Bloomberg The Bank of Korea (BOK) said it will keep considering further interest-rate increases as inflationary pressures are expected to remain elevated for an extended period. The central bank said in a report to parliament on Tuesday that monetary policy needs to remain tight with a focus on reining in consumer prices. Even though inflation is likely to gradually ...
Read More »Banking
Chinese banks hold rates as analysts bet easing to come
Bloomberg Chinese lenders followed the central bank by keeping their benchmark lending rates unchanged on Monday, with analysts expecting possible reductions in coming months to support the economic recovery. The one-year loan prime rate was held at 3.65% for a sixth consecutive month, in line with the forecasts from all 13 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The five-year rate, a reference ...
Read More »StanChart to hire up to 500 staff in Hong Kong
Bloomberg Standard Chartered Plc plans to hire 300 to 500 staff in Hong Kong this year, in anticipation of an increase in wealth management and lending as the city reopened its borders to mainland China. The lender expects “double-digit†growth in wealth management income and “single-digit†loan growth, according to a spokeswoman. The lender’s headcount in Hong Kong has ...
Read More »BofA Securities joins Citigroup in turning bullish on Indian rupee
Bloomberg Bofa Securities Inc. is predicting more gains for the Indian rupee in the near term, joining Citigroup Inc., as the narrowest trade deficit in a year augurs well for the nation’s external finances. “The recent correction in rupee valuation and near-term improvement in current-account and capital flows tilt the risk-reward in favour of rupee appreciation,†Abhay Gupta, a strategist ...
Read More »Bank of Baroda willing to keep lending to Adani group: CEO
Bloomberg One of India’s biggest state-backed lenders is willing to consider lending additional money to the beleaguered Adani group including for a project to remodel a slum that is among the world’s largest. Bank of Baroda will extend loans to the conglomerate if it meets the lender’s underwriting standards, said Sanjiv Chadha, chief executive officer and managing director, adding ...
Read More »Deutsche Bank’s regulators criticise its internal probe
Bloomberg Deutsche Bank AG’s top supervisors are critical of how the lender handled an internal investigation into mis-selling of derivatives, raising questions about its findings. The European Central Bank (ECB) and German regulator BaFin have told Germany’s largest bank that the probe, known as Project Teal, took too long and wasn’t wide enough in their view, according to people ...
Read More »BOJ watchers flag outside risk of March surprise to help Ueda
Bloomberg Bank of Japan (BOJ) watchers are flagging the outside risk that Governor Haruhiko Kuroda may surprise international markets one last time next month with adjustments to smooth the transition process for his nominated successor Kazuo Ueda. The central bank’s yield curve control program already presents a complicated challenge for Ueda. As soon as he takes the BOJ’s helm, ...
Read More »CIBC to pay $770mn to settle Cerberus lawsuit
Bloomberg Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) agreed to pay Cerberus Capital Management LP $770 million to settle a lawsuit with origins in the 2008 financial crisis. The settlement amount is $85 million less than CIBC had set aside in a pretax provision in its fiscal first quarter to cover damages and prejudgment interest after a court ruled against ...
Read More »Dirty-money rating risks boosting costs for South African lenders
Bloomberg South Africa’s government and state-owned companies will find it harder to borrow money, while banking and asset-management fees may increase if the country is added to a global watchdog’s list of nations with shortcomings in tackling illicit financial flows. The Financial Action Task Force, which polices compliance with anti-money laundering and terror-financing measures, will decide whether to include ...
Read More »Binance considers pulling back from US partners as crypto crackdown escalates
Bloomberg Crypto giant Binance Holdings Ltd is considering ending relationships with US business partners as regulators turn up the heat. The company, which operates the world’s largest crypto exchange, is weighing the retreat after its relationships with a key banking partner and stablecoin issuer ran into trouble amid intense scrutiny from authorities, according to a person familiar with the ...
Read More »