April, 2020

• 26 April

  Canadian stocks climb for fifth consecutive week

  

  Bloomberg Canadian stocks rose in Toronto, capping a fifth straight week of gains, the longest stretch in over a year. The S&P/TSX Composite index added 1.2%, with the health-care and technology sectors posting the biggest increases. Tech stocks have gained 25% this year, led by e-commerce company Shopify Inc.’s more than 75% surge. The e-commerce sector has been a favourite ...

  Read More »
• 26 April

  Russia signals big rate cuts after easing to six-year low

  

  Bloomberg Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina said another percentage point of interest rate cuts is possible as the economy heads into its worst economic slump in more than a decade. “Given the extraordinary development of events, adjusting monetary policy in small steps as we are used to may not be enough,” Nabiullina said after the central bank cut by ...

  Read More »
• 26 April

  UBS appeal in $4.9bn French tax case delayed

  

  Bloomberg UBS Group AG appeal of a record 4.5 billion-euro ($4.9 billion) French fine for helping clients stash undeclared funds in offshore accounts was postponed over concerns related to coronavirus pandemic, according to people familiar with the case. Judges at the Paris Court of Appeals postponed the case, originally scheduled for June, due to the lockdown caused by the coronavirus, ...

  Read More »
• 26 April

  HSBC could revisit strategy in face of coronavirus crisis

  

  Bloomberg HSBC Holdings Plc may need to revise its restructuring plans after the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic settles. Chief Executive Officer Noel Quinn told investors that HSBC faced a “very different” context compared to February, when he announced a plan to cut about 30,000 jobs over the next three years. “We will need to consider what additional actions we ...

  Read More »
• 26 April

  AmEx promises $3bn in cost cuts amid virus

  

  Bloomberg American Express Co. (AmEx) said it’s seeking to cut $3 billion in costs after the coronavirus pandemic caused a plunge in spending on the firm’s cards. The slowdown the credit-card issuer began to see in March as a result of nationwide shelter-in-place orders has “dramatically” impacted spending on its cards in April as well, American Express warned. Provisions for ...

  Read More »
• 26 April

  Bank of Baroda to raise $1.8bn to boost buffers

  

  Bloomberg Bank of Baroda, India’s third-largest state-run lender by market value, plans to raise as much as 135 billion rupees ($1.8 billion) over the next 12 months to improve risk buffers and boost lending. The lender, which combined with two smaller rivals last year, plans to raise 90 billion rupees selling shares and the balance through debt including tier-I capital, ...

  Read More »
• 26 April

  ECB seen boosting pandemic response to help economy

  

  Bloomberg The European Central Bank (ECB) will increase emergency bond-buying in the coming months to ramp up support for an economy that President Christine Lagarde sees shrinking as much as 15% this year, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists. One in four respondents expect the ECB could boost the size of its pandemic purchase program, when the Governing Council ...

  Read More »
• 26 April

  Lufthansa warns of cash crunch as talks drag on

  

  Bloomberg Deutsche Lufthansa AG risks running low on cash within weeks, with the German airline saying the global oil rout has deepened its distress, and its survival now depends on a multibillion-euro bailout from four states. Liquidity will fall sharply if Europe’s largest carrier is unable to soon access aid, Lufthansa said. The coronavirus pandemic has forced the sprawling airline ...

  Read More »
• 26 April

  Indonesia bans air travel through June 1

  

  Bloomberg Indonesia is banning domestic air travel through June 1 to limit the spread of coronavirus in the Southeast Asian nation. The ban applies to both scheduled services as well as chartered and private flights, Novie Riyanto, director general of civil aviation, said. The move comes ahead of a month-long festive season when millions of Indonesians are expected to return ...

  Read More »
• 26 April

  Covid-19: Shoppers scared to return when US stores reopen

  

  Bloomberg When their doors finally open after mandatory shutdowns, American malls could face another hurdle: consumer fears. Only one-third of American adults surveyed said that they will feel safe shopping in a mall after stores reopen, according to a new study by retail predictive analytics company First Insight Inc. More respondents said they’ll feel safe shopping in grocery, drug and ...

  Read More »