The most infuriating aspect of the government’s response to the 2008 financial crisis was the contrast between its generosity to companies and its lack of generosity to citizens. Congress passed a $700 billion bailout for the banking industry. AIG received $180 billion worth of loans from the Federal Reserve. The auto industry received nearly $81 billion in taxpayer funds. Yet ...

Despite losing an empire and the sterling as the world’s reserve currency, the UK managed for years to punch well above its weight on international economic and financial issues, often critically informing and influencing key decisions and policy pivots. The policy announcements by the Bank of England (BOE) and the UK Treasury suggest that this is still possible despite concerns ...

Boeing Co’s 737 Max crisis has entered a new phase. Last week brought the revelation that Air Canada is cutting its order for the grounded plane by 18%, marking a major cancellation by a large Western airline in the wake of two fatal crashes and a much-prolonged return to service. This likely won’t be the last: Airlines’ cancellation options increase ...

Bloomberg Never in modern trading history have Canadian stocks fallen so much in a single day of trading as they did this week. Growing alarm over the coronavirus and plummeting oil prices have been catalysts for the slump. But one historian sees two underlying factors at play: a fractured geopolitical environment that has coincided with market volatility the world over, ...

Bloomberg Bitcoin is proving to be no haven asset amid the current global market meltdown. The price of the largest digital currency continued to swing wildly as a rout that began in earnest showed no signs of slowing down. Bitcoin dropped as much as 32% to $3,915, its weakest since March 2019, before clawing back loss, according to consolidated pricing ...

Bloomberg With the coronavirus outbreak rewriting the rules of the global economy, the Federal Reserve is under increasing pressure to keep the flow of support coming this week. The US central bank is facing calls to slash borrowing costs to zero at or before Wednesday’s decision, adding to its attempt last week to buttress free-falling markets with extra bond purchases. ...

Bloomberg Credit Suisse Group AG is considering a plan to create a 20-billion franc ($21 billion) loan program to aid small and medium-sized Swiss businesses affected by the coronavirus, according to the Swiss newspaper Handelszeitung. Other large lenders — like Raiffeisen Bank International AG and Zuercher Kantonalbank — are also considering the proposal, which was initiated by Credit Suisse’s new ...

Bloomberg Deposits at Yes Bank Ltd. continued to decline this year as worried customers withdrew money from the distressed lender, which was seized earlier this month in the biggest bank rescue in the country’s history. Deposits totalled 1.37 trillion rupees as of March 5 — when Indian authorities took control — down 17% from the start of the year, Yes ...

Bloomberg The Bank of Canada cut interest rates by half a percentage point to buffer the nation’s economy against the double whammy of the coronavirus and tanking oil prices. The Ottawa-based central bank lowered its policy rate in an emergency move to 0.75% and said it “stands ready” to act again if needed. Governor Stephen Poloz, in a joint press ...

Bloomberg HSBC Holdings Plc, which operates the largest franchise among global banks in China, named Mark Yunfeng Wang as president and chief executive officer of its China business as the UK lender reaffirms the commitment to the world’s biggest banking market. Wang is currently head of global banking and markets China and replaces David Liao, who will take up another ...