Non-performing assets, monetary policy and digitization are the three most pressing challenges that EU banks are facing, according to José Manuel González-Páramo. BBVA’s Executive Board Director participated in the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Institute of International Finance (IIF) that took place in Washington D.C. last week, which he attended together with a large delegation of BBVA executives.

For the European Central Bank, the relevance that fintech already has in the financial sector is becoming increasingly clear.  The latest example of this is the public consultation it has just launched to establish draft guides to bank licensing, not only for banks with traditional business models, but also for companies offering banking services based on innovative technologies, commonly known as fintech.

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) is an international body that oversees the proper running of the financial system by promoting oversight and regulatory policies.

Last week, 12 Nobel laureates were named in a fresh round of Nobel Prize recognitions in scientific, cultural and academic achievements and innovation.

Stock market indices can be described as baskets of shares. They are calculated based upon the average prices of a number of shares selected from a market or a particular sector. Their performance allows the investor to know the evolution and trends in the market. At the same time, indices serve as a reference for investors who specialize in funds or portfolios of shares. Following is a list of the principal stock indices on the world market.

The country risk premium is the return that investors demand from a country to buy its sovereign bonds in comparison with that demanded from other countries. It is calculated as the difference between the interest rate of a country’s bonds compared to bonds issued by a benchmark country, considered "riskless."