The European Central Bank reported total assets of EUR 5.941 trillion as of July 31, down EUR 2.767 billion from the previous week due to transactions. Securities holdings declined, while monetary policy lending increased and credit institutions shifted balances from the deposit facility to current accounts.
The European Central Bank reported total consolidated Eurosystem assets and liabilities of EUR 5.983 trillion as of July 3, 2026. Assets were led by EUR 3.792 trillion of euro-area securities, while monetary policy-related balances from euro-area credit institutions totaled EUR 2.369 trillion.
The European Banking Federation is recruiting a Brussels-based director of communications and public affairs. The role will lead its communications and advocacy strategy, manage the relevant teams and engage with members, European Union institutions and the media.
The Central Bank of Barbados outlined the competition framework for BiMPay, which enables instant transfers among nine institutions around the clock. Participants cannot charge for the service without the Bank’s non-objection and prior customer notice, while further work will focus on fee comparability and account portability.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas has appointed Fernando Leibovici as assistant vice president in its international research group, effective Aug. 16. He will focus on globalization and monetary policy and help lead Global Institute initiatives.
Kazakhstan’s financial regulator has added a motor insurance scoring dataset to its AFR econometric package. It supports accident-risk models and risk-based premiums aimed at maintaining a portfolio payout ratio of about 70%, and is available through PyPI and CRAN.
The Rwanda Capital Markets Authority and Africa Prudential signed an agreement covering capital markets development, investor services and market technology. Africa Prudential will share expertise in registrar and shareholder services, digital systems, data management and professional development.
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario refused to renew Erykah Nelson’s insurance agent licence and imposed CAD 10,000 in penalties. The breaches involved an application based on false information and failures to disclose a regulatory complaint and her termination from Combined.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India directed all insurers to fast-track claims from the natural disaster and subsequent flooding in four Assam districts. Insurers should mobilize claims personnel, establish district-level support and oversight, and make claim or interim payments as soon as possible.
The Central Bank of Libya invited commercial banks to subscribe to Issue 25-2026 of unrestricted Mudaraba deposit certificates, following previous issuance procedures and the specified tenors and maturity dates.
Thailand's Securities and Exchange Commission is consulting on allowing existing shareholders to sell shares alongside a company’s LiVEx initial public offering. The proposal adds disclosure, director certification and issuer review requirements while retaining relevant Stock Exchange of Thailand restrictions. Comments are due by Sept. 4, 2026.
The Angola Capital Markets Commission participated in a Luanda forum on financial literacy and cultural identity. Discussions addressed financial management, savings, investment, inclusion and the influence of culture on economic decisions.
The Bank of Ghana called for a predictable framework allowing banks to finance viable companies in administration without concealing existing losses or weakening prudential standards. Post-commencement financing must meet viability, monitoring and IFRS 9 requirements. The governor also reiterated that regulated institutions must reduce non-performing loan ratios to no more than 10% by the end of December 2026.
The Central Bank of the Philippines has launched an educational collaboration with online financial literacy community KasKasan Buddies. They will jointly provide content on money management, responsible credit use, scam awareness, cybersecurity and consumer protection.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority warned the public about reported bank-related online scams. Customers who disclosed personal information or conducted transactions in response should contact their bank and report the matter to police.
Russian banks blocked 17.5 million fraud attempts worth nearly RUB 1.9 trillion in the second quarter of 2026, with both measures rising by more than 4% from the previous quarter. Completed fraudulent transactions fell 7.5% to 458,700, while losses declined to less than RUB 7.4 billion and banks reimbursed 7% of stolen funds.
The National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic fined two individuals KGS 17,500 each for operating unlicensed cash foreign currency exchange services in the Jalal-Abad region.
The Central Bank of Armenia held its policy rate at 6.50%, the Lombard Repo Facility Rate at 8.00% and the Deposit Facility Rate at 5.00%.
The Egypt Financial Regulatory Authority granted four approvals spanning health care program administration, debt collection and securities trading. The decisions increased temporary third-party administrator licenses to nine and registered a third debt collection company, while more than 30 collection applications remain under review.
The Central Bank of Egypt and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research reviewed plans for the second phase of the Future Scholars Scholarship in 2026-27. They discussed expanding access and admitting more academically outstanding students with demonstrated social need to nonprofit universities.
The Egypt Financial Regulatory Authority approved four firms for health care program administration, debt collection and securities trading activities. The approvals bring temporary TPA licensees to nine and registered debt collection companies to three, with more than 30 additional collection applications under review.
