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Europe’s biggest FMCG firms signal slowdown in China

Bloomberg Two of Europe’s biggest consumer-goods companies signalled a slowdown in China, whose consumers have driven global demand for everything from baby formula food to shampoo. Nestle SA said sales in the country were flat for the first nine months, while Unilever said business there “slowed a little” in the latest period. Nestle shares fell as much as 1.6% in ...

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Negative rates ‘extraordinarily unlikely’ in Australia, says Lowe

Bloomberg Interest rate cuts are supporting Australia’s economy and housing market, Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe said. “The economy has been through a very soft patch over the past year but it is actually gradually improving, the lower interest rates are working,” Lowe said during a panel event at the International Monetary Fund’s annual meetings in Washington. Highlighting an upswing ...

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Trump should stop criticising Fed with tweets, says Lagarde

Bloomberg Incoming European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde said central banks best operate in a regime of independence and President Donald Trump shouldn’t interfere with the US Federal Reserve. “Market stability should not be the subject of a tweet here or a tweet there,” Lagarde said in an interview with CBS ‘60 Minutes’ correspondent John Dickerson. It requires thought ...

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Brazilian firm hires banks for bond sale

Bloomberg Autopista Regis Bittencourt SA, a Brazilian toll road operator ultimately controlled by Italy’s Benetton family, has mandated three banks to sell as much as 1.7 billion reais ($408 million) of bonds in the local market. Banco BTG Pactual SA, Banco Itau Unibanco Holding SA and Banco do Brasil SA have been selected by the Registro, Sao Paulo state-based company ...

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Thailand mulls reining in baht as it hits 6-year high

Bloomberg The Bank of Thailand is considering imposing additional measures to rein in the currency amid further gains in the baht to a six-year high and worries about economic growth. The economy could be more sensitive to greater currency appreciation, the Bank of Thailand said in minutes of the September 25 monetary policy committee meeting. This would be an “additional ...

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India policy makers’ worries about growth signal more rate cuts

Bloomberg India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) was unanimous in its view that a deepening economic slowdown is worrying enough to keep interest rates low for longer, the minutes of its latest meeting show. The concern explains Governor Shaktikanta Das’s statement that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) would keep its policy stance accommodative for as long as it is necessary ...

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UBS’ Singapore dealmaker set to join iSTOX

Bloomberg UBS Group AG’s Singapore investment banking chief Oi Yee Choo is set to join iSTOX, a trading platform backed by Temasek Holdings Pte. Choo will join iSTOX in January as its chief commercial officer and will help drive business growth by building its network of investors and issuers, according to a statement from the company, confirming an earlier Bloomberg ...

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110 Chinese companies to participate in Wetex 2019

Dubai / WAM The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), announced the participation of 102 Chinese companies in the 21st Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (Wetex 2019, and eight Chinese companies in the fourth Dubai Solar Show, which will run concurrently with the Wetex, the region’s largest renewable and sustainable energy exhibition. Both exhibitions will be held under the umbrella ...

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Oil steadies near $53 after days of decline

Bloomberg Oil steadied near $53 a barrel after two days of declines as the fragile economic environment and unresolved US-China trade war continue to deteriorate the outlook for global fuel demand. Futures in New York rose 0.4% on Wednesday in New York. The International Energy Agency (IEA) sees a “serious challenge” for Opec and other producers next year amid the ...

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Stocks drop amid Hong Kong unrest, Treasuries advance

Bloomberg American equity-index futures slipped on Wednesday while European shares struggled for traction as tensions over Hong Kong mounted and earnings season rolled on. Treasuries gained and the dollar was steady. Contracts on all three major US gauges stayed lower even after Bank of America reported upbeat earnings. The Stoxx Europe 600 was little changed after paring a decline as ...

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