Bloomberg HSBC Holdings Plc posted one of the worst equities-trading revenue performances among global banks in the second quarter amid an overall slump at its markets business. Revenue from stock trading at the Asia-focused bank fell 17 percent to $279 million, according to a company presentation. US banks posted a 14 percent average increase for the period and some of …

Bloomberg Absa Group Ltd. forecast that its return on equity, a measure of profit, will improve slightly this year, helped by the South African lender’s operations in the rest of the continent. While costs will improve by the end of the year, expenses are still likely to grow faster than income, the bank said. Absa, which rebranded from Barclays Africa …

Bloomberg Romania unexpectedly left borrowing costs unchanged, looking past the European Union’s fastest inflation as the economy cools. The National Bank of Romania kept its benchmark interest rate at 2.5 percent on Monday. Three of 18 analysts in a Bloomberg survey predicted the decision, while 15 saw a quarter-point increase. Governor Mugur Isarescu was expected to hold a briefing in …