The EU is no match for financial crime gangs

Europe’s reputation on financial crime took another battering in 2019. Several of the region’s biggest lenders, including ABN Amro Bank NV and Swedbank AB, were tarred by allegations that they let criminals move around their cash unhindered, a reminder that Danske Bank A/S’s mammoth money-laundering failings weren’t isolated. At least the scale of the problem isn’t going unnoticed. Politicians and ...

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Central banks are the biggest risk to economy in 2020

The US economic recovery that began in June 2009 is now in its 127th month, which is a record. Even more impressive is that for the first time since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the US just completed the first calendar decade without even one day of a recession. There are a few key reasons why ...

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Twitter begs users to target themselves for ads

A few weeks ago, Twitter gave users an early holiday present in the form of “Topics,” a feature that lets them subscribe to feeds on a given subject. As the company explained it, the feature reduces the need for users to track down accounts to follow; rather, “the conversation will come to you.” Although Topics sound like it might be ...

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China pledges to ‘win’ battle against rising financial risks

Bloomberg China pledged to step up measures to shore up its troubled banks and small businesses while continuing a crackdown on shadow banking and property speculation, in a difficult balancing act that risks exacerbating a build up in bad debt at its traditional lenders. As concerns mount over the state of China’s $45 trillion financial system, the nation’s central bank ...

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Pound surges hoping BOE will hold rates

Bloomberg The pound rebounded from its new year hangover, on speculation the Bank of England could avoid an imminent cut to interest rates following a post-election economic boost. Sterling advanced against all major peers and halted its losing streak since the start of 2020, after the UK’s services sector unexpectedly showed signs of strengthening. This may ease pressure on the ...

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‘Economy can’t promise Trump win’

Bloomberg Investors should be careful about assuming that strong US economic conditions guarantