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Throughout these uncertain times, UniCredit is providing a point of reference for the CEE, thanks to our strong commitment to supporting clients and the region.

UniCredit’s Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) division was aware of the threat of Covid-19 early on, and took decisive measures to mitigate its impact.

Volumes in Asia’s loan market have slumped in recent years, with the pandemic only adding to the pressure. However, the biggest challenges for banks and borrowers are only just starting to emerge and they will test the industry's resilience.

The extraordinary price action in GameStop, AMC Entertainment and others' shares last week is surely leading nervous CFOs all over the world to get an at-the-money rights issue signed off, in case they win the attention of Reddit's WallStreetBets crowd and can raise equity at giddy multiples. But this is like hoping for a winning lottery ticket. For firms in the most Covid-addled sectors, a private approach will be their best shot at financing a turnaround.

Global equity markets were propelled to new all-time highs at the end of last year when various drug companies announced that they were close to releasing vaccines to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. However, with the vaccine roll-out slow, new mutant variants of the virus raging and governments striking a sombre tone, investors need to prepare for the fact that they may have bought in haste.

If UniCredit wanted to make a splash when choosing its new star chief executive, the timing wasn't great. The news of its board of directors nominating Andrea Orcel as designated CEO was crowded out by a bunch of redditors. Still, the appointment of a banking celebrity will be a fascinating situation to watch over the weeks and months to come.

In this round-up, China’s official and the Caixin manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Indexes fall amid a resurgence of local Covid-19 infections, creditors demand a bankruptcy reorganisation of beleaguered conglomerate HNA Group, and Xiaomi Corp files a lawsuit against the US’s decision to add it to a list of Chinese companies with alleged military ties.

This week in Keeping Tabs: optimum bank capital ratios, and also that other story everyone's been talking about.

Jason Channell, Head of Sustainable Finance, Citi Global Insights examines the broad understanding of environmental, social and governance factors, how these have become a mainstream economic concern, and how sustainability policy is impacting supply chain finance.

RBI follows a “profit-with-purpose” business model with explicit alignment of its activities with social, environmental and economic responsibility. We help develop sustainable economies and support our customers’ transition to zero carbon activities.

In this round-up, Chinese president Xi Jinping warns of international confrontations from a ‘new cold war’, regulators plan deeper capital market reforms and increased oversight of internet finance platforms, and European insurance giant Allianz receives approval for China’s first fully foreign-owned insurance asset management company.

Andrea Orcel, the new CEO of UniCredit, may be annoyed to be upstaged by Avalon Penrose, an actor whose hilarious and heart-tugging Twitter video about the GameStop share maelstrom has captured the insanity of stock markets. But these are the frothy markets we live in now.