The Canadian banking system is generally considered to be one of the safest in the world. According to Global Finance magazine's annual listing of the world's safest banks based on their credit ratings, eight Canadian banks ranked in the top 40 in 2019, including those ranked 11 through 13. Canadian banks captured the top six positions in the ranking of the safest banks in North America. Regulation One of the…

What Is A Haircut? A haircut in finance has several meanings. It most commonly refers to the reduced value of a financial asset for purposes of calculating capital requirements, a lending margin or collateral level. It also refers to a loss an investor may have to take or accept on an asset. It means the difference between the bid and asked price of an asset as well, with that difference…

What Is A Bank Stress Test? Bank stress tests are administered by some of the world's major central banks to assess the ability of the largest commercial banks they oversee to withstand a major crisis in the economy and financial markets. Stress tests were largely instituted following the 2008 global financial crisis and have become a regular annual exercise in developed economies. In the U.S., for example, annual stress tests…

What Is A Discount Window? The discount window is the mechanism through which central banks lend short-term money to the commercial banks under their authority, both to provide liquidity to the financial system and to manage their monetary policies. In the U.S., commercial banks—both based in the country and foreign-based—can borrow from the discount window at the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks located around the country. Each of the 12…

The Australian financial system is regulated by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), which oversees "authorised deposit-taking institutions" such as banks, building societies and credit unions. It also regulates insurance companies and "superannuation," or pension, funds. APRA was created by the Australian government on 1 July 1998. The agency is tasked with "maintaining the safety and soundness of financial institutions, so that the community can have confidence that they will…

ZARUSD Currency Pair The rand (ZAR) has been the official currency of South Africa since 1961 when the country first became a republic. As the biggest US trade partner in Africa, in 2018 South Africa traded a dual value of US$14 billion. United States is the third-largest trading partner to South Africa, and a dual bilateral trade agreement has been in existence since 1994. History Of ZARUSD In 1789 the…

Market observers have repeatedly thrown around the word "depression" to describe a severe economic downturn. However, when it comes to pinning down a specific definition of this term, there is no consensus. This article will explore the aforementioned concerns, reviewing varying definitions and the different ways to measure the severity of a downturn. What Is The Difference Between A Depression And A Recession? One good way to explain a depression…

The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is one of the largest global securities exchanges by value, with a total market capitalisation of about A$16 billion. It is also the largest market for interest rate derivatives in Asia and among the top five exchanges globally for raising capital. The ASX, which is based in Sydney, was the first major financial market open every day. The Australian Stock Exchange was formed on the…

Eskom is a 100% state-owned electricity company that provides energy to greater South Africa (SA). Featuring 30 power plants and a nominal generating capacity of 44,172 megawatts (MW), Eskom services 6.2 million direct customers. Given its massive size and government-sponsored status, the utility conglomerate is the backbone of South Africa's energy infrastructure. Unfortunately for the country's economy, Eskom has fallen on hard times. Widespread corruption, rising operational costs and staggering…