February, 2019

• 3 February

  Clues on trade policy to top of mind for stock investors

  Bloomberg Clues on trade policy are likely to be top of mind for stocks investors watching President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday. Trade remarks may influence equity sectors from footwear to auto parts and pharma stocks may be volatile if the president zeros in on drug costs reforms, while financials and housing are likely to be ...

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• 3 February

  US allies’ feud deepens as Trump sits on sidelines

  

  Bloomberg President Donald Trump’s desire to put “America first” has fostered new disputes between the US and its allies. In Asia, old rivalries are also roaring back. Ties between Japan and South Korea—two of the US’s closest security partners—have arguably turned their most hostile in more than half a century over a series of diplomatic disputes. Now, there are signs ...

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• 3 February

  Trump to keep base in Iraq to ‘watch’ Iran

  

  Bloomberg President Donald Trump stood by his plans to reduce the US footprint in the Middle East but said in an interview to be broadcast on Sunday that he intends to maintain a presence in Iraq, in part to keep tabs on Iran. Trump also said he’d ignore the advice of intelligence community officials on Iran if their views run ...

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• 3 February

  Exit negotiations will go to the wire: UK

  

  Bloomberg UK Prime Minister Theresa May insists she’s “determined” to deliver Brexit “on time,” on March 29, despite ministers in her own Cabinet suggesting a delay could be needed. She promised to return to Brussels with renewed commitment and “new ideas” to deliver a deal. May says even Jeremy Corbyn agrees the Brexit deal needs changes to backstop. But the ...

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• 3 February

  Envoy: Philippines will protest China Sea rescue center

  Bloomberg The Philippines will protest China’s opening of a maritime rescue center in the South China Sea, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said, just days after President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman said the nation should be grateful for the move. Locsin said he supports Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio’s position that the Philippines must contest China’s construction of the rescue center ...

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• 3 February

  Divided Venezuelans march in dueling protests

  

  Bloomberg Venezuelans marched in dueling protests, with the two men who claim to be the divided nation’s president each exhorting followers to hold firm and that victory was certain. But only one man will prevail, and the unusual split-screen rallies offered no decisive hints, just more proof that Venezuela’s crisis is digging ever deeper and that the nation’s powerful military ...

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• 3 February

  Exxon, Chevron wow Wall Street with Permian-fuelled oil gains

  

  Bloomberg Soaring production in North America’s most prolific oil field helped propel Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. to bigger-than-expected fourth-quarter profits. Chevron surprised analysts and investors with a $25-billion stock buyback pledge and shares for both explorers were among the day’s best-performing energy stocks. Exxon surpassed analysts’ forecasts by almost one-third with the biggest refining bonanza in six years ...

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• 3 February

  Gulf of Mexico turns parking lot for Venezuela oil

  

  Bloomberg The Gulf of Mexico is turning into a parking lot for Venezuelan crude, as the US sanctions on Petroleos de Venezuela SA essentially stop the flow of oil from the Latin America country. Tankers holding about 6 million barrels of Venezuelan oil are floating in the US Gulf Coast or heading there, according to data from cargo-tracking and intelligence ...

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• 3 February

  Banks battle fugitive Indian tycoon over superyachts, cars

  

  Bloomberg First, Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya faced losing his “palatial” London home, with UBS Group AG saying it wanted to foreclose. Then, a judge said he should be extradited to India. Now, banks are eyeing two superyachts and a collection of valuable cars that they believe he may own. A group of Indian banks — which are trying to collect ...

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• 3 February

  Thailand’s Central Group to invest $200mn in Grab

  

  Bloomberg Central Group, which controls Thailand’s biggest shopping mall and department store operator, plans to invest $200 million in ride-hailing giant Grab, people familiar with the matter said. The deal seals a strategic partnership under which the conglomerate will help Grab expand its business in Thailand, said the people, who asked not to be named because the information is private. ...

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