also emphasised during the event.

    The ceremony was attended by Véronique de la Bachelerie, President of IGSF, Jérôme Gacoin, President of COFICERT, and Souheil Skander, CEO of COFICERT. It also gathered representatives from the European Commission, the World Bank, the OECD, and the EU Global Facility on AML/CFT, reflecting the growing importance attached to certification to these standards and international cooperation between Europe, Africa, and the Middle East in these areas. This convergence around a shared normative framework demonstrates a collective will to foster greater transparency and a standardized language, serving as a catalyst for universal compliance.

    The companies certified during this ceremony belong to strategic sectors, placing them in a position to drive change within their respective countries or regions, thereby fostering the widespread adoption of best practices and contributing to enhanced integrity across the financial system. Notably, the companies that made the trip to Paris are among the leading financial and economic players on the African continent. West and Central Africa were represented by BSIC and NSIA Bank (Benin, Guinea, Togo, Senegal), as well as BGFIBank Group (Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Cameroon, DRC), all of which hold prominent regional positions. North Africa was well represented by Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt, with leading institutions such as Bank of Tunisia, Tunisie Leasing & Factoring, Tunisie Valeurs, Hannibal Lease, BSB TOYOTA, Attawfiq Microfinance, and Alamana Microfinance. The diversity of these profiles illustrates the inclusive and structuring purpose of the MSI 20000® Standard, uniting key transformational actors at a regional level and compliance drivers at an international level.

    The organization of this event, along with the presence of official delegations and international organizations, underscores the growing importance attributed to financial and non-financial compliance as a pillar of performance, responsibility, and ultimately, value creation.

    Ms. Véronique de la Bachelerie, President of IGSF, emphasized: “The financial and non-financial certifications standardized by IGSF and ISO provide a guarantee of confidence in the financial sustainability of a company (MSI 20000), a guarantee of confidence in the quality of its governance and its risk management policies regarding financial crime through anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML 30001), the fight against corruption (ISO 37001), and finally a guarantee of confidence in its ability to address all environmental and social challenges through the quality of its non-financial governance. More broadly, this contributes to the company’s sustainability – that is the value proposition of ESG 1000, in support of sustainable finance.”

    Mr. Jérôme Gacoin, President of COFICERT, stated: “We have just experienced a moment that is both symbolic and foundational. Symbolic, because the adoption of these standards reflects the commitment of companies and institutions to comply with demanding, internationally recognized standards. Foundational, because it contributes to a dynamic of trust, transparency, and responsibility at both the European and global levels. Furthermore, the Paris Stock Exchange, a crossroads of markets and investments, perfectly embodies COFICERT’s mission: to raise standards, secure economic relationships, and recognize the value of committed organizations.”

    Mr. Souheil Skander, CEO of COFICERT, added: “The companies certified to the MSI 20000, ISO 37001, and AML 30001 standards have successfully turned what was once a constraint into an opportunity and a powerful lever of attractiveness and value creation. Certifications today serve as true benchmarks – they are closely observed and highly valued. They offer undeniable competitive and differentiation advantages, effectively acting as a qualitative filter. These certifications have become tools of assurance, opportunity, and synergy for business development.”

    IGSF (International Group for Sustainability Finance) is a non-profit NGO based in Luxembourg, whose activities aim to channel and organise international efforts in financial and extra-financial standard-setting. As a standard-setting body, IGSF operates along two main axes: first, the technical organization of standards related to financial and extra-financial governance; and second, the dissemination of standards and best practices. The issues addressed by IGSF include financial governance, the fight against financial crime and the social responsibility of companies and organisations of all types.

    COFICERT is a French certification body specializing in financial and non-financial certifications, operating in nearly 50 countries across 3 continents. COFICERT is recognized for its expertise in governance, anti-financial crime, and sustainable finance. It certifies organizations in areas related to sound financial governance (MSI 20000), extra-financial governance (ESG 1000), anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML 30001), and anti-corruption (ISO 37001).

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  • Sealing the Deal: How the India–UK FTA redefines global trade dynamics

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed on July 24, 2025, marks a historic milestone in bilateral relations, transforming the economic landscape between two influential democracies with shared historical ties. At its core, this agreement aims to double the volume of trade between the two nations to $120 billion by 2030, signalling a shift in strategic and economic alignment in a post-Brexit global order. This comprehensive trade pact not only strengthens commercial ties but also deepens diplomatic and development-oriented collaboration across sectors. The agreement is ambitious in scope, eliminating tariffs on 99% of Indian exports to the United Kingdom covering almost 100% of trade value while India reciprocates by reducing tariffs on 90% of UK goods, with 85% becoming duty-free within a decade. The FTA is expected to boost India’s annual exports by $5 billion and create over one million jobs within five years, catalysing both industrial growth and employment in labour-intensive and technology-oriented sectors.

    India’s principal gain lies in its sweeping access to the UK market for sectors where it has a strong comparative advantage. Labour-intensive industries textiles and clothing, leather and footwear, processed food, gems and jewellery, and marine exports stand to benefit immediately from duty-free treatment. The UK has agreed to eliminate tariffs that previously ranged from 4% to as high as 70% on many Indian goods. For example, the processed food sector, which was earlier subject to duties of up to 70%, now enjoys zero-duty access on 99.7% of tariff lines. This development is monumental for rural India, where the agri-processing ecosystem is vital for both livelihood generation and export earnings.

