Banking

Indiabulls seeks hearing after record share slide

Bloomberg Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd, a major Indian shadow lender that’s caught in the crosshairs of the troubles plaguing the industry, is seeking to bring forward a court hearing on fraud allegations after a record share slump. The development represents an effort to get out ahead of recent headlines that contributed to its share price losing an unprecedented 34 percent ...

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Thai bank open to merger as it plans to grow wealth business

Bloomberg Kiatnakin Bank Pcl, one of Thailand’s smallest publicly traded lenders, is open to a merger as competition from other banks and technology firms intensifies. The bank plans to expand its wealth management business, while being more cautious with automobile loans, one of its biggest lending areas, President Philip Chen Chong Tan said in an interview. Thailand’s aging population has ...

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Nigeria ups the ante on banks with tougher lending demands

Bloomberg Nigeria’s central bank is increasing pressure on lenders to keep providing credit to boost economic growth in Africa’s biggest oil producer. The West African nation’s banking regulator raised the minimum loan-to-deposit ratio to 65 percent from 60 percent to “sustain the momentum” seen in lending since it first lifted the measure in July, it said. Banks have until December ...

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Credit Suisse’s COO resigns after spying scandal probe

Bloomberg Credit Suisse Group AG exonerated Chief Executive Officer Tidjane Thiam as one of his key allies took the fall for a corporate spying scandal that shook Zurich’s financial elite and tainted the bank’s reputation. Chief Operating Officer Pierre-Olivier Bouee, the CEO’s chief lieutenant at three companies for more than 10 years, stepped down after ordering detectives to shadow former ...

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Yes Bank sparks selloff in lenders as ‘investors’ exit

Bloomberg Yes Bank Ltd slumped to the lowest level in a decade, leading a selloff in Indian lenders. IDFC Securities Ltd says the blood-letting in the stock isn’t done yet. The brokerage slashed the bank’s target price to 35 rupees, implying a 15 percent drop from Monday’s close of 41.4 rupees. The stock plunged 15 percent to the lowest price ...

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Zimbabwe clamps down on ‘Ecocash’

Bloomberg Zimbabwe’s central bank has clamped down on mobile money, banning the purchase and sale of cash through the services, in the latest directive aimed at gaining control of a monetary system that’s spiraling out of control. The directive, which the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe said was necessary because of commissions charged by agents, follows an earlier announcement enforcing the ...

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Down Under bonds return on property, banking rebound

Bloomberg The $125 billion US dollar bond market Down Under is making a comeback, boosted by the recovering housing and banking sectors. US-currency notes issued by Australian REITs and mortgage asset firms are returning 9.1 percent this year compared with a 0.1 percent drop in 2018 as a rebound in property prices has gathered pace since June. Dollar bonds from ...

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Seoul sold net $3.8b to intervene in currency

Bloomberg South Korean authorities sold a net $3.8 billion in the first six months of the year to intervene in the currency market, compared with $187 million in the second half of 2018, according to central bank data. “It is now confirmed that the authorities constantly conducted smoothing operations during the second quarter when the won weakened rapidly,” said Min ...

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BNP Paribas prop-trading arm lost $30m

Bloomberg A BNP Paribas SA division created to make speculative bets for the bank’s own account lost tens of millions of dollars last year as trading revenue slumped amid volatile markets, leading executives to shutter the business. Opera Trading Capital, which ceased trading in January, posted a loss of $30 million for 2018, filings show. Net banking income before operating ...

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RSA’s Hester, Citi’s Bird on HSBC’s CEO shortlist

Bloomberg HSBC Holdings Plc’s shortlist for its next chief executive officer includes Stephen Bird, Citigroup Inc’s head of global consumer banking, and RSA Insurance Group Plc CEO Stephen Hester, Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper reported. HSBC hired Egon Zehnder to help with the search process, the newspaper said, without saying where it got the information. The report said a key consideration ...

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