Bloomberg The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is poised to cut its forecast for global growth as Managing Director Christine Lagarde warns trade wars and tighter credit are darkening the outlook. Three months since predicting the world economy would grow 3.9 percent this year and next, Lagarde signaled in Washington that she is no longer quite so optimistic. The fund will …
Read More »Shell, partners approve $31bn project to speed gas to Asia
Bloomberg Royal Dutch Shell Plc and its four partners have agreed to invest in a multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas project in western Canada — the largest new one of its kind in years that would carve out the fastest route to Asia for North American gas. LNG Canada — comprised of Shell, Malaysia’s Petroliam Nasional Bhd, Mitsubishi Corp., PetroChina Co. …
Read More »Crude extends longest quarterly rally in a decade
Bloomberg Oil extended gains in London after the longest quarterly rally in a decade as a slowdown in American drilling added to concern that supply losses around the world will lead to a tight market. Brent crude rose as much as 0.7 percent, after front-month futures climbed for a fifth straight quarter. As concerns over a global crunch due to …
Read More »Bahrain credit risk falls to 5-month low
Bloomberg Bahrain’s credit risk declined to the lowest level in five months on optimism the nation’s neighbours will soon come to the island-state’s rescue with an aid package. The cost of insuring Bahrain’s debt against default fell 34 basis points last week on relief that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait were said to be considering a $10 …
Read More »Singapore home prices rise despite curbs
Bloomberg Singapore private home prices are still inching higher —albeit at the slowest pace in five quarters — even after the government imposed additional property curbs to avoid the risk of a sharp correction that could be destabilising to the city-state’s economy. An index tracking private residential prices increased 0.5 percent in the three months ended September 30 compared to …
Read More »US stocks jump with loonie, peso on revamped trade pact
Bloomberg US stocks rose towards records and the dollar slipped with Treasuries after negotiators agreed to a new version of the Nafta trade pact. The Canadian dollar and Mexican peso gained. The S&P 500 Index climbed on the first day of the fourth quarter. General Electric Co. surged after replacing its chief executive, while Tesla Inc. rallied after Elon Musk …
Read More »Canadian dollar hits 4-month high
Bloomberg The Canadian dollar reached its strongest level in four months as the nation joined the US and Mexico in a trade deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. The loonie appreciated about 0.8 percent and touched as strong as C$1.2787 against the greenback, while Mexico’s peso rose for a fourth day. The new trade deal will be …
Read More »A mega bank joins euro zone; it’s too big to fail
Bloomberg On Monday, the number of banks deemed too big to fail in the euro zone will grow to eight from seven. The new arrival is Nordea Bank Abp, which is moving its headquarters to Helsinki from Stockholm. The bank, whose $670 billion in assets are more than twice Finland’s gross domestic product, has made clear its move was driven …
Read More »Tesco cyber-attack leads to $21mn settlement in UK
Bloomberg The UK financial regulator fined Tesco Plc’s banking arm $21 million for failures that allowed cyber attackers to steal funds. The 48-hour hack in November 2016 was “largely avoidable†and took place because the thieves took advantage of weaknesses in the design of the bank’s debit card, its financial-crime controls and its so-called Financial Crime Operations Team, netting the …
Read More »Danske removes CEO with immediate effect
Bloomberg Danske Bank A/S has removed its chief executive officer with immediate effect after his role in one of Europe’s worst money laundering scandals left a number of shareholders indignant at his continued presence. Thomas Borgen was stripped of his CEO title on Monday, after the board appointed insider Jesper Nielsen to take over the job until a permanent replacement …
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