    India’s textile and apparel industry, a major source of employment and a vital segment of its exports, is among the biggest beneficiaries. Previously subject to duties of up to 10–12% in the UK, Indian textiles now enjoy duty-free access. This policy move levels the playing field for Indian exporters against rivals such as Bangladesh and Vietnam, enhancing the competitiveness of cotton, synthetic fabrics, and finished garments. With projected gains of $5 billion in textile exports alone, this sector is poised for accelerated growth, enhanced investments, and large-scale job creation, especially in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.

    Equally significant is the liberalisation of leather and footwear exports. These products, which were earlier taxed up to 16%, now enter the UK market duty-free. This shift supports the expansion of India’s footwear and leather goods industry key employment-generating sectors largely dominated by SMEs and artisanal clusters. The FTA is likely to generate substantial growth opportunities for exporters in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu, giving a much-needed fillip to these traditionally under-capitalised industries.

    In the high-value gems and jewellery sector, which contributes significantly to India’s export basket, the FTA brings immediate benefits. Duties of up to 4% on diamonds, gold, and silver ornaments have now been abolished. With duty-free access to a discerning and high-spending UK consumer base, Indian jewellery exporters are expected to see a surge in orders. The improved price competitiveness will also draw investment into India’s precious stones and jewellery sector, especially in Mumbai, Surat, and Jaipur, reinforcing India’s position as a global jewellery hub.

    The agreement also opens new frontiers for engineering goods, auto components, mechanical machinery, and organic chemicals. Tariffs in these segments, previously ranging from 4% to 14%, have been brought down to zero, strengthening India’s manufacturing ecosystem. The UK has also agreed to slash tariffs on automobiles from over 100% to just 10%, albeit under a quota system. This will allow Indian auto parts and engine manufacturers to increase their exports significantly, supporting India’s ‘Make in India’ agenda and integrating more deeply into global supply chains.

    India’s marine products sector particularly shrimp and frozen prawn exports gains a significant boost. Tariffs of up to 20% have been brought to zero, opening a $5.4 billion UK market. The removal of import duties will enhance price competitiveness for Indian seafood in the UK and directly benefit coastal communities and fishermen in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. This measure also aligns with India’s broader objective of revitalising traditional sectors and expanding their global reach.

    In agriculture and processed foods, the FTA proves to be a game-changer. With tariff-free access on 95% of agricultural products including spices, mango pulp, pulses, and tea India’s agri-exports are projected to grow by 20% within three years. This liberalisation directly benefits farmers and small agro-industrial units, integrating them into international markets. Importantly, India has retained full protection for sensitive sectors like dairy, poultry, apples, vegetables, cooking oils, and oats. By refusing tariff concessions in these areas, the agreement ensures that India’s small and marginal farmers are not displaced by foreign competition.

    The India–UK FTA also provides significant advantages in high-tech sectors. Indian electronics exports smartphones, optical fibre cables, inverters, and electronic components now enjoy zero-duty access to the UK. The inclusion of streamlined customs processes and provisions on digital trade further lowers entry barriers, particularly for SMEs venturing into cross-border e-commerce. This has strong implications for India’s fast-growing technology manufacturing ecosystem and supports the expansion of Indian firms into high-value global markets.

    One of the most transformative features of the agreement is its support for the mobility of Indian professionals and skilled workers. The FTA includes provisions to facilitate temporary movement for Indian professionals such as IT engineers, architects, nurses, financial consultants, and even niche cultural workers such as yoga instructors and chefs. Up to 1,800 Indian professionals in these categories will be allowed to work in the UK temporarily. These mobility concessions expand India’s soft power and human capital exports, aligning with the government’s strategy to promote services-led growth.

    Additionally, the Double Contribution Convention (DCC) clause in the FTA exempts Indian workers from making social security contributions in the UK for a period of three years. This is expected to benefit over 75,000 Indian workers currently residing in the UK by significantly reducing their financial burden and enhancing the attractiveness of temporary employment opportunities in Britain. This provision is particularly impactful for the IT/ITeS sector, financial services professionals, and other knowledge economy workers.

    In tandem with these trade and labour mobility benefits, the UK’s offer also includes 99.3% tariff elimination for animal products, 100% duty elimination for marine products, and full liberalisation of key sectors such as chemicals, electrical machinery, plastics, base metals, headgear, ceramics, glass, and clocks. Across all categories, the agreement promises enhanced market access, easier customs procedures, and a simplified regulatory environment each element helping Indian exporters reduce transaction costs and achieve scale.

    Strategically, the FTA supports India’s broader development agenda. It reinforces the objectives of ‘Make in India’, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, and the goal of integrating Indian enterprises particularly MSMEs into global supply chains. The liberalised trade framework incentivises higher production volumes, improved quality standards, and adherence to international compliance norms, all of which contribute to India’s export dynamism. At the same time, by insulating sensitive sectors from duty concessions, the government has safeguarded domestic food security, protected vulnerable producer groups, and upheld rural economic stability.

    The India–UK FTA also carries strong geopolitical undertones. For post-Brexit Britain, deepening trade relations with India a rising economic power is a strategic imperative. For India, the agreement allows diversification of export markets at a time when supply chain realignments are underway globally, particularly due to tensions with China and economic uncertainties in Europe. The FTA offers a resilient and rules-based alternative route to prosperity for both partners, anchored in democratic values and mutual respect.

    The India–UK Free Trade Agreement of 2025 is a landmark pact with far-reaching consequences for trade, employment, mobility, and strategic cooperation. By unlocking duty-free access across vast sectors, protecting domestic interests, and enabling professional mobility, it serves as a blueprint for future FTAs India may sign with other developed economies. The deal is comprehensive, development-oriented, and forward-looking positioning India for a new era of global economic leadership and strengthening its strategic partnership with the United Kingdom in a rapidly evolving world order.

