February, 2018

• 3 February

  Robot delivery vans may hit roads before self-driving cars

  

  Bloomberg The future of driverless driving looks like a giant toaster with a funny hat. That’s an approximation of a new autonomous vehicle by Nuro, a Silicon Valley startup that’s been cryptic about its business plan since it launched about 18 months ago. Nuro’s shiny, minimalist appliance on wheels doesn’t have doors or windows to speak of, because it will …

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• 3 February

  China talks crucial for choice of Aramco listing venue

  

  LONDON / Reuters Saudi Arabia wants to complete talks with strategic investors such as China, Japan and South Korea before deciding where to list shares in state oil company Saudi Aramco, three sources familiar with the discussions said. Saudi officials have said the government plans to sell up to 5 percent of Aramco shares on one or more foreign exchanges …

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• 3 February

  Oil loses steam as dollar, stocks add to shale worries

  

  Bloomberg After its best January since 2006, the oil market wrapped up the week on a slump as a stronger dollar and weaker stocks added to concerns over booming shale production. Futures slipped 0.5 percent in New York, with oil inversely tracking the US dollar and American equities headed for the worst week in two years. A stronger greenback reduces …

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• 3 February

  Exxon sees oil demand down 20% in 2 decades

  Bloomberg If climate change curbs live up to their promise, oil demand may fall 20 percent by 2040, Exxon Mobil Corp. says in one forward-looking report. But a more likely scenario is it will grow by 20 percent, the company says in separate outlook. The first comes in response to a shareholder vote last year that demanded Exxon publish the …

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• 3 February

  Clean fuel focus in India could open door for US LPG imports

  

  Bloomberg India’s increased focus on cleaner cooking fuel may open the door for imports of liquefied petroleum gas from the US, according to Facts Global Energy. The world’s second-largest importer of the fuel raised its target for providing free cooking gas connections to the poor by 60 percent to 80 million families, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in his budget …

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• 3 February

  Pemex chief looks to $2.6 billion deal with Mitsui to spur recovery

  

  Bloomberg With its money-losing refineries producing the least fuel in 27 years and only a handful of private partnerships announced since Mexico’s energy reforms, sealing a $2.6 billion venture with Mitsui & Co. will come as a relief to Petroleos Mexicanos. Pemex is a few months away from closing an agreement for the project with a group led by Mitsui …

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• 3 February

  Bakken oil rises again in shadow of mighty Permian

  Bloomberg The Bakken shale is roaring back to life, and Kevin Black sees the evidence almost every day as he looks out the window of his blue Ford F-150 pickup truck. The president of Creedence Energy Services, which provides chemicals for oil wells, Black, 29, drives about two hours to Williston, North Dakota, at the heart of the oil-rich formation, …

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• 3 February

  UK banks fearing Brexit have US blueprint to follow

  

  Bloomberg UK politicians pushing for a post- Brexit trade deal on financial services are trying to stem an exodus of bankers from the City of London. For British banks, the stakes aren’t quite as high. A UK withdrawal with no preferential access to the single market would result in declining tax revenue and the potential loss of 75,000 finance jobs …

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• 3 February

  Bitcoin ban expands across credit cards

  

  Bloomberg A growing number of big US credit-card issuers are deciding they don’t want to finance a falling knife. JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc. said they’re halting purchases of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on their credit cards. JPMorgan, enacting the ban, doesn’t want the credit risk associated with the transactions, company spokeswoman Mary Jane …

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• 3 February

  Deutsche Bank traders set for ‘generous’ bonus despite slump

  

  Bloomberg Deutsche Bank AG Chief Executive Officer John Cryan, seeking to restore morale after massive bonus cuts last year, raised compensation for traders and bankers in 2017. He didn’t get much in return. Trading at Frankfurt-based Deutsche Bank slumped 27 percent in the fourth quarter to 886 million euros ($1 billion), while fees from advising on deals and arranging debt …

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