Finance : Banking
Amdocs in mobile banking deal in Spain
Amdocs Ltd. and Spain’s Bankinter SA have launched a joint offer mobile banking services solution. Amdocs is installing its mobile banking solution at Bankinter, based on Bankinter's mobility solution. The joint solution gives banks a cost-effective customer communication channel by allowing customers to receive alerts, respond to targeted sales offers, and access and manage their bank account information through a mobile device. Amdocs and Bankinter will jointly provide the solution and associated professional services to banks worldwide.
Aug 12, 2007, 10:24

Finance : Banking
Amdocs to launch Internet bank together with private investors
Amdocs has applied to the Supervisor of Banks at the Bank of Israel for a permit to open an Internet bank in Israel, together with a group of private investors. The bank would be entirely software-based and take its computer and communications systems from Amdocs, which specializes in billing software. In recent years Amdocs has been expanding into the financial sector too. At this stage, it isn't clear whether Amdocs would own the virtual bank, but it is assumed that the firm will link itself to a group of investors, partly because of the large investments that the endeavor would require. The group of investors includes a number of leading figures in the financial world. One is Yehoshua Agassi, one of the founders of Direct Insurance - which led to the revolution of direct insurance policies in the Israeli market. Until 1998, Agassi was the CEO of Direct Insurance.
Feb 11, 2007, 10:24

Finance : Banking
Nochi Dankner's coming home to Bank Hapoalim
Nochi Dankner, the man behind the IDB group, is looking at another gigantic investment. With Cellcom under his belt, now he's looking at Israel's biggest bank. Dankner is maneuvering to buy a substantial interest in Bank Hapoalim, through two transactions being negotiated simultaneously. If his moves succeed, he will control the bank together with Shari Arison, the billionaire heiress of Ted Arison. He would also have to sell his controlling interest in Clal Insurance, under anti-competition rules.
Sep 18, 2006, 11:59

Finance : Banking
World Bank to raise billions in its first-ever shekel bonds offering
For the first time in history, the World Bank means to raise money in Israel. Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer met yesterday with senior officials of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's business arm, to discuss their request to issue bonds in Israel. The proceeds would be used to finance the World Bank's activities around the world.
Sep 17, 2006, 10:28

Finance : Banking
Merrill Lynch sees room to expand for Hapoalim
Merrill Lynch analyst Haim Israel sees retail lending as the main area in which Bank Hapoalim has potential to expand. "Israel's loan-to-GDP ratio is the highest in EMEA and emerging LatAm (112%). Israeli corporate credit as a percentage of GDP, at 61%, is higher than in EEMEA, LatAm and the key G7 countries. With retail lending equating to only 11% of GDP (slightly above the EEMEA average, but slightly below LatAm), we see the potential in that are for expansion, especially considering Israel's GDP per capita," he writes.
May 22, 2006, 11:22