    In conclusion the India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) could serve as a significant catalyst in shaping India’s ongoing and future trade negotiations with the United States and the European Union. As a comprehensive and balanced agreement with a G7 nation, the UK FTA strengthens India’s credibility as a serious and capable negotiator on the global stage. The successful inclusion of sensitive sectors, labour mobility, digital trade provisions, and extensive tariff liberalisation sets a precedent that India can leverage in its stalled or complex discussions with the U.S. and EU. For the United States, which has been engaged in hectic negotiations with India on Bi-lateral Trade Agreement, the Indo-UK FTA could act as a catalyst and a template for further negotiations on a prospective BTA.  Similarly, the European Union has also been in talks with India to clinch a FTA by the end of FY26 and the UK deal demonstrates India’s willingness to offer concessions while protecting key domestic interests. This FTA could thus help bridge trust deficits, unlock political momentum, and create negotiating templates for market access, investment protection, and digital standards. Ultimately, the India–UK FTA could become a benchmark, enhancing India’s bargaining position in global trade diplomacy.

    (Navroop Singh is a New Delhi-based IP attorney and geopolitical analyst)

  • MIL-OSI: Aurora Mobile Leverages Quantum Computing to Accelerate Business Model Innovation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHENZHEN, China, July 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aurora Mobile Limited (NASDAQ: JG) (“Aurora Mobile” or the “Company”), a leading provider of customer engagement and marketing technology services in China, today announced that it is exploring the integration of emerging technologies, particularly quantum computing, into its existing operations. With its expertise in customer engagement and robust data ecosystem, Aurora Mobile believes quantum computing will be a driving force in its future growth and innovation.

    Quantum Acceleration in Data Processing and Insights
    Aurora Mobile’s data processing and analytics operations often face the challenge of handling vast and complex datasets. Quantum computing with its powerful parallel processing enables the Company to significantly improve efficiency in analyzing customer behavior and preferences. Quantum algorithms can rapidly identify behavioral patterns, isolate high-value customer segments, and uncover latent demand. For example, when analyzing customers’ purchasing cycles, quantum models can consider a broader range of influencing factors to predict repurchase timing more accurately. This allows enterprises to optimize their marketing timing and gain deeper, more precise insights from their data.

    Quantum-Enhanced Precision Marketing and Recommendations
    Precision marketing and personalized recommendations are at the core of Aurora Mobile’s offerings. Quantum computing enables more complex and detailed customer profiling, resulting in highly accurate, multidimensional customer insights. Quantum-enhanced collaborative filtering algorithms can synthesize vast amounts of information in recommendation systems to deliver tailor-made content. Regardless of whether they are applied to products, services, or marketing campaigns, these recommendations can accurately target customer interests, significantly increase conversion rates, enhance customer satisfaction, and optimize the allocation of marketing resources.

    Quantum-Powered Smarter Decision-Making
    Enterprises’ marketing decisions involve complex scenarios involving numerous variables. Aurora Mobile leverages quantum computing to simulate real-world market dynamics, integrating data on customer behavior, competitor strategies, and industry trends. By simulating the effects of different marketing strategies, it evaluates risks and returns to help businesses identify optimal solutions. For example, during new product launches, quantum simulation can evaluate how the market will respond to different combinations of promotional channels, timing, and campaign intensity, helping enterprises make smarter, more proactive decision-making.

    About Aurora Mobile Limited

    Founded in 2011, Aurora Mobile (NASDAQ: JG) is a leading provider of customer engagement and marketing technology services in China. Since its inception, Aurora Mobile has focused on providing stable and efficient messaging services to enterprises and has grown to be a leading mobile messaging service provider with its first-mover advantage. With the increasing demand for customer reach and marketing growth, Aurora Mobile has developed forward-looking solutions such as Cloud Messaging and Cloud Marketing to help enterprises achieve omnichannel customer reach and interaction, as well as artificial intelligence and big data-driven marketing technology solutions to help enterprises’ digital transformation.

    For more information, please visit https://ir.jiguang.cn/.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. Among other things, the Business Outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Aurora Mobile’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Aurora Mobile may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about Aurora Mobile’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Aurora Mobile’s strategies; Aurora Mobile’s future business development, financial condition and results of operations; Aurora Mobile’s ability to attract and retain customers; its ability to develop and effectively market data solutions, and penetrate the existing market for developer services; its ability to transition to the new advertising-driven SAAS business model; its ability to maintain or enhance its brand; the competition with current or future competitors; its ability to continue to gain access to mobile data in the future; the laws and regulations relating to data privacy and protection; general economic and business conditions globally and in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of the press release, and Aurora Mobile undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

    For more information, please contact:

    Aurora Mobile Limited
    E-mail: ir@jiguang.cn

    Christensen

    In China
    Ms. Xiaoyan Su
    Phone: +86-10-5900-1548
    E-mail: Xiaoyan.Su@christensencomms.com

    In US
    Ms. Linda Bergkamp
    Phone: +1-480-614-3004
    Email: linda.bergkamp@christensencomms.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Euro area economic and financial developments by institutional sector: first quarter of 2025

    Source: European Central Bank

    25 July 2025

    • Euro area net saving decreased to €799 billion in four quarters to first quarter of 2025, compared with €813 billion one quarter earlier
    • Household debt-to-income ratio decreased to 81.7% in first quarter of 2025 from 83.8% one year earlier
    • Non-financial corporations’ debt-to-GDP ratio (consolidated measure) decreased to 67.2% in first quarter of 2025 from 68.4% one year earlier
    • Share of net wealth held by wealthiest 10% of households stood at 57.3% in 2024, largely unchanged from previous years.

