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FEARS that a high-interest-rate environment will hinder innovation or private capital investment are overblown, according to private investors and financial regulators attending the World Economic Forum. But they do see room for some correction of valuations, and for more regulation in some parts of the financial ecosystem.

HIGH-grade borrowers in the US and Europe who seek to sell bonds for environmental, social and governance projects should expect no cost discount as in the past, according to Goldman Sachs Group.

CENTRAL banks in Indonesia and Malaysia will likely deliver another modest interest rate increase each as they look to wind down their monetary tightening and turn their attention to economic growth.

US AUTHORITIES said on Wednesday they have arrested the majority shareholder and cofounder of Hong Kong-registered virtual currency exchange Bitzlato for allegedly processing US$700 million in illicit funds.

CITIGROUP is raising compensation for its junior investment bankers by as much as 15 per cent even as many Wall Street peers are cutting jobs and slashing bonuses after last year’s industry-wide deals slump.

ETHEREUM software company ConsenSys confirmed that it’s eliminating 96 positions, representing 11 per cent of the crypto firm’s total workforce.

THE Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) decision to keep its settings unchanged on Wednesday (Jan 18) gave global investors a modest jolt, leaving markets from the yen to Treasuries at risk from a potentially larger shock if officials opt to shift policy in the future.

THE failure of the European Union (EU) to complete its banking union is putting the continent’s lenders at a strong disadvantage, said UBS Group chairman Colm Kelleher on Wednesday (Jan 18).

THE yen dropped against major currencies on Wednesday (Jan 18) after the Bank of Japan maintained ultra-low interest rates, although it recovered some ground on expectations for tighter policy in the coming months.

UBS chairman Colm Kelleher said traditional finance firms were “systemically safe” after years of increased regulation, but guardians of global financial markets had further to go to eradicate the risks posed by the non-banking sector.