February, 2020

• 4 February

  Pound gains as BOE rate-cut bets fade on UK construction data

  

  Bloomberg The pound erased losses after traders pushed back bets for a Bank of England (BOE) interest-rate cut to next year following better-than-expected UK construction data. Money markets now see a 25-basis-point reduction by the BOE in January 2021, compared with bets on February 3 for easing in November. That led sterling to rebound after it earlier dropped to its ...

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• 4 February

  Biggest fortunes tied to China stocks cut $10.4bn in a day

  Bloomberg The spread of the coronavirus to China’s stock market erased more than $10 billion from the collective net worth of the richest 15 people whose companies trade on the mainland. Midea Group founder He Xiangjian lost $1.8 billion, the most among that group, as shares of the appliance manufacturer tumbled 8.9%. He was followed by Zhang Fan, whose fortune ...

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• 4 February

  Asia faces rate-cut pressure to curb fallout from virus

  

  Bloomberg Central banks in Asia face increasing calls to cut interest rates as they jump into action against a spiralling coronavirus crisis that’s hammering tourism, travel and confidence across the region. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) trimmed some interest rates and injected massive liquidity into the financial system to shore up slumping markets. Indonesia’s central bank said it was ...

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• 4 February

  ECB’s Jens Weidmann signals openness to tweaking inflation goal

  

  Bloomberg The European Central Bank (ECB) needs an “understandable, forward-looking and realistic” inflation goal — but not necessarily a higher one, according to Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann. The German staked out his position on the most important part of the ECB’s strategy review for the first time since President Christine Lagarde launched the assessment last month. She was in the ...

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• 4 February

  Credit Suisse scraps HK conference over virus

  

  Bloomberg Credit Suisse Group AG scrapped its annual Asia investment conference next month as the spread of the deadly coronavirus shows no sign of abating. The Zurich-based lender informed investors on Tuesday it will cancel the conference in Hong Kong, its biggest in the region. “In view of the continued health and safety risks caused by the coronavirus, we have ...

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• 4 February

  Citi trader suspended for ‘stealing’ from cafeteria

  Bloomberg Citigroup Inc suspended its head of high-yield credit trading for Europe, the Middle East and Africa after he allegedly stole from the company’s cafeteria, according to a person familiar with the matter. Paras Shah, one of the bank’s highest-profile traders, left Citigroup last month over the issue, the person said, asking not to be named because the matter is ...

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• 4 February

  BOJ may step in to cope with virus’s impact on economy

  

  Bloomberg Bank of Japan Governor (BOJ) Haruhiko Kuroda signalled growing concern over coronavirus, now saying the bank won’t hesitate to take action to cope with the virus’s economic impact if it becomes necessary. Kuroda’s remarks in Japan’s parliament contrasted with comments last month when he said it was too early to assume the latest viral outbreak would pose as big ...

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• 4 February

  Visa is planning biggest changes to swipe fees in decade

  

  Bloomberg Visa Inc is planning the biggest changes in a decade to the rates US merchants pay to accept its cards, hoping to persuade more people to abandon checks and adjusting its fees for new businesses such as ride-hailing services. The company’s interchange rates — fees charged every time a consumer uses a card — will go up or down ...

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• 4 February

  Two women among 23 interviewees for BOE top job

  Bloomberg The UK Treasury shortlisted two women and seven men to replace Mark Carney as governor of the Bank of England (BOE). Of the 23 applicants for the post, 21 were male, and both of the female candidates went through to the interview round, Chancellor Sajid Javid said in a December letter to Parliament’s Treasury Committee which was published on ...

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• 4 February

  AirAsia’s deals with Airbus in focus as CEO steps aside

  

  Bloomberg Airbus SE and AirAsia Bhd, the discount airline built by Tony Fernandes, were inseparable for years, with the boisterous aviation executive gorging on ever-larger aircraft orders to become the manufacturer’s single biggest customer for single-aisle jets. That happy marriage ended in acrimony last week after Airbus admitted to illegally trying to sway decision makers in aircraft sales and agreed ...

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