Banking

Bloomberg The Bank of Greece plans to start stress tests for the country’s four systemic banks in late February with a view to determine by June if they need fresh capital before the end of the Greek bailout program. ECB President Mario Draghi said Single Supervisory Mechanism may front-load stress tests for Greek banks. Banks have been asked to send ...

DUBAI / Reuters Saudi Arabia’s central bank has scrapped administrative fees for mortgage holders if they switch between fixed and floating rate loans, as part of new measures to boost the housing market. The Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority also announced, via its twitter account, other measures to help reduce mortgage costs, including allowing a mortgage holder to move to a ...

Bloomberg Singapore banks have closed accounts of several companies which specialize in providing cryptocurrency and payments services, according to two local bodies which represent financial-technology firms. Noting that cryptocurrency firms have had similar problems with their banks in other countries, the head of Singapore’s Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Industry Association, or Access, asked the government to step in. “From our analysis, ...

Bloomberg The Bank of England (BOE) said an agreement is needed as part of the Brexit process to protect the ‘long-term validity’ of 20 trillion pounds ($27.1 trillion) of existing derivative contracts. The BOE’s Financial Policy Committee said on Monday that after the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, it will be ‘complex and difficult’ for financial firms themselves to ...

Bloomberg Two months after suspending masala bonds sales by local issuers, India lifted restrictions on issuance. That was the easy part. Masala bonds, or rupee-denominated debt securities sold abroad, are still subject to caps on pricing and tenor. Issuers must also compulsorily seek approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) before every sale—constraints that may keep issuance from picking ...

Bloomberg Now that Nigeria’s economy is recovering from its worst slump in 25 years, the central bank can turn its focus to fighting inflation again — and shoring up its currency. The Monetary Policy Committee has kept its interest rate at a record-high 14 percent since July 2016, trying to support the economy, and will probably hold it there at ...

DUBAI / Emirates Business Mashreq Bank, one of the first banks in the Middle East and a leading financial institution in the UAE, partnered with Diebold Nixdorf, the leader in driving connected commerce, to streamline its in-branch cash cycle management processes by implementing the latest in teller automation technology across select UAE branches. The innovative cash recycling systems combined with ...

Bloomberg China’s currency has swung from hot to cold in a matter of weeks, thwarting expectations that policy makers would keep the yuan stable before a crucial Communist Party congress next month. The yuan slumped 0.5% to 6.6210 per greenback as of 5.30pm in Shanghai, taking its decline from an 8 September peak to 2.8%. That’s a sharp reversal from ...

Bloomberg The kiwi and euro declined as weekend elections in New Zealand and Germany left the ruling parties facing tough negotiations to form coalition governments. The yen also fell on a report that Japan’s prime minister is planning a stimulus package. New Zealand’s dollar weakened against all of its major peers after Saturday’s inconclusive election outcome left investors uncertain over ...

Bloomberg Australia’s four largest banks have scrapped cash withdrawal charges for all users, as the banking industry tries to salvage its reputation after a series of scandals. Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the nation’s biggest lender, said on Sunday it would immediately remove the A$2 ($1.60) fee for all users of its 3,400 branded automated teller machines across the country. Westpac ...