Bloomberg Behind the big recovery in stocks has been a loose consortium of new and old buyers, each responding to a distinct storyline. Traders banking on the Federal Reserve, market novices bent on picking the bottom, and people convinced megacap tech is invincible. Whether they will be enough to sustain a lasting rally is the next urgent question for bulls, ...
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World’s oldest central bank hits ‘roadblock’ in crisis fight
Bloomberg Sweden’s central bank may need to have some of its age-old laws changed if it’s to act on a pledge to do “whatever it takes†to save the economy. The Riksbank’s 352-year history gives it the distinction of being the world’s oldest central bank. But the legislation governing it has yet to catch up with the kind of policy ...
Read More »BBVA reports loss on $3.8bn hit from virus
Bloomberg Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA took a combined hit of 3.5 billion euros ($3.8 billion) for virus-related provisions and a second consecutive charge at its US business to post its biggest-ever quarterly loss. BBVA, which is focused on emerging markets in Latin America and Turkey, reported a first-quarter net loss of 1.8 billion euros. The virus impact alone accounted ...
Read More »AmEx retools platinum card as Covid-19 crimps global travel
Bloomberg American Express Co., long synonymous with premium travel rewards, will now offer a meditation app and credits for streaming services as the coronavirus pandemic forces its customers to stay home. As the outbreak made its way to the US, the credit-card issuer realised that many of its rewards tied to spending on airlines and hotels were becoming less relevant, ...
Read More »SocGen drops as equities trading wiped out in rout
Bloomberg Societe Generale SA posted a surprise first-quarter loss after income from its stock-trading unit was wiped out in the market volatility caused by the coronavirus and the bank set aside 820 million euros ($890 million) to cover bad loans. Revenue from equities trading and the business of servicing hedge funds slumped 99% to just 9 million euros in the ...
Read More »Goldman gives peek into frenzy on trading desks
Bloomberg Goldman Sachs Group Inc. offered a glimpse into the March madness that propelled Wall Street trading desks to their best quarterly performance in almost a decade. The firm’s traders pulled in more than $100 million on 14 separate days during the first quarter, Goldman Sachs said in a regulatory filing. Volatile markets were a boon for the business, which ...
Read More »ECB bond buying is a matter of time as debt balloons
Bloomberg It’s increasingly becoming a question of when, not if, the European Central Bank (ECB) will pump up its emergency bond buying program to help the most vulnerable euro-area economies avoid a deeper recession. With countries relying on borrowing to finance their response to the coronavirus pandemic, the ECB will likely take on more of that bond supply, as private ...
Read More »Ryanair to slash 3,000 jobs, challenges $33b in state aid
Bloomberg Ryanair Holdings Plc will cut 3,000 jobs and said it will challenge some 30 billion euros ($33 billion) in state aid being doled out to keep its European competitors afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. The Irish discount carrier added to a mounting employment toll that includes 12,000 cuts at British Airways and 5,000 at SAS AB. The reductions represent ...
Read More »Virgin Australia draws 20 suitors in race for sale by June
Bloomberg Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd attracted at least 20 potential buyers as administrators race to sell the airline within two months. Administrators at Deloitte want binding offers in June and are targeting a deal by the end of that month, according to a statement after the first meeting of creditors. Indicative bids are due mid-May. Virgin Australia collapsed owing A$6.84 ...
Read More »Covid-19 will disrupt business through September: Sainsbury
Bloomberg J Sainsbury Plc, Britain’s second-largest grocer, said the Covid-19 pandemic will disrupt business until September, and then the economic fallout will set in. Costs will rise by 500 million pounds ($623 million) this year because of safety measures and lower fuel sales. That will be offset by 450 million pounds of property tax relief from the UK government, leading ...
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