December, 2019

• 16 December

  Blackstone’s Amit Jain promoted as senior MD in India

  Bloomberg Blackstone Group Inc has promoted Amit Jain as its senior managing director and one of its partners in India as the investment giant expands in Asia’s third largest economy. Representative for Blackstone confirmed an earlier Bloomberg News report on Jain’s appointment, which will be effective from January 1. Jain, who joined the investment firm in 2010, is a managing ...

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• 16 December

  German factory slump deepens again as recovery seems elusive

  

  Bloomberg Just when German factories appeared to be exiting a yearlong slump that battered the country’s economy, it worsened again. The last surveys of purchasing managers for 2019 highlight the dire state of industry in Europe’s largest economy, which was one of the largest drags on the 19-nation euro zone this year. There were also disappointing numbers out of France ...

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• 16 December

  PSA secures French backing for Fiat deal

  

  Bloomberg PSA Group has secured the backing of one of its major shareholders, the French government, for its plan to merge with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, according to people familiar with the matter. The French state, which holds roughly 12% in PSA and has board representation, is supporting a binding memorandum of understanding that could be approved this week, said ...

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• 16 December

  Electrolux warns of hit from factory overhaul

  

  Bloomberg Electrolux AB, the Swedish maker of Frigidaire appliances, said it will incur a bigger-than-expected financial hit from merging fridge-and-freezer factories in the US amid delivery disruptions. The upgrade, combined with destocking at a key US customer and accounting adjustments, will shave $70 million off fourth-quarter operating income compared with a previous estimate of $25 million, according to a statement ...

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• 16 December

  Euro zone’s private sector stagnant

  

  Bloomberg The euro zone’s private sector is barely growing as 2019 draws to a close, rounding off a year that has seen factories battered by trade uncertainties. IHS Markit’s Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) stayed at 50.6 in December, slightly lower than economist estimates of 50.7. The reading signals fourth-quarter output will be the weakest since the region exited a ...

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• 16 December

  FirstGroup to sell school bus, transit units in US

  

  Bloomberg FirstGroup Plc, under pressure from activist investors, is exploring options including a possible disposal of its North American school bus and transit divisions, extending a breakup strategy that already encompasses a planned sale of the iconic Greyhound brand. The Aberdeen, Scotland-based group has appointed Rothschild to help advise on the sale of its First Bus and First Transit divisions, ...

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• 16 December

  BMW-Daimler ride-hailing venture steps up Uber challenge

  

  Bloomberg FreeNow, the ride-hailing venture owned by Daimler AG and BMW AG, expects to double revenue this year and next in a fresh challenge to Uber Inc in Europe and Latin America. FreeNow’s so-called gross merchandise volume, which mirrors revenue, is forecast to reach about 2.4 billion euros ($2.7 billion) in 2019, Chief Executive Officer Marc Berg said in an ...

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• 16 December

  Wage stagnation in the US – myth and reality

  

  One of the perplexing economic questions these days is why wage growth has been so slow despite the longest economic expansion in US history (now in its 11th year). By conventional wisdom, tight labour markets should be raising wages much faster than is occurring. The logic is simple. With low unemployment, workers can quit their jobs and find something better. ...

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• 16 December

  Lagarde opens a new era at the ECB

  

  Christine Lagarde started her first press conference as president of the European Central Bank (ECB) by warning that she was different from her predecessor, Mario Draghi. It took reporters just a few minutes to realize that she was indeed. Lagarde is ushering in an era of democratic central banking at the ECB, or so she wants you to believe. But ...

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• 16 December

  Texas power market reaps wind and solar benefits

  The Texas power market is a gamble. Generators seeking the occasional windfall from price spikes weigh the odds on temperature, wind-speed, the economy and, crucially, how much capacity their rivals are starting up or shutting down. Regarding the latter, they get some guidance from the state grid operator every six months in the form of projections of how much power ...

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