Blog Layout

BofA purchases biggest distressed asset in India

Bloomberg Bank of America Corp. (BofA) has bought its biggest distressed asset in India, adding to a growing trend of foreign investors diving deeper into the country’s massive pile of bad debt. A group of investors led by the US bank have paid 33 billion rupees ($479 million) for soured loans of a beleaguered Indian maker of cast iron pipes, ...

Read More »

ECB faces differing views on sub-zero rates

Bloomberg The European Central Bank (ECB) is approaching the point where it needs to decide whether if negative interest rates are more problem than solution. Since officials pushed back plans to tighten policy, warnings have increased that the potency of a key instrument used to rekindle growth in the 19-nation bloc is diminishing the longer it remains in place. France’s Francois ...

Read More »

UBS bolsters US tech team with two hires

Bloomberg UBS Group AG is adding tech bankers ahead of what promises to be a busy year for initial public offerings and technology banking transactions. The Zurich-based bank hired Bob Casey and Robert Jackman to join its US technology investment banking team, according to a memo sent by Jason Auerbach, UBS’s head of technology banking for the Americas. They are ...

Read More »

Rate-hike patience may leave Fed in a bind if inflation softens

Bloomberg Federal Reserve officials say they’re willing to tolerate an overshoot of their inflation goal. If the opposite happens, the plan is less clear. Core inflation, excluding energy and food prices, is currently just shy of the central bank’s 2 percent target. Most economists and policy makers see that lasting, though there’s no guarantee: Inflation expectations have been stuck on ...

Read More »

EGA inks deal with Maersk to ship aluminum globally

ABU DHABI / WAM Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) on Monday signed a volume commitment extension agreement for 2019 with the global shipping company AP Moller — Maersk to transport EGA’s aluminium to customers around the world. EGA exports its metal to customers in more than 60 countries worldwide and makes more than 11,000 shipments each year using over 100,000 containers. ...

Read More »

Dewa, Italian firms foster energy, water sector ties

DUBAI / WAM An Italian delegation led by Liborio Stellino, Ambassador of Italy to the UAE, has visited Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), and discussed ways to enhance strategic partnerships between Dewa and Italian organisations, and exchange best global experiences and practices. This is one of a series of visits by diplomatic and consular officials to Dewa to consult ...

Read More »

Opec, allies affirm commitment to oil cuts, defer decision to extend

Bloomberg Saudi Arabia led fellow members of the Opec+ coalition to reaffirm their commitment to output cuts, but conceded they should defer until June the decision on whether to extend the curbs. A committee of the most influential members in the 24-nation alliance, which includes Russia, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, agreed to go beyond their pledged supply curbs ...

Read More »

US equities gained at start of busy week; bonds dip

Bloomberg US equities gained at the start of a week filled with potentially significant catalysts from central bank meetings, geopolitical developments and economic data. Treasuries and the dollar drifted lower. The S&P 500 opened slightly higher, led by financials and energy shares, while chipmakers helped propel an advance in the Nasdaq 100. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fought to hold ...

Read More »

Foreigners splurge on Saudi shares as FTSE begins upgrade

Bloomberg Foreign investors increased purchases of Saudi equities last week to the highest value on record as they positioned for the kingdom’s inclusion in major benchmarks. Foreigners were net buyers of about 1.6 billion riyals of stocks in five days through March 14, more than any other week since the data were first disclosed in 2015. The inflows picked up ...

Read More »