Latest news with #Taleb
Daily Tribune
07-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Strengthening diplomatic cooperation in labour affairs
The Chief Executive of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) and Chairman of the National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons, Mr Nabras Taleb, stressed the value of continued cooperation with embassies and consulates of labour-sending countries in supporting a well-ordered and lawful work environment in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He made the remarks during a meeting with diplomatic representatives held as part of the LMRA Majlis, timed with International Workers' Day. The discussions centred on the importance of strengthening coordination in labour affairs, ensuring that foreign workers are fully informed of the country's legal framework, and verifying that they are engaged in permitted activities under valid work permits. Measures Mr Taleb presented a number of recent measures adopted by the Authority, including the requirement for all employers to pay workers electronically through the Wage Protection System. This mechanism is designed to ensure that salaries are paid on schedule and to help reduce pay-related disagreements. He also confirmed that all expatriate workers will be issued an International Bank Account Number (IBAN) either on arrival at Bahrain International Airport or when renewing their work permit, should they not already have one.
Biz Bahrain
24-04-2025
- Business
- Biz Bahrain
Eskan Bank signs agreements with seven banks under Tas'heel+ programme
Eskan Bank signed agreements with seven local commercial banks to provide housing finance services under the Tas'heel+ programme. The agreements were signed during the Innovation Summit in the Social Housing Sector, held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, under the theme 'Towards Innovative and Sustainable Housing Solutions.' The agreement brings together Eskan Bank and the following partner banks participating in Tas'heel+ Programme: National Bank of Bahrain (NBB), Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB), Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK), Ahli United Bank, Al Baraka Islamic Bank, Al Salam Bank, and Khaleeji Bank. The agreements align with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning and Eskan Bank's strategy to expand housing finance options for citizens. The recently launched Tas'heel+ programme offers several new features for citizens seeking immediate housing finance, with a maximum financing amount of BD 91,000. Citizens with monthly incomes ranging from BD 600 to BD 1,200 are eligible, and the financing amount will be determined based on the applicant's income at the time of application. Abdulla Taleb, General Manager of Eskan Bank, emphasised that the agreements reflect ongoing and effective public-private partnerships aimed at providing flexible housing solutions in line with government priorities. He underscored the cooperation of the participating banks and their commitment to supporting Bahrain's housing sector and enhancing citizen welfare. Taleb described the collaboration as a leading model of government–financial sector cooperation to support national objectives and facilitate citizens' access to housing services, contributing to Bahrain's economic and social development. He reiterated Eskan Bank's commitment to developing sustainable and innovative housing solutions that promote family stability and meet citizens' aspirations. He noted that the agreements would enable participating banks to play a greater role in meeting citizens' housing needs and emphasised their commitment to supporting national housing programmes as part of their social responsibility. This would provide flexible homeownership options and support the goals of Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 and the national housing strategy. Taleb underscored the Bank's continued efforts to strengthen cooperation with local banks to advance housing development and support citizens in achieving financial goals and homeownership. He noted that housing stability is a foundation for building prosperous communities and emphasised that advancing the housing sector is a shared responsibility between the housing and banking sectors. BNA(R)
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
These ETFs protect against ‘black swan' stock-market events like we've just seen