    Total euro area economy

    Euro area net saving decreased to €799 billion (6.5% of euro area net disposable income) in the four quarters to the first quarter of 2025 compared with €813 billion in the four quarters to the previous quarter. Euro area net non-financial investment was broadly unchanged at €441 billion (3.6% of net disposable income), due to broadly unchanged net investment of all sectors (see Chart 1 and Table 1 in the Annex).

    Euro area net lending to the rest of the world decreased to €388 billion (from €401 billion previously) reflecting the decreased net saving and broadly unchanged net non-financial investment. Non-financial corporations’ net lending decreased to €130 billion (1.1% of net disposable income) from €156 billion, while that of households increased to €598 billion (4.9% of net disposable income) from €588 billion. Financial corporations’ net lending (€123 billion, 1.0% of net disposable income) and general government net borrowing were broadly unchanged, the latter contributing negatively to euro area net lending (-€463 billion, -3.8% of net disposable income).

    Chart 1

    Euro area saving, investment and net lending to the rest of the world

    (EUR billions, four-quarter sums)

    Sources: ECB and Eurostat.

    * Net saving minus net capital transfers to the rest of the world (equals change in net worth due to transactions).

    Data for euro area saving, investment and net lending to the rest of the world (Chart 1)

    Households

    Household financial investment increased at a broadly unchanged annual rate of 2.5% in the first quarter of 2025. Among its components, investment in currency and deposits grew at an unchanged rate of 3.0%. Investment in debt securities increased at a lower rate (3.0%, after 8.2%), while investment in shares and other equity grew at a higher rate (2.3%, after 1.8%) – the latter mainly due to investment fund shares.

    Households purchased, in net terms, mainly debt securities issued by the rest of the world, general government, and other financial institutions (see Table 1 below and Table 2.2. in the Annex). Households were overall net sellers of listed shares, selling predominantly listed shares of MFIs, while buying listed shares issued by the rest of the world (i.e. shares issued by non-euro area residents). Households increased their purchases of euro area non-money market investment fund shares, and continued to purchase money market fund shares, while purchases of investment fund shares issued by the rest of the world decelerated.

    The household debt-to-income ratio[1] decreased, to 81.7% in the first quarter of 2025 from 83.8% in the first quarter of 2024. The household debt-to-GDP ratio decreased, to 51.2% in the first quarter of 2025 from 52.3% in the first quarter of 2024 (see Chart 2).

    Table 1

    Financial investment and financing of households, main items

    (annual growth rates)

    Financial transactions

    2024 Q1

    2024 Q2

    2024 Q3

    2024 Q4

    2025 Q1

    Financial investment*

    2.0

    2.3

    2.4

    2.4

    2.5

    Currency and deposits

    1.5

    2.3

    2.5

    3.0

    3.0

    Debt securities

    41.4

    29.8

    17.1

    8.2

    3.0

    Shares and other equity**

    0.2

    0.4

    0.9

    1.8

    2.3

    Life insurance

    0.0

    0.4

    1.3

    1.6

    1.7

    Pension schemes

    2.0

    1.8

    1.9

    1.8

    2.1

    Financing***

    0.9

    1.2

    1.2

    1.6

    1.8

    Loans

    0.6

    0.6

    0.9

    1.3

    1.7

    Source: ECB.

    * Items not shown include: loans granted, prepayments of insurance premiums and reserves for outstanding claims and other accounts receivable.

    ** Includes investment fund shares.

    *** Items not shown include: financial derivatives’ net liabilities, pension schemes and other accounts payable.

    Data for financial investment and financing of households (Table 1)

    Chart 2

    Debt ratios of households and NFCs

    (percentages of GDP)

    Sources: ECB and Eurostat.

    * Outstanding amount of loans, debt securities, trade credits and pension scheme liabilities.
    ** Outstanding amount of loans and debt securities, excluding debt positions between NFCs
    *** Outstanding amount of loan liabilities.

    Data for debt ratios of households and non-financial corporations (Chart 2)

    Developments in household wealth distribution in 2024

    The Distributional Wealth Accounts show that household net wealth continued to increase in 2024, while wealth inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient of net wealth, has remained broadly unchanged in recent years (see Chart 3). The share of household net wealth held by the wealthiest 10% of households stood at 57.3% at the end of 2024, largely unchanged from previous years.

    Chart 3

    Household net wealth distribution and wealth inequality

    (left-hand scale: EUR trillions; right-hand scale: percentages)

    Sources: ECB.

    The growth in net wealth across the various household wealth groups was primarily driven by valuation effects of both financial and non-financial assets, while contribution of net saving was stable but lower. Since the fourth quarter of 2019, net wealth has risen substantially across all wealth groups, with increases of 32% for the bottom 50% of the wealth distribution, 24% for the next 40%, and 26% for the top 10%. The developments varied between different asset classes, resulting in distinct portfolio dynamics across household wealth groups (see Chart 4). A significant portion of overall net wealth growth – more than half in each wealth group – was driven by increases in housing wealth. For the bottom 50% of households, deposits were the second-largest contributor (+9 percentage points), with smaller contributions from other wealth components. Among the next 40% of households, deposits also made a positive contribution (+4 percentage points) to net wealth growth, though this was largely offset by the negative effect of increasing mortgages (-3 percentage points). For the wealthiest 10% of households, the growth in net wealth was also supported by significant increases in business wealth (+6 percentage points) and investment fund shares (+3 percentage points).

