Author: Jordan

Japan is preparing to increase the allocation to alternative investments within the portfolio of the Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), a move that could channel additional capital into private markets and broaden the investment strategy of the world’s largest pension fund, according to a report by Nikkei. The government intends to encourage GPIF to increase its exposure to private equity, real estate and other alternative asset classes, lifting allocations closer to the fund’s existing 5% ceiling. Alternative investments represented just 1.7% of GPIF’s approximately $1.8tn portfolio at the end of March, leaving significant capacity for additional commitments under current investment…

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1 Mid-Cap Stock to Keep an Eye On and 2 We Ignore Many investors pay attention to mid-cap stocks because they have established business models and expansive market opportunities. However, their paths to becoming $100 billion corporations are ripe with competition, ranging from giants with vast resources to agile upstarts eager to disrupt the status quo. These dynamics can rattle even the most seasoned professionals, which is why we started StockStory – to help you separate the good companies from the bad. Keeping that in mind, here is one mid-cap stock with huge upside potential and two best left ignored.…

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For a long time, Indian portfolios were built on two familiar pillars: equities for growth and bonds for stability. That framework still matters but it is no longer enough. As India’s wealth ecosystem matures, alternative investments are moving from the margins to a meaningful third pillar, helped by a rising pool of HNIs and UHNIs, a generational handoff of wealth and a rapidly expanding wealth-advisory ecosystem.    The numbers confirm the shift. As of December 2025, commitments to Alternative Investment Funds stood at about Rs.15.74 lakh crore, with net investments of roughly Rs.6.45 lakh crore. SEBI’s March 2026 data show…

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GB Bank has added its buy-to-let and bridging products to Mortgage Brain’s Sourcing Brain and Criteria Brain platforms, giving brokers access to its lending range through the technology provider’s sourcing and criteria systems. The addition allows intermediaries to research and compare GB Bank’s specialist lending products and lending criteria, helping them assess cases more efficiently and place more complex borrowing enquiries. GB Bank’s specialist lending proposition includes buy-to-let and bridging finance for residential and semi-commercial property investments. The bank said its approach is designed to offer greater flexibility for more complex or higher-value cases. Mortgage Brain said Sourcing Brain and…

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The Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic today announced the launch of the country´s inaugural Social Finance Framework, a major step toward aligning state bond issuance with international ESG standards and meeting demand from socially responsible investors. The new framework is designed to ensure that net proceeds from social state bonds are allocated exclusively to eligible social expenditures within the state budget. These funds will support the Czech Republic’s long-term priorities, including social inclusion, access to essential services, and recovery from natural disasters. Under the framework, proceeds from social state bonds can only be used to finance or refinance:…

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As hidden transaction costs chip away at margins, tools like the UOB Business World Debit Card can help small enterprises keep more of what they earnSINGAPORE’S small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are transforming fast.As they embrace technology and pursue global growth ambitions, their operating behaviour and spending habits are seeing an equally rapid shift: Cheques and manual invoices have been replaced by digital-first payment methods, and domestic market-focused companies are increasingly building a global-by-default business model.A typical SME today may pay for digital advertisements on Meta or Google, for tools like Adobe and OpenAI, and to overseas suppliers or service…

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France and Germany will contest tomorrow’s Under 15 Girls Teams final at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar after overcoming Sweden and Switzerland respectively in the semifinals. Sweden and Switzerland will both leave Portugal with bronze medals. Fifth seeds France delivered a flawless team performance to defeat fourth seeds Sweden 3-0, although the opening singles proved to be a hard-fought battle. Albane ROCHUT gave France the lead by defeating Siri BENJEGARD in five games. After dropping the opening game heavily, ROCHUT responded impressively to win the next two before BENJEGARD forced a decider. The French player remained composed to seal…

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Dudley Building Society has announced a series of rate cuts across its residential, buy-to-let, holiday let and expat mortgage ranges, with reductions of up to 100 basis points (bps). Available for both purchase and remortgage cases, the refreshed range includes reductions across selected two-year and five-year fixed rate products, as well as discounted products. The changes reflect the increasingly competitive mortgage market, with lenders continuing to adjust pricing in response to recent movements in swap rates and growing competition for new business. The updated range is designed to support a wide variety of borrower types, including residential customers, landlords, holiday…

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