Finance, Banking & Insurance

TEL AVIV – November 03, 2026 -- Elron Ventures Ltd. (TASE: ELRN) has appointed three new directors and an interim chairman, and is searching for a new CFO, as it prepares to deploy up to $300 million in a defense and dual-use acquisition program with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Dan Hoz returns as interim chairman after prior stint at the helm

Board member Dan Hoz becomes Interim Chairman. He previously chaired Elron and is familiar with its portfolio companies and strategy. Hoz was Managing Director of Siemens EDA in Israel, Vice President at Siemens Digital Industries Software, and earlier CEO of Valor.

Former Cellebrite CFO Dana Gerner joins as external director

Dana Gerner, previously Chief Financial Officer of Cellebrite, takes an External Director seat. Elron cites her record in growth strategy, capital markets activity and investor relations at global, publicly traded technology companies.

LUXEMBOURG – November 03, 2026 -- Asset managers' profit per unit of assets under management has fallen 19% since 2018 and is projected to drop another 9.1% by 2030, according to PwC's Global Asset Management Infrastructure report. Decisions on what to build, buy or access through partners now shape how firms compete.

Fee compression limits the ability to invest for 67% of respondents. Only 23% direct most of their technology budget to new capabilities, while 29% spend more than 70% of it maintaining legacy systems. The survey covered 150 asset managers and 50 infrastructure providers.

Munich – November 03, 2026 -- Continentale is urging its sales partners to promote special payments into the Basisrente, as 2026 tax-deductible contributions reach up to EUR 30,826 for single filers and EUR 61,652 for jointly assessed couples.

Continentale tells brokers to approach clients with unused tax headroom

Clients who have not exhausted their deductible limit can make a one-off top-up, the insurer says. The actual tax relief depends on each client's income and pension situation. Continentale also wants intermediaries to explain how the Basisrente and the new retirement savings account (Altersvorsorgedepot) will work together from 2027.

Stockholm – November 03, 2026 -- Svea Mining AB has appointed DNB Carnegie Investment Bank AB as liquidity provider for its shares on Spotlight Stock Market, at a cost of SEK 25,000 per month excluding VAT. DNB Carnegie took up the role on October 27, 2026, the company's first day of trading under the ticker SVEA.

DNB Carnegie must quote both sides of the market for 85% of trading hours

Under Spotlight's liquidity provider rules, DNB Carnegie will post bid and ask prices for at least 85 percent of trading hours each day. Each quote must be for at least SEK 5,000 on both sides, with a maximum spread of 6 percent. The aim is to improve liquidity in the share and narrow the gap between bid and ask prices.

London – November 03, 2026 -- PRIMA founder Alexander Zhardanovsky has pledged £10 million across 2027-2028 to expand the CC (Climate Change) Investment Forum globally, under a Letter of Intent signed with forum founder Max Studennikoff.

Letter of Intent was signed at the 27-30 October London forum at the Mayfair Hotel

Zhardanovsky is a serial tech entrepreneur whose PRIMA aims to monetise the Recommendation Economy. The pledge is meant to fund the forum's work bringing people of influence together to tackle climate change and other global challenges. Studennikoff said the money will help the forum "accelerate and amplify" its work.

London – November 03, 2026 -- Neudata has appointed Tom Fletcher-Manuel as Chief Revenue Officer, handing him responsibility for global sales, account management and go-to-market execution across its products and services.

Former Third Bridge executive led a commercial team of about 90

Fletcher-Manuel brings more than 15 years of commercial leadership across financial information, investment research and data businesses. He joins from Third Bridge, where he spent more than six years, most recently as Head of Commercial for Public Equities & Credit across Europe and North America.

BEIJING – November 02, 2026 -- China's leadership has framed its financial-power agenda around six core elements, eight guiding principles and six institutional systems, according to an excerpt from Qiushi Journal's English edition (No. 2, 2026).

Xi's framework requires six elements to qualify as a financial power

A country strong in finance needs a strong currency, a strong central bank, strong financial institutions, international financial centers, strong financial supervision and a robust contingent of competent financial personnel. The article describes currency as a country's credit and the central pillar of a financial power. It calls the central bank the key sluice gate for money supply and the linchpin of a soundly operating financial system.

NORFOLK – – November 02, 2026 -- PRA Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRAA), which runs nonperforming loan portfolio operations in 18 countries, marked its 30th anniversary by ringing the Nasdaq Stock Market Opening Bell in New York City's Times Square.

CEO Sjolund and co-founder Fredrickson lead the bell ceremony

President and CEO Martin Sjolund rang the bell with co-founder and Executive Chairman Steve Fredrickson, the senior leadership team and employees representing the company's global workforce.

PRA Group grew from a 1996 Virginia startup into a diversified NPL buyer

The company was founded in Norfolk, Va., in 1996 and has been publicly traded since 2002. It describes itself as one of the most globally diversified companies in the nonperforming loan industry. It buys portfolios from banks and other creditors, returning capital to them, and works directly with customers to resolve their debt.

PROVIDENCE – November 02, 2026 -- Wealthbox, the advisor CRM provider, has hired Anand Sheth, founder and former CEO of Pulse360, to build AI and enterprise features for the large RIAs, broker-dealers and advisor networks that make up a fast-growing share of its customer base.

Sheth brings nearly 20 years of Ameriprise experience to the product team

Sheth spent nearly 20 years at Ameriprise Financial in practice management, client service and compliance roles. He later served as Chief Operating Officer of Confluence Wealth Management Group. In 2019 he founded Pulse360, which automates meeting prep, notes, follow-ups and compliance records for advisors.

Pulse360 was a 2021 WealthManagement.com Industry Awards finalist and launched AI-powered note-taking in 2023. It integrated with leading advisor CRMs, including Wealthbox.

Philadelphia – November 02, 2026 -- The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has registered Sporttrade as both a Designated Contract Market (DCM) and a Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO), allowing the Philadelphia-based platform to run a regulated sports event contract exchange and its own clearing house.

Dual registration opens the exchange to intermediated flow

Sporttrade says the status lets it support intermediated activity through Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs). It will also serve direct access participants, Introducing Brokers (IBs) and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs). Through its DCO, it can clear for other DCMs. The company contrasts this with many recent registrations, which it says do not offer the same scope.