Prinsjesdag 2020, unique and economically uncertain times

21-09-2020 | by Rowan Hermes | Symbid

Prinsjesdag 2020 was unique. For the first time since 1904, the Speech from the Throne (Troonrede) was not delivered in the Ridderzaal, but in the Grote Kerk. More attention was paid to the different mouth masks than to the hats on the hottest Prinsjesdag ever. Without a Golden Coach, a balcony scene and people dressed in orange, it was a sober day. But a number of traditions remained, including the leakage of some of the plans (well) before Prinsjesdag. The main message of the Speech from the Throne was that the Netherlands must brace itself for the consequences of a severe economic setback. We look at two measures that are of interest to investors.

Blog is in Dutch language:

 

Source

Only 5 days left until the International Treasury Management Virtual Week 2020

| 16-09-2020 | Eurofinance | treasuryXL |

Don’t miss the Treasury Event of the Year! If you haven’t signed up already, here is a reminder to join this great virtual event with incredible speakers and live sessions.

Virtual Event

Now more than ever, we need to learn and engage with other treasury professionals around the world, so that we can navigate and overcome the unprecedented challenges we are facing.

As the current situation unfolds, the role of the corporate treasurer is evolving and becoming more strategic than ever before. The complexities and function of treasury within the business is changing even more rapidly. The question is: What does the future of treasury look like and how will this affect my team? And where can I turn for world-class advice on building resiliency, supporting the business and addressing future challenges?

Look no further than EuroFinance’s International Treasury Management Virtual Week taking place 21-25 September. It will see world-leading treasurers and economists come together to address these issues, deliver big picture global insights and share the essential granular knowledge you and your team need for the path ahead. In the spotlight will be the latest on cash flow forecasting, supply chain finance, tech, liquidity and FX and payments plus much more.

Speakers and Live Sessions

The line-up of speakers is impressive with the likes of Shell, Alibaba Group, HP Inc., eBay, Finnair, Microsoft, Intel Corporation, Schlumberger, Booking Holdings Inc. and Rio Tinto holding centre stage in one of the 75+ live sessions. But don’t worry if you miss a session, they will be available on-demand for you to watch at a time that suits you.

The custom-built virtual conference platform will bring the experience of a live event to life in a virtual world. It offers plenty of opportunities to network and learn from your global peers, plus a smart calendar to build your schedule.

Free Registration

The great news is, the 2020 event comes without a price tag! It is free for corporate treasurers. So, you can get all the world-class expert knowledge and insights you expect from the leading treasury event without the costs of registration, flights, accommodation or even expenses.

What are you waiting for? Set your treasury team up to thrive not just to survive.

Register for free today!

 

Partner Interview Series | XE the world’s trusted currency authority

15-09-2020 | treasuryXL | XE |

XE provides a comprehensive range of currency services and products, including their Currency Converter, Market Analysis, Currency Data API and quick, easy, secure Money Transfers for individuals and businesses. They leverage technology to deliver these services through their website, mobile apps and over the phone.

We will take a deeper dive into the market, XE businesses and the future of FX.

AN INTRODUCTION TO

Wybe Schutte is head of Business Development Europe at XE.com. Wybe’s career has always centered around international business development and managing relationships. Within XE.com both play an important part as globally we XE is the trusted partner of many business in helping them manage & mitigate the risk that is associated with dealing with multiple currencies, be this through simple rate regulation or looking at high level currency risk management & hedging solutions.

We asked him 10 questions. Let’s go!

 

INTERVIEW

1. Can you tell something about XE and its mission?

At Xe, we live currencies. Most people know Xe from the currency converter, however we also provide international money transfer services for business for over 25 years.  Xe’s Business Solutions supports company’s that have an exposure to foreign currency, supporting them to safeguard profit margins and improve cashflow through quantifying the FX risk they face and implementing strategies to mitigate it. So that our clients can focus on their core business and do not have to worry about their FX.

2.What kind of FX risk types exists and how does XE deal with it?

