December, 2019

• 8 December

  India’s central bank just did something crazy

  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is ending the year as it began: with a shock. Policymakers held their benchmark interest rate at 5.15% on December 5. Not a single economist among the 43 surveyed by Bloomberg News predicted this outcome. Central banks generally hate giving surprises. It makes people wonder what officials know that they don’t, and tends to sap ...

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• 8 December

  Wait until Trump hears about carbon border tax

  

  Next week, the European Union’s leaders will commit to cutting net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. This historic pledge will require the continent to radically overhaul its entire economy, including a revolution in the production of steel, cement and chemicals — whose carbon emissions are particularly difficult to abate. None of this will happen, however, unless European companies ...

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• 8 December

  Making rides safer is going to cost you

  

  Your mother probably told you never to get in a car with a stranger. The multibillion-dollar global ride-hailing industry depends on your ignoring her. If they want to earn that trust, though, companies need to rethink the tradeoff they’ve long made between safety and cost. Around the world, passengers are now hailing more than 10.5 billion rides a year. Not ...

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• 8 December

  Immigrants are burning Canada short sellers

  

  Canada has been a primary target for short sellers since 2013. The principal reasons are the country’s very expensive housing, particularly in Toronto and Vancouver, and consumer debt levels that are among the highest in the world. Canada also has an expansive private mortgage market that supplies credit when banks won’t. It is hard to argue with the vulnerabilities. And ...

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• 8 December

  UK election outcome could impact the stock market

  

  Bloomberg Anything is still possible for next week’s UK election, but one outcome would suit many stock investors better than most. “For equities, the best result is a decent Conservative majority,” said Kim Catechis, head of investment strategy at Martin Currie, an affiliate of Legg Mason Inc., managing about $17 billion. A decisive victory for Boris Johnson would see domestic ...

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• 8 December

  Saudi stocks up most this year on Aramco, oil outlook

  

  Bloomberg Saudi Arabia’s main equity index advanced the most in more than a year after the pricing of Saudi Aramco’s initial public offering and amid hopes of higher oil prices. The Tadawul All Share Index rose 2.4% on Sunday, the most for a session since October 2018. The kingdom raised $25.6 billion from the world’s biggest IPO after selling shares ...

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• 8 December

  Marfrig opens $805mn share sale as state exits

  Bloomberg Marfrig Global Foods SA announced an equity offering that will allow Brazilian development bank BNDES to sell its stake in the world’s second-largest beef producer. BNDESPar, the bank’s investment arm, plans to sell about 209.6 million shares, which is all of its 33.74% stake, Marfrig said in a regulatory filing. The company will sell about 90 million shares. The ...

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• 8 December

  FAA issues updated rules for Boeing’s 737 Max jet

  

  Bloomberg In a small step towards returning Boeing Co.’s 737 Max to service, US regulators are revising requirements for how airlines must operate the plane if equipment breaks down. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued proposed new rules for airline operations on the Max that adapt to the fixes being finalised for the grounded jetliner. The public has 30 ...

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• 8 December

  Tesco mulls sale of supermarket business in Thailand, Malaysia

  

  Bloomberg Britain’s biggest supermarket chain, Tesco Plc, is considering the sale of its supermarket businesses in Thailand and Malaysia. The UK company is carrying out a strategic review of the businesses after receiving what it called inbound interest, according to a statement. The deal could value the operations at as much as $9 billion, Dow Jones reported earlier, citing people familiar ...

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• 8 December

  UK aerospace major Senior explores sale of its aerostructure unit

  

  Bloomberg Senior Plc, a supplier to Boeing Co. and Daimler AG, is exploring a sale of its aerostructure unit, according to people familiar with the matter. The British aerospace and automotive company is working with adviser Lazard Ltd. on the potential divestment, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. Senior is reaching out ...

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