Bloomberg Canada’s six biggest banks could raise their dividends by about 18% on average and still be able to buy back almost 2% of their shares now that regulators are allowing them to unleash capital they’d stockpiled during the pandemic. National Bank of Canada and Bank of Montreal would have the largest percentage increases in their dividends, assuming they return ...
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Indonesian banks to push sustainable lending to $56b
Bloomberg Sustainable financing in Indonesia, the world’s largest exporter of thermal coal, is set to increase with half the banking industry pledging to boost funding for environmentally-friendly projects, according to the financial services authority. Indonesian banks recorded a combined total of $55.9 billion in sustainable financing as of November last year, said the financial regulator known as OJK. The lenders ...
Read More »Digital yuan users in China surged to 140m, says PBOC
Bloomberg China has increased the number of individuals with digital yuan accounts to 140 million, with 10 million corporate accounts created, a top official at the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) said. Transactions in e-CNY, as the currency is known, reached 62 billion yuan ($9.7 billion) in trials rolled out in about a dozen regions, Mu Changchun, head of the ...
Read More »StanChart leaves investors waiting for return to growth
Bloomberg Standard Chartered Plc shares fall as it set out a return to growth after the Covid-19 pandemic that was slower than some of its rivals. The London-based lender said it continues to expect earnings to be little changed on the full year but that growth should reach its expected range of 5% to 7% in 2022. Rivals such as ...
Read More »State Bank of India profit tops estimates on lower provisions
Bloomberg Shares in State Bank of India reached a record after profit at the nation’s largest lender beat estimates, helped by write-backs and fewer provisions for bad loans. Net income in the second quarter jumped 67% to 76.3 billion rupees ($1.02 billion) in the quarter ending September, according to a statement on Wednesday. That exceeded the average estimate of 66.5 ...
Read More »UBS set to start digital wealth manager in US
Bloomberg UBS Group AG is starting a digital wealth manager in the US to grab a bigger share of the country’s market for retirement savings and stock options, in a move that will pit it against the top Wall Street banks on their home turf. The new digital bank will service affluent customers with between $250,000 and $2 million in ...
Read More »Won jumps as BOK tries to tame inflation with rate hike
Bloomberg South Korea’s won has regained some ground after a dismal third quarter and a coming interest-rate hike could give it another boost. The won could rise as high as 1,120 per dollar this quarter from around 1,182 now as the Bank of Korea (BOK) moves to normalise policy and uncertainties surrounding the Fed’s tapering eases, according to Kiwoom Securities ...
Read More »BofA to apply to set up brokerage unit in China
Bloomberg Bank of America Corp (BofA) is planning to apply to set up a securities firm in China, playing catchup to rivals including JPMorgan Chase & Co and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in an expansion into the $54 trillion financial market. The bank aims to apply for regulatory approval early next year. It plans to submit applications for licenses allowing ...
Read More »BOE’s hawkish push turns rate decision into credibility test
Bloomberg Bank of England (BOE) policy makers are heading into their meeting this week knowing that failure to deliver a once-unthinkable interest-rate hike would now raise serious questions over their credibility with markets. Investors are almost fully pricing in a 15-basis point increase in the benchmark lending rate on November 4, while economists increasingly share that view, even as they ...
Read More »Westpac plans $2.6 billion share buyback, profit up
Bloomberg Westpac Banking Corp shares dropped more than 5% in Sydney trading after delivering a smaller share buyback than many had expected and amid concern margins remain under pressure. The lender unveiled a record share buyback of up to A$3.5 billion ($2.6 billion), while cash earnings of A$5.35 billion fell short of analyst expectations of A$5.42 billion in the year ...
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