July, 2019

• 16 July

  ECB may mull bank-bond buying amid unappealing menu

  

  Bloomberg Europe’s bond investors are starting to ask whether the European Central Bank (ECB) will pair a potential interest rate cut with unprecedented purchases of senior bank debt. Policy makers have previously shied away from buying unsecured bank bonds, not least because of possible conflicts of interest stemming from the ECB’s role in regulating banks it would be purchasing notes ...

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• 16 July

  Nissan bets on new Skyline model to heal brand image

  

  Bloomberg Nissan Motor Co unveiled a new version of its Skyline sports sedan, adding the carmaker’s most advanced autonomous driving technology, as well as design elements shared with models like the GT-R sports coupe. The automobile, Nissan’s first major product debut in Japan since the arrest and ouster of former Chairman Carlos Ghosn, will let drivers take their hands off ...

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• 16 July

  Indian lenders warn of ‘severe plunge’ in recoveries after ruling

  

  Bloomberg A group of lenders led by State Bank of India has filed a case in the nation’s Supreme Court seeking to annul a ruling that gives almost equal rights over the country’s largest distressed steel mill’s obligations to lenders and its 1,936 vendors. Earlier this month an Indian bankruptcy court, that allowed ArcelorMittal’s $6 billion purchase of Essar Steel ...

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• 16 July

  China Merchants Shekou plans $800m REIT IPO in Hong Kong

  

  Bloomberg China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co is planning an initial public offering of a real estate investment trust in Hong Kong, the city’s first REIT listing in five years, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The company has engaged potential advisers for the share sale and aims for a listing as soon as this year, the ...

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• 16 July

  Japan sees no talks on S Korea export curbs

  Bloomberg Japan doesn’t see a quick resumption of talks with South Korea on export restrictions for materials vital to its tech sector, as a deadline approaches for Tokyo to step up curbs on its neighbour. Economy Minister Hiroshige Seko told reporters that export controls were not a matter for international organisations. His comments came the day after South Korean President ...

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• 16 July

  Muji battles Chinese copycats over products

  

  Bloomberg The retailer Muji became one of Japan’s most recognisable brands by selling simple, practical items that it hopes will last for decades. It turns out, though, that “less is more” has its limits as a business strategy. After a decade of expansion that brought its minimalist emporia of modular shelving, sturdy kitchen gear and earth-tone fashions to cities from ...

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• 16 July

  Trump’s Nafta alternative is a very bad deal indeed

  

  President Donald Trump claims he has “tremendous Democrat support” in the House for the accord he signed last year with Mexico and Canada to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. He threatens to withdraw from Nafta if Congress doesn’t quickly pass his new trade deal. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants the deal, now called the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement, improved ...

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• 16 July

  Higher taxes bane for India’s hedge funds

  

  India is killing off the one industry that can bring badly behaving tycoons into line while nudging savers away from an unproductive lust for gold. That industry is domestic hedge funds, which have taken seven years to reach $6 billion in investment commitments from nothing. By contrast, equity investment in India by overseas financial investors is upward of $400 billion. ...

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• 16 July

  Yes, Amazon advertising is just a toll in disguise

  

  Investors are giddy about Amazon.com Inc.’s fast-growing pool of advertising sales, which largely come from merchandise sellers buying commercial messages to make their goods more prominent on Amazon’s website. Calling this “advertising” is true, but also a misnomer that leads investors to imagine a Google-like marketing machine inside Amazon. It’s not – or not yet, at least. Amazon’s advertising is ...

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• 16 July

  Treasuries fall, dollar rises on economic data; stocks mixed

  

  Bloomberg Treasuries fell and the dollar rose after solid data from the world’s largest economy added to signs the expansion is holding up even as central bank officials indicated they’re ready to cut rates. Stocks were mixed. Benchmark 10-year yields halted a two-day slide, while the greenback climbed against most major currencies. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced to a ...

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