    Chart 4

    Contributions to growth of household net wealth between Q1 2019 and Q4 2024

    (percentage points, percentage change)

    Sources: ECB.

    Note: The left-hand scale measures the percentage growth of net wealth and the percentage point contributions to net wealth growth of all other legend items.

    Non-financial corporations

    Financing of NFCs increased at a higher annual rate of 1.3% in the first quarter of 2025 (after 0.9% in the previous quarter). This was the result of an acceleration in financing by loans (2.0% after 1.3%) and trade credits (4.1% after 3.6%), while the financing via the issuance of debt securities and of equity grew at broadly unchanged rates (see Table 2).The acceleration in loan financing is mainly due to loans granted by MFIs (2.6% after 1.6%, see Table 3.2 in the Annex), by the rest of the world (1.6% after -0.2%), and by other financial institutions (-0.5% after -2.5%).

    NFCs’ debt-to-GDP ratio (consolidated measure) decreased to 67.2% in the first quarter of 2025, from 68.4% first quarter of 2024; the non-consolidated, wider debt measure decreased to 138.9% from 140.6% (see Chart 2).

    Table 2

    Financing and financial investment of NFCs, main items

    (annual growth rates)

    Financial transactions

    2024 Q1

    2024 Q2

    2024 Q3

    2024 Q4

    2025 Q1

    Financing*

    0.8

    0.9

    1.0

    0.9

    1.3

    Debt securities

    2.0

    2.9

    2.5

    1.5

    1.6

    Loans

    1.6

    1.4

    1.4

    1.3

    2.0

    Shares and other equity

    0.3

    0.6

    0.6

    0.4

    0.5

    Trade credits and advances

    1.0

    2.0

    2.5

    3.6

    4.1

    Financial investment**

    1.7

    1.8

    2.0

    1.8

    2.0

    Currency and deposits

    0.2

    2.6

    1.7

    2.4

    2.1

    Debt securities

    10.9

    8.1

    3.9

    2.1

    4.1

    Loans

    3.9

    3.7

    3.2

    2.6

    2.8

    Shares and other equity

    1.1

    0.9

    1.2

    0.7

    0.4

    Source: ECB.

    * Items not shown include: pension schemes, other accounts payable, financial derivatives’ net liabilities and deposits.

    ** Items not shown include: other accounts receivable and prepayments of insurance premiums and reserves for outstanding claims.

    Data for financial investment and financing of non-financial corporations (Table 2)

    For queries, please use the statistical information request form.

    Notes

    • These data come from a second release of quarterly euro area sector accounts for the first quarter of 2025 by the ECB and Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. This release incorporates revisions and completed data for all sectors compared with the first release on “Euro area households and non-financial corporations” of 3 July 2025.
    • The euro area and national financial accounts data of NFCs and households are available in an interactive dashboard.
    • The debt-to-GDP (or debt-to-income) ratios are calculated as the outstanding amount of debt in the reference quarter divided by the sum of GDP (or income) in the four quarters up to the reference quarter. The ratio of non-financial transactions (e.g. savings) as a percentage of income or GDP is calculated as the sum of the four quarters up to the reference quarter for both numerator and denominator.
    • The annual growth rate of non-financial transactions and of outstanding assets and liabilities (stocks) is calculated as the percentage change between the value for a given quarter and that value recorded four quarters earlier. The annual growth rates used for financial transactions refer to the total value of transactions during the year in relation to the outstanding stock a year before.
    • Hyperlinks in the main body of the statistical release lead to data that may change with subsequent releases as a result of revisions. Figures shown in annex tables are a snapshot of the data as at the time of the current release.
    • The release of results of experimental Distributional Wealth Accounts (DWA) for the first quarter of 2025 is planned for 29 August 2025 (tentative date).

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Euro area economic and financial developments by institutional sector: first quarter of 2025

    Source: European Central Bank

    25 July 2025

    • Euro area net saving decreased to €799 billion in four quarters to first quarter of 2025, compared with €813 billion one quarter earlier
    • Household debt-to-income ratio decreased to 81.7% in first quarter of 2025 from 83.8% one year earlier
    • Non-financial corporations’ debt-to-GDP ratio (consolidated measure) decreased to 67.2% in first quarter of 2025 from 68.4% one year earlier
    • Share of net wealth held by wealthiest 10% of households stood at 57.3% in 2024, largely unchanged from previous years.

    Total euro area economy

    Euro area net saving decreased to €799 billion (6.5% of euro area net disposable income) in the four quarters to the first quarter of 2025 compared with €813 billion in the four quarters to the previous quarter. Euro area net non-financial investment was broadly unchanged at €441 billion (3.6% of net disposable income), due to broadly unchanged net investment of all sectors (see Chart 1 and Table 1 in the Annex).

    Euro area net lending to the rest of the world decreased to €388 billion (from €401 billion previously) reflecting the decreased net saving and broadly unchanged net non-financial investment. Non-financial corporations’ net lending decreased to €130 billion (1.1% of net disposable income) from €156 billion, while that of households increased to €598 billion (4.9% of net disposable income) from €588 billion. Financial corporations’ net lending (€123 billion, 1.0% of net disposable income) and general government net borrowing were broadly unchanged, the latter contributing negatively to euro area net lending (-€463 billion, -3.8% of net disposable income).

    Chart 1

    Euro area saving, investment and net lending to the rest of the world

    (EUR billions, four-quarter sums)

    Sources: ECB and Eurostat.