The European Banking Federation is recruiting a full-time communications and events trainee for a paid six-month placement. The role covers events, newsletters, digital content and financial literacy initiatives, and requires EU work eligibility and at least one year of communications experience.
An ECB working paper finds that 13% of European workers and 19% of US workers search while employed, and that searchers are about six times more likely to switch jobs. Job security is the main search motive in Europe, while better pay dominates in the US. About 40% continue searching after starting a new job.
A European Central Bank working paper finds that a small number of severe deficiencies, rather than the overall number of issues, drive supervisory capital add-ons for internal ratings-based models. Data governance breaches are a key source of high-severity findings, supporting a more targeted and risk-sensitive supervisory approach.
The Central Bank of Taiwan reported that banks’ outstanding derivatives rose 6.94% from the end of March to TWD 106,372.4 billion at the end of June 2026. Growth was driven mainly by over-the-counter swaps and forwards, while interest rate and foreign exchange contracts accounted for nearly all outstanding amounts.
The Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan has adopted a common ethical and professional conduct framework for all financial sector professionals. The code contains eight ethical principles, six conduct rules and an implementation mechanism, and supports supervised entities in developing or improving their internal codes.
South Korea’s Financial Services Commission has expanded ASAP to enable financial, telecommunications and investigative bodies to share suspected voice phishing data without individual consent. Participants may use shared and analyzed information to block criminal telephone numbers, support investigations and prevent fraudulent transactions. The Financial Security Institute has been designated to operate the platform.
The National Bank of Romania will move daily exchange rate XML files to curs.bnr.ro from Aug. 6, 2026. Users must update their configurations, although file names will remain unchanged.
The Republic of Serbia Securities Commission has published a guide covering digital token white papers, investor rights and key risks.
Czech National Bank stress tests found that domestic banks could withstand a severe economic downturn while remaining well above minimum capital requirements. The tested banks’ consolidated capital ratio would fall from 20.7% at the end of 2025 to 18.4% under the adverse scenario.
The National Financial Regulatory Administration set its 2026 priorities for designated assistance after reviewing its 2025 work. It will focus on consolidating poverty alleviation gains through targeted financial and industrial support for designated counties and banners.
Ukraine's National Securities and Stock Market Commission outlined legislative initiatives covering securitization, investment accounts, virtual assets, private securities offerings and voluntary pensions. Several bills are progressing through Parliament, while the proposed market infrastructure holding company bill was withdrawn following a change of government. The commission plans to prepare legislation on distributed ledger technology for financial instruments by the end of 2026.
The National Bank of Ukraine refuted Ukrposhta’s claims that utility payment receipts must include taxpayers’ identification numbers and full payment card numbers. Non-cash receipts need not contain payer data, card numbers may be masked and payment confirmation may be electronic. The central bank will review Ukrposhta’s practices for regulatory compliance.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority set the sixth interest payment rate for the Silver Bond Series due 2026 at 5.00% per year. The payment is scheduled for Aug. 18, 2026.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority published an HKICL warning about eight fraudulent websites offering fake buyer protection services for FPS transactions. HKICL does not directly serve or ordinarily contact individual members of the public, who should verify suspicious communications and report suspected fraud.
The Bank of Italy reported that €-coin increased to 0.54 in July from 0.39 in June. Improved business and household confidence, especially forward-looking assessments, supported the rise.
The Central Bank of Armenia held its refinancing rate at 6.50% in August, unchanged since a 25-basis-point cut in December 2025. It also maintained the Lombard repo rate at 8.00% and the rate on funds attracted from banks at 5.00%.
The Algeria Market Authority published information on the appointment of new executives at Crédit Populaire d’Algérie.
The Central Bank of the Philippines and KasKasan Buddies will jointly develop and distribute practical financial education content. Topics will include budgeting, saving, responsible credit use, scam awareness, cybersecurity and consumer protection.
The French Financial Markets Authority has streamlined its governance and executive remuneration guidance for listed companies following the AFEP-MEDEF code. It removed 45 elements already reflected in market standards while retaining their application under the comply-or-explain principle. The update also strengthens its position against variable remuneration for non-executive board chairs unless exceptional duties provide detailed justification.
Kazakhstan’s financial market regulator has reminded consumers that individuals may fully or partially repay bank loans and microloans at any time without penalties, including under agreements signed before Aug. 31, 2025. Borrowers should check the lender’s recalculation and payment procedures, insurance refund conditions and, for mortgages, the process for removing the property lien.
The Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission is consulting on draft rules that would allow retail mutual funds, accredited investor funds and provident funds to invest in Government Housing Bank savings certificates. Existing diversification, disclosure and concentration limits would continue to apply, with comments due by Sept. 2, 2026.
Thailand’s Office of Insurance Commission expanded its model road safety community initiative to Nakhon Nayok and Suphan Buri, combining accident, compulsory motor insurance and community data to identify high-risk locations and behavior. Motorcyclists were the main risk group, prompting measures focused on speed reduction, safer intersections and U-turn points, improved signs and markings, and greater helmet use. Findings from the two provinces will be combined with data from Prachin Buri and Nakhon Sawan to guide local action and monitoring.
The Indonesia Financial Services Authority reported that the financial sector remained resilient, with bank lending up 12.67% year over year and capital ratios remaining strong in June. It also accelerated credit-record updates, strengthened oversight of export proceeds and advanced capital-market and financial-influencer rules.
Labuan Financial Services Authority urged financial institutions to replace checklist-based compliance with demonstrably effective, risk-based controls as digital financial crime grows. Priorities include stronger customer due diligence, intelligence-led monitoring, continuous sanctions screening and proportionate controls. Boards and senior management remain accountable for compliance resources, risk culture and control effectiveness.
New Zealand's Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has launched an independent investigation into workplace conduct and culture matters raised at the Financial Markets Authority. Kristy McDonald KC will lead the investigation, supported by a confidential channel for participants.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has disqualified Antonio Torcasio from managing corporations for five years over his involvement in eight company failures. ASIC identified statutory compliance, recordkeeping, director duty and insolvent trading failures, with the companies owing unsecured creditors more than AUD 3 million.
The Bank of Korea finds that the semiconductor-led improvement in Korea’s terms of trade could support stronger consumption and faster investment than past import-price-led episodes. First-quarter gross domestic income grew 13.2% year on year, far exceeding GDP growth of 3.8%. Concentration of the gains in IT and wealthier households, as well as imported equipment and outward investment, could limit broader spillovers and increase economic volatility.
South Korean corporate equity and debt issuance fell 15.6% year over year to KRW126.5754 trillion in the first half of 2026. Commercial paper and short-term bond issuance rose 68.0% to KRW1,272.8483 trillion, led by a 90.4% surge in short-term bonds.
The British Columbia Securities Commission fined Brandon Wade Boddy CAD 40,000 and banned him from the investment market for three years for failing to produce records and obstructing an investigation. The restrictions cover registration, promotional and management activities, with a limited exception for trading through a registered representative in his own account.
The Federal Reserve Board approved Santander’s acquisition of Webster Financial Corporation and its indirect acquisition of Webster Bank.
The US Federal Reserve Board approved FS Bancorp's merger with Pacific West Bancorp and indirect acquisition of Pacific West Bank.
The US Federal Reserve Board approved Coastal Bend Bancshares Inc.’s acquisition of First National Bank in Port Lavaca, Texas.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has proposed allowing broader advertising and publicity for initial public offerings before a prospectus is lodged. Communications would be subject to disclosure conditions and must reinforce the prospectus as the primary source for investment decisions. Feedback is due by Sept. 11, 2026.
The Dominican Republic's Pensions Superintendency certified the Single Beneficiary System under its employee pension education program. Certification requires training at least 70% of staff and annual recertification, with 29 organizations and more than 13,000 employees certified over three years.
INTERPOL found that AI enables 55% of reported cybercrimes across Africa, while cybercrime-related losses have more than doubled since 2024 to USD 484 million. Gaps in real-time data sharing among banks, telecommunications companies and law enforcement are facilitating scams and synthetic identity fraud. The report calls for stronger cross-border cooperation, standardized digital forensics, AI training and formal public-private partnerships.
The European Supervisory Authorities proposed ending initial margin exchanges on both new and existing uncleared derivatives contracts for counterparties below the EUR 8 billion threshold. The draft standards are awaiting European Commission endorsement before legislative scrutiny.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency proposed changes to its information disclosure rules. The revisions seek to permit limited disclosures while protecting confidential supervisory information and candid exchanges with supervised entities. Comments are due 60 days after Federal Register publication.
The Brazil Securities Commission imposed a 30-month ban and two BRL 150,000 fines on investment adviser Américo Maciel de Souza for using client credentials and issuing false records to conceal losses. In two other proceedings, the commission acquitted former IRB executives and all defendants accused of insider trading in Banco PanAmericano shares.
