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Inertial inflation is a situation in which all prices in an economy are continuously adjusted with relation to a price index by force of contracts.

Infinity Group is a private equity fund backed by China Development Bank and Clal Industries. The head of Infinity Group is Amir Gal-Or. Infinity Group manages RMB 10 billion and 100 portfolio companies, through 17 local RMB funds throughout China.

Infinity Nikki  is a free-to-play action-adventure game with dress-up elements developed and published by Papergames (with publishing outside mainland China under Infold Games), which released for Android, iOS, PlayStation 5, and Microsoft Windows on 5 December 2024. A MacOS version was released on 23 April 2026. It is the fifth installment in the Nikki series and a sequel to Shining Nik

In economics, inflation is an increase in the average price of goods and services in terms of money, though it originally referred to the increase of the money supply (monetary inflation) that can cause such a universal shift. This increase is measured using a price index, typically a consumer price index (CPI). When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods a

Inflation accounting comprises a range of accounting models designed to correct problems arising from historical cost accounting in the presence of high inflation and hyperinflation. For example, in countries experiencing hyperinflation the International Accounting Standards Board requires corporations to implement financial capital maintenance in units of constant purchasing power in te

In finance, inflation derivative (or inflation-indexed derivatives) refers to an over-the-counter and exchange-traded derivative that is used to transfer inflation risk from one counterparty to another. See Exotic derivative.

Inflation hedge is an asset, contract or strategy that aims to preserve purchasing power when the general price level rises (that is, inflation). Definitions differ. Research separates expected inflation, which may already be priced, from unexpected inflation which is an unanticipated change. The effectiveness of any hedge depends on horizon and regime. Over twelve-month horizons some as

An inflation swap is an over-the-counter derivative in which one party pays a fixed inflation rate and the other pays the realised change in a price index such as CPI, RPI or HICP. Markets trade two main structures: the zero-coupon inflation swap, which settles once at maturity, and the year-on-year inflation swap, which pays periodic coupons. Users include pension funds, insurers and ot

In macroeconomics, inflation targeting is a monetary policy where a central bank follows an explicit target for the inflation rate for the medium-term and announces this inflation target to the public. The assumption is that the best that monetary policy can do to support long-term growth of the economy is to maintain price stability, and price stability is achieved by controlling inflat

Inflation-indexed bond is a debt security whose cash flows are linked to a published price index so that the value of principal, and often the coupon, adjusts for inflation. The instrument is also called an inflation-linked bond or a linker. Designs vary by market. Examples include Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities in the United States and Index-linked gilts in the United Kingdom.

Inflationism is a heterodox economic, fiscal, or monetary policy, that predicts that a substantial level of inflation is harmless, desirable or even advantageous. Similarly, inflationist economists advocate for an inflationist policy.

Influencer marketing (also known as influence marketing) is a form of social media marketing involving endorsements and product placement from influencers, individuals and organizations who have a purported expert level of knowledge or social influence in their field. Influencers are people (or something) with the power to affect the buying habits or quantifiable actions of others by up

Infoblox, is a privately held IT automation and cybersecurity company based in California's Silicon Valley. Its products are used to manage core network services, including the Domain Name System (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), and IP address management, collectively known as DDI.

An infomercial is a form of television advertisement that resembles regular TV programming yet is intended to promote or sell a product, service or idea. It generally includes a toll-free telephone number or website. Most often used as a form of direct response television (DRTV), they are often program‑length commercials (long-form infomercials), and are typically 28:30 or 58:30 minutes

An informal value transfer system (IVTS) is any system, mechanism, or network of people that receives money for the purpose of making the funds or an equivalent value payable to a third party in another geographic location, whether or not in the same form. Informal value transfers generally take place outside of the conventional banking system through non-bank financial institutions or o

Information capital is a concept which asserts that information has intrinsic value which can be shared and leveraged within and between organizations. Information capital connotes that sharing information is a means of sharing power, supporting personnel, and optimizing working processes. Information capital is the pieces of information which enables the exchange of Knowledge capital.