    * Net saving minus net capital transfers to the rest of the world (equals change in net worth due to transactions).

    Data for euro area saving, investment and net lending to the rest of the world (Chart 1)

    Households

    Household financial investment increased at a broadly unchanged annual rate of 2.5% in the first quarter of 2025. Among its components, investment in currency and deposits grew at an unchanged rate of 3.0%. Investment in debt securities increased at a lower rate (3.0%, after 8.2%), while investment in shares and other equity grew at a higher rate (2.3%, after 1.8%) – the latter mainly due to investment fund shares.

    Households purchased, in net terms, mainly debt securities issued by the rest of the world, general government, and other financial institutions (see Table 1 below and Table 2.2. in the Annex). Households were overall net sellers of listed shares, selling predominantly listed shares of MFIs, while buying listed shares issued by the rest of the world (i.e. shares issued by non-euro area residents). Households increased their purchases of euro area non-money market investment fund shares, and continued to purchase money market fund shares, while purchases of investment fund shares issued by the rest of the world decelerated.

    The household debt-to-income ratio[1] decreased, to 81.7% in the first quarter of 2025 from 83.8% in the first quarter of 2024. The household debt-to-GDP ratio decreased, to 51.2% in the first quarter of 2025 from 52.3% in the first quarter of 2024 (see Chart 2).

    Table 1

    Financial investment and financing of households, main items

    (annual growth rates)

    Financial transactions

    2024 Q1

    2024 Q2

    2024 Q3

    2024 Q4

    2025 Q1

    Financial investment*

    2.0

    2.3

    2.4

    2.4

    2.5

    Currency and deposits

    1.5

    2.3

    2.5

    3.0

    3.0

    Debt securities

    41.4

    29.8

    17.1

    8.2

    3.0

    Shares and other equity**

    0.2

    0.4

    0.9

    1.8

    2.3

    Life insurance

    0.0

    0.4

    1.3

    1.6

    1.7

    Pension schemes

    2.0

    1.8

    1.9

    1.8

    2.1

    Financing***

    0.9

    1.2

    1.2

    1.6

    1.8

    Loans

    0.6

    0.6

    0.9

    1.3

    1.7

    Source: ECB.

    * Items not shown include: loans granted, prepayments of insurance premiums and reserves for outstanding claims and other accounts receivable.

    ** Includes investment fund shares.

    *** Items not shown include: financial derivatives’ net liabilities, pension schemes and other accounts payable.

    Data for financial investment and financing of households (Table 1)

    Chart 2

    Debt ratios of households and NFCs

    (percentages of GDP)

    Sources: ECB and Eurostat.

    * Outstanding amount of loans, debt securities, trade credits and pension scheme liabilities.
    ** Outstanding amount of loans and debt securities, excluding debt positions between NFCs
    *** Outstanding amount of loan liabilities.

    Data for debt ratios of households and non-financial corporations (Chart 2)

    Developments in household wealth distribution in 2024

    The Distributional Wealth Accounts show that household net wealth continued to increase in 2024, while wealth inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient of net wealth, has remained broadly unchanged in recent years (see Chart 3). The share of household net wealth held by the wealthiest 10% of households stood at 57.3% at the end of 2024, largely unchanged from previous years.

    Chart 3

    Household net wealth distribution and wealth inequality

    (left-hand scale: EUR trillions; right-hand scale: percentages)

    Sources: ECB.

    The growth in net wealth across the various household wealth groups was primarily driven by valuation effects of both financial and non-financial assets, while contribution of net saving was stable but lower. Since the fourth quarter of 2019, net wealth has risen substantially across all wealth groups, with increases of 32% for the bottom 50% of the wealth distribution, 24% for the next 40%, and 26% for the top 10%. The developments varied between different asset classes, resulting in distinct portfolio dynamics across household wealth groups (see Chart 4). A significant portion of overall net wealth growth – more than half in each wealth group – was driven by increases in housing wealth. For the bottom 50% of households, deposits were the second-largest contributor (+9 percentage points), with smaller contributions from other wealth components. Among the next 40% of households, deposits also made a positive contribution (+4 percentage points) to net wealth growth, though this was largely offset by the negative effect of increasing mortgages (-3 percentage points). For the wealthiest 10% of households, the growth in net wealth was also supported by significant increases in business wealth (+6 percentage points) and investment fund shares (+3 percentage points).

    Chart 4

    Contributions to growth of household net wealth between Q1 2019 and Q4 2024

    (percentage points, percentage change)

    Sources: ECB.

    Note: The left-hand scale measures the percentage growth of net wealth and the percentage point contributions to net wealth growth of all other legend items.

    Non-financial corporations

    Financing of NFCs increased at a higher annual rate of 1.3% in the first quarter of 2025 (after 0.9% in the previous quarter). This was the result of an acceleration in financing by loans (2.0% after 1.3%) and trade credits (4.1% after 3.6%), while the financing via the issuance of debt securities and of equity grew at broadly unchanged rates (see Table 2).The acceleration in loan financing is mainly due to loans granted by MFIs (2.6% after 1.6%, see Table 3.2 in the Annex), by the rest of the world (1.6% after -0.2%), and by other financial institutions (-0.5% after -2.5%).

    NFCs’ debt-to-GDP ratio (consolidated measure) decreased to 67.2% in the first quarter of 2025, from 68.4% first quarter of 2024; the non-consolidated, wider debt measure decreased to 138.9% from 140.6% (see Chart 2).

