August, 2020

• 3 August

  Shoprite sees better South African trade with gains

  Bloomberg Shoprite Holdings Ltd’s second-half sales climbed as it gained market share, even as the main lower-income customers of Africa’s largest food retailer battle with the impact of an economic slowdown. Sales in its core South African business rose 9.4% in the last three months of the fiscal year through June, the Cape Town-based supermarket operator said. Still, the grocer …

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• 3 August

  Under Armour’s road ahead looks bumpy

  Bloomberg Under Armour Inc managed to reach more customers than expected last quarter, even with most of its stores closed — but the road ahead is looking bumpy. The athletic-goods maker’s second-half revenue is likely to fall 20% to 25%, with its recently improved gross margin coming under new pressure, executives warned on a call with analysts. The volatile stock …

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• 3 August

  HSBC warns loan losses may hit $13 billion as profit halves

  

  Bloomberg HSBC Holdings Plc is speeding up the shakeup of its global business after warning that the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic may trigger loan losses of as much as $13 billion this year. The Asia-focused lender missed estimates after reporting first-half profit that halved to $5.6 billion because of higher credit provisions. The bank said it is looking …

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• 3 August

  Bank of England to keep backing stimulus even as splits widen

  

  Bloomberg Bank of England (BOE) policy makers are set to keep delivering ultra-loose monetary policy even as they disagree over the pace of economic recovery from coronavirus-triggered recession. While officials led by Governor Andrew Bailey have different takes on how the economy is emerging from the pandemic shock, the next policy decision on Thursday is expected to leave interest rates …

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• 3 August

  Goldman, BofA left off Ant IPO for work with Alibaba rivals

  

  Bloomberg Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Bank of America Corp. (BofA) were left off Ant Group’s upcoming stock sale in Hong Kong because of their past work with rivals of its affiliate Alibaba. Bankers have been told by senior executives at Alibaba Group Holding, which owns a third of Ant, that they should refrain from doing deals for its competitors if …

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• 3 August

  SocGen extends losing streak with $1.5bn loss

  

  Bloomberg Societe Generale SA swung to a surprise $1.5 billion loss because of charges at its trading unit, extending a losing streak that’s set to increase pressure on Chief Executive Officer Frederic Oudea. The French lender posted almost 1.33 billion euros in one-off costs following a review of the global markets and investor services business, including a 684 million-euro writedown. …

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• 3 August

  Australia central bank to hold as virus crisis spirals

  

  Bloomberg Australia’s central bank staff will be working around the clock to factor in the latest data from Victoria state’s spiralling Covid crisis into economic projections ahead of Tuesday’s policy meeting and Friday’s forecasts publication. Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe is set to keep interest rates and the three-year yield target unchanged at 0.25%, most economists say, and reiterate a …

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• 3 August

  Bandhan Bank holder seeks $1.4bn in stock sale

  Bloomberg Bandhan Bank Ltd.’s main shareholder sold $1.4 billion of its stake in India’s most profitable bank to meet the regulator’s ownership rules. Bandhan Financial Holdings Ltd. sold 337.4 million shares in the Indian lender at 313.1 rupees in a block trade on Monday, according to deal teams seen by Bloomberg News. The company’s shares plunged 11% to 307 rupees …

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• 3 August

  European stocks gain after July drop on manufacturing growth

  

  Bloomberg European equities climbed after falling the most since March in July as euro-area manufacturing returned to growth. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index was up 0.2%, led higher by the media and tech sectors. Banks were the worst performers, with HSBC Holdings Plc down 3.8% after first-half pretax profit missed estimates and more than halved to $5.6 billion, while Societe …

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• 3 August

  Coronavirus threatens property’s dominance of Philippine stock market

  

  Bloomberg Having suffered the worst first-half performance in any year since 2008, a gauge of Philippine’s property stocks is faring worse than the nation’s benchmark index in 2020 after six years of outperformance. The losses have also erased the valuation premium real estate shares typically command over the broader market — an occurrence that’s seen them stage a sharp rebound …

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