Banking

Bloomberg The pain felt in South Africa’s economy in the first quarter was echoed in the banking industry. The value of new consumer credit granted in the first quarter declined more than 10 percent to 121.6 billion rand ($8.9 billion) from the previous three months, according to data compiled by the National Credit Regulator. The number of applications for loans ...

Bloomberg Central banks in emerging economies are losing the battle with markets as their efforts to shield their currencies struggle for traction, suggesting policy makers have more work to do. Rising US interest rates, the strong dollar, higher oil prices, China’s market and economic wobbles and fears of a global trade war are conspiring to pressure emerging-market currencies. Here’s a ...

Bloomberg Federal Reserve stress tests forced some of Wall Street’s top banks to rein in ambitious plans for pumping out cash to shareholders. But even those diminished returns spell a record payout to investors. As the central bank’s annual stress tests ended, the nation’s four largest lenders — JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp., Wells Fargo & Co. ...

Bloomberg European Central Bank President Mario Draghi warned European Union leaders that an escalating trade war between the US and the world’s biggest economies may have a larger impact than policy makers and investors currently expect. Rising tensions could erode confidence to an extent that is difficult to gauge, Draghi told the 27 heads of government from the bloc at ...

Bloomberg Prosecutors in Cologne are preparing their first indictments in a tax-evasion probe involving some of the biggest names in finance that cost the German treasury billions of euros, according to people familiar with the matter. Investigators are looking at the role of dozens of banks, brokerages, accounting companies, and law firms in the deals, and the cases involve hundreds ...

Bloomberg Kenya’s biggest bank is waiting eagerly for Ethiopia to open its closely guarded financial services sector as new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed warms up to foreign investment in ongoing market reforms. KCB Group Ltd. set up a representative office in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, in 2015 to position itself for when Africa’s fastest-growing economy finally relaxes its policy ...

Bloomberg Credit Suisse Group AG has been reorganising its prime brokerage unit, cutting some jobs while hiring selectively. This week, the Swiss bank pruned another seven positions from the New York desk that caters to hedge funds, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity. Tony Bertoldo and Justin Carey are among the senior bankers who are ...

Bloomberg German banks — jostling for position in one of Europe’s most competitive markets — will plow billions of euros into digitisation over coming years to boost revenue. The question is how many will get their money back. The 50 top lenders will spend as much as 6 billion euros ($7 billion) by 2020 developing their digital initiatives, according to ...

Bloomberg China’s latest monetary policy move, due to take effect on July 5, won’t do much for investors seeking respite from a falling stock market or slumping yuan. 500 billion yuan ($75.7 billion) out of 700 billion yuan freed up by a cut in reserve-ratios announced June 24 is intended to assist banks in funding debt-to-equity swaps — a key ...

Bloomberg Bank of America Corp. was accused in a lawsuit of providing more than 100 accounts used to perpetrate what the US regulators called a $102 million Ponzi scheme. The class-action suit filed on behalf of people who lost money follows a complaint last week by the Securities and Exchange Commission alleging that five men and three companies defrauded more ...