    Table 2

    Financing and financial investment of NFCs, main items

    (annual growth rates)

    Financial transactions

    2024 Q1

    2024 Q2

    2024 Q3

    2024 Q4

    2025 Q1

    Financing*

    0.8

    0.9

    1.0

    0.9

    1.3

    Debt securities

    2.0

    2.9

    2.5

    1.5

    1.6

    Loans

    1.6

    1.4

    1.4

    1.3

    2.0

    Shares and other equity

    0.3

    0.6

    0.6

    0.4

    0.5

    Trade credits and advances

    1.0

    2.0

    2.5

    3.6

    4.1

    Financial investment**

    1.7

    1.8

    2.0

    1.8

    2.0

    Currency and deposits

    0.2

    2.6

    1.7

    2.4

    2.1

    Debt securities

    10.9

    8.1

    3.9

    2.1

    4.1

    Loans

    3.9

    3.7

    3.2

    2.6

    2.8

    Shares and other equity

    1.1

    0.9

    1.2

    0.7

    0.4

    Source: ECB.

    * Items not shown include: pension schemes, other accounts payable, financial derivatives’ net liabilities and deposits.

    ** Items not shown include: other accounts receivable and prepayments of insurance premiums and reserves for outstanding claims.

    Data for financial investment and financing of non-financial corporations (Table 2)

    For queries, please use the statistical information request form.

    Notes

    • These data come from a second release of quarterly euro area sector accounts for the first quarter of 2025 by the ECB and Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. This release incorporates revisions and completed data for all sectors compared with the first release on “Euro area households and non-financial corporations” of 3 July 2025.
    • The euro area and national financial accounts data of NFCs and households are available in an interactive dashboard.
    • The debt-to-GDP (or debt-to-income) ratios are calculated as the outstanding amount of debt in the reference quarter divided by the sum of GDP (or income) in the four quarters up to the reference quarter. The ratio of non-financial transactions (e.g. savings) as a percentage of income or GDP is calculated as the sum of the four quarters up to the reference quarter for both numerator and denominator.
    • The annual growth rate of non-financial transactions and of outstanding assets and liabilities (stocks) is calculated as the percentage change between the value for a given quarter and that value recorded four quarters earlier. The annual growth rates used for financial transactions refer to the total value of transactions during the year in relation to the outstanding stock a year before.
    • Hyperlinks in the main body of the statistical release lead to data that may change with subsequent releases as a result of revisions. Figures shown in annex tables are a snapshot of the data as at the time of the current release.
    • The release of results of experimental Distributional Wealth Accounts (DWA) for the first quarter of 2025 is planned for 29 August 2025 (tentative date).

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Benin: African Development Bank Approves Over $30 Million to Protect Farmers from Climate Shocks and Food Insecurity

    Source: APO

    The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group  (www.AfDB.org) has approved $30.25 million in financing for a groundbreaking climate protection and agricultural sector resilience program in Benin. Thanks to this approval, Beninese farmers, particularly those in northern Benin, will no longer have to fear losing their entire harvest during devastating droughts or sudden floods.

    This initiative will protect 150,000 smallholder farmers against climate shocks in a country where agriculture employs seven out of ten people but remains at the mercy of an increasingly unpredictable climate. The situation is particularly critical in the departments of Alibori and Atakora, where one in four farmers suffers from food insecurity, well above the national average.

    These northern regions face a double burden of climate challenges and spillover effects from Sahel instability, creating additional pressures through forced displacement and border closures with Niger. Climate projections indicate alarming future risks, with cotton production and maize yields expected to drop by 22% and 6.3% respectively, with potential economic losses estimated at approximately 201 billion CFA francs.

    “This investment represents our commitment to strengthening climate resilience in Benin’s agricultural sector while responding to the urgent needs of vulnerable farming communities,” said Robert Masumbuko, African Development Bank Country Representative in Benin. “By introducing innovative risk management tools and strengthening local capacities, we are helping farmers adapt to climate change while preventing conflicts and promoting social cohesion in fragile border areas.”

    The project strengthens the Beninese government’s efforts to establish agricultural insurance, whose pilot phase is managed by Benin’s National Fund for Agricultural Development (FNDA).

    It introduces innovative climate risk transfer mechanisms, including sovereign insurance coverage against droughts and floods via the African Risk Capacity, and agricultural micro- insurance for smallholders. These tools will improve farmers’ risk profiles with financial institutions, facilitating better access to credit and investment opportunities.

    Beyond insurance mechanisms, the initiative will strengthen institutional capacities for climate disaster management, deploy early warning systems with agrometeorological equipment, and promote climate-smart agricultural practices. The program specifically targets 30% youth participation and ensures 30% female representation among the 150,000 direct beneficiaries. Furthermore, special attention is given to social cohesion activities to support peaceful integration of displaced populations in host communities.

    The financing comes from multiple sources: $20 million from the “prevention” envelope of the Transition Support Facility, $5 million from the African Development Fund, $3 million from the ADRiFi multi-donor trust fund, and approximately $2.44 million in national counterpart contributions for insurance premiums.

    The project aligns with Benin’s National Development Plan 2018-2025 and its National Adaptation Plan 2022-2027, supporting the country’s agricultural transformation objectives while strengthening climate change resilience through innovative instruments such as insurance. Strategic partnerships with the World Food Programme, the World Bank, and bilateral donors such as Swiss and Luxembourg cooperations ensure comprehensive support for sustainable agricultural development, including the establishment of agricultural insurance in Benin.

    For Benin’s farming families, this financing represents hope for protected harvests, stable incomes, and a safer future for their children. For northern Benin communities, this project is a guarantee of stability and social cohesion in a strategic region of West Africa, and finally, for the Beninese state, the project ensures financial resilience against increasingly recurrent disaster risks.

