Bloomberg Saudi Arabia’s second-quarter budget revenue increased 67 percent from the year-earlier period as higher oil prices helped boost income, the country’s Finance Ministry said in a statement. Revenue climbed to 273.6 billion riyals ($73 billion), boosted by an 82 percent increase in oil revenue, the ministry said on Wednesday. Non-oil revenue rose 42 percent to 89.4 billion riyals, while ...
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Energy deals decline in Canada as oil rally heals
Bloomberg Investors have been pushing Canadian energy companies to merge so they can cut costs and combine resources. That isn’t going so well this year. The value of deals involving Canadian oil, natural gas and pipeline companies slumped 29 percent to $45.5 billion in the first seven months of the year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Exclude $22.3 billion ...
Read More »Snap’s revenue gains signal more stability as Saudi’s Alwaleed invests
Bloomberg Snap Inc. shares fell the most in about two months after the company reported its first-ever drop in daily active users. But revenue gains in the second quarter proved that the company is making headway in the mobile-advertising market dominated by Facebook Inc. and Google. The declining user numbers at Snapchat, attributed to an unpopular app redesign, worried analysts ...
Read More »ABN to raise payout after pruning investment bank
Bloomberg Dutch state-controlled bank ABN Amro Group NV is edging towards raising its payout to shareholders after a strong second quarter and cuts to its underperforming investment bank. “Yes, we feel more confident there after this quarter,†Chief Executive Officer Kees van Dijkhuizen said at a press conference when asked about a dividend increase. The higher payout could take the ...
Read More »Commonwealth Bank’s record-profit run ends on series of scandal costs
Bloomberg Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s record-profit run is over after the nation’s biggest lender paid the price for a series of scandals and missteps. Cash profit from continuing operations fell 4.8 percent to A$9.23 billion ($6.85 billion) in the 12 months ended on June 30, the Sydney-based lender said in a statement. That was the first drop in annual profit ...
Read More »HSBC eyes new bond plan in Uruguay
Bloomberg The Uruguayan subsidiary of HSBC may seek regulatory approval as soon as next year for a second covered bond programme of about $100 million as the bank aims to take 15 percent of the home loan market in two years, according to senior executives. “I wouldn’t rule out pitching a new programme to the central bank if the origination ...
Read More »Deutsche’s SE Asia top official quits
Bloomberg Deutsche Bank AG’s Southeast Asia vice chairman Philip Lee is leaving the German lender, capping a string of senior departures in the region. Lee, also the chief country officer for Singapore, is departing to pursue other interests, after building out the bank’s Southeast Asia client franchise over the past five years, according to an internal memo obtained by Bloomberg. ...
Read More »Tesla engages Chinese banks to fund its Shanghai factory
Bloomberg Elon Musk’s shock $82 billion offer to buy out the loss-making Tesla Inc. has the market wondering just how he will find the cash. But when it comes to his grand plans to build electric cars in China, he already has the answer: the nation’s state-owned banks. With a factory just outside of Shanghai key to Musk’s vision of ...
Read More »Uganda plans big for national carrier ready to take to skies
Bloomberg Uganda’s fledgling national airline will be a candidate for an initial public offering and closer cooperation with other carriers if the launch goes as planned. Uganda Airlines, which last month signed deals for Airbus SE wide-body jets and Bombardier Inc. regional planes, is due to begin operating 19 routes in January, Transport Minister Monica Azuba Ntege said in an ...
Read More »British Defense chief pitches post-Brexit warplane on US visit
Bloomberg UK Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson pitched a strong British military and a new concept fighter jet it’s developing while brushing aside concerns about US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric against NATO during a visit to Washington. Speaking at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council, Williamson said he’d like to see the US consider purchases of the “Tempest†jet the ...
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