Category: Finance

When Malawi suffered a severe drought in 2016, VisionFund Malawi (VFM) used a returnable grant to test and learn the boundaries of a good recovery lending program. The board was initially cautious, questioning whether the management team’s good intentions were risking the viability of the microfinance institution (MFI) itself, but the end results were overwhelmingly […]

Nvidia has announced a $1 billion equity investment in Finnish telecom giant Nokia, marking a strategic partnership aimed at advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and laying the groundwork for next-generation 6G networks. The deal, confirmed on October 28, 2025, gives Nvidia a 2.9% stake in Nokia through the purchase of over 166 million newly issued shares […]

When it comes to setting monetary policy for the world’s largest economy, what data drives decision-making? In ordinary times, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and voting members of the Federal Open Market Committee, which usually meets eight times a year, have a wealth of information at their disposal, including key statistics such as monthly employment […]

Morocco is taking a bold step to transform its financial system into a true enabler of women’s economic empowerment. In partnership with CGAP, Bank Al-Maghrib and the Ministry of Economy and Finance are in the process of launching a “Women’s Financial Inclusion (WFI) Coalition”. Embedded within the governance of Morocco’s upcoming next phase of the […]

President Donald Trump seems to want to have it both ways on the U.S. economy. On the one hand, he recently said the economy is in its “golden age” and referred to the U.S. as the “hottest country anywhere in the world.” Yet at the same time, he has outright demanded that the Federal Reserve […]

Strengthening outcomes orientation means making impact measurement and management (IMM) fit for outcomes, designed around an organization’s context and purposes so outcomes data and evidence can inform strategic, capital, and operational decisions. In a previous blog, we argued that IMM must integrate outcomes in a fit-for-purpose way. Now, we’re ready to share a work-in-progress framework […]

SoftBank Group has approved the release of a $22.5 billion second installment to finalize its planned $30 billion investment in OpenAI, according to a report from The Information. The decision underscores the Japanese conglomerate’s deepening commitment to artificial intelligence and positions the deal as one of the largest single investments ever made in the sector. […]

📈 Summary The global private credit market has expanded dramatically over the past ten years, reaching $1.6 trillion in assets under management (AUM) in 2025, according to data from Preqin and Fitch Ratings Fitch Ratings. Once a niche segment of alternative finance, private credit has evolved into a mainstream asset class, rivaling traditional bank lending […]

💶 Summary On October 23, 2025, the Boards of Directors of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) approved a sweeping €9.2 billion investment package aimed at strengthening Europe’s infrastructure and social resilience. The funding targets affordable housing, energy security, and child healthcare, while deepening engagement with civil society and global […]

Making the financial sector truly work for both women and men will require a systemic shift. This starts with better understanding the underlying norms driving the behavior of all actors, and then designing interventions that can make change happen. Invisible gender-norm-based barriers prevent the financial system from meeting women’s needs at scale. Recent market system gender […]