Madrid / Reuters At the end of a tough quarter, the fraught debate over how policymakers should tackle the world’s economic woes gets another airing in the coming week as central banks on both sides of the Atlantic publish minutes. Solid growth in US employment and an unexpected manufacturing uptick in China in March will have provided some comfort, but ...

Harare / Reuters Foreign banks operating in Zimbabwe have submitted credible plans on how they intend to transfer majority shares to locals, the country’s finance minister said on Saturday, reducing the chances the government could cancel their licences. Under an Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act all foreign companies operating in Zimbabwe were given a March 31 deadline to sell at ...

Bloomberg The Federal Reserve has given final approval to a rule that will let banks include investment-grade municipal bonds among the assets they use to meet regulatory requirements to ensure they have sufficient liquidity to weather a crisis. The Fed and other US financial regulators adopted the liquidity coverage ratio requirement in October 2014 as a response to bank deficiencies ...

Reuters Emerging Markets (EMs) are fast losing their shine for the world’s biggest investment banks. Faced with falling fees from fewer deals – and bleak prospects ahead – many have put the brakes on a decade-long expansion, with some cutting jobs and shutting offices. Subdued deal activity has meant there are fewer dollars for banks to fight over: fees in ...

Dubai / Reuters National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri) has announced on Sunday it had signed a murabaha facility with Riyad Bank valued at whopping 1.425 billion riyals ($380 million). This facility is aimed at financing the construction cost of five very large crude carriers (VLCCs). According to the concerned authorities, the facility lasts for a period of 10 ...

DUBAI \ EMIRATES BUSINESS London was the most attractive market for Chestertons’ MENA investors, with more than AED 265 million invested into the UK capital’s real estate market. This represented over 70% of their total sales of nearly AED 379 million. “London has long been a favoured destination for investors from the Middle East region, it is a mature, well ...

Bloomberg Iron ore will probably snap back to $45 a metric ton as a nascent real-estate rebound in China won’t bolster construction demand in the world’s biggest user and supplies remain plentiful, according to McKinsey & Co. The commodity will trade between $45 and $50 a ton this year, eroding a first-quarter rally to as high as $63.74 that was ...

MANAMA / EMIRATES BUSINESS Cluttons’ Bahrain Spring 2016 Property Market Outlook Report shows that retail at Al Seef continues to command the highest rents at BD 12.50 psm, representing a 4% increase over the 12 months from Q1 2015. Following closely behind Al Seef is Amwaj Islands, which has seen a rental increase of 33% since Q1 2015, to stand ...

Bloomberg There’s nothing to stop developer Kevin Maloney from starting sales at 111 W. 57th St., the latest sky-high condo tower rising on midtown Manhattan’s Billionaires’ Row. He has the necessary legal approvals, and an office ready to welcome would-be buyers. But with luxury-home demand slowing and new condos piling up on the market, he’s waiting about a year before ...

Bloomberg Alaska Air Group Inc. is close to buying Virgin America Inc., the carrier backed by billionaire Richard Branson, according to people with knowledge of the matter. While negotiations are advanced, the deal could still fall apart and a last-minute bid from JetBlue Airways Corp. may be possible, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the details ...