July, 2018

• 15 July

  Pakistan central bank raises its key rate again

  

  Bloomberg Pakistan’s central bank increased its key rate for a second straight meeting as economic pressures build ahead of a tense national vote. The target policy rate was raised to 7.5 percent from 6.5 percent, State Bank of Pakistan Governor Tariq Bajwa said in a Karachi briefing. The increase by 100 basis points was predicted by nine economists in a ...

  Read More »
• 15 July

  Blackstone seeks $20bn for buyout fund

  

  Bloomberg Blackstone Group LP plans to start raising its next global private equity fund three years after gathering about $18 billion from investors for its last pool. The firm is expected to seek more than $20 billion when it starts marketing its eighth buyout fund later this year, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be ...

  Read More »
• 15 July

  MUFG considers job cuts in UK and US

  

  Bloomberg Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. (MUFG) is considering job cuts at its securities operations overseas to keep them profitable. The brokerage arm of Japan’s biggest bank may reduce headcount in the UK and the US, reflecting market conditions, Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Holdings Co. Chief Executive Officer Saburo Araki said, without giving details. The firm had 605 employees in Europe and ...

  Read More »
• 15 July

  Barclays leads European banks’ pursuit of risky US debt

  

  Bloomberg When an indebted infant health-care company in Atlanta wanted to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars to buy a rival in Pasadena, it turned to a lender thousands of miles away in London. Barclays Plc is helping Aveanna Healthcare LLC get a $221 million loan for its purchase of Premier Healthcare Services LLC, adding to a $900 million debt ...

  Read More »
• 15 July

  Airbus nears blockbuster $23bn jet sale to AirAsia

  

  Bloomberg Airbus SE is closing in on a blockbuster agreement to sell $23 billion worth of aircraft, based on list prices, to AirAsia Group Bhd., according to people familiar with the matter. The Malaysian airline, already the second-biggest customer for Airbus’s re-engined A320 narrowbody, is weighing an order for as many as 100 A321neo aircraft, according to people familiar with ...

  Read More »
• 15 July

  No decision yet to sell Seiyu: Walmart

  

  Bloomberg Walmart Inc. said it’s committed to building its Japanese business, downplaying media reports that the retailing giant will sell its Seiyu chain. “Walmart has not made a decision to sell Seiyu, we are not in any discussions with prospective buyers,” the company said in an emailed statement. “We continue to build our Japan business towards the future to meet ...

  Read More »
• 15 July

  ‘JetBlue got discount of up to 72% on A220s’

  Bloomberg JetBlue Airways Corp. got a great deal on its latest aircraft purchase from Airbus SE, according to Moody’s Investors Service. The carrier will probably pay $1.4 billion to $1.7 billion for 60 Airbus A220-300 jets, or between $23 million and $28 million per plane, Moody’s analyst Jonathan Root said in a report, citing estimates by appraisers and price breaks ...

  Read More »
• 15 July

  Burberry trails peers in China

  

  Bloomberg Burberry Group Plc is still waiting for new leadership to revive the brand, as it trails rival luxury-goods makers in the all-important Chinese market. The shares fell as investors were disappointed by the British fashion brand’s latest quarterly sales in Asia, which MainFirst analyst John Guy called “actually pretty poor” in light of surging demand for luxury products in ...

  Read More »
• 15 July

  Five Below plans NYC store to capture midtown traffic

  

  Bloomberg Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue is known as the address of luxury retailers Bergdorf Goodman, Harry Winston and Tiffany & Co. Now value retailer Five Below Inc. is setting up shop. As part of its 2018 store expansion efforts, the retailer known for its $5 deals is planning to open its first Manhattan storefront, two blocks north of Bryant Park. The ...

  Read More »
• 14 July

  UAE pledges to invest $10bn in South Africa

  

  AGENCIES The UAE intends to invest as much as $10 billion in South Africa’s economy, with a focus on key sectors such as tourism and mining among others, to support the sustainable development of the country. The commitment was made during the first state visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to the Middle Eastern nation, the Presidency said in ...

  Read More »