November, 2018

• 27 November

  Banks are vying for dominance in Europe’s east

  

  Bloomberg European banks are vying for dominance in one of the continent’s most dynamic corners. Governments in parts of eastern Europe, where growth is outpacing the euro area, are loosening their grip on state-held assets. Serbia and Slovenia are the latest to offer stakes in their banks, opening up a potential battlefield as OTP Bank Nyrt of Hungary, Vienna-based Raiffeisen …

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• 27 November

  Surge in holiday online sales may bring February hangover

  

  Bloomberg The initial Black Friday results have reinforced that this US holiday shopping season will be one of the best in recent memory. But even in good times, there are concerns for retailers. The takeaway from the past few days is that Americans are spending at unprecedented levels, and the overwhelming majority of that growth — if not all of …

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• 27 November

  More Indian retailers in Amazon’s shopping cart

  

  Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc. is on a shopping spree in India. Helmed by the world’s richest man Jeff Bezos, Amazon has bought into one brick-and-mortar retailer, backed purchase of another and is reported to be in talks to acquire a stake in at least one more as the online retailing giant looks to get more boots on the ground in the …

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• 27 November

  South African suppliers slash payment periods

  

  Bloomberg South African Airways’s suppliers are slashing payment periods to reduce the risk of losing out from a collapse of the troubled state carrier, which is struggling to pay lenders 5 billion rand ($361 million) due by the end of this month. Companies with contracts with SAA are cutting settlement terms to seven days from 21 days as the creditor …

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• 27 November

  Airbus may drop jetliners position, concentrating power in new CEO

  

  Bloomberg Airbus SE could opt to drop the role of commercial aviation chief when incumbent Guillaume Faury is promoted to lead the entire company next year, simplifying the group’s structure amid an ongoing fraud probe. The move would concentrate power in the hands of Faury as chief executive officer and reinforce the idea that the jetliners arm — where most …

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• 27 November

  China slaps down D&G in fight over offensive videos

  

  Bloomberg Thousands of Dolce & Gabbana goods have been pulled from China’s biggest shopping websites after the Italian fashion house’s marketing went off the rails in a country that’s driving the industry’s growth. Calls for a boycott against the label gained traction after a video campaign showed a Chinese model struggling to eat spaghetti with chopsticks — a depiction that …

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• 26 November

  Aramco plans to invest $500bn for expansion

  

  Bloomberg Saudi Aramco aims to become a global refiner and chemical maker, seeking to profit from parts of the oil industry where demand is growing the fastest while also underpinning the kingdom’s economic diversification. The world’s biggest oil exporter is earmarking $500 billion to invest over the next 10 years, including $160 billion for natural gas developments and $100 billion …

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• 26 November

  Al Hilal Bank reports world’s first blockchain sukuk transaction

  

  ABU DHABI / WAM Al Hilal Bank is the first Islamic bank in the world to leverage blockchain technology for the resale and settlement of an Islamic sukuk. Blockchain was used to transact a secondary market deal in Al Hilal Bank’s $500 million senior sukuk maturing in September 2023. This was the first time that block-chain has been used worldwide …

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• 26 November

  LNG import boom no relief for Australian gas prices

  

  Bloomberg Plans in Australia to import gas to ease a supply squeeze may fail to bring down domestic prices as it pits the nation against some of the world’s biggest buyers for supplies. Australia finds itself in the odd position of having to consider four projects to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) while simultaneously being on track to become the …

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• 26 November

  Brazil’s Bolsonaro seeks $30bn oil boon

  

  Bloomberg President-elect Jair Bolsonaro is pursuing the sale of Brazil’s deep-sea treasure-trove of oil, but just weeks after his election he’s facing the same political obstacles as his two predecessors. While Bolsonaro’s transition team argues the sale could net some $30 billion to help plug fiscal deficits, a squabble over how to divvy up the spoils between various states and …

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