CHICAGO,  - On July 1, Channing Capital Management, LLC (Channing) launched its first publicly traded mutual fund, the Channing Intrinsic Value Small-Cap Fund (Ticker: OWLLX). The investable universe is primarily domestic small capitalization stocks with a focus on quality companies that the portfolio management team believes to be attractively valued.

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica government says it remains “cautiously optimistic” that the local economy will register significant growth grow this year.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The World Bank Vice President for the Latin America and the Caribbean, Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, Friday said that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has hit the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region hard and that economies contracted more in 2020 than at any other time in over a century.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders are expected to meet before the end of July as they seek to adopt a common position on the decision by the G20 Finance Ministers for a minimum global corporate tax rate.

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Governor of the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ), Richard Byles, says plans are being finalized for the pilot implementation of the proposed central bank digital currency (CBDC) in August.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Eco (Atlantic) Oil and Gas Limited Monday said that the Jabilo-1 well, in the Canje Block, drilled by the US-oil giant, ExxonMobil,  is dry and will be plugged and abandoned.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Barbados government says it will be taking over the BDS$80 million (One BDS dollar=US$0.50 cents) of debt of the operators of the state-owned Hilton Barbados Hotel, even as the opposition the government’s ability to meet its debt obligations in the foreseeable future given “the persistent absence of any significant platform of growth being constructed”

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad –The Trinidad and Tobago government Monday said that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had an impact on both oil and gas production here.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Antigua and Barbuda is to table a proposal Friday urging regional governments to support an initiative to reduce significantly reduce the taxes for air travel in a bid to encourage intra-regional travel as the threat from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic declines.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Finance Minister Colm Imbert says the state-owned Caribbean Airlines (CAL), which earlier this week announced that it would be retrenching up to 450 employees, would need at least TT$110 million (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) to meet severance payments.

• American Express will provide a $40 million investment to Accion Opportunity Fund, representing the nonprofit’s largest investment to date. • Loans from Accion Opportunity Fund* offer much needed capital to historically underfunded small business owners, including people of color, women and immigrants.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The chief executive officer of the cash-strapped state-owned airline, Garvin Medera, Monday said that new measures being implemented by Caribbean Airlines (CAL) to reverse its decline in revenue and job losses will not affect the quality of service, safety and customer care.