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Treasury Hub Markets Bulletin - Q1 2024 Review 1.03 MB

Welcome to the 2024 Q1 version of THE TREASURY HUB Markets Bulletin.• The focus of markets in the first quarter was very much on inflation and its impact on the expected timing of interest rate cuts. While the consensus was that Central Banks had stalled their tightening of interest rates with the focus firmly on the timing (and number of) rate cuts, the number of cuts expected in 2024 has decreased as the year has progressed. • 3-month Euribor has remained in a relatively tight range around 3.90%, but it is unlikely that this will move in a material way until the ECB implements its first rate cut. • EUR, UK and US yield curves continue to be inverted (i.e. rates decline after 1 year) but the past few days have seen an upward shift in such curves, especially in the US, on the back of inflation figures that look static. • Oil prices were on the rise again in Q1 (mainly due to an improving economic outlook). • Stock markets had a much better start to the year than previously anticipated, with the major US tech stocks, for the most part, releasing strong 2023 financial results. • Both USD and GBP continued to trade in a remarkably tight range against EUR. • Gold has had a record run to new heights over the first quarter. • S.5 in this Bulletin takes a look back at the 2023 Irish Bank Results.

The Treasury Hub - Autumn 2023 1.04 MB

Welcome to the Autumn 2023 edition of THE TREASURY HUB Banking Markets Bulletin.

Banking Treasury Markets April 2023 927.51 KB

Welcome to the April 2023 edition of THE TREASURY HUB Banking Markets Bulletin. There have been major developments in the banking markets internationally in recent months. This is discussed in section 5 of this month’s bulletin and will also feature in next months. This month we focus on international developments and how they may impact Irish banks. Next month we will review the 2022 financial results of the Irish banks.

Talent – Current Trends, HR and Tax Considerations of Global Mobility 3.75 MB

This event, the fourth in our Lunchtime Series, focused on the current challenges in the labour market and explored the Tax and HR considerations of global mobility. The current market demands that employers do everything they can to attract the best and most diverse talent. Employee mobility has become a key element of the way we work and achieving high levels of retention, now that we are working in a mobile, agile and dynamic world of work. RBK Chartered Accountants, together with Mike McDonagh, Director of Sigmar Recruitment Consultants Limited, Yvonne Clarke, HR Solutions Manager with RBK and Ronan McGivern, International Tax & Business Advisory Partner, RBK, shared practical insights and provide guidance in relation to the recruitment of an international workforce. In line with the demand for talent, in an ever-increasing competitive market, it is essential that employers consider the Tax and HR implications to on-boarding overseas employees.

RBK Global Employer Solutions - New Employee On-Boarding Process 1.28 MB

Our Global Employer Solutions team have developed a comprehensive new employee on-boarding brochure which contains a step by step guide for individuals taking up employment in the Republic of Ireland. The brochure provides useful information regarding PPS number (akin to a Tax Identification Number) applications which are extremely important for both Irish tax and social security purposes. There is also a complete visual guide on registration for Revenue’s MyAccount system which will allow employees to register employments and allocate credits. This is a very useful tool for employees coming to Ireland to take up employment, whether on a temporary assignment or relocating permanently. All these steps are necessary to ensure a smooth on-boarding of employees and to avoid the imposition of emergency tax.

The Treasury Hub - May 22 909.18 KB

Welcome to the fifth edition of THE TREASURY HUB Banking and Treasury Markets Bulletin of 2022. The Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to impact on financial markets but there is a lot of volatility in other areas also since our bulletin last month:• Inflation is still a hot topic • Interest rates have steadied somewhat after a sustained period of increasing • Energy prices remain stubbornly high • FX rates have also bounced around a lot with USD making significant gains • Crypto currencies have taken a bashing • Tech stocks have also suffered more than most other sectors in 2022 • An oil company (Saudi Aramco) replaced Apple as the world’s largest company by market cap…. who said fossil fuels are a thing of the past?We have warned for some time in this bulletin that the key inflation metric to watch is food inflation given the impact of it on everyone and we see it as the main driver of wages hike pressures. Consumer habits will also change as a result and discretionary spend is already taking a hit with subscriptions to the likes of Netflix and Peloton being adversely impacted.Last month we stated that from a risk management perspective, it looks like the most volatile period in markets, financial and otherwise, since 2008 and, in some cases, since the 1970s. This is a view that we continue to hold.