Insuring your portfolio against a 'black swan' event in the financial markets isn't as easy as you'd think. Black-swans events are rare — hence the name — but when they happen they are sudden, awful and unpredictable. The U.S. stock market's double-digit percentage loss over the past three trading sessions presumably qualifies. 'This is not in my tolerance level': I inherited a $600K portfolio from my father. Should I move it all into bonds? Bond-market chaos is fueling concerns about a crisis. Here's what you need to know. Here's what it may take for this beaten-down stock market to solidly rebound S&P 500 rebound collapses in biggest U-turn since at least 1978. Investors can't shake tariff jitters. Here's the unsettling reason the world's most important market is getting hammered by Trump's tariffs Most of us think that the same risk-reduction strategies we employ in 'normal' times will also protect us from black swans. We believe it's possible to dial portfolio risk up or down, depending on our tolerance. For example, we think that by pursuing a not-too-risky, not-too-conservative strategy, we can still enjoy the bulk of the market's upside while also being protected from its black swans. Risk analyst and author Nassim Nicholas Taleb, in his 2007 book 'The Black Swan,' argued that this belief is mistaken, since 'middle-of-the-road risks' are not related in any straightforward way to the risks at the tails (extremes) of the distribution. A man whose feet is in the oven and head in the freezer is not OK, no matter what his average body temperature would lead you to believe. Take the traditional approach to risk management, the 60/40 stock/bond portfolio. Over the three U.S. trading sessions through Monday, it produced a 6.9% loss (assuming the stock portion was invested in the S&P 500 SPX and the bond portion in long-term Treasurys). In contrast to traditional risk-management approaches, Taleb recommended what he called a 'barbell' strategy: 'Your strategy is to be as hyperconservative and hyperaggressive as you can be, instead of being mildly aggressive or conservative.' One barbell strategy is to allocate the bulk of your portfolio to Treasurys and invest the interest you earn from these U.S. government bonds in S&P 500 call options. To be sure, this strategy will still experience some short-term volatility. But because you're only investing the interest you earn, you won't lose money with this approach so long as you hold the Treasurys until maturity. And, depending on the options you purchase and the behavior of the S&P 500 SPX, you will participate in much of the market's upside. Exchange-traded-fund providers now offer ways for individuals to employ these sophisticated game plans. One that employs a variant of Taleb's strategy is the Amplify BlackSwan Growth & Treasury Core ETF SWAN, which invests 90% in U.S. Treasurys and 10% in S&P call options. Though this ETF was created in late 2018, the index to which the ETF is benchmarked has been calculated back to December 2005. Over that backtested time it has produced a 6.8% annualized return, versus 8.4% for the S&P 500. In other words, the historical 'premium' for this black-swan insurance has been 1.6 annualized percentage points. Given the fear and anxiety of the past few sessions, you may decide that this is a fair price. Another barbell approach is to invest most of your portfolio in a stock index fund and allocate a small portion to S&P 500 put options. One ETF that pursues a variant of this approach is the Swan Hedged Equity US Large Cap ETF HEGD. This ETF's issuer reports performance back to 1997 for managed accounts that pursued a substantially similar strategy to that of the ETF (which was launched in late 2020). From mid-1997 through the end of 2024 this strategy lagged the S&P 500 by a margin of 7.5% annualized to 9.1%. That implies an insurance premium of 1.6 annualized percentage points, nearly identical to that of Amplify's ETF offering. The bottom line? Black swans are unavoidable. And because they also are unpredictable, insuring against them can't rely on the fantasy we'll be able to anticipate when one is about to occur. Answer honestly: Before April 3, did you have any idea what would ensue over the next three sessions? Protection against black swans depends on insurance policies we have in place through thick and thin. Homeowners don't let home-insurance policies lapse. Nor should you for any black-swan insurance you buy. Mark Hulbert is a regular contributor to MarketWatch. His Hulbert Ratings tracks investment newsletters that pay a flat fee to be audited. He can be reached at Also read: As the S&P 500 crashes, this new retiree says advisers are 'head-in-the-sand clueless' How to protect your money during today's economic uncertainty After two big days of selloffs, here's what history suggests will happen next This strategist told investors to raise cash — in November. Now he sees a path to Dow 50,000 and $200 oil These 20 stocks have risen during Trump's trade tirade. Analysts see up to 30% additional upside. The stock market staged an epic rally after Trump's tariff pause. Volatility will continue. I moved my money into international stocks and blue-chip funds because I'm 5 years from retirement. Was this wise? Sign in to access your portfolio
The National
14-03-2025
- Sport
- The National
'Ready for anyone': Ali Taleb steps up to PFL World Tournament to face Zebenzui Ruiz