The information ratio measures and compares the active return of an investment (e.g., a security or portfolio) compared to a benchmark index relative to the volatility of the active return (also known as active risk or benchmark tracking risk). It is defined as the active return (the difference between the returns of the investment and the returns of the benchmark) divided by the tracki

The Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) was, between 2016 and April 2025, the United Kingdom government's centre of expertise for infrastructure and major projects. The IPA reported to the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. The core teams included experts in infrastructure, project delivery and project finance who worked with government departments and industry.

Infrastructure debt is fixed income investments in infrastructure assets. It can be an attractive investment, especially those dealing with capital preservation.

Infrastructure UK (IUK) was a division of HM Treasury within the Treasury's Public Services and Growth Directorate, which advised the UK government on the long-term infrastructure needs of the UK and provided commercial expertise to support major projects and programmes between 2010 and 2016.

The ING Group (Dutch: ING Groep N.V.) is a Dutch multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered in Amsterdam. Its primary businesses are retail banking, direct banking, commercial banking, investment banking, wholesale banking, private banking, and asset management. With total assets of €1,316 billion (as of March 2026), it consistently ranks among the largest ban

Ingenico is a French merchant services technology company, that facilitates secure electronic transactions. The company expanded as a manufacturer of point of sale (POS) payment terminals to also include complete merchant payment SaaS and related services.

Ingram Micro Holding Corporation is an American distributor of information technology products and services. The company is based in Irvine, California, U.S., and has operations around the world. Founded as Micro D, Inc. in 1979 in California by Geza Czige and Lorraine Mecca, the company was originally a traditional distributor focused on marketing, selling, and shipping vendor products

INIT Innovation in Traffic Systems SE is a German technology company serving the public transport market, based in Karlsruhe. The company was founded in 1983 by Gottfried Greschner, developing on his research on intelligent transportation systems at the University of Karlsruhe. INIT opened a North American subsidiary in Chesapeake, Virginia, in 1999, and has expanded to serve clients in

An initial coin offering (ICO) or token sale is a form of capital raising in which a project issues and sells digital tokens using blockchain technology, typically in exchange for cryptocurrency or fiat currency. The tokens may grant access to a product or service, represent participation rights within a network, or function as speculative digital assets traded on cryptocurrency markets.

An Initial exchange offering (IEO) is the cryptocurrency exchange equivalent to a stock launch or Initial public offering (IPO). An IEO is the process of digital asset (e.g. coins or tokens) procurement through an established exchange for the purpose of raising capital for start-up companies. Exchanges act as a middleman between investors and the startup, profiting from fees generated by

An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investment banks, who also arrange for the shares to be listed on one or more stock exchanges. Through this process, colloquially known as floating or going public, a pr

The Inland Revenue Ordinance is one of Hong Kong's Ordinances. It regulates the inland revenue of Hong Kong.

Innovation is the practical implementation of ideas that result in the creation or improvements of goods or services. ISO TC 279 in the standard ISO 56000:2020 defines innovation as "a new or changed entity, realizing or redistributing value". Others give different definitions; most have a focus on newness, improvement, and the spread of ideas or technologies (see diffusion of innovatio

Innovia Films, a division of CCL Industries, is an international manufacturer and supplier of biaxially-oriented polypropylene films for speciality packaging, labelling, tobacco overwrap and industrial products. It was once known as UCB Films.

Inside Man is a 2006 American crime thriller film directed by Spike Lee and written by Russell Gewirtz. It centers on an elaborate bank heist-turned-hostage situation on Wall Street. The film stars Denzel Washington as Detective Keith Frazier, the NYPD's hostage negotiator, Clive Owen as Dalton Russell, the mastermind who orchestrates the heist, and Jodie Foster as Madeleine White, a Man

Inside Man: Most Wanted is a 2019 American crime thriller film directed by M. J. Bassett and starring Aml Ameen, Rhea Seehorn, and Roxanne McKee. A sequel to the 2006 film Inside Man, it was released direct-to-video in the United States on September 24, 2019. It was also released onto Netflix and other pay-on-demand digital platforms.