We look within each business to see where the currency risks are, and whether these can be offset. For example, any sales made in Euros could be offset against Euro costs. If there is still an exposure this is where products such as Forward Contracts can be considered in order to provide protection against the risk. Currency risk can be divided into three types: Transactional Risk, when a business deals in a country that differs to their base currency; Transnational Risk, when a business has an asset or liability overseas on their balance sheet, and Economic Risk where a movement in the exchange rate can give a business a competitive advantage when competing for a particular market.

3. How can you measure the different types of FX risk?

FX Risk can either have a negative or positive impact on a business’ bottom line. If you look back over the last 10 years you can understand what the potential impact could be in the most extreme, least extreme and average scenarios over your given timeline.

This can be done by looking at the high & low points of the market and a business’ FX exposure. This step helps companies to understand what the impact of the net exposure can have on the bottom line.

4. What are the most common critical FX problems that businesses have?

Businesses that have a transactional exposure to the currency markets can differentiate between committed and forecasted exposures. A committed exposure is when the price for a good or service in a foreign currency is known and contracted. Therefore, any movement in exchange rate has a direct impact on their profit or cost unless hedged. A forecasted exposure is when a business looks to the period beyond the committed period to see what their requirements may be. Confidence levels into forecasted periods can vary largely and it is normally the case that the further out a business forecasts, the lower the confidence levels.

5. How can businesses protect their bottom line against the currency markets?

There are a number of key stages that a business can look to follow in order to mitigate FX volatility. Firstly, Identify the type of risk, quantify the risk elements, and then look to build a strategy and agree the implementation process. These stages will allow you to decide the products that are most suitable, so you can then move to market timing and execution. Lastly, you should look to review, revise and adjust your approach on a regular basis. It is important to remember that it is not about market speculation but about mitigating your risk.

6. What is, in your perception, the biggest benefit of a working Foreign Exchange strategy?

Given the ever-uncertain world in which we currently live in, finance departments and treasury centres could be looking to build a strategy to deal with currency fluctuations, which over time could have a considerable impact on your company’s bottom line. A structured approach to foreign exchange risk can enable your business to make strategic planning decisions, rather than attempting to respond to day-to-day developments in the market.

7. Do you experience differences in FX before COVID19 and the time we live in now? What are the differences?

There has been significant movements in the currency markets during the Covid19 period and there are still many factors that influence the daily rates. During these uncertain times our clients are looking for certainty and stability. And although price is always important, other key factors like security and credibility became more important. Naturally each of our clients has been impacted very differently and we have worked with them to provide the solutions and flexibility they needed. We have welcomed many new clients from new geographies? as they were growing, and we supported existing clients that were growing or adapting their business models to suit the changing market.

8. The market is always changing, how does XE stay top of mind of the latest developments in the currency world?

We work closely with our clients to continuously understand their needs and adjust accordingly. Our expert Dealers keep a close eye out on the market. Understanding the movements, resistance levels, and key economic & political updates that can influence the market so that our clients do not have to worry about that. Xe also works closely with our sister companies and parent company Euronet Worldwide.

9. How does the future of FX look like in your perspective?

The near future could be set to weather extraordinary levels of balance sheet expansion and recession, potentially leading to a longer stimulative/expansionary monetary policy which could in turn depress currency rates of the countries that bear them. Near to medium term impacts of this could include a lack of major economic expansion as capital returns are often negative when factoring inflation. This may mean that we see a re-composition of FX strength toward commodity-based currencies (CAD/AUD/NZD) and alternative safe havens (CHF). However, we could see this shift in the longer term as public debt, in particular, becomes more tenable and attractive at such low interest rates and could invite broader investment for countries and to a degree private industry.

We have witnessed ample FX market volatility from an increased reliance on a more narrow data core. Inflation and interest rates and also public debt and balance sheet expansion narratives are having the most impact on rate movements. With this in mind; where much of the corrective forces required are formed around policies related to these key issues, it appears that volatility could behere to stay for at least the coming 6-12 months and beyond.

10. What has been your best experience ever in the world of currencies?

Supporting a scale-up with their complex FX requirements and enable them to grow their business in a short period of time by eliminating the FX risk and provide significant costs savings along the way.

