April, 2020

• 27 April

  It’s politics as usual in Italy’s state-led firms

  The anti-politics Five Star Movement may be part of Italy’s ruling coalition. But recent nominations to the boards of Italy’s state-backed companies look as pro-politics as ever. Oil major Eni SpA, utility Enel SpA and defense group Leonardo SpA are among those that get a boardroom review every three years. The quixotic hope is that appointments are made via a ...

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• 27 April

  Will Republicans use the Covid-19 to suppress vote?

  

  The April 7 election in Wisconsin was a moral, legal, administrative and public-health fiasco. It is also a model that Republicans intend to duplicate in November. After Republican legislators and Republican judges forced Wisconsin to proceed with in-person voting over the objections of the Democratic governor, many voters had to choose between protecting their right to vote and protecting their ...

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• 27 April

  We weren’t ready to work from home

  

  Call it teething problems, disorganisation or plain Luddism: the first few weeks of working from home were, for many, far from smooth. Set aside for a second the impact of hunkering down with children, paramours and housemates. The coronavirus lockdowns revealed a deep division even between white-collar workers: those employed by companies that have invested in what it takes for ...

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• 27 April

  Is Germany about to undo its good pandemic work?

  

  “Papa, papa, Look! The playground is open again,” exclaimed a young girl as she gazed longingly at a group of her peers vying to be the next on the swings. The sight of Berlin children playing happily together once again was both life-affirming and terrifying. Kids aren’t the best at social distancing and we still aren’t sure how big a ...

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• 27 April

  Stocks in Europe Asia gain with US futures; dollar slips

  

  Bloomberg Stocks jumped in Europe and Asia and US equity futures advanced as major economies edged toward reopening, the Bank of Japan boosted stimulus measures and corporate results rolled in. The dollar weakened and oil slumped. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index opened solidly higher amid a number of positive catalysts and after the gauge missed out on a late Wall ...

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• 27 April

  Goldman says narrow breadth in S&P 500 a bad sign for stocks

  

  Bloomberg The narrowing group of winners in the S&P 500 doesn’t bode well for the future performance of US stocks, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. The US benchmark is around 17% below its February record, but the median stock trades 28% from its peak, Goldman strategists including David Kostin wrote in a note. Meanwhile, the five largest companies make ...

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• 27 April

  South Korea’s equity market rebounds since mid-March

  Bloomberg South Korea’s equity market has rebounded more than any other since mid-March, even as its two largest stocks have yet to fully join in on the rally. The Kospi index climbed 32% from a decade low on March 19, beating all other major gauges including those from China, Hong Kong and Japan, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. In ...

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• 27 April

  JPMorgan to unlock trillions of liquidity with tech partnership

  

  Bloomberg JPMorgan Chase & Co. is looking to help blue-chip companies untether trillions of dollars locked up in corporate supply chains globally through a new technology partnership. The bank is working with Taulia Inc., a platform that provides working capital solutions, to redistribute liquidity to smaller suppliers of large, investment-grade companies. The multinational firms will have the option to pay ...

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• 27 April

  Getting small business loans shouldn’t be a race, says BoFA CEO

  

  Bloomberg Bank of America Corp. (BofA) Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan said the US government’s small business loan program should be fully funded, rather than having companies scramble for the cash required to get through the economic hit from coronavirus. “If you qualify for this program it’s like getting unemployment authorization and then you have to win a foot race ...

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• 27 April

  StanChart troubled loans top $600mn on corporate woes

  

  Bloomberg Problem loans at some of Standard Chartered Plc’s large clients may top $600 million as a string of corporate scandals coincides with woes at firms hit by the coronavirus pandemic. NMC Health Plc, the hospital operator that’s uncovered evidence of fraud, and Hin Leong Trading, the Singaporean trading house being investigated by police, represent nearly $500 million of lending ...

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