Bloomberg BNP Paribas SA couldn’t avoid the trading slump that dragged down results at its biggest US and European competitors in the third quarter, as low interest rates and tepid demand from clients curbed activity. Income from trading bonds, currencies and commodities at BNP fell 26 percent to 801 million euros ($932 million) from a year earlier, based on figures ...
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Bank of China slumps to 4-month low
Bloomberg Bank of China Ltd. shares slumped the most in almost four months in Hong Kong after the lender failed to report the same improvements in asset quality as its rivals. The stock lost 3.2 percent to HK$3.90 as of 11:16 a.m. local time, paring its rally this year to 13 percent. Bocom International Holdings Co. and Huatai Securities Co. ...
Read More »Bank Central Asia prowls for acquisition targets
Bloomberg PT Bank Central Asia is seeking to buy a mid-size lender as intensifying competition and a sluggish Indonesian economy prompt some owners to consider exiting the industry, according to the firm’s top executive. Southeast Asia’s largest lender by market value after DBS Group Holdings Ltd. has set aside about 4 trillion rupiah ($295 million) this year to finance an ...
Read More »Ryanair chief sees end to pilot crunch as earnings feel pinch
Bloomberg Ryanair Holdings Plc Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary said Europe’s biggest discount carrier can raise pay for disgruntled pilots and still retain a pricing advantage over rivals after a staffing crunch led profit to slide in its busiest quarter. O’Leary pledged on Tuesday to press on with a review of flight rosters, bases and salaries as he seeks a ...
Read More »Kenya’s largest retailer Nakumatt to enter administration
Bloomberg Nakumatt Holdings Ltd., East Africa’s largest retailer, is seeking a court order to enter administration as part of a plan to revive its debt-laden business. The Kenyan company will go to court on November 8 for a hearing on the application, which proposes that “business-turnaround professional†Peter Kahi of PKF Consulting Ltd. be appointed as administrator, according to a ...
Read More »Retailers have to stay put if EU clogs trade routes during Brexit
Bloomberg Banks can hightail it from the UK. For retailers threatened by Brexit, it’s not so easy—they’ve got to stay put even if a disorderly departure from the European Union clogs trade routes and empties store shelves. As the UK charts an increasingly erratic course towards Brexit, retailers like Tesco Plc, J Sainsbury Plc and Next Plc that sell a ...
Read More »Hermes to expand leather-goods output in France, add 500 jobs
Bloomberg Hermes International SCA said it will open two new leather-goods production sites over the coming two years in France to meet surging demand for products that include the $10,000 Birkin handbag. One facility will be located near Bordeaux and the other will be in the Paris region, Hermes said. Each will employ about 250 workers. Increasing production is a ...
Read More »$200 billion hospitality and leisure projects underway in GCC
Dubai / Emirates Business Over 2,000 hospitality and leisure projects are currently underway in the GCC with a combined estimated value of $200 billion, event organisers announce ahead of The Big 5 next month. An estimated $64 billion worth of related projects in the construction pipeline, coupled with increasingly relaxed visa policies highlight a developing focus on strengthening the regional ...
Read More »Dubai invests $20bn in infrastructure in a decade
DUBAI / WAM The Dubai Government has invested around $20 billion in the development of the emirate’s infrastructure and transport during the period from 2006 to 2016, Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), stated. “The Dubai Government has pumped billions of dirhams in this sector and the ...
Read More »Emirates NBD profit up 15%
Dubai / Emirates Business Emirates NBD delivered a strong set of results with net profit up 15% to AED 6.17 billion for the first nine months of 2017. Net interest income improved 4% y-o-y due to loan growth and helped by a sustained improvement in margins. The operating performance was also supported by lower expenses and an improved cost of ...
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