August, 2021

• 9 August

  Citi sells its Australia retail unit as CEO Jane Fraser begins revamp

  

  Bloomberg Citigroup Inc has sold the first of 13 markets Chief Executive Officer Jane Fraser put on the block, agreeing a deal to offload its Australian consumer unit to National Australia Bank Ltd. The Australian lender will pay the US bank cash for the net assets of the Citigroup Consumer Business plus a premium of A$250 million ($184 million), according …

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• 9 August

  India holds rates amid dissent on lower-for-longer stance

  

  Bloomberg India’s central bank kept interest rates unchanged at a record low to support the economy, even as a split appeared among policy makers on continuing with the lower-for-longer stance. The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) six-member Monetary Policy Committee retained its main repurchase rate at 4%, as predicted by all 29 economists in a Bloomberg survey. Policy makers voted …

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• 9 August

  Stocks drift; commodities slump on stimulus, virus

  

  Bloomberg Stocks were steady with US futures on Monday, while commodities tumbled as investors weighed concerns about a pullback in stimulus and a resurgence in the fast-spreading delta virus variant. The Stoxx 600 Index traded little changed as gains in technology firms offset declines in energy shares and miners. Crude oil extended last week’s decline — its worst since October …

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• 9 August

  Money fleeing China stocks may overlook India: UBS

  

  Bloomberg Investors pulling out of China due to the recent regulatory crackdown may overlook India, where stocks are looking pricey after their climb to successive records, according to UBS Group AG. “The perception of risks in China has gone up and may lead investors to take out money and deploy it into other emerging markets,” Sunil Tirumalai, head of India …

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• 9 August

  Bitcoin, Ether hit highest since mid-May over sentiment

  Bloomberg Bitcoin and Ether reached their highest levels in more than two months after a major Ethereum upgrade and even in the face of uncertainty over crypto rules in the US infrastructure plan. Bitcoin gained as much as 3.1% to $45,328 on August 8, its highest level since May 18. Ether increased as much as 3.5% to $3,191, gaining for …

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• 9 August

  Saudi Aramco Q2 profit soars to 300% on demand recovery

  

  DHAHRAN / WAM The Saudi Arabian Oil Company Aramco announced on Sunday its second quarter 2021 financial results, reporting a 288 percent increase in net income from the same quarter of last year to $25.5 billion and declaring a dividend of $18.8 billion. The Company’s net income for the first half of the year was $47.2 billion, representing a 103 …

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• 8 August

  UAE welcomes appointment of UN special envoy for Yemen

  ABU DHABI / WAM The UAE has welcomed appointment of Hans Grundberg as the UN Special Envoy for Yemen and reiterated its support for all efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution towards ending Yemeni crisis. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation praised the pivotal role played by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to bring about stability in …

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• 8 August

  US needs to build more, faster to reach net zero

  

  Bloomberg After years of waiting, Infrastructure Week finally happened. US senators reached a bipartisan agreement on a $550 billion infrastructure bill, working through the weekend to finalise the text. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the bill could be voted on “in a matter of days.” While Congress was debating the size of the check, researchers at Princeton University’s Andlinger Center …

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• 8 August

  Stocks loved in pandemic get wrath of profit misses

  

  Bloomberg Internet stocks, food delivery companies and online retailers are paying a heavy price for any earnings disappointment. Companies from Asos Plc to Zalando SE and Logitech International SA have all suffered steep stock-market losses in Europe after their results in the past month. It’s a fact that makes companies with sky-high valuations look increasingly volatile, and shows that investors …

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• 8 August

  European stocks post best week since March on profits

  

  Bloomberg European stocks closed steady at a record, posting their biggest weekly gain in five months, as traders assessed a better-than-expected increase in US payrolls and positive earnings against delta variant risks. The Stoxx 600 Europe Index ended flat in London at a historical high, bringing the week’s gain to 1.8%. Banks were the best performers, with ING Groep NV …

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