February, 2021

• 21 February

  Singapore opens bubble for business travellers at Changi

  

  Bloomberg Singapore has started taking applications for a program that will allow people to enter the island for business and official purposes without having to quarantine for 14 days. The catch? They’ll have to stay in a bubble-like facility near Changi Airport, and can’t leave. The first visitors under the so-called Connect@Changi program are expected to arrive next month, Alan …

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• 21 February

  Nestle sales accelerate over pandemic demand

  Bloomberg Nestle SA, the world’s largest food company, reported its fastest sales growth in five years as stuck-at-home consumers adopted more cats and dogs, boosting demand for pet food. Revenue growth may cross the threshold of 4% and should at least match last year’s 3.6% pace, on an adjusted basis, CEO Mark Schneider said. Analysts have forecast 3.9% growth. Nestle’s …

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• 21 February

  Hermes sales soar on top luxury brands

  Bloomberg Hermes International sales jumped as the Birkin bag maker continued to benefit from its established appeal as a premium luxury brand. Sales rose 16% in the fourth quarter at constant exchange rates, almost twice as much as analysts expected. The leather goods unit was the main driver behind the performance. The shares rose as much as 8.9% to a …

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• 21 February

  Canada lenders exit pandemic year with profit growth in reach

  

  Bloomberg Canada’s largest banks are within striking distance of resuming profit growth — with the help of government programs that prevented major loan losses. The country’s six biggest banks are expected to post an 11% average decline in adjusted earnings per share when they report fiscal first-quarter results next week, according to analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The comparable quarter …

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• 21 February

  Nigeria’s biggest bank targets 30% profit outside home market

  

  Bloomberg Access Bank Plc, Nigeria’s biggest lender is looking to generate as much as 30% of profit outside its home market, following a series of acquisitions spanning East and West Africa last year. The lender expects African subsidiaries and its UK unit to account for about 25-30% of profit before tax in the next three to five years from 21% …

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• 21 February

  China imposes further curbs on online lending amid clampdown

  

  Bloomberg China’s banking regulator imposed new restrictions on banks and financial institutions working with online microlenders including those led by Jack Ma’s Ant Group, dealing further blows to one of the fastest-growing business segments for financial-technology behemoths. Banks must cap overall joint lending with internet platforms or other partners at no more than 50% of their outstanding loans, the China …

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• 21 February

  Bank Indonesia cuts rates, outlook as recovery stalls

  

  Bloomberg Indonesia’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate to a record low and downgraded its growth outlook amid fears that a resurgence in Covid-19 cases is slowing economy’s recovery. Bank Indonesia slashed the seven-day reverse repurchase rate by 25 basis points to 3.5%, the lowest level since the rate was introduced in 2016. The move was expected by 22 …

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• 21 February

  Deutsche Bank cuts bonus pool plans after ECB’s criticism

  

  Bloomberg Deutsche Bank AG scaled back plans for its bonus pool after the European Central Bank (ECB) objected to proposed payout levels, highlighting the challenges of rewarding top performers while heeding demands for restraint during the global pandemic. Germany’s largest lender had initially planned to pay out more than 2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) for staff performance in 2020, but that …

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• 21 February

  Sudan central bank unifies exchange rate

  Bloomberg Sudan’s central bank said on Sunday it was implementing a unified exchange rate system, part of broader measures aimed at reviving its struggling economy. The central bank instructed banks and exchange bureaus to adopt the new system with immediate effect, according to a statement on its website. The move aims to curb volatility in the exchange rate at a …

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• 21 February

  A 2020 winner in Asia’s stock market is now biggest loser

  

  Bloomberg While technology stocks continue to front Asia’s equity rally, one hot sector from 2020 has fallen to the bottom of the leaderboard: health care. Essentially flat year-to-date, a gauge of the sector is the worst-performing in Asia, lagging the region’s benchmark by eight percentage points. It is on track to underperform the MSCI Asia Pacific Index for a third …

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