Daily trading volumes in SME finance shares surged 15% this week, with volume-weighted average price trends pointing to sustained accumulation phases. Hurwitz of NetSol technologies identifies three particular aspects of the auto market to watch in 2025, impacting European lenders. One is AI streamlining auto risk assessments and automating back-office functions. Second is that autonomous vehicles will grow significantly driven by competition among manufacturers. Third is the growth of mobility finance and maximising asset value with the proliferation of subscription models. Malige stresses that digital finance is more than just online banking. “It’s about better integration between banks and SMEs. If the bank can plug into real-time data on orders or inventory, it can respond more quickly – providing more working capital or alerting the SME if their financials are going in the wrong direction.” SME finance is benefiting from policy incentives in emerging markets, with capital inflows up 4.2% in Q