Bloomberg China’s regulators will impose caps on banks’ lending to the real estate sector for the first time, in their latest efforts to prevent systematic risks after a series of property curbs in recent years did little to damp buyer enthusiasm. Under the new mechanism, loans to developers will be capped at 40% for the nation’s largest state-owned lenders while ...

Bloomberg Commerzbank AG will set aside 610 million euros ($745 million) in the fourth quarter to cover restructuring costs after reaching an agreement with the works council on planned job cuts. The amount will cover the elimination of 2,300 positions between 2021 and 2024, part of a restructuring plan announced last year, according to a statement from the bank. Commerzbank ...

Bloomberg Bank of Montreal’s (BMO) capital-markets division grabbed the top spot for Canadian equity sales in 2020, leading the ranking for the first time in a decade as the coronavirus pandemic pushed companies to stockpile cash. BMO Capital Markets advised on 52 equity and equity-linked issues with a total value of C$3.76 billion ($2.95 billion). Overall, Canada saw 488 issues ...

Bloomberg The auto industry dodged disaster when the UK and European Union (EU) sealed a post-Brexit trade accord, but not before carmakers announced factory closures and called off plans to make several new vehicles in the country. More damage may still be done even with the deal. Automakers including Nissan Motor Co. might struggle to qualify some UK-assembled models for ...

Bloomberg Ford Motor Co. is reversing plans to cede most of its Indian operations to Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., deciding to pull out of a proposed joint venture and continue its standalone business in the country. The companies agreed to terminate the venture after reassessing in part due to the global coronavirus pandemic, they said. The decision ends a deal ...

Bloomberg Huawei Technologies added Tencent Holdings Ltd.’s games back to its app store after two technologies firms negotiated an agreement. “We will continue to work together to bring better experience and service to Tencent game community,” a spokesperson for Tencent said. The games were removed after Tencent made a “big change” to how the companies work with each other, according ...

Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc. agreed to acquire podcasting company Wondery, as the dominant audiobook purveyor moves to strengthen in another sound-based medium. “This is a pivotal moment to expand the Amazon Music offering beyond music as listener habits evolve,” the Seattle-based retail and media giant said in a statement. Bloomberg News first reported in September that Wondery was exploring a sale, ...

Bloomberg Tesla Inc. is coming to the end of its first year selling China-made cars with a commanding position in world’s biggest electric-vehicle market, but Elon Musk shouldn’t rest on his laurels. While Tesla regularly topped monthly premium EV sales tallies in 2020, helped by the sedans churned out from its multibillion-dollar plant opened to much fanfare in Shanghai last ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The United Arab Emirates strongly condemned the cowardly terrorist attack that targeted the airport of the interim Yemeni capital Aden during the arrival of members and ministers of the newly formed Yemeni Government to commence its duties in implementation of the Riyadh Agreement. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stressed that ...

Bloomberg The European Union (EU) and China announced the political approval of an agreement to open the Chinese market further to EU investors, marking a major step in talks that began in 2013. The breakthrough in negotiations on an EU-China investment deal signals the bloc’s determination to focus on economic opportunities in Asia even amid criticism of Beijing’s record on human ...