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ABU DHABI / WAM Adnoc Distribution on Wednesday announced that net profit for the fourth quarter of 2019 was AED496 million, an increase of 11.3 percent compared to same period last year. Ebitda for the fourth quarter of 2019 was AED658 million, an increase of 6.5 percent compared to the same period last year, driven by a solid operational performance ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Endowed with abundant cultural resources and a large-scale economy, the UAE will act as a bridge to promote Korean culture to other Middle Eastern countries, according to a top South Korean official. “The UAE is Korea’s first ‘Cultural Dialogue’ partner country in Mideeast and has shown an active interest in Korean culture,” wrote Park Yang-woo, Minister ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Aldar Properties on Wednesday announced that it reported a 7 percent year on year increase in 2019 net profit to AED1.984 billion, driven by growth across both its development and asset management businesses. According to a statement issued by Aldar on Wednesday, the company’s Board of Directors recommended a cash dividend of AED0.145 per share, representing ...

Bloomberg Oil extended its rebound above $50 a barrel as tentative signs that Asia’s coronavirus may be easing spurred speculation that the worst of crude’s sell-off could have passed. US futures rallied 2.2% in a second daily gain, having lost about 16% during preceding month amid fears the disease would slash fuel consumption in China. The latest data from the ...

Bloomberg Two top Bank of England (BOE) officials suggested that the UK financial system’s rules may have to diverge from the European Union’s after Brexit — a topic that’s becoming as a major point of contention between the two sides. Outgoing Governor Mark Carney told Parliament that Britain’s view of EU regulation may change over time, especially since it will ...

Bloomberg Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell came close to acknowledging that the central bank may not have the firepower to fight the next recession and called on Congress to get ready to help. The current low level of interest rates “means that it would be important for fiscal policy to support the economy if it weakens,” he told the House ...

Bloomberg Malaysia’s central bank sees room to adjust monetary policy again after economic growth slowed to its weakest pace in more than a decade and the nation braces for the impact of the coronavirus on tourism and trade. Fourth quarter gross domestic product expanded 3.6% from a year ago, the lowest since the third quarter of 2009 and far worse ...

Bloomberg Three of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) top policy makers defended their monetary stimulus even as they acknowledged that the negative side effects must be watched closely. President Christine Lagarde told the European Parliament in Strasbourg that she realises subzero interest rates and bond purchases can hurt savers and lead to overvalued asset prices such as real estate, but ...

Bloomberg India’s central bank is actively managing bond yields to keep borrowing costs in check, analysts say, after five interest-rate cuts last year failed to spur lending in the economy. The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) recent shift to targeted cash injections and credit easing contrasts with the central bank’s insistence that it only looks to smoothen liquidity and facilitate ...

Bloomberg Poland’s central bank is raising eyebrows in its justifications for maintaining record-low borrowing costs. Governor Adam Glapinski has brushed aside concern about the worst economic expansion in three years and an upward shift in inflation surpassing anywhere else in the European Union (EU). Western sluggishness is weighing on growth, he says, while factors beyond the bank’s control are driving ...