Bloomberg UBS Group AG’s wealthy Asian clients are pouring billions of dollars into sustainable assets as the region’s swelling ranks of millionaires jump on a global push into socially responsible investing. Assets under management in fully sustainable discretionary portfolios for Asia-Pacific private banking jumped to $4.5 billion as of the end June, up from $1 billion at the start of ...
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Morgan Stanley asks staff for proof of ‘vaccinations’
Bloomberg Morgan Stanley is stepping up efforts to ensure employees comply with its rule that they be vaccinated to enter its buildings. The firm told vaccinated staff to provide documentation of their shots by October 1, after previously letting them attest to their status. The extra step is meant to “provide greater comfort for those working in the office,†it ...
Read More »Citi shorts Treasuries but adds on bet against yuan
Bloomberg Citigroup Global Markets says Treasury yields are set to rise, and there’s a way to screen out one of the main risk factors that may push them lower by betting against the yuan. The US brokerage recommends its clients position for higher US rates and also use options to wager against any strength in China’s currency. The rationale is ...
Read More »Lloyds to buy 50,000 UK homes
Bloomberg Lloyds Banking Group Plc could buy 50,000 UK homes in the next decade as it looks to become a major player in the country’s rental market. An internal job advertisement seen by the Financial Times for the bank’s newly launched Citra Living unit details ambitions for Lloyds to purchase 10,000 houses by the end of 2025 and 50,000 by ...
Read More »Banker bonuses tied to ESG metrics on rise in Europe
Bloomberg European bankers will soon have to show they’re contributing to a cleaner environment, a better society and good governance — or face a smaller pay package. In the latest sign that ESG is reshaping finance, most of the 20 major European banks surveyed by Bloomberg said they were either working on, or already had, a model that links staff ...
Read More »Canada’s big banks to mandate Covid-19 vaccines for workers
Bloomberg Four of the top five Canadian banks are taking a stricter stance with their return-to-office policies, requiring that workers be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 before coming back to company buildings, while the fifth is moving in the same direction. Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD), Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) and Bank of Montreal joined other major financial firms in requiring ...
Read More »Africa’s biggest bank looks to add 40% more clients on continent
Bloomberg Standard Bank Group Ltd is aiming to grow its customer base by at least 10 million across the 20 African countries it operates in over the next four years. Africa’s biggest lender is looking to add more digitally engaged customers, forge alliances with distribution partners and expand its product offering as it plots a recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. ...
Read More »New Zealand refrains from raising rates as Delta spreads
Bloomberg New Zealand’s central bank refrained from raising interest rates during a coronavirus outbreak and nationwide lockdown but left little doubt it intends to start lifting them soon. The Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee kept the official cash rate (OCR) at 0.25%, but Governor Adrian Orr said the decision was made in light of the lockdown and that policy was ...
Read More »Philippines set to close digital bank applications for 3 years
Bloomberg The Philippine central bank will stop accepting applications for digital banking licenses from September 1, Governor Benjamin Diokno said. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas will close the application window for three years to allow the regulator “to better monitor†the performance of the industry, Diokno said in a briefing. Submissions on or before end-August will be processed on a first-come, ...
Read More »Goldman’s Petershill mulls listing $4b London vehicle
Bloomberg Goldman Sachs Group Inc’s Petershill unit, which specialises in buying stakes in alternative asset managers, is considering listing a permanent capital vehicle in London as soon as this year, people familiar with the matter said. Petershill is working with advisers on the potential initial public offering (IPO), the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is ...
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