April, 2020

• 19 April

  Brazilian banks snap up new local bonds

  Bloomberg Brazilian banks are snapping up a renewed wave of local corporate bonds after a sell-off sent yields soaring and left funds reeling from record withdrawals. As local bond spreads rise more than four-fold in secondary market, investors say companies in need of cash are opting to sell new debt directly to banks, which often charge lower yields than institutional ...

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• 19 April

  Boeing to limit N95 masks for its returning workers

  

  Bloomberg Boeing Co faces a quandary as it reopens its Seattle-area factories: how to keep its employees safe while minimising the use of protective gear that’s desperately needed for medical workers. The planemaker plans to limit scarce N95 masks for plant workers, relying mainly on cloth face coverings. In an April 9 letter to Washington state officials, Boeing cited new ...

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• 19 April

  India asks airlines to stop ticket sales before lockdown curbs lifted

  

  Bloomberg India’s Aviation Ministry has asked airlines to take travel bookings only after a final decision on lifting or easing restrictions on domestic and international flights is announced. “The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarifies that so far no decision has been taken to open domestic or international operations,” Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in a tweet. It wasn’t immediately clear ...

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• 19 April

  Macy’s explores rescue financing deal

  

  Bloomberg Macy’s Inc is exploring ways to use its real estate to secure fresh cash and ride out the coronavirus pandemic. The department store would issue new bonds backed by certain property and other assets to bolster its liquidity, according to people with knowledge of the situation. The Herald Square property wouldn’t be included. The interest rate and maturity of ...

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• 19 April

  Covid-19: The quarantine guide to points and miles

  

  Bloomberg With Covid-19 grounding flights, emptying hotel rooms, and turning popular destinations into ghost towns, this might seem the most futile time to think about frequent flyer miles and loyalty points. In mid-March, the US State Department issued a “do not travel” alert for the entire world. Travel is the last thing on most people’s minds, according to a survey ...

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• 19 April

  Airlines given rules on how to swap passengers with cargo

  Bloomberg Struggling passenger airlines can turn planes into cargo-only aircraft provided they take steps to prevent fires and keep weight balanced, US aviation regulators said in new guidance. With passenger demand plunging to nearly zero, some airlines have begun carrying more cargo to provide revenue. The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) guidance will allow them to carry it in what had ...

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• 19 April

  China’s premium skincare company weighs stake sale

  Bloomberg Shanghai Pehchaolin Daily Chemical Co, a Chinese skincare company that owns the 89-year-old premium beauty brand Pechoin, is in talks with potential investors for a minority stake sale, according to people familiar with the situation. Shanghai Pehchaolin has received interest from prospective investors including some private equity firms, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the ...

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• 18 April

  Saudi to sell 600,000 barrels of oil per day to US in April

  

  Bloomberg Saudi Arabia is set to sell about 600,000 barrels a day of crude to the US in April, the highest volume in a year, according to a Saudi industry official familiar with allocations to American refiners. The shipments, agreed with refiners as Saudi Arabia ramped up production to a record 12.3 million barrels a day this month, come at ...

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• 18 April

  Houthis fire ballistic missile at Yemen’s Ma’rib

  RIYADH / WAM The Houthi militia fired a ballistic missile against civilian targets in Yemen’s Ma’rib, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. “The Houthi militia’s escalation of hostilities using ballistic missiles to deliberately target civilians and civilian objects underscores the militia’s denial of all efforts and initiatives of ceasefire and deescalation, the last of which was the initiative by the Joint ...

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• 18 April

  IMF says private creditors can help Africa fund $44bn gap

  

  Bloomberg The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is hoping more private commercial holders of African bonds will join a global push for debt relief as the continent faces a $44 billion shortfall in its fight against the effects of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. The IMF estimates that Africa needs $114 billion in 2020 to spend on health and social services that ...

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