Insider trading is the trading of a public company's stock or other securities (such as bonds or stock options) based on material, nonpublic information about the company. In many countries, trading based on insider information is illegal. The rationale for this prohibition of insider trading differs between countries and regions. Some view it as unfair to other investors in the market w

InSoil (formerly HeavyFinance) is a Lithuanian environmental technology investment company that operates a marketplace for the agricultural industry. The company facilitates investments in debt capital for small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises to switch and expand regenerative agriculture practices such as no-till farming, mixed crop rotation, cover cropping, and the applicatio

In accounting, insolvency is the state of being unable to pay the debts, by a person or company (debtor), at maturity; those in a state of insolvency are said to be insolvent. There are two forms: cash-flow insolvency and balance-sheet insolvency.

In the United Kingdom, only an authorised or licensed insolvency practitioner (IP) may be appointed in relation to formal insolvency procedures.

In United States income tax law, an installment sale is generally a "disposition of property where at least 1 loan payment is to be received after the close of the taxable year in which the disposition occurs." The term "installment sale" does not include, however, a "dealer disposition" (as defined in the statute) or, generally, a sale of inventory. The installment method of accounting

Instant payment (sometimes referred to as real-time payment or faster payment) is a method of electronic funds transfer, allowing for almost immediate transfer of money between bank accounts. This was in contrast to the previous transfer times of one to three business days that had been in place until the mid-2010s.

Instinet Incorporated is an institutional, agency-model broker that also serves as the independent equity trading arm of its parent, Nomura Group. It executes trades for asset management firms, hedge funds, insurance companies, mutual funds and pension funds. Headquartered in New York City, the company provides sales trading services and trading technologies such as the Newport EMS, algo

The Institute for the Works of Religion (Italian: Istituto per le Opere di Religione; Latin: Institutum pro Operibus Religionis; abbreviated IOR), commonly known as the Vatican Bank, is a financial institution that is situated inside Vatican City and run by a Board of Superintendence, which reports to a Commission of Cardinals and the Pope. It is not a private bank, as there are no owner

The Institute of Bankers Pakistan (IBP; Urdu: ادارہَ بینکارانِ پاکستان) established in 1951, is Pakistan's premier banking training institute, which aims to continuously develop and groom a cadre of banking and financial services professionals. It is an ISO-9001-2000 certified organization, with its head office in Karachi.

The Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI) was established in 1984 as a non-profit educational society in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The institution has been offering education to students across India through its various programs in the field of higher education. The institution was founded by N. J. Yasaswy, Besant C. Raj and Dr. Prasanna Chandra, the Director of

An institutional investor is an entity that pools money to purchase securities, real property, and other investment assets or originate loans. Institutional investors include commercial banks, central banks, credit unions, government-linked companies, insurers, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, charities, hedge funds, real estate investment trusts, investment advisors, endowments, a

Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to protect against the risk of a contingent or uncertain loss.

The Insurance and Pensions Authority (Manx: Lught-reill Urryssaght as Penshynyn) or IPA was the statutory body responsible for the regulation and supervision of pensions and insurance businesses operated in or from the Isle of Man. In 2015, the IPA merged with the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) to form the Financial Services Authority (IOMFSA).

The Insurance Authority (IA) of Hong Kong is the statutory body charged with regulating the insurance industry in Hong Kong. It is a regulator run independently of the Government of Hong Kong.

An insurance broker is an intermediary who sells, solicits, or negotiates insurance on behalf of a client for compensation. An insurance broker is distinct from an insurance agent in that a broker typically acts on behalf of a client by negotiating with multiple insurers, while an agent represents one or more specific insurers under a contract.