The Treasury Hub - April 22 1020.11 KB

Welcome to the fourth edition of THE TREASURY HUB Banking and Treasury Markets Bulletin of 2022. This Bulletin represents a review of the first quarter of 2022 and in Section 5, we have a look at the implications of rising interest rates.The invasion of Ukraine by Russia continues to dominate financial markets along with inflationary pressures. The latter were already building before the invasion but have moved higher due to increasing energy prices in particular. While Oil prices remain high, Brent Crude has eased back to $108/barrel. There has however, been large volatility experienced in other commodity markets e.g. gas and nickel.Consumer confidence also seems to be taking a hit while faster and larger interest rate hikes are now increasingly mentioned due to the highest levels of inflation in decades. All of this is against a backdrop of a possible slowdown in economic activity, which can have a “double negative” impact on businesses: higher costs and lower sales/profits. In this scenario, financial covenant compliance in any loan agreements suddenly take on significance – see Section 5 for further analysis. From a risk management perspective, it looks like the most volatile period in markets, financial and otherwise, since 2008 and, in some cases, since the 1970s.

Treasury Hub - March 22 1.35 MB

Welcome to the March edition of THE TREASURY HUB Banking and Treasury Markets Bulletin. In this edition we review the past month and, in Section 5, we take a look at the 2021 results of the three main banks. The past few weeks have been dominated by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The resultant loss of life, physical destruction of the country and creation of a huge refugee crisis in Europe almost seems unimaginable. Talking about financial and economic matters is trite against that backdrop, but the event has and will have an impact on all of our lives to varying degrees in the weeks and months ahead. The impact of the crisis has been immediate in two areas: food and energy. Oil has jumped in price with Brent Crude hitting almost $140/barrel last week. Wheat has jumped from $850 to $1,252 in just over a week on the CBOT. And all of this will feed into inflation, slowing economic growth whilst also creating a dilemma for central banks and interest rate management. Adding the cost of the refugee crisis to the mix and assisting, hopefully, in the resolution of the conflict and the rebuilding of Ukraine, and 2022/23 will be challenging.

The Treasury Hub - January 2022 1022.69 KB

Welcome to the first edition of THE TREASURY HUB Banking and Treasury Markets Bulletin of 2022. This bulletin takes a look back at 2021 and in Section 5 we include our annual “trends to watch”.Key market movements in 2021 included inflation hitting highest levels seen in decades in some countries, which was fuelled by a significant increase in oil prices. In addition, interest rate hikes are now on the agenda for the first time in over a decade. Economic trends were broadly positive but funded by huge government borrowings and Central Bank stimulus. Despite the pandemic, labour markets are very tight across many geographies and stock markets have been driven up by the availability of cheap money. So who pays for this? And how will markets react to money supply starting to contract? In section 5 we discuss how the Irish Business Banking sector might look in 2022 and how the lack of competition may become an obstacle to businesses and consumers.

SCARP - A more Efficient Rescue Process for SME’s 1.19 MB

On 22 September 2021, Jill Callanan, of LK Shields Solicitors and Brendan O’Donoghue, RBK presented a webinar examining the detail of the new SCARP legislation.

The Treasury Hub Update - April 2021 958.23 KB

Welcome to the fourth edition of THE TREASURY HUB Banking and Treasury Markets Bulletin of 2021. Domestically and internationally, there is increased focus on the speed of the vaccine rollout and, hopefully, a gradual return to normality.But the one sector that is looking anything but normal is the Irish banking sector with the announcement of the exit of KBC from the market. Following on from the Ulster Bank announcement the previous month, the SME and Business Banking offerings will be dominated by a duopoly of AIB and Bank of Ireland. The growth of PTSB and the non-bank providers will be crucial for the wider macroeconomic development of the country.On the currency front, the last week has seen USD retreat but GBP rebound. Both currencies are stronger against EUR since the start of the year. Although the cost of borrowing has increased for most governments in 2021, the move has stalled in Eurozone and UK but US rates continue to ease up as inflation prospects continue to be very actively debated (is it returning for the medium-term or just a temporary phenomenon?). Economic outlook for the US looks very positive at the minute.From an investment perspective, stock market trends are generally upwards again after some pause for breath. Coinbase was a high profile IPO in the US while the Deliveroo flotation in London was a disappointment. Finally, Section 5 covers interest rates, especially the spectre of negative deposit rates and considers if we can do anything to mitigate their impact.

Business Support Matrix Update 335.51 KB

As the funding supports available to help SMEs through this difficult Covid period are changing regularly, we have updated our Funding Matrix which we brought to you in 2020, to provide an easily accessible summary of the key financial schemes and other supports that are widely available to Irish businesses.