In his final months as European Central Bank president in 2011, a frustrated Jean-Claude Trichet lamented that “In the face of the crisis, we felt abandoned by conventional tools.” Economics models, he argued, could learn from other disciplines like physics, engineering and psychology; they should better capture the simple fact that humans are not rational, particularly in a crisis. His …

Bloomberg The pound is likely to be driven this week by the state of Brexit negotiations and UK politics, after losing support from bets on central bank policy tightening. Sterling could see any slide exacerbated should it drop below $1.30, according to Morgan Stanley, with the resumption of Brexit talks, fallout from a harassment scandal and industrial data to provide …

Bloomberg To the naked eye, it was just another up week for stocks. The S&P 500 Index rose 7 points, the eighth time in a row it’s been up. Beneath the surface a barrage of headlines on everything from earnings to the Federal Reserve and taxes were drawing brighter lines between winners and losers. While benchmarks muddled along and broader …

Bloomberg Societe Generale SA added to concerns about excessive bitcoin speculation, with the bank’s deputy head following Credit Suisse Group AG’s top executive in saying that it’s a bubble. “Bitcoin today is in my view very clearly in a bubble,” Severin Cabannes said in a Bloomberg Television interview. His comments came a day after Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam said …

Reuters Kuwait’s Burgan Bank, the country’s third largest lender by assets, is in early discussions with banks for the refinancing of a $350 million loan due in December, sources familiar with the matter said on Sunday. The bank raised the original debt facility in 2015 with a group of seven banks, including regional and international lenders. The new loan would …

Bloomberg Reforming the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s monetary policy mandate could potentially result in lower interest rates, the new finance minister said. Requiring the central bank to target full employment as well as price stability when making rate decisions will ensure its objectives are more aligned with the well-being of New Zealanders, Grant Robertson said in a television interview …

Bloomberg Wells Fargo & Co. added $1 billion in the third quarter to what it says the bank may face in possible legal expenses. Legal costs could potentially be $3.3 billion more than what the San Francisco-based bank has reserved, Wells Fargo said in a regulatory filing. While that figure was unchanged from the previous three-month period, it constitutes a …

Bloomberg It was President Donald Trump who dominated the headlines in monetary policy over the past 10 days with his choice of Jerome Powell to chair the US Federal Reserve. Yet the club of central bank chiefs the American is set to join has been making plenty of news. The Fed, now helmed by Janet Yellen, left itself on course …

Bloomberg Bombardier Inc. will miss this year’s delivery target for its flagship C Series jet as Canada’s biggest aerospace company grapples with engine delays. Customers will receive only 20 to 22 of the new aircraft this year, down from an earlier plan for about 30, Bombardier said in a statement. The Montreal-based planemaker also announced that an unidentified European client …

Bloomberg Bain Capital LP is in the final stages of bidding for Blackstone Group LP’s seaplane operator in the Maldives, the tropical island chain known for its white sand and turquoise waters, according to people familiar with the matter. The buyout firm is partnering with Chinese conglomerate Tempus Group Co. in its bid for control of Trans Maldivian Airways Pvt, …