An insurance cycle, also known as an underwriting cycle, is a term describing the tendency of the insurance industry to swing between profitable and unprofitable periods over time. The concept is most closely associated with property insurance and casualty insurance, where premiums, underwriting profits and the availability of cover are observed to rise and fall in a cyclical pattern rat

Insurance in Serbia refers to the market for risk in the Republic of Serbia. Insurance, generally, is a contract in which the insurer (joint-stock insurance company, mutual insurance company, or reciprocal, for example), agrees to compensate or indemnify another party (the insured, the policyholder or a beneficiary) for specified loss or damage to a specified thing (e.g., an item, proper

Insurance in the United States refers to the market for risk in the United States, the world's largest insurance market by premium volume. According to Swiss Re, of the $7.186 trillion of global direct premiums written worldwide in 2023, $3.226 trillion (44.9%) were written in the United States.

The Chinese insurance industry has experienced rapid expansion over the past decade.

In insurance, the insurance policy is a contract (generally a standard form contract) between the insurer and the policyholder, which determines the claims which the insurer is legally required to pay. In exchange for an initial payment, known as the premium, the insurer promises to pay for loss caused by perils covered under the policy language.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is an autonomous regulatory agency and statutory body under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It is tasked with regulating and licensing the insurance and re-insurance industries in India. It was constituted by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999, an Act of Parliament passed by the G

The Insurance Regulatory Authority of Kenya (IRA) is the sole authority charged with regulation and supervision of the insurance industry within the Republic of Kenya, as guided by Section 3 of Kenya's Insurance Act, which establishes the Authority. The Authority ensures legal compliance by insurance/reinsurance and all other insurance-related entities, protects consumers and promotes a

The Insurance Regulatory Authority of Uganda (IRAU) is a government agency mandated to "ensure the effective administration, supervision, regulation and control of the business of Insurance in Uganda".

Insurance regulatory law is part of insurance law that covers statutory law, administrative regulations and jurisprudence that regulates the insurance industry and those engaged in the business of insurance. Insurance regulatory law is primarily enforced through regulations, rules and directives by national or state insurance agencies or departments as authorized and directed by statutor

An insurance-linked security (ILS) is a type of financial asset whose value is driven by insurance loss events. Those such instruments that are linked to property losses due to natural catastrophes represent a unique asset class, the return from which is uncorrelated with that of other marketable asset classes.

Intangible asset finance (IP finance) is the branch of finance that uses intangible assets such as intellectual property (legal intangible) and reputation (competitive intangible) to gain access to credit. Like other areas of finance, intangible asset finance is concerned with the interdependence of value, risk, and time.

Intelsat S.A. (formerly Intel-Sat, Intelsat) is a Luxembourgish-American multinational satellite services provider with corporate headquarters in Luxembourg and administrative headquarters in Tysons, Virginia, United States. Originally formed as International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO, or Intelsat), from 1964 to 2001, it was an intergovernmental consortium owning an

An Inter-dealer broker (IDB) is specialist financial intermediary that facilitates transactions between broker-dealers, dealer banks and other financial institutions rather than private individuals.

Interac is a Canadian interbank network that links financial institutions and other enterprises for the purpose of exchanging electronic financial transactions. Interac serves as the Canadian debit card system and the predominant funds transfer network via its e-Transfer service. There are over 59,000 automated teller machines that can be accessed through the Interac network in Canada, a

Interac e-Transfer (formerly Interac Email Money Transfer or EMT) is a Canadian funds transfer service between personal and business accounts in participating Canadian banks and other financial institutions, offered through Interac Corporation.

Interactive advertising uses online or offline interactive media to communicate with consumers and to promote products, brands, services, public service announcements, and corporate or political groups.

Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (commonly known as Interactive Brokers or IBKR) is an American multinational brokerage and financial services company headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut. Through its subsidiaries, it provides automated trade execution and custody services for stocks, options, futures, foreign exchange, bonds, funds and other products on electronic markets worldwide. I

An interactive kiosk is a computer terminal featuring specialized hardware and software that provides access to information and applications for communication, commerce, entertainment, or education.

