April, 2020

• 15 April

  Shale explorers clash over oil-supply cut to survive rout

  

  Bloomberg One of the biggest Texas shale explorers warned it will halt all drilling if the state imposes Opec-style production caps, raising the stakes in a debate over a contentious proposal to arrest free-falling oil prices. The stark pronouncement from Diamondback Energy Inc’s finance chief stunned observers of the virtual hearing by the Texas Railroad Commission, which oversees oil output ...

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• 15 April

  ‘Oil price crash affects green transition’

  

  Bloomberg The pain felt by Big Oil from the coronavirus-led plunge in demand may derail global efforts to cut pollution, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said. The slowdown and falling prices “undermines the ability of the oil industry to develop some of the technologies needed for clean energy transitions around the world,” said the Paris-based agency. The industry has repeatedly ...

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• 15 April

  Denmark mulls foreign debt as funding needs hit $37bn

  

  Bloomberg Denmark may issue securities in foreign currencies for the first time in years as the government debt office pulls out the stops to finance programs to support the economy through the coronavirus crisis. While issuing in Danish kroner is the preferred option, Denmark is “one of the few countries in the world with the highest credit rating” and therefore ...

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• 15 April

  IMF says Europe’s higher fiscal deficits ‘entirely appropriate’

  

  Bloomberg The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said all European countries can and should react “forcefully” to the economic crisis unleashed by the coronavirus pandemic, endorsing governments’ efforts to increase spending. “Fiscal deficits in Europe are said to increase by about 6% of GDP in 2020. This is large, but it’s entirely appropriate in the current crisis,” European Department Director Poul ...

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• 15 April

  US to boost payment for Abbott’s Covid-19 labs

  Bloomberg The US government will nearly double the amount it pays hospitals and medical centers to run Abbott Laboratories’ large-scale coronavirus tests, an incentive to get facilities to hire more technicians and expand testing that fallen significantly short of machines’ potential. Abbott’s m2000 machines, which can process up to 1 million tests per week, haven’t been fully used because not ...

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• 15 April

  Brazil seeks flexible 2021 fiscal goal amid coronavirus crisis

  

  Bloomberg Brazil’s economic team wants to adopt a flexible fiscal target for 2021 as uncertainties caused by the novel coronavirus make it difficult to estimate the impact of the crisis, according to four people with direct knowledge of the matter. The government has until April 15 to send a bill to Congress with forecasts for next year. The bill has ...

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• 15 April

  Tesla heads for seventh straight session of gains

  

  Bloomberg Tesla Inc. is headed for its seventh straight session of gains after Credit Suisse upgraded the electric-car company whose stock has been on a tear since its first-quarter delivery report. Shares of the Model 3 maker rose as much as 8.1% before the start of regular trading, putting them on track for a more than 50% climb in the ...

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• 15 April

  UK economy could shrink by 35% in Q2

  Bloomberg A protracted lockdown could see the UK economy shrink by more than a third this quarter, increasing unemployment by more than 2 million and sending the budget deficit to its highest since World War II. The dire projections were outlined by Office for Budget Responsibility. They are based on a scenario in which Britain remains in lockdown for three ...

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• 15 April

  SAP mulls selling mobile network software unit

  

  Bloomberg SAP SE, Europe’s biggest tech company by market value, is exploring the sale of a unit that helps telecommunications operators route calls and text messages, people with knowledge of the matter said. The German firm is working with an adviser to gauge interest in the business and has been speaking to potential buyers, said the people, who asked not ...

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• 15 April

  New Zealand plans to limit jobless surge

  

  Bloomberg New Zealand’s government is preparing additional fiscal measures to limit a surge in unemployment as it battles the coronavirus, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “Work on further significant government investment to protect jobs, support cashflow, and prepare the economy for recovery is well advanced,” Robertson said in Wellington. Scenarios released by the Treasury department show that unemployment “can be ...

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