 

About XE

At XE, they live currencies. XE provides a comprehensive range of currency services and products, including their Currency Converter, Market Analysis, Currency Data API and quick, easy, secure Money Transfers for individuals and businesses. They leverage technology to deliver these services through their website, mobile apps and over the phone.

Last year, XE helped nearly 300 million people access information about the currencies that matter to them and over 350,000 people used XE to send money overseas. Thousands of businesses relied on XE for information about the currency markets, advice on managing their foreign exchange risk or trusted XE with their business-critical international payments.

International Payments & FX Risk management for business

XE Business Solutions can help safeguard your profit margins and improve cashflow through quantifying the FX risk you face and implementing unique strategies to mitigate it. We provide a comprehensive range of currency services and products to help you access competitive rates with greater control.

At XE, they share the belief that behind every currency exchange, query or transaction is a person or business trying to accomplish something important, so XE works together to develop new and better currency services that put their customers first.

XE is proud to be part of Euronet Worldwide (Nasdaq: EEFT), a global leader in processing secure electronic financial transactions. XE is part of the Money Transfer Division of Euronet and is the unification of HiFX and XE.com.

Visit XE.com

Read XE blogs

OpusCapita shares exciting news – A Nordic Powerhouse

| 07-09-2020 | treasuryXL | OpusCapita |

In July OpusCapita and Analyste announced that they entered a transaction. Now the companies are about to launch the new company they form together.

Make sure to sign up here to be the first to know more.

 

About OpusCapita

OpusCapita enables organizations to buy and pay quickly and securely, with a real-time view of their business. OpusCapita customers use their source-to-pay and cash management solutions to connect, transact and grow. OpusCapita processes over 100 million electronic transactions annually on its Business Network.

 

 

Visit OpusCapita

Visit Partner Page

Read Customer Success Stories

3 reasons why your Startup fails

07-09-2020 | by Rowan Hermes | Symbid

Startups are popping up like mushrooms. There are plenty of wonderful success stories from startups conquering the world. But just as soon as they start up, they also go down. It is sometimes said that 90 percent of startups fail. Fortunately, the actual percentage is lower, but the fact remains that making a startup successful is not that easy. We list the three most common pitfalls.

Blog is in Dutch language:

Source

Partner Interview Series | A deeper dive with Paul Simpson from Kyriba

01-09-2020 | treasuryXL | Kyriba |

In the upcoming weeks, you will get inspired by the treasuryXL partner interviews. Each interview will be different, the only thing we can recommend: Learn, Discover and Enjoy!

The first interview to start with is Kyriba where we will take a deeper dive into their recent hosted webinar about Mitigating Fraud With a Corporate Payment Hub.

AN INTRODUCTION TO

 

Paul Simpson is Strategic Payments Director at Kyriba who also was one of the presenters during the webinar in July.

We asked him 9 questions and 3 bonus questions. Let’s go!


INTERVIEW

1. Can you tell us about the Corporate Payment Hub and your specific role?

My role is to promote the Kyriba Payment Hub, to make customers and prospects aware that we also have a powerful payment module. Often people think of Kyriba for TMS, but we have far more to offer, for example an anti-fraud solution in addition to payments. As part of my role at Kyriba, I look at the constantly changing payment landscape to inform treasurers and finance teams of these changes, whether that’s regulatory or technological. The Kyriba Payments Hub detangles what I call the “ERP payment spaghetti”, streamlines global bank connectivity and format transformation, whilst providing companies with real-time fraud detection. This can also accelerate ERP cloud migration projects.

2. What is the core issue the Corporate Payment Hub aims to address and how does it differentiate it from the other players in the market?