Interactive media refers to digital experiences that dynamically respond to user input, delivering content such as text, images, animations, video, and audio. Interactions may be pre-programmed, stochastically driven, or even AI-driven. Over the years, interactive media has expanded across gaming, education, social platforms, and immersive technologies like VR and AR. With the rise of AI

The interbank market is the top-level foreign exchange market where banks exchange different currencies. The banks can either deal with one another directly, or through electronic brokering platforms. The Electronic Broking Services (EBS) and Thomson Reuters Dealing are the two competitors in the electronic brokering platform business and together connect over 1000 banks. The currencies

The interbank lending market is a market in which banks lend funds to one another for a specified term. Most interbank loans are for maturities of one week or less, the majority being overnight. Such loans are made at the interbank rate (also called the overnight rate if the term of the loan is overnight). A sharp decline in transaction volume in this market was a major contributing fac

An interbank network, also known as an ATM consortium or ATM network, is a computer network that enables ATM cards issued by a financial institution that is a member of the network to be used to perform ATM transactions through ATMs that belong to another member of the network.

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) is an American multinational financial services company that operates global financial exchanges, including stock exchanges and futures exchanges, as well as clearing houses, and provides technology and services for mortgage loan origination, closing, and servicing.

In finance and economics, interest is payment from a debtor or deposit-taking financial institution to a lender or depositor of an amount above repayment of the principal sum (that is, the amount borrowed), at a particular rate. It is distinct from a fee which the borrower may pay to the lender or some third party. It is also distinct from dividend which is paid by a company to its share

An interest rate is the amount of interest due per period, as a proportion of the amount lent, deposited, or borrowed. Interest rate periods are ordinarily a year and are often annualized when not. Alongside interest rates, three other variables determine total interest: principal sum, compounding frequency, and length of time.

In finance, an interest rate cap is a type of interest rate derivative in which the buyer receives payments at the end of each period in which the interest rate exceeds the agreed strike price. An example of a cap would be an agreement to receive a payment for each month the LIBOR rate exceeds 2.5%.

An interest rate ceiling (also known as an interest rate cap) is a regulatory measure that prevents banks or other financial institutions from charging more than a certain rate of interest.

In finance, an interest rate derivative (IRD) is a derivative whose payments are determined through calculation techniques where the underlying benchmark product is an interest rate, or set of different interest rates. There are a multitude of different interest rate indices that can be used in this definition.

An interest rate future is a futures contract (a financial derivative) with an interest-bearing instrument as the underlying asset. It is a particular type of interest rate derivative. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.

Interest rate parity is a no-arbitrage condition representing an equilibrium state under which investors compare interest rates available on bank deposits in two countries. The fact that this condition does not always hold allows for potential opportunities to earn riskless profits from covered interest arbitrage. Two assumptions central to interest rate parity are capital mobility and p

Interest rate risk refers to the potential for financial loss due to fluctuations in interest rates. It will, in turn, impact differently re market risk, i.e. impacting instruments such as Bonds, re banks and re insurers.

In finance, an interest rate swap (IRS) is an interest rate derivative (IRD). It involves exchange of interest rates between two parties. In particular it is a "linear" IRD and one of the most liquid, benchmark products. It has associations with forward rate agreements (FRAs), and with zero coupon swaps (ZCSs).

An interest-free economy or interest free economy is an economy that does not have pure interest rates.

Interhandel, short for Internationale Industrie & Handelsbeteilungungen, was a Swiss conglomerate, known for its long-running disputes with the U.S. government over German ownership during World War II. Interhandel, which had both financial as well as industrial holdings was the corporate successor of I.G. Chemie, which the U.S. government had claimed was a front organization for German

The Interledger Foundation is a US-based nonprofit corporation and standards organization established in 2019.

An intermediary, also known as a middleman or go-between, is defined in various ways, according to context. In law or diplomacy, an intermediary is a third party who offers intermediation services between two parties. In trade or barter, an intermediary acts as a conduit for goods or services offered by a supplier to a consumer, which may include wholesalers, resellers, brokers, and vari

Internal communications (IC) is the function responsible for effective communications among participants within an organization. The scope of the function varies by organization and practitioner, from producing and delivering messages and campaigns on behalf of management, to facilitating two-way dialogue and developing the communication skills of the organization's participants.

