Bloomberg France is considering changes to mortgage lending rules to ensure credit to households as the European Central Bank delivers sharp rate increases to counter surging inflation. At present, French regulations cap rates that banks can offer based on average rates in the past quarter plus an extra premium. Some banks have become reluctant to accept loan applications as rates …
Read More »China cuts forex reserve ratio in bid to support tumbling yuan
Bloomberg China has reduced the amount of foreign-exchange deposits banks need to set aside as reserves for the second time this year to boost the yuan after the currency hit a two-year low. Financial institutions will need to hold 6% of their foreign-currency deposits in reserves starting from September 15, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) said in a …
Read More »Ringgit falls to lowest level since Asian financial crisis
Bloomberg The Malaysian ringgit tumbled to a 24-year low as a stronger dollar and domestic political risks damped sentiment. The ringgit falls as much as 0.2% to 4.5015 per dollar as it breached the 4.5002 mark reached in January 2017. The Malaysian currency is now at its weakest level since January 1998, during the Asian Financial Crisis. A resurgent …
Read More »RBI acts to anchor rupee depreciation expectation
Bloomberg The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is in the currency market almost everyday with the twin objective of curbing volatility and anchoring expectations for rupee depreciation, the central bank’s Governor Shaktikanta Das said. “Exchange rate stability is an intrinsic element of our overall macroeconomic and financial stability,†Das said in Mumbai. “Our endeavour, amidst the extraordinary events unfolding globally …
Read More »US futures, European stocks advance; pound rebounds
Bloomberg US stock futures climbed, with dip buyers drawn to attractive valuations after three weeks of Wall Street declines. European stocks rose as investors assessed responses to the region’s energy crisis ahead of the European Central Bank’s policy meeting later this week. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 contracts both advanced by more than 0.6%, with cash trading set to …
Read More »Indonesia joins Asia dollar bond rush with sovereign deal
Bloomberg Indonesia marketed a benchmark-sized dollar bond, joining a flurry of activity in Asia as issuers took advantage of a let-up in borrowing costs. The offer features three tenors, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because they’re not authorised to speak about the matter. Yields on the sovereign’s existing dollar bonds …
Read More »Europe’s commodity firms buckling under energy crisis
Bloomberg Europe’s energy crisis is getting worse, piling pressure on the commodities industries that provide building blocks for the continent’s economy. Power- and gas-intensive sectors such as steel, fertilisers and aluminum — the most widely used base metal — are being forced to close factories or pass on soaring costs to customers. Even sugar makers are feeling the pinch. …
Read More »Nordic lawmakers scrutinise $33bn power backstop
Bloomberg Lawmakers in Sweden and Finland are reviewing their $33 billion emergency backstop plans devised over the weekend to prevent utilities from defaulting after a fresh surge in energy prices. The two governments announced liquidity facilities made up of loans and credit guarantees to avoid some power companies going into technical defaults over climbing collateral requirements. The aim is to …
Read More »Holiday season airfares soar on pricey fuel, revenge travel
Bloomberg Travellers alarmed at sky-high airfares this Christmas can add soaring fuel prices spurred in part by Russia’s weaponisation of its energy resources to the list of factors to blame. The price of jet fuel — which typically accounts for around a quarter of an airline’s total operational costs — is on a tear. The jump this year is …
Read More »Starbucks new CEO faces a challenging task ahead
Bloomberg Laxman Narasimhan will take over as Starbucks Corp.’s chief executive officer with a long list of pressing tasks, from redesigning cafes to improving profitability. But perhaps none is as pressing as blunting a fast-spreading US union drive. It’s a tall order — especially for a leader without experience operating restaurants. Narasimhan, 55, is coming in from British consumer-goods …
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