Essentially a payment hub gives our clients a single, consolidated point of access across bank accounts, giving the ability to set up payments, define different payment types and provide notification of pending approvals. Kyriba provides this visibility by consolidating payment streams from different systems – ERPs, finance, treasury, legal, capital markets and decentralised teams, thus transforming dis-aggregated processes into a single source of record for all outgoing payments, all done with built-in fraud detection. We also, uniquely, support and maintain a “bank” of over 45,000 bank formats in-house via our bank formats team. This allows the payment hub to transform payment data into bank-specific file formats and connects directly with global banks via multiple protocols, including host-to-host, SWIFT and regional networks. Other providers build each bank format for each customer at a high cost and development time. The Kyriba payment hub is designed to work across different ERP solutions, whereas ERP systems will not work across other instances.

3. Can each ERP work with the Corporate Payment Hub also when you work with multiple ERP’s located in different countries?

Absolutely. The Kyriba payment hub is designed to work with multiple ERP systems across different countries.

4. What are the most common fraud scams that businesses are dealing with?

Fraudsters are trying to use the current crisis to their advantage. With people working from home, for example, they may attempt to ask finance to make payment to a new bank account – knowing the sign off process is not as robust as it was when teams were all together in the office.

5. What’s the difference in Fraud Scams before COVID19 and the time we live in now?

We have research that shows the number of fraud scam attempts is up by nearly a 1,000 times since Coronavirus. The finance sign-off process for making payments are defragmented as people are working from home. This is where the Kyriba payment hub can bring standardised workflows, sign-off and approvals together to help eliminate fraud

6. What critical elements of Fraud are often overlooked by businesses?

Businesses fail to use AI and machine learning in addition to rule-based technology and processes to reduce fraud. This is a key component of the Kyriba Payment Hub

7. What has been the best experience of one of your customers working with the Corporate Payment Hub?

We are able to cut the time and cost of a customer migrating their ERP solutions to the cloud, as we can handle all the payment connectivity and formats etc “out the box”, thus saving the company many 100,000s of Euros, and 6 months or more in time, whilst also providing and standardising work flow sign off processes etc.

8. What is, in your perception, the biggest benefit of a working with the Corporate Payment Hub?

True, real-time visibility of all payments, from all systems, in one place with enhanced fraud protection and built in work flow.

9. What is your best fraud prevention advice for businesses?

Prevention is always better than cure! I always preach this. Always use combined workflow and AI / Machine learning technology together – the best of both worlds.

BONUS QUESTIONS

Have you ever experienced a fraud scam yourself? If yes, how did it impact you?

I have never experienced a fraud scam myself, the protection I had in place alerted me to a potential scam and I took action.

How are you defending yourself against payments fraud?

Every payment has to be checked via a rule and AI/Machine Learning process.

How does the future of fraud prevention look like in your perspective?

Fraudsters are getting more sophisticated, with only 6% of Corporates using machine learning/AI, they need to use the latest technology or be left behind and suffer fraud.

About Kyriba

Kyriba is the global leader in cloud treasury and finance solutions, delivering mission-critical capabilities for cash and risk management, payments and working capital solutions.

Kyriba empowers CFOs and their teams to transform how they activate liquidity as a dynamic, real-time vehicle for growth and value creation, while also protecting against financial risk. Kyriba’s pioneering Active Liquidity Network connects internal applications for treasury, risk, payments and working capital, with vital external sources such as banks, ERPs, trading platforms, and market data providers. Based on a secure, highly scalable SaaS platform that leverages artificial and business intelligence, Kyriba enables thousands of companies worldwide to maximize growth opportunities, protect against loss from fraud and financial risk, and reduce costs through advanced automation. Kyriba is headquartered in San Diego, with offices in New York, Paris, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Dubai, Singapore, Shanghai and other major locations.

Visit Kyriba

EuroFinance International Treasury Management Virtual Week 21-25 September 2020

| 25-08-2020 | Eurofinance | treasuryXL |

The pandemic sent shockwaves through global financial markets and confronted businesses with extreme scenarios.

Virtual Event

Now more than ever, we need to learn and engage with other treasury professionals around the world, so that we can navigate and overcome the unprecedented challenges we are facing.

As the current situation unfolds, the role of the corporate treasurer is evolving and becoming more strategic than ever before. The complexities and function of treasury within the business is changing even more rapidly. The question is: What does the future of treasury look like and how will this affect my team? And where can I turn for world-class advice on building resiliency, supporting the business and addressing future challenges?

