Andrew Samu

London

Editor at #DisruptionBanking

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Articles

SIBS Romania: Redefining Payments in Eastern Europe

2 weeks ago | disruptionbanking.com | Andrew Samu

For over 26 years, SIBS Romania, part of SIBS Group, has been a quiet powerhouse in the fintech world, transforming how payments flow across Eastern Europe and beyond. SIBS Group is a Portuguese business that has developed a strong network across countries Central Eastern Europe. The company has offices or partners in Poland, Romania, Austria, Moldova, Serbia, Hungary, Macedonia, Kosovo and Lithuania. In 2020 SIBS in Portugal acquired Wirecard’s Romania business.
Can the Texas Stock Exchange Disrupt Capital Markets?

2 weeks ago | disruptionbanking.com | Andrew Samu

It’s been built by market veterans, and it’s backed by world-class institutions. The Texas Stock Exchange is ‘Ready to Innovate.’ On January 31 this year, the Texas Stock Exchange, or TXSE, was the first fully integrated exchange tofile a Form 1 registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the past 25 years. We first wrote about the Texas Stock Exchange last June. Since then, interest in the new exchange continues to grow.
Slovakian Bribery Scandal Tests Faith in the ECB

3 weeks ago | disruptionbanking.com | Andrew Samu

2025 has been a great year for the Euro. The currency has strengthened significantly against the U.S. dollar so far this year. However, the future is not so clear as the ECB would like. It’s not just trade tariffs with the U.S. that is causing the uncertainty, there are other challenges that the Euro is facing. Recently we brought you stories about the Polish and Hungarian central bank heads. Neither country has adopted the Euro yet, but their common neighbour Slovakia has.
Cantor Fitzgerald Agrees Deal to Buy UBS Hedge Fund Unit

1 month ago | disruptionbanking.com | Andrew Samu

Banks are changing. Many of them, like UBS, are focusing on wealth management. In the case of UBS the Global Wealth Management division increased 21% year-on-year according to the banks’ first quarter 2025 results. To keep strong capital positions and prepare for the future, banks are divesting in some areas. This week Cantor Fitzgerald was the latest firm to take advantage by agreeing to buy UBS Hedge Fund Unit O’Connor.
The AI5: The New Powerhouse Redefining the AI Era

1 month ago | disruptionbanking.com | Andrew Samu

Last week we brought you a story about Light Street Capital. In the story we highlighted a group of stocks that were coined as the ‘AI5.’ These stocks were behind some of the success of the leading Californian hedge fund and are worth further investigation. In the past we have brought you stories about the FAANG companies and later the Magnificent 7, or Mag7 for short. These terms have been with us for a long time. FAANG since 2013 and Mag7 since 2023.
SEC Stalls XRP ETF Decisions, Leaving Investors in Limbo

1 month ago | disruptionbanking.com | Andrew Samu

Last week there was hope that XRP’s price would finally take off. News of the release of funds by the SEC helped increase confidence in XRP amongst investors. A week later and things are not going as they were planned. XRP is still struggling to hit $2.40 from highs of $2.60 last week. Yesterday the SEC published an order instituting proceedings to determine whether to approve or disapprove a proposed rule change.
Who Are the Firms Dominating Private Credit Markets?

1 month ago | disruptionbanking.com | Andrew Samu

Last year Bloomberg published a story called ’Why Private Credit is Booming and Banks are Fighting Back.’ The story highlights how when interest rates hiked in 2022, banks were lumbered with many unprofitable loans they couldn’t sell. Private credit funds stepped in. Today some of these funds are as large as some of the funds that banks can offer. One of the firms that has benefitted from private credit is Macquarie Capital, part of Macquarie Group.
How ARR's Long / Short Equity Strategy Delivers Returns During a Market Crash

1 month ago | disruptionbanking.com | Andrew Samu

There are lots of different strategies utilized by hedge funds today. Each strategy fits a different type of investment appetite and philosophy. But the first hedge fund launched in 1949 by Alfred Winslow Jones used a long/short equity strategy. It remains a very common strategy today. Today some of the hedge funds that offer a long/short equity strategy according to HedgeLists include Point72, Bridgewater Associates, Two Sigma, Viking, Lighthouse, Stone Point, Holocene Advisors, and many more.
How Light Street Capital Makes Such Good Returns

1 month ago | disruptionbanking.com | Andrew Samu

It’s been one of the most successful hedge funds over the last two years, Light Street Capital 2024 up 59.4 percent. The long/short fund focused on technology is in the heart of Palo Alto, Silicon Valley. It sits next to companies like Apple and Amazon. Today we investigate how Light Street Capital makes such good returns. Glen Kacher, a Tiger Global alum, founded Light Street Capital Management LLC in 2010.
Why did Coinbase join the S&P 500?

1 month ago | disruptionbanking.com | Andrew Samu

It’s a big week for the whole cryptocurrency community. Coinbase has been included in the S&P 500. The leading crypto company, with a market cap of $65.4 billion, was added to the leading U.S. index and will go live next week. In a press release on Monday, the S&P Dow Jones Indices, a Division of S&P Global, shared how “Coinbase Global Inc. will replace Discover Financial Services in the S&P 500 effective prior to the opening of trading on Monday, May 19.”Coinbase stock surged on the news.