All articles by Fred Crawley
Fred Crawley
Russia appoints leasing CEO as minister
Russia has underlined its intention to support agriculture through leasing this month, by appointing the head of its state agricultural leasing company as agriculture minister.
Payment holiday schemes take off across Europe
Payment holiday schemes take off across Europe Hot on the heels of last months report on new financial products at Volkswagen Financial Services, two more captive finance houses IBM and JCB have released announcements about their own product developments.
Slovakia pins hopes on euro entry
International business from Slovakia will be made easier by the countrys adoption of the euro on 1 January 2009, although lessors are struggling to cope with software pressures that will occur as a result of the change.
Oberbank’s expanded leasing arm up 31%
Oberbank, an Austrian regional bank, has announced that its leasing divisions new business increased by 31 percent in 2008 to 1.29 billion.
More state control in agri leasing as Europlan booms
The Russian government will increase the share capital of state-owned Russian Agricultural Bank (RAB) by RUB45 billion (970 million) and Rosagroleasing by RUB25 billion, after Rosagroleasing reported its investment resources had been exhausted and it had no other options available.
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Recession-hit Atlas Copco to hike vendor finance usage
Despite announcing the imminent redundancy of 3,000 employees, some 9 percent of its workforce, Swedish tool manufacturer Atlas Copco expects to combat falling customer demand with availability of finance products in 2009.
Chinese leasing grows by half
Dublin based market research company Research and Markets has published a report on Chinese leasing, which states that Chinas total lease portfolio increased 54.2 percent over 2008, to a value of 12.8 billion.
Caterpillar FS affected by construction downturn
Caterpillar FS affected by construction downturn With sales in yellow metal having collapsed by over 20 percent across Europe and North America over the past quarter, asset finance in this sector has also taken a hit with Caterpillar Financial Services reporting worldwide profit after tax for third quarter at 92.3 million, down 11 percent compared to third quarter 2007
Financial globetrotter
Scania Financial Services has a growing portfolio, a large insurance arm, a close relationship with its parent, and is about to launch in Brazil. Fred Crawley catches up with Koen Knoops, its global vice-president.
?1.8bn to Russian state company amid crisis in farming
Russia has recently announced plans to pour money into the coffers of its state-owned agricultural lessor, to the relief of the country’s agricultural community. Elsewhere in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), however, failing currencies and poor export profits may have put the writing on the wall for all but the largest international leasing companies.