Look no further than EuroFinance’s International Treasury Management Virtual Week taking place 21-25 September. It will see world-leading treasurers and economists come together to address these issues, deliver big picture global insights and share the essential granular knowledge you and your team need for the path ahead. In the spotlight will be the latest on cash flow forecasting, supply chain finance, tech, liquidity and FX and payments plus much more.

Speakers and Live Sessions

The line-up of speakers is impressive with the likes of Shell, Alibaba Group, HP Inc., eBay, Finnair, Microsoft, Intel Corporation, Schlumberger, Booking Holdings Inc. and Rio Tinto holding centre stage in one of the 75+ live sessions. But don’t worry if you miss a session, they will be available on-demand for you to watch at a time that suits you.

The custom-built virtual conference platform will bring the experience of a live event to life in a virtual world. It offers plenty of opportunities to network and learn from your global peers, plus a smart calendar to build your schedule.

Free Registration

The great news is, the 2020 event comes without a price tag! It is free for corporate treasurers. So, you can get all the world-class expert knowledge and insights you expect from the leading treasury event without the costs of registration, flights, accommodation or even expenses.

What are you waiting for? Set your treasury team up to thrive not just to survive.

Register for free today!

 

Active Liquidity Podcast – How AI Protects Payments During COVID19

| 17-08-2020 | treasuryXL | Kyriba |

Our Partner Kyriba has launched their podcast, in which the Chief Product Officer Thierry Truche shares his view on how AI (Artificial Intelligence) is essential as the third line of defense for finance chiefs, ensuring payments are protected during the COVID 19 pandemic. Even if you are a company that has strong fraud prevention processes in place, remote working conditions require AI to detect abnormal payments activity. Hear why Truche sees AI as a replacement for the collective intelligence that is more present in an office setting in this episode of the Activity Liquidity Podcast!

 

 

About Kyriba

Kyriba empowers CFOs and their teams to transform how they activate liquidity as a dynamic, real-time vehicle for growth and value creation, while also protecting against financial risk. Kyriba’s pioneering Active Liquidity Network connects internal applications for treasury, risk, payments and working capital, with vital external sources such as banks, ERPs, trading platforms, and market data providers. Based on a secure, highly scalable SaaS platform that leverages artificial and business intelligence, Kyriba enables thousands of companies worldwide to maximize growth opportunities, protect against loss from fraud and financial risk, and reduce costs through advanced automation. Kyriba is headquartered in San Diego, with offices in New York, Paris, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Dubai, Singapore, Shanghai and other major locations. For more information, visit www.kyriba.com.

 

SOURCE

8 reasons why you need to invest on the Dutch NPEX stock exchange

03-08-2020 | NPEX |

The NPEX stock exchange brings entrepreneurs and (institutional) investors together for financing and returns.
We share 8 reasons why you need to invest on the Dutch NPEX stock exchange.

Blog and whitepaper continues in Dutch language

  • U heeft vermogen opgebouwd, of u bent vermogen aan het opbouwen.
  • U wilt graag dat uw vermogen rendeert.
  • Een spaarrekening levert nagenoeg niets op en ook de effectieve rentes op staats- en bedrijfsobligaties zijn historisch laag. Daarnaast dient u nog rekening te houden met de vermogensbelasting en inflatie.
  • Wat kunt u nog meer doen om rendement te behalen?

In 8 redenen vatten we samen waarom beleggen via NPEX voor u als belegger interessant is.

Download  de gratis whitepaper en lees over alle voordelen.

DOWNLOAD

 

 

5 examples for improving Financial Stamina

| 03-07-2020 | Stichting MKB Financiering | treasuryXL

It is quite easy to determine the financial stamina of a SME. Solvency is a reliable measure of this. If a company has a solvency of 35% or more, the company is in a healthy condition and has sufficient borrowing capacity for further growth. If the solvency is less than 35%, it is advisable to work on improving the condition. Borrowing money further affects solvency, so be cautious about this and work on improving the condition or improving solvency. The question now is: how?