The Moroccan Capital Markets Authority registered SAHAM BANK’s 2025 reference document, updating the information dossier for its certificates of deposit program. The dossier also includes the program note registered in January 2021.
The Dominican Republic's Pensions Superintendency reported pension assets of DOP 1.6 trillion, or nearly 20% of gross domestic product, during an interview on the system. It also outlined its daily supervision of fund administrators and the enrollment and provider-choice options available to formal and informal workers.
The Central Bank of Malta participated in a July 28 youth discussion on economic and financial literacy. The event covered the effects of finance and economic choices on employment, housing, quality of life and the distribution of money.
The Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago registered GraceKennedy (Trinidad & Tobago) Limited as a payment service provider effective Aug. 1, 2026, allowing it to offer a broader range of regulated payment services. The company was previously registered solely for bill payments and remains licensed as a bureau de change.
Ukraine's National Commission on Securities and Stock Market will meet at noon on Aug. 4, 2026, with the agenda available online.
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission ordered UBS Financial Services to pay USD 8 million for supervision failures affecting anti-money laundering monitoring of foreign currency wires. More than 28,000 wires worth at least USD 8.9 billion were insufficiently monitored or omitted from monitoring between January 2019 and June 2023.
The Dominican Republic's Pensions Superintendency has begun the process of obtaining the public-sector Igualando RD gender equality seal. It will complete a self-assessment, implement an action plan, build institutional capacity and undergo an external evaluation for bronze, silver or gold recognition.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India extended the PaRRVA enrollment deadline from August 3 to September 3, 2026. Enrollment is required for investment advisers and research analysts that wish to communicate certified past performance data to existing or prospective clients.
The Eurasian Group trained 29 officials from six countries on the updated FATF assessment methodology. The program used simulated mutual evaluations to prepare participants to serve as assessors, reviewers or national experts.
The Central Bank of Luxembourg reported higher June 2026 rates on variable household mortgages, consumer credit and short-term deposits. The rate on corporate loans exceeding EUR 1 million rose 50 basis points to 2.89%, while new lending reached EUR 3.06 billion.
The European Supervisory Authorities propose exempting both new and existing non-centrally cleared OTC derivatives from initial margin where either counterparty falls below the EUR 8 billion threshold. The exemption could apply from June 1, with previously collected margin released. The draft standards now await European Commission endorsement and legislative scrutiny.
The European Banking Authority issued a no-action letter and technical clarifications for implementing the revised EU market risk framework. It recommends that authorities not prioritize action on banking and trading book boundary rules, internal risk transfers and certain reporting requirements once the relevant Delegated Act enters into force. The act would modify market risk own funds calculations for three years from Jan. 1, 2027.
The Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency found that the financial services sector remained profitable, well capitalized and resilient despite rising macro-financial and geopolitical risks. Stress testing showed that severe external shocks would weaken asset values, profitability and portfolio quality, but strong liquidity, capitalization and pension fund inflows would support sector-wide resilience. Croatia’s stock market remains highly exposed to shocks transmitted from international markets.
The Algeria Market Authority published information on new executive appointments at Banque de Développement Local.
The Financial Superintendency of Colombia will offer free, in-person consumer assistance in Chaparral, Tolima, from Aug. 11 to 14, 2026. Services include financial product guidance, complaints, out-of-court conciliation and legal actions involving supervised financial entities.
The US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network imposed a record USD 125 million penalty on UBSFS for willful Bank Secrecy Act violations, including failures in transaction monitoring, customer due diligence and suspicious activity reporting. UBSFS must conduct a third-party lookback and independent anti-money laundering program review, with up to USD 15 million of the penalty eligible for waiver upon satisfactory remediation.
Portugal's Insurance and Pension Funds Supervisory Authority is recruiting a permanent support officer for its Prudential Supervision Department, with applications due by the end of Aug. 24, 2026.
The Bank of Spain reported that the one-year Euribor rose to 2.855% in July 2026 from 2.798% in June. The main mortgage reference rate was 0.776 percentage points higher than a year earlier.
The European Central Bank finds that the Middle East energy price shock is reducing euro area consumption mainly through lower wages and employment. Consumption initially falls about 1.4% for liquidity-constrained households, compared with 0.7% for unconstrained households. Persistently elevated energy prices could prolong the pressure on real incomes and spending.
The Saudi Arabia Capital Markets Authority approved Mudaraba Financial Company’s name change to Alamin Capital.
