Bloomberg European stocks erased gains while US index futures trimmed an advance as China restricted travel to Hong Kong in the latest international effort to curb the Sars-like virus from spreading. The yuan fluctuated and Treasuries turned higher. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index gave up an early advance after Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said China will stop individual ...
Read More »South Korean stocks shattered over virus
Bloomberg South Korean stocks bore the brunt of Asian stock declines tied to the new coronavirus on Tuesday as more markets opened after holidays and concerns spread from short-term consumerism to longer-term growth. The benchmark Kospi plunged as much as 3.6%, set for the biggest decline since October 2018. Companies that had benefited from Chinese tourism took bigger hits, with ...
Read More »China market opening delayed until February 3
Bloomberg China’s financial markets will remain closed until next Monday after authorities extended the Lunar New Year break by three days as they grapple with the worsening virus crisis. Trading will resume February 3, the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges said. Shanghai authorities separately advised that companies shouldn’t start work until at least February 9. While onshore markets will be ...
Read More »ECB says six banks missed this year’s bar for capital strength
Bloomberg The European Central Bank (ECB) said six out of 109 banks it evaluated last year had a level of financial strength below what it wants to see for 2020. “For those banks which have not taken satisfactory measures in the last quarter of 2019, remedial actions have been requested within a precise time line,†the ECB said in a ...
Read More »Kenya central bank follows South Africa with a surprise cut
Bloomberg Kenya’s central bank joined its South African counterpart by unexpectedly cutting interest rates, citing well-anchored inflation expectations and an economy that’s operating below its potential. The monetary policy committee reduced its key rate to 8.25% from 8.5%, governor Patrick Njoroge said in an emailed statement. That’s the second consecutive cut and moves the rate to the lowest in more ...
Read More »Fed officials subtly shift inflation strategy
Bloomberg The Federal Reserve won’t wrap up a year-long review of its policy framework for months, but some officials are already shifting their approach to hitting the central bank’s inflation goal. The number of policy makers forecasting above-target inflation in three years’ time jumped to seven in December projections. That looks like a signal they’re deliberately aiming to generate price ...
Read More »Bank of China pays $4mn in money laundering case
Bloomberg Bank of China Ltd agreed to pay 3.9 million euros ($4.2 million) to settle a French probe into allegations it turned a blind eye as customers moved millions to their Asian accounts without paying European taxes. Paris prosecutor Remi Heitz said Bank of China will pay a 3 million-euro fine and 900,000 euros in damages to French tax authorities ...
Read More »Carney has traders in suspense with knife-edge last meeting
Bloomberg Mark Carney’s final decision at the Bank of England (BOE) is on a knife edge, and the governor hasn’t done anything to ease the tension. While the Canadian, who hands over the reins to Andrew Bailey in March, has mostly held investors’ hands before crucial policy meetings, this time he’s allowing them to figure it out for themselves by ...
Read More »Airbus agrees to settle bribery cases for $3b in three countries
Bloomberg Airbus SE reached an agreement to settle long-running bribery investigations in the UK, France and the US in a deal that could cost the European airplane manufacturer in the range of $3 billion. A final agreement could be announced as early as this week, according to people familiar with the matter. The preliminary deal remains subject to approval by ...
Read More »Sainsbury to spend $1.3bn on 2040 net zero carbon target
Bloomberg J Sainsbury Plc said it will spend 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) on a plan to reach net zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2040. The UK grocer intends to halve plastic packaging by 2025, reduce food waste and lower its water usage, according to a statement on Tuesday. It will also install LED lights in stores, use more electric vehicles ...
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