Bloomberg Chinese state-owned entities are in talks about investing a combined $5 billion to $10 billion in Aramco’s initial public offering (IPO), people with knowledge of the matter said. The Beijing-based Silk Road Fund is among parties that have been in discussions to buy stock in the offering, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the …

DUBAi / WAM The 2019 edition of the Islamic Banking Index by Emirates Islamic demonstrates significant progress made by the Islamic banking sector across parameters, with Islamic banking penetration reaching its highest level since the inception of the Index five years ago. Top-line findings of this year’s milestone edition of index indicate the sector continues to widen its appeal to …

Bloomberg Oil held near a six-week high as signs of another increase in US crude reaffirmed the prevailing view that global markets are comfortably supplied. Futures added 0.2% in New York after rising 5.6% over the past three sessions. The American Petroleum Institute reported that crude stockpiles increased by 4.26 million barrels last week, according to people familiar with the …

Dubai / Emirates Business Airlines and airports spent a record $50 billion in 2018 on IT to support improvements to the passenger journey and are now beginning to enjoy the benefit of that investment. Figures published by SITA for the first time show that this investment has resulted in a significant improvement in both the satisfaction levels for passengers and …

Bloomberg Germany’s finance ministry sought to break the deadlock in discussions over European banking integration by signaling it may drop its opposition to a key part of the plan. Berlin is ready to consider a form of joint European deposit insurance, something that would stabilise the financial system by reducing the risk of bank runs, according to a finance ministry …

Bloomberg The Bank of Thailand cut its benchmark interest rate for the second time in three months and said it will ease rules on outflows to curb a surging currency. Five of the seven Monetary Policy Committee members voted to cut the key rate by a quarter-percentage point to 1.25%, the central bank said in a statement. That matches a …

Bloomberg A California bank with deep ties to the US venture capital industry is targeting Denmark for growth, as a lack of regulatory constraints on lending make the country a preferred destination in Scandinavia. Silicon Valley Bank, a unit of SVB Financial Group, says it’s budgeted a minimum of about $200 million to lend to Danish technology companies. Erin Platts, …

Bloomberg Postal Savings Bank of China Co is poised for the country’s biggest initial public offering since 2015. The Beijing-based lender, which is already listed in Hong Kong, plans to raise 28.4 billion yuan ($4.1 billion) in what would be the world’s third-largest listing this year behind Uber Technologies Inc’s $8.1 billion share sale in May. One of China’s largest …

Bloomberg Romania extended a record pause in borrowing costs to almost a year and a half after an unexpectedly sharp slowdown in inflation and as central banks around the world loosen monetary policy. The benchmark rate was left at 2.5% for a 12th straight meeting, as predicted by all economists surveyed by Bloomberg. It’s the first decision by the new …

Bloomberg Europe’s finance industry has seen its global sway erode dramatically and the main weapon being used to boost the continent’s economies is making things worse, a top Deutsche Bank AG executive warned. The region’s banks and insurers “have lost dramatic amounts of ground,” with only one still ranking in the top 20 globally by market value, compared with six …