November, 2018

• 4 November

  Kill IL&FS’ ‘culture’ by dismembering it

  

  The $12.8 billion bankruptcy of shadow lender Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd. (IL&FS) is starting to offer a glimmer of hope. It’s about time. Unexpected defaults by the financier, owner, and operator of Indian infrastructure assets have caused a liquidity squeeze, which has brought strained relations between the government and the central bank to breaking point. The good news ...

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• 4 November

  Stablecoin battle is for heart of internet economy

  

  The cryptocurrency market was roiled this month by something known as ‘stablecoins.’ These are an odd hybrid and among the most controversial and least-understood cryptocurrencies, but they’re important to the future of the internet economy. Up until October 10, the previous month had been quiet for cryptocurrencies. That’s when an intense burst of trading just before midnight New York time ...

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• 4 November

  Economy risks returning to sync, this time to downside

  

  Bloomberg The world’s major economies that entered 2018 accelerating in sync risk entering 2019 decelerating in sync. The shift is being led by China, where the economy’s weakest performance since 2009 is set to worsen unless a peace can be struck in the trade war with the US. Factory readings from Asia already show a fallout, with Taiwan, Thailand and ...

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• 4 November

  China’s yuan rallies, hits biggest gain in10 years

  

  Bloomberg From the lowest in a decade to the biggest two-day gain — in the same timespan. It’s been a wild ride this week for China’s yuan, whipsawed as concern about a slowdown in the world’s second-biggest economy gave way to optimism that trade tension with the US may ease. The onshore currency closed last week at 6.8870 per dollar, ...

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• 4 November

  UK, EU officials play down Brexit bank deal report

  

  Bloomberg British and European officials are playing down reports that a Brexit deal has been reached for banks that would provide access to the single market after the UK leaves the bloc. The pound pared gains. The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said in a tweet that the bloc was “ready” to have “close regulatory dialogue” with the ...

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• 4 November

  JPMorgan sees first geopolitical risk victims in gold, yen

  

  Bloomberg If they really want to steer clear of geopolitical flare-ups, investors should set up bigger positions in the dollar and volatility indexes — and abandon favorite hideaways in the yen and gold, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. Assets long thought to be havens don’t necessarily hold up as the safest stores of value amid newer threats shaking markets ...

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• 4 November

  Barclays posts lowest capital ratio

  

  Bloomberg Barclays Plc saw its key measure of financial health sink to the lowest level among 48 banks in a European stress test, which gauged how well lenders could withstand heavy credit losses and other Brexit-related fallout. Barclays’s fully loaded common equity Tier 1 ratio, a measure of its highest-quality capital, shrank to 6.37 percent in a so-called adverse scenario. ...

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• 4 November

  ING’s third quarter profit beats estimates

  

  Bloomberg ING Group NV put a run of bad news behind it, with a third quarter profit that beat estimates and progress towards its cost targets. The shares jumped the most in 18 months. While net income plunged because of a 775 million-euro ($879 million) settlement for failing to monitor and prevent money laundering, the hit was less severe than ...

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• 4 November

  Credit Suisse turnaround runs out of steam with markets loss

  

  Bloomberg Credit Suisse Group AG’s turnaround is running out of steam just as the bank enters the final stretch of its overhaul. Revenue and net income missed estimates in the third quarter, and the Global Markets business — one of the most difficult challenges of Chief Executive Officer Tidjane Thiam’s three-year tenure — posted an unexpected loss. The bank is ...

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• 4 November

  Alitalia attracts EasyJet, Delta bids in new attempt at sale

  

  Bloomberg Italy’s Alitalia SpA attracted bids from European discounter EasyJet Plc and US giant Delta Air Lines Inc., as the government renews attempts to sell the bankrupt flag-carrier. UK-based EasyJet said in a statement that it submitted a revised expression of interest in Alitalia, while Delta also presented a proposal. Italian state railway company Ferrovie dello Stato said it also ...

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