FINRA fined UBS Financial USD 20 million for repeat anti-money laundering failures involving more than 60,000 foreign currency wires totaling over USD 10 billion. Deficient transaction monitoring and customer due diligence caused the firm to miss and fail to timely report suspicious activity through June 2023.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India has promoted Prasanta Mahapatra to executive director. He will oversee the Corporation Finance Investigation Department and the Recovery and Refund Department.
The Bank of Central African States extended the bidding deadline for technical oversight of future branch construction to noon on Aug. 26, 2026. Bids will be opened at 1 p.m. that day and must remain valid through Jan. 4, 2027.
The Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission is consulting on the effectiveness of the Provident Fund Act and related regulations as part of a mandatory five-year review. Feedback will inform whether changes are needed to improve provident funds, with comments due by Oct. 2, 2026.
The Malta Financial Services Authority has introduced a structured methodology for penalties on credit institutions, based on breach severity, institutional size and relevant adjustments. Extremely Severe breaches may be penalized by reference to annual turnover, while final penalties cannot exceed 10% of annual net turnover. The framework remains discretionary and excludes matters covered by separate penalty regimes or direct European Central Bank prudential supervision.
Angola has established qualification and supervision rules for holding companies, known as SGPS, to support corporate group formation and capital market development.
The Central Bank of Chile reported that preliminary economic activity grew 2.4% year over year in June 2026 and 0.6% from May on a seasonally adjusted basis. Mining, trade and services drove the increase, while nonmining activity rose 1.4% annually.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority published an HKICL warning about fraudulent websites offering purported buyer protection services for FPS transactions. HKICL has no connection to the sites and does not ordinarily provide FPS services directly to individuals or proactively contact them.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority warned the public about bank-related online scams and advised affected customers to contact their bank and the police.
The National Bank of Romania reported that international reserves fell to EUR 74.972 billion at the end of July 2026, including EUR 63.230 billion in foreign exchange reserves. Foreign currency public debt payments due in August total about EUR 1.468 billion.
The Bank of Russia will issue a 3-ruble silver commemorative coin on Aug. 4, 2026, marking the centenary of the All-Russian Society of the Deaf. The proof-quality coin will have a mintage of 3,000 and be legal tender at face value.
The National Bank of the Republic of Tajikistan discussed stronger anti-money laundering, counterterrorist financing and sanctions compliance with EU representatives. The talks also covered customer due diligence, prevention of third-party access to payment cards and electronic wallets, and improved electronic payment security.
The Bank of the Lao PDR issued a revised action plan addressing outstanding issues related to EU transaction restrictions.
The National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic fined a Bishkek payment organization KGS 220,000 for legal and regulatory violations.
Moldova's Ministry of Finance consulted on draft rules for consumer credit secured on residential property. The bill would impose lender conduct requirements, precontractual safeguards and minimum contract standards, with clearer rules on information, advice, creditworthiness assessments and advertising.
The South African Reserve Bank is consulting on a framework for authorizing and supervising crypto asset service providers that facilitate cross-border transactions. The draft creates three provider categories and sets transaction limits, capital, reporting, record-keeping and client asset requirements. Cross-border reporting would generally be triggered when crypto assets move between a domestic provider and an offshore provider or outbound to a non-custodial wallet.
The Central Bank of Cyprus reported that net new lending rose to EUR 626.2 million in June, driven mainly by loans above EUR 1 million to nonfinancial corporations. Deposit rates increased, consumer and housing loan rates declined, and corporate borrowing rates rose. Cyprus loan rates were broadly aligned with euro area medians, while deposit rates remained among the bloc’s lowest.
The Egypt Financial Regulatory Authority signaled that it will soon issue a regulatory framework for short selling and reviewed recent capital market tax changes. These include replacing capital gains tax with a proportional stamp duty, exempting market makers and granting qualifying listings valued at least EGP 50 billion a three-year income tax reduction.
The European Supervisory Authorities propose extending the initial margin exemption to existing as well as new uncleared OTC derivative contracts when either counterparty falls below the EUR 8 billion threshold. Counterparties could release collected initial margin and apply the exemption as early as June 1. The draft standards have been submitted to the European Commission for endorsement.
The Central Bank of Egypt and the Association of African Central Banks have launched an online portal for the African Financial Stability Committee. It will support macroprudential cooperation and publish committee outputs, including the first comprehensive continent-wide financial stability assessment prepared by African central banks.
The Hellenic Capital Market Commission and the University of West Attica established a cooperation framework covering sustainable finance, corporate governance, financial technology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital transformation. They will undertake joint research and educational initiatives, exchange expertise and support financial literacy and specialized workforce development.