Is FinTech Eating the Bank's Lunch?

November 17, 2023--This paper examines how the growing presence of FinTech firms affects the performance of traditional financial institutions. The findings point to a negative impact on profitability, primarily due to a reduction in interest income and a rise in operational costs.
Although established financial institutions have tried to diversify their revenue streams, these efforts have proven inadequate to offset the losses associated with increased competition from FinTech firms.

Our study also reveals that various FinTech business models, such as Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending and Balance Sheet lending, have varying effects on financial institutions. Cooperative banks experience more significant profit deterioration under both models, whereas (larger) commercial banks appear to benefit from partnerships with P2P platforms, as evidenced by an increase in non-interest income. Furthermore, the findings suggest that FinTech presence has a disproportionately larger adverse effect on banks in countries with more competitive, profitable, and developed financial systems. Interestingly, however, traditional financial institutions in countries with stronger regulatory frameworks appear to benefit from the expanding influence of FinTech firms.

Even as Global Uncertainty Surges, Economic Sentiment Remains Positive

November 10, 2025-Amid rising geopolitical rifts and trade tensions, global economic uncertainty has surged, yet sentiment about economic prospects remains positive
Major policy shifts this year have been adding to unknowns about the future and policy decisions, according to our World Uncertainty Index which has doubled since January.

Gold Market Commentary: Technical difficulties October 2025

November 6, 2025-Key takeaways for the month:
Gold hit its 50th all-time high but faced a rollercoaster ride due to a momentum flush-out and a stronger dollar. Despite this, gold posted solid gains for the month.
Looking ahead, technical indicators suggest a short pause, but the overall trend remains strong, supported by solid fundamentals.