Blog continues in Dutch language.

Actief de solvabiliteit verbeteren

Er zijn een aantal mogelijkheden om actief de solvabiliteit, lees financieel uithoudingsvermogen, van een bedrijf te verbeteren. We noemen vijf voorbeelden met daarbij de behorende kenmerken:

1. Winstinhouding

Door jaarlijks de winst aan het vermogen toe te voegen en geen of nauwelijks dividend uit te keren groeit het eigen vermogen gestaag. Een gezonde methode. Echter, deze vergt veel tijd. Het vergt soms jaren van sparen en de hand op de knip houden.

2. Balansverkorting

Het afstoten van overbodige activa en een scherper werkkapitaalbeheer (verkleining voorraad, sneller innen van debiteuren) voeren. Dit zijn eenmalige verbeteringen. Het aanwezige eigen vermogen verbetert er niet door.

3. Inbreng extra kapitaal door de ondernemer / aandeelhouder(s)

Net als winstinhouding is dit een gezonde methode; áls de aandeelhouders over middelen beschikken: breng het in! Op de spaarrekening levert het immers geen rendement. En dankzij de toename van het eigen vermogen kan de schuldpositie afnemen.

4. Inbreng kapitaal door derden

Kapitaal door derden inbrengen kan vanuit vrienden- of familiekring, maar ook via informal investors, participatiemaatschappijen en ROM’s. Een prima oplossing Hiermee kan snel een aanzienlijke verbetering van de vermogenspositie worden gerealiseerd. Overigens zijn veel ondernemers terughoudend: de ondernemer is niet meer enig aandeelhouder en moet dus meer verantwoording afleggen. Een argument dat voorbij gaat aan de voordelen:  andere aandeelhouders brengen niet alleen geld in, ook vaak hun kennis, visie en netwerk. Het biedt extra kans op professionele groei van het bedrijf

5. Werknemersparticipatie

Dit is een instrument waardoor medewerkers van een bedrijf kunnen deelnemen in (certificaten van) de aandelen van hun werkgever. De medewerkers worden mede eigenaar van het bedrijf. Het levert naast (beperkt) extra eigen vermogen ook iets extra’s op: nog meer betrokkenheid en vaak positieve gedragsverandering. Deze vorm van financieren past in de moderne tijd waarin  medewerkers meer onafhankelijk, bewust en vaak specialistisch opgeleid zijn. Een medewerkersparticipatie kan leiden tot extra (ver-)binding.

Eigen vermogen versterken niet eenvoudig

Hoe fraai deze opsomming van mogelijkheden ook is, in de praktijk blijkt het voor de meeste MKB bedrijven niet eenvoudig te zijn het eigen vermogen te versterken. Er zijn geen ‘eenvoudige’ loketten voor eigen vermogen zoals die er zijn voor vreemd vermogen (via banken en de non-bancaire kredietverstrekkers). Er is geen loket voor de MKB onderneming met een balanstotaal van € 300.000, die bijvoorbeeld behoefte heeft aan een eigen vermogensverbetering van € 50.000. Het ontbreken van zo’n loket voor eigen vermogen ‘drijft’ ondernemers dus automatisch naar de markt van vreemd vermogen.

Financieringsgraad te hoog door vreemd vermogen

Vreemd vermogen is goedkoop, fiscaal aantrekkelijk en goed verkrijgbaar. Dat heeft geleid tot een hoge financieringsgraad (dus lage solvabiliteit) van MKB ondernemingen. Gevolg: het financiële uithoudingsvermogen is aangetast én kan niet eenvoudig worden hersteld. Een dilemma dat vraagt om nadere aandacht.

Toegang eigen vermogensversterking MKB verbeteren

Een verbetering van de eigen vermogenspositie van MKB bedrijven leidt tot een verbetering van het financiële uithoudingsvermogen, hetgeen vervolgens de toegang tot overige financiering verbetert. Binnenkort gaan we nader in op de vraag: op welke wijze zou voor het MKB de toegang tot eigen vermogensversterking verbeterd kunnen worden?

Bron