    The African Development Bank Group remains committed to supporting Africa’s agricultural transformation through innovative climate adaptation solutions that protect vulnerable communities while promoting sustainable development and regional stability.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

    Media Contact:
    Natalie Nkembuh
    Communication and External Relations Department
    media@afdb.org

    About the African Development Bank Group:
    The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s leading development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). Represented in 41 African countries, with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and social progress of its 54 regional member countries. For more information: www.AfDB.org

    Media files

    .

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI China: Beijing’s budget revenue rises 2.6% in H1

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Beijing’s economy showed continued stability and growth in the first half of 2025, driving a 2.6% increase in municipal budget revenue that maintained the city’s top position nationwide for revenue quality, local officials said Wednesday.

    Han Jie, director of the Beijing Municipal Finance Bureau, told the city legislature that general public budget revenue reached 357.12 billion yuan ($50 billion) in the first six months, exceeding the half-year target by 3.9 percentage points.

    All three main tax categories posted positive growth, with tax revenue accounting for 87.3% of total revenue, the highest rate nationwide, Han said during his report to the 18th session of the Standing Committee of the 16th Beijing Municipal People’s Congress.

    The figures reflect Beijing’s sustained economic momentum and high-quality fiscal performance, officials said.

    Key economic sectors drove the fiscal growth. Scientific and technological services posted a 13.4% increase in tax revenue, while information services grew 7.7%.

    On the spending front, Beijing’s general public budget expenditures totaled 459 billion yuan, surpassing the half-year target by 4.6 percentage points. The city allocated more than 80% of its budget to public welfare, prioritizing livelihood and development programs.

    Spending also increased across key areas, including science and technology, education, health care, culture and sports, social security, employment and urban-rural development.

    Science and technology investment rose to 58.49 billion yuan, up 3.5% and ranking among the nation’s highest both in scale and proportion of total spending, officials said.

    Eight newly established government investment funds deployed 18.86 billion yuan across 212 projects, leveraging about 72.8 billion yuan in private capital to support high-tech and advanced manufacturing industries.

    The city also strengthened budget oversight, expanding pre-spending evaluations to all major new projects and cutting 1.22 billion yuan from 214 projects.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Loan data points to stabilizing realty sector

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    This aerial panoramic photo taken on Jan. 10, 2023 shows a view of Lujiazui area in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone in east China’s Shanghai. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The latest lending data showing a rebound in property-related loans indicates early signs of stabilization in China’s real estate market, signaling a gradual recovery in financing activity and a renewed sense of confidence among developers and homebuyers, industry experts said on Thursday.

    They said that more supportive measures are expected to be rolled out to restore momentum in the property market while existing policies gradually take effect, which will further boost market confidence and pave the way for overall market stabilization in the coming months.

    Data released on Tuesday by the People’s Bank of China, the nation’s central bank, shows that as of the end of the second quarter of 2025, outstanding renminbi real estate loans amounted to 53.33 trillion yuan ($7.45 trillion), up 0.4 percent year-on-year, an increase of 0.6 percentage point over the end of 2024.

    In the first half of the year, real estate loans increased by 416.6 billion yuan, while property development loans rose 292.6 billion yuan, reaching 13.81 trillion yuan, up 0.3 percent year-on-year.

    The data also showed that outstanding individual housing loans stood at 37.74 trillion yuan, down 0.1 percent year-on-year, but the decline narrowed by 1.2 percentage points from the end of 2024.

    “This is a clear and encouraging sign that the real estate market is gradually stabilizing. Consecutive quarters of positive loan growth suggest that financing is flowing more smoothly again — both for developers and homebuyers,” said Shaun Brodie, head of research content for China with Cushman & Wakefield, a global real estate services company.

    “It also reflects improving confidence among financial institutions and a more supportive policy environment. These factors collectively indicate that the market is transitioning from a correction phase toward a more balanced and sustainable footing,” Brodie said.

    Yao Yao, head of research at JLL China, said the growth tendency is more evident in property development loans.

    “Although property loan growth is still subdued, it has posted year on-year gains for a second straight quarter, with development loan balances rising even faster. That momentum has been largely echoed by stronger land auction results in core cities since the start of the year, backed by a rising supply of prime land,” said Yao.

    Ding Zuyu, chairman of China Real Estate Information Corp, said that since June, while the central government has actively worked to boost domestic demand and stimulate consumption, local governments have also continued to strengthen market-stabilizing policies.

    “Notable examples are Guangdong province’s Shen­zhen and Zhuhai promoting mutual recognition of housing provident fund loans; Hangzhou allowing the use of provident fund savings for down payments; and Binhu district of Jiangsu province’s Wuxi launching a “SuChao” (Jiangsu Football City League) ticket stub subsidy program offering up to 50,000 yuan for homebuyers,” said Ding.

    In the first half of this year, local governments rolled out over 340 measures, primarily focusing on optimizing housing provident fund policies, offering home purchase subsidies and adjusting land supply, according to media reports.

    Yan Yuejin, deputy head of the Shanghai-based E-House China R&D Institute, said that in the first half of 2025, China’s real estate market showed positive momentum, reflecting both the effective impact of supportive housing policies and strong underlying demand.

    This upward trend has laid a solid foundation for further market recovery in the second half of the year, Yan said, adding that with supply and demand having undergone substantial adjustments, the sector is well-positioned for more balanced and sustainable growth moving forward.

    MIL OSI China News