August, 2018

• 26 August

  Bank of Thailand’s hawkish tilt adds new tailwind for currency

  

  Bloomberg The Bank of Thailand is giving the baht — the most-loved emerging-market currency this month — one more reason to keep up its outperformance. Piggybacking on a strong current-account surplus, the baht has braved developing-market doldrums and topped returns among 24 currencies tracked by Bloomberg. It is also the sole gainer in Asia this quarter. As investors await the …

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• 26 August

  People’s Bank of China joins forces with Fed’s Powell to hit brakes on dollar rally

  

  Bloomberg The People’s Bank of China and Federal Reserve delivered a one-two punch to the dollar, spurring the biggest selloff in a month and raising the specter of further weakness ahead. The PBOC announced that banks would resume using the “counter-cyclical” factor when calculating the yuan’s daily reference rate, restraining the influence of market forces that have been driving the …

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• 26 August

  Central banks hear warnings on trade

  

  Bloomberg A discussion of competition and “superstar” firms at an exclusive economic policy conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, threw up a spirited defense of global trade, while central bankers were also warned of the low level of trust they enjoy among the public. “We should think twice about undermining the discipline of openness” and the competition that’s created by global …

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• 26 August

  UK to end zero risk for EU state debt on no-deal Brexit

  

  Bloomberg Banks in the UK may face an unexpected hit to their finances from British regulators if there’s no Brexit deal, further quashing hopes that they can carry on with business as usual. The Treasury in London said banks won’t be able to treat debt issued by European Union governments as risk-free once the nation withdraws from the bloc. That …

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• 25 August

  Investor optimism on global oil price wanes

  

  Bloomberg Over the past four months, investor optimism that global crude prices will rise has slumped by almost half. Hedge funds’ net-bullish position on Brent crude, a measure of how positive money managers are that prices will gain, has plunged 49 percent since early April as trade wars cloud the picture for oil consumption. Despite a good week for the …

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• 25 August

  US nears big trade deal with Mexico

  

  Bloomberg President Donald Trump said the US may be on the verge of a “big Trade Agreement” with Mexico as the Nafta representative of that nation’s president-elect signalled that the thorny issue of rules for the energy industry seems to be resolved. Trump emphasised the collaboration with the current and incoming Mexican administrations. “Our relationship with Mexico is getting closer …

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• 25 August

  Lightsource sets sights on global markets after stake sale to BP

  

  Bloomberg The UK’s largest solar company has set its sights on becoming a global player now that it’s owned in part by one of the world’s oil majors. “Going forward, this industry will move forward from a cottage industry almost, to an industrialised industry,” Chief Executive Officer Nick Boyle said. “There will be a small number of worldwide players. We …

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• 25 August

  Enbridge to buy Spectra partners in $3.3bn deal

  

  Bloomberg Pipeline giant Enbridge Inc. agreed to buy all outstanding shares of Spectra Energy Partners LP in a deal aimed at streamlining its corporate structure in the wake of US tax changes. The agreement to acquire its master limited partnership is valued at $3.3 billion, based on the closing price of Enbridge shares in New York trading. It follows by …

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• 25 August

  Exxon to seek wind, solar power delivery in Texas

  Bloomberg Exxon Mobil Corp. has been looking to buy renewable energy for delivery in Texas, according to people familiar with the matter. The largest US oil company sent out a request for proposals with a June 8 deadline, inviting solar or wind power suppliers to pitch contracts that would last 12, 15 or 20 years, according to a document obtained …

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• 25 August

  China Three Gorges gets nod for 400mw offshore wind farm

  Bloomberg China Three Gorges New Energy Co., a state-owned clean energy developer, received approval to build a 400 megawatt offshore wind farm in the nation’s southern province of Guangdong. The Yangjiang project will include 73 turbines with a capacity of 5.5 megawatts each, the company said in a statement on its website. The farm is expected to generate 1.49 billion …

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