Banking

Norway to raise rates to highest in a decade

  Bloomberg Norway is poised to raise borrowing costs to the most in over a decade as unexpectedly rapid inflation challenges earlier plans for more gradual increases. The central bank will lift its key policy rate by a half-point to 1.75%, according to most economists surveyed by Bloomberg. That would be the highest since March 2012, with investors watching for ...

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Barclays warns of credit pain in return to 1970s inflation regime

  Bloomberg Rising prices amid a US economic slowdown will menace embattled credit markets, if history repeats. The current inflation and growth environment is most akin to the 1973 to 1975 and 1978 to 1980 time periods, when credit markets did badly, according to Barclays Plc. strategists led by Dominique Toublan. “Credit performance was poor then, and we do not ...

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Hang Seng Bank explores insurance deal

  Bloomberg Hang Seng Bank Ltd, a Hong Kong-based lender majority owned by HSBC Holdings Plc, is seeking an insurance partner after its existing agreement with Australia’s QBE Insurance group Ltd. expired. Hang Seng Bank is working with a financial adviser as it explores a so-called bancassurance partnership, which could be valued at more than $100 million, the people said, ...

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Nomura mulls hedges to curb American Century losses

Bloomberg Nomura Holdings Inc may use hedges to limit further hits from its ownership of a stake in a US mutual fund manager after booking losses on the investment for two straight quarters. Japan’s largest brokerage will “consider mitigating measures, including hedges” to reduce the earnings impact of its holding in American Century Investments (ACI), spokesman Yoshitaka Otsu said, declining ...

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Yuan tumbles to 3-month low, putting PBOC fixing on focus

  Bloomberg China’s central bank set its fixing for the yuan weaker, failing to show any overt pushback after the currency slid to a three-month low against the dollar the previous day. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) set the yuan reference at 6.7730 per dollar, 0.5% lower than the previous print, the largest daily cut since August 3. The ...

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Credit Suisse is facing fresh China setback post executive exodus

  Bloomberg Credit Suisse Group AG is facing a further delay in getting approvals for some of its China operations after a flurry of senior management departures, according to people familiar with the matter. The Swiss bank lost nearly half of the senior personnel management at its China securities ventures in recent months, including Chief Financial Officer Annie Qiu, compliance ...

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Philippine central bank to raise its key rate to 4% this quarter: Survey

  Bloomberg The Philippine central bank will sustain its rate-hike cycle this quarter, following a surprise move in July, to quell broadening price pressures, according to Bloomberg survey of economists. The benchmark interest rate is expected to increase by another 75 basis points to 4% by the end of September, a survey showed. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is seen to ...

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Australia’s central bank signals more rate hikes

  Bloomberg Australia’s central bank (RBA) signalled further interest-rate increases would come in the period ahead, while restating it will be guided by incoming economic data and the inflation outlook. “The board expects to take further steps in the process of normalising monetary conditions over the months ahead, but it is not on a pre-set path,” minutes of the Reserve ...

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Uruguay lifts interest rate to 10.25%

  Bloomberg Uruguay’s central bank raised its key interest rate for a ninth consecutive meeting to 10.25% with inflation expectations remaining stubbornly above its target. Policy makers tightened by 50 basis points and signalled more half point hikes later in the year. The increase marked the first time the central bank lifted borrowing costs into the double digits since it ...

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Mastercard faces backlash over instalment payments

  Bloomberg Mastercard Inc is facing pushback from retailers over a new product that allows customers to pay off their purchases in installments. The payments giant has begun telling merchants and their banks that it will charge retailers 3% of a purchase price each time a consumer opts to use the new program, according to people familiar with the matter. ...

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