Ali Taleb said he is ready to take on all comers after being promoted to the PFL's World Tournament. The Iraqi-born Swede won the promotion's Mena bantamweight title last November by knocking out Moroccan Rachid Haz in the first round in Riyadh. Taleb's performance did not go unnoticed, and the 27-year-old will make the step up in grade at the 2025 PFL World Tournament starting in April, where he is slated to meet Spaniard Zebenzui Ruiz in the newly introduced 135lb weight division. 'I can't wait for this day. I'm super excited. I have been training and preparing for this event ever since the PFL confirmed my spot in the World Tournament,' Taleb, 27, told The National in a Zoom interview. 'Yeah, that's what I have been doing all the time; training and preparing until the day of the fight. I plan to fly to the US for a camp ahead of the fight as soon as I receive my visa." Taleb has only one defeat in his 13-fight pro career while Ruiz also has 12 wins against three losses. 'I don't know much about this Spanish guy but I'm ready to take on anyone the promotion puts in front of me because if you want to be a world champ, you should be able to take on anyone to be the best,' Taleb said. The 2025 PFL World Tournament kicks off in April, with four weekly opening round events taking place on April 3, 11, 18 and May 1 at the Universal Studios Florida in Orlando. Taleb has won four of his five PFL fights with his solitary loss coming against Khurshed Kakhorov of Tajikistan in September 2023. His best win so far has been in UAE Warriors when he dethroned bantamweight champion Vinicius Oliveira – now in the UFC – in a third-round TKO. With that win under his belt, as well as crossing over to PFL and winning the Mena bantamweight crown in the inaugural season, Taleb has proven to be one of the top fighters in the region. 'To win the bantamweight belt was fantastic and now to step up to the world stage I believe was a natural process,' he said. 'I have gone though a lot in life. It has been a very hard and long journey for me. I'm glad about what I have achieved and where I have reached right now. But I want to go further.' Taleb has shown high-level skills and ability, including excellent boxing skills and crunching power punches. He began his professional career with two wins in the Fight Club Rush in Sweden – the first by TKO stoppage and the next by submission arm triangle choke. He went undefeated in the UAE Warriors, reeling off three wins in the Abu Dhabi promotion's Arabia event and two in the international event that culminated with the bantamweight title triumph over Oliveira in July 2022. 'Vinicius was 17-2 and I was 6-0 when I stopped him in the third round. Now he is in UFC and I signed for PFL, which was a big break for me,' Taleb said. 'I was undefeated in five UAE Warriors appearances and ended up with the bantamweight belt. I enjoyed my time with the Abu Dhabi promotion but I had to move on when the opportunities opened up.' Taleb moved with his family to Sweden in 2009 where he joined a martial arts school. He won five of his eight amateur MMA fights and turned pro in 2018. 'That has been my life ever since,' he added. 'I spend much of my time in training and when I'm at home I spend time with my family and play around with my two huskies. 'As a child, I played football and tried out a few other sports but it was MMA that I was attracted to and continued to pursue full-time. I think I have done pretty well so far in my chosen profession and obviously looking ahead for bigger goals. 'I want to put up a show on my first appearance on the world stage. I want to tell my friends and fans around the world to keep supporting me and I'll give them a good show every time I enter the arena.'
Arab News
12-02-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
PFL MENA champ Ali Taleb joins world tournament
RIYADH: From regional dominance to the global stage, Ali Taleb is ready to take his career to the next level. After a commanding performance in PFL MENA 2024, where he won the bantamweight championship, the 27-year-old Iraqi powerhouse will step up to face the best in the world at the inaugural PFL World Tournament. Taleb's journey has been nothing short of spectacular. A rising star from UAE Warriors, he burst onto the scene with a flawless 6-0 record, catching the attention of the Professional Fighters League and making his SmartCage debut in 2022. His success earned him a spot in PFL Europe, where he tasted his first professional defeat — but he came back stronger than ever. In 2024, Taleb proved his resilience and skill by dominating the PFL MENA circuit. With back-to-back victories, he earned his shot at the title and seized it firmly, knocking out Rachid Haz in just 85 seconds to claim the bantamweight title. Now, with a 12-1 record and 10 finishes to his name (7 KOs, 3 submissions), Taleb faces a new challenge — the PFL World Championship Tournament, where he will compete against seven other elite bantamweights, each fighting for the prestigious title of PFL World Champion and a prize of $500,000. The 2025 PFL World Tournament will be one of the biggest events in mixed martial arts history, featuring 64 of the world's top fighters across eight weight divisions. The action kicks off in April at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, with the semifinals in June and the finals in August.
