Banking

Bloomberg Credit Agricole SA’s profit came in above expectations as it joined European peers in posting lower provisions to reflect the improving economy. The Paris-based lender said net income jumped to 1.97 billion euros ($2.3 billion) in the second quarter, more than double the same period last year and above the 1.2 billion euros anticipated by analysts polled by Bloomberg. ...

Bloomberg KakaoBank Corp, South Korea’s first internet-only lender to go public, surged more than 70% in its trading debut in Seoul to become the country’s largest retail lender by market value. The stock’s jump of as much as 74% gave the company, which doesn’t have brick-and-mortar branches, a market capitalisation of more than 32 trillion won ($28 billion), bigger than ...

Bloomberg Singapore banks will reward investors with higher payouts from better-than-expected earnings, just a week after the central bank lifted restrictions on dividends, marking a nascent recovery from one of their most turbulent years. All of the city state’s top banks — DBS Group Holdings, United Overseas Bank and Oversea-Chinese Banking — said they would increase dividends by an average ...

Bloomberg The Bank of England signalled that its concerns over inflation are strong enough to warrant the withdrawal of some support to the UK economy over the next three years. Policy makers led by Governor Andrew Bailey said they now expect annual price growth to peak higher than expected around 4%. While most of the increase may prove temporary, meeting ...

Bloomberg Commerzbank AG saw earnings last quarter hit by a long series of one-time charges, undermining an otherwise solid performance and complicating efforts by Chief Executive Officer Manfred Knof to grow the lender. The shares fell after Commerzbank reported 18% lower revenue and a net loss of 527 million euros, both worse than estimated. However, it reiterated a forecast for ...

Bloomberg Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc’s new hybrid work model in its EMEA region gives its staff plenty of say over how they will return to the office. The Japanese lender said it will leave it up to employees and their managers to “establish their own personal rhythms of home and office work,” according to a statement. It will continue ...

Bloomberg Two of Singapore’s largest lenders will increase dividend payouts after profit in the second quarter beat forecasts driven by lower provisions for bad loans. Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp, the city state’s second biggest bank, will pay an interim dividend of 25 cents per share after reporting a 59% jump in net income to S$1.16 billion ($859 million), just ahead of ...

Bloomberg Growing geopolitical tensions and pulled initial public offerings have done little to damp the appetite of Western banks for Hong Kong and China. Standard Chartered Plc Chief Executive Officer Bill Winters was the latest executive in recent weeks to signal a sweeping Chinese government crackdown and rising geopolitical tensions between China and the US won’t derail his lender’s focus ...

Bloomberg Societe Generale SA gave an upbeat outlook for the year as the economic recovery allows it to set aside less for soured loans and a rebound in equities trading fueled earnings that beat analysts’ estimates. The Paris-based lender expects to set aside 10 basis points less — equal to about 500 million euros ($593 million) — for souring debt ...

Bloomberg Dai-ichi Life Holdings Inc is nearing a deal for Westpac Banking Corp’s life insurance unit that could value the business at about $1 billion, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Dai-ichi Life is in exclusive talks with Australia’s second-largest bank and an announcement could come as soon as this month, the people said, asking not to be ...