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Dubai / Emirates Business Mergermarket, the leading provider of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) data and intelligence, has released research showing that in 2018 the Mena region experienced a significant spike in deal value, reaching $26.76 billion, compared with $15.86 billion in 2017 — an increase of 68.7%. The significant growth in deal value was driven by increased deal-making in the …

Dubai / Emirates Business Emirates NBD Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) released January data for the UAE non-oil private sector. The survey, compiled by IHS Markit, contains original data collected from a monthly survey of business conditions in the industry. Khatija Haque, Head of Mena Research at Emirates NBD, said: “The Emirates NBD Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the UAE rebounded …

Bloomberg Oil held gains near a two-month high after data showed US production growth slowing at a time when Opec cuts and American sanctions on Venezuela have already eased concerns over a supply glut. Futures in New York rose as much 0.9 percent to reach the highest intraday level since November 21, after adding 2.7 percent. Opec’s crude output fell …

TOKYO / WAM Japan imported from the United Arab Emirates 22.778 million barrels of crude oil in December 2018, data released by the Agency of Energy and Natural Resource in Tokyo showed. This accounts for 24.5% of Japan’s total crude imports, the agency that belong to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, said. Saudi Arabia provided 39.437 million barrels, …

Bloomberg Petroleos Mexicanos bonds cratered after Fitch Ratings downgraded the state-owned company to just a notch above junk, spurring a slide in sovereign debt and the peso. The yield on Pemex bonds due in 2027 rose 28 basis points to 7.251 percent at 1:02 pm in New York, after jumping as much as 40 basis points earlier in the day. …

Bloomberg Morocco will start intervening to limit fuel prices from March as the margins of fuel distributors such as Vivo Energy and Total Maroc come under scrutiny following nationwide protests last year. “The capping mechanism is coming,” General Affairs and Public Governance Minister Lahcen Daoudi said in a video published on his party’s website, indicating it would be put in …

Bloomberg US oil refiners won’t be allowed to complete shipments of Venezuelan crude they booked before the Trump administration slapped new sanctions on the Latin American nation. US Treasury Department officials have informed some companies that previously contracted cargoes won’t be exempt from a new rule blocking payments to Venezuela’s PDVSA, according to two people familiar with the matter. The …

Bloomberg New Fortress Energy LLC fell 6.6 percent in its trading debut, as the markets gave a cold shoulder to the first operating company to go public after the US government reopened. The energy infrastructure company raised $280 million on Wednesday, selling 20 million shares for $14 each — below the $15 price it had set for them. The shares …

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business Agthia Group PJSC, one of the UAE’s leading food and beverages companies, reported preliminary and unaudited resu- lts for fiscal year that ended on December 31, 2018. Fiscal year net profit increased to AED211 million, growing 2.1 percent over the previous year. The group posted AED2 billion in revenues. When several non-repeating items are excluded …

Dubai / Emirates Business Leading companies in the UAE have announced new partnerships with several start-ups that were selected as part of the third cycle of Dubai Startup Hub’s Market Access programme. During a ceremony held recently at Dubai Chamber’s premises, Emirates Post Group announced its intention to work with Safe Driving Network on a pilot project testing the startup’s …