February, 2017

• 26 February

  Mexican companies craft plan to sidestep US grain imports

  

    Bloomberg One of Mexico’s largest business groups is working on a bargaining chip ahead of talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement: finding alternatives to the US for grain imports. The Consejo Coordinador Empresarial, one of the nation’s top business chambers, is examining countries such as Brazil and Argentina to add new sources for soy, corn and ...

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• 26 February

  ‘No chance Brazil’s govt can waive Oi debt’

    Bloomberg Brazil’s government can’t waive Oi SA’s debt with a local regulator and state-run banks, the communications minister said, denying the phone carrier a lifeline that would have helped it pull out of the biggest bankruptcy in the country’s history. “The govt can’t let go of resources, they are public resources, debt with thepublic administration,” Science and Technology Minister ...

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• 26 February

  Toronto housing market may need Vancouver-style cooling

  

    Bloomberg Toronto may require measures to cool its red-hot housing market similar to moves taken in Vancouver if interest rates don’t increase, said Royal Bank of Canada Chief Executive Officer David McKay. The head of Canada’s largest lender said Toronto housing is “running hot” and is fueled by a “concerning mix of drivers” that include lack of supply, continued ...

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• 26 February

  Fudged numbers won’t make the US grow faster

  

    The Soviet Union had a reputation for presenting fake economic statistics to the world, in order to avoid having its dysfunctional system look embarrassing in front of its rivals. But as the decline and collapse of the Soviet Union illustrates, it’s impossible to conceal poor economic performance forever. There are too many alternative data sources that will eventually show ...

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• 26 February

  Hedge fund has right on its side in French showdown

  

    Safran SA launched a weak counter-attack against hedge fund TCI Fund Management Ltd.’s opposition to its proposed 9.7 billion euro ($10.3 billion) takeover of Zodiac Aerospace. The French jet engine maker is still short on strategic and financial justifications for the deal. Nor has it addressed the strong common-sense argument for giving shareholders a simple vote on the whole ...

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• 26 February

  Even Chinese central Bank can’t kill Bitcoin

  

    Every time a government sets out to abolish something people like, the well-liked thing moves to where it can’t be stopped. This has happened with prohibition, gambling, the war on drugs and digital piracy. Now it’s happening in China, where the government has been trying to crack down on bitcoin. As part of an effort to control capital outflows, ...

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• 26 February

  RBS plans to cut costs by $2.5bn as losses mount

  

    Bloomberg Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, Britain’s largest taxpayer-owned bank, laid out a plan to cut costs by 2 billion pounds ($2.5 billion) over the next four years as it posted its ninth straight annual loss and delayed profitability targets. The net loss widened to 6.96 billion pounds in 2016 from 1.98 billion pounds a year earlier, the ...

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• 26 February

  Bank of Ireland holds off dividend payout

  

    Bloomberg Bank of Ireland Plc will hold off paying its first dividend since the financial crisis until next year, as the lender manages a pension deficit and boosts its capital levels. Bank of Ireland, based in Dublin, said underlying profit for 2016 dropped to 1.07 billion euros ($1.13 billion) from 1.2 billion euros a year earlier. Four out of ...

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• 26 February

  Deutsche Bank equities executive to take leave

    Bloomberg Max Koep, Deutsche Bank AG’s head of equities for Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, has taken a leave of absence, according to a person familiar with the matter. Koep may not return, said the person, who requested anonymity speaking about personnel matters. The firm has been cutting as much as 17 percent of its ...

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• 26 February

  Goldman surprises Canadian market with maple bond redemption

    Bloomberg Goldman Sachs Group Inc. handed a surprise gift to bondholders in Canada this week by redeeming debt sooner than investors had expected, and some money managers are betting that other banks will follow its lead. The New York-based bank said that it was redeeming all of its $380 million in subordinated notes maturing in April 2022 for a ...

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