March, 2022

• 21 March

  Europe car sales hit record low in February

    Bloomberg Car sales in the European Union skidded to the lowest on record for February, as manufacturers brace for more disruption to output from supply-chain issues exacerbated by war in Ukraine. New-vehicle registrations in the EU fall 6.7% to less than 720,000 for the month, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said. When including the UK and free-trade association countries, …

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• 19 March

  Oil pares gain near $104 to end another volatile week

  

    Bloomberg Oil pared gains after the biggest daily surge in 16 months pushed prices back above $100 a barrel. Futures in New York were trading near $104 a barrel after jumping 8.4%. Crude has whipsawed this week on conflicting news about progress in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. The International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday that prices …

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• 18 March

  France’s EDF starts rights offering for more than $3.4b

  

    Bloomberg Electricite de France (EDF) SA kicked off a deeply discounted rights offering of more than 3.1 billion euros ($3.4 billion), a stopgap measure as the state prepares to overhaul the ailing nuclear power giant. A broader reform of the debt-laden utility is planned by President Emmanuel Macron, who said some EDF assets should be nationalised. The firm, already …

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• 18 March

  Italy to approve new aid to ease pain of energy price hikes

    Bloomberg Italy’s government is set to approve a new set of measures to cushion families and businesses from continuing increases in energy and fuel prices. The new aid won’t require additional borrowing for the time being, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said during a press conference in Rome. The package is set to be approved at a cabinet meeting. Financing …

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• 18 March

  Church of England urges TotalEnergies to quit Russia

  

    Bloomberg TotalEnergies SE has been warned by two UK shareholders that they would divest their stakes if the French company fails to exit its businesses in Russia. The Church of England Pensions Board and the Church Commissioners for England are turning up the heat on the energy major’s Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne, a sign of the pressure companies …

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• 18 March

  Spain eyes energy price cap as factories shut down

  

    Bloomberg Spain plans to set temporary limits on power prices in the coming weeks, in one of the boldest attempts in Europe to stem a surge in energy costs that has forced industries to shut operations and furlough workers. Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera said she is confident the European Council will give the green light to limits at …

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• 18 March

  Northvolt plans 60-GW battery plant in Germany

  Bloomberg Swedish battery-maker Northvolt AB is building a new plant in northern Germany as European car manufacturers accelerate their shift to electric vehicles. The factory, dubbed “Northvolt Drei,” would produce 60-gigawatt hours of battery capacity annually, the company said. Northvolt expects it to produce its first lithium-ion batteries in 2025. The new plant in Germany will boost Northvolt’s overall battery-cell …

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• 18 March

  HSBC announces ‘phase down’ of funding for fossil-fuel clients

  

    Bloomberg HSBC Holdings Plc promised to “phase down” its financing of the fossil fuel industry, sending a warning to oil and gas clients as the bank works toward its target of net-zero emissions. The step is in line with “what is required to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees celsius,” HSBC said. Like most of its top-tier …

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• 18 March

  Weaker yen likely to prompt BOJ message shift, says ex-official

  

  Bloomberg A further depreciation of the yen won’t be good for Japan’s economy and may prompt a shift in the central bank’s messaging, according to a former Bank of Japan (BOJ) official, speaking after the currency set a fresh low of more than five years. “The yen has already moved a lot compared with last year, so a further weakening …

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• 18 March

  Malaysia and Philippines central bankers stick to caution on rates

  

    Bloomberg Southeast Asian central bankers are keeping a cautious approach toward monetary tightening, as the fallout from the war in Ukraine stokes risks to global growth and inflation. Bank Negara Malaysia will continue gauging the “appropriate degree of monetary policy accommodation to make sure this economic recovery is much more durable,” Governor Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus said in a …

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