The internal contradictions of capital accumulation is an essential concept of crisis theory, which is associated with Marxist economic theory. While the same phenomenon is described in neoclassical economic theory, in that literature it is referred to as systemic risk.

In the theory of capital structure, internal financing or self-financing is using its profits or assets of a company or organization as a source of capital to fund a new project or investment. Internal sources of finance contrast with external sources of finance. The main difference between the two is that internal financing refers to the business generating funds from activities and as

Internal rate of return (IRR) is a method of calculating an investment's rate of return. The term internal refers to the fact that the calculation excludes external factors, such as the risk-free rate, inflation, the cost of capital, or financial risk.

Under the Basel II guidelines, banks are allowed to use their own estimated risk parameters for the purpose of calculating regulatory capital. This is known as the internal ratings-based (IRB) approach to capital requirements for credit risk. Only banks meeting certain minimum conditions, disclosure requirements and approval from their national supervisor are allowed to use this approach

A Section 1031 exchange, commonly known as a like-kind exchange, is a transaction under the 26 U.S.C. § 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code that allows owners of investment or business real estate to defer certain taxes when selling property and reinvesting the proceeds into other qualifying real property. It is most commonly used by real estate investors and property owners with low tax b

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is the independent accounting standard-setting body of the IFRS Foundation.

International asset recovery is any effort by governments to repatriate the proceeds of corruption hidden in foreign jurisdictions. Such assets may include monies in bank accounts, real estate, vehicles, arts and artifacts, and precious metals. As defined under the United Nations Convention against Corruption, asset recovery refers to recovering the proceeds of corruption, rather than br

The International Association for Quantitative Finance (IAQF), formerly the International Association of Financial Engineers (IAFE), is a non-profit professional society concerned with the fields of quantitative finance and financial engineering. The IAQF hosts several panel discussions throughout the year to discuss the issues that affect the industry from both academic and professional

The International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI) was formed on 6 May 2002 with the purpose of sharing deposit insurance expertise with the world and contributing to the stability of financial systems as the standard setter for deposit insurance with a global and expanding membership.

The International Bank Account Number (IBAN) is an internationally agreed upon system of identifying bank accounts across national borders to facilitate the communication and processing of cross border transactions with a reduced risk of transcription errors. An IBAN uniquely identifies the account of a customer at a financial institution. It was originally adopted by the European Commit

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is an international financial institution, established in 1944 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States; it is the lending arm of the World Bank Group. The IBRD offers loans to middle-income developing countries. It is the first of five member institutions that compose the World Bank Group. The initial mission o

The International Business Companies Act, 1984 was a statute of the British Virgin Islands which permitted the incorporation of International Business Companies (IBCs) within the Territory. The Act played in a huge role in the economic and financial development of the Territory in the 1990s. It has been called "the most important piece of legislation in BVI history since the emancipati

The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID; French: Centre international pour le règlement des différends relatifs aux investissements or CIRDI) is an international arbitration institution established in 1966 for legal dispute resolution and conciliation between international investors and States. ICSID is part of and funded by the World Bank Group, headquarter

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), is an independent global network of 280 investigative journalists and over 140 media organizations spanning more than 100 countries. It is based in Washington, D.C., with personnel in Australia, France, Spain, Hungary, Serbia, Belgium and Ireland.

The International Convention for the Suppression of Counterfeiting Currency (French: Convention internationale pour la répression du faux monnayage) is a 1929 League of Nations treaty whereby states agree to criminalize acts of currency counterfeiting. It remains the principal international agreement on currency counterfeiting.

The International Development Association (IDA) (French: Association internationale de développement) is a development finance institution which offers concessional loans and grants to the world's poorest developing countries. The IDA is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It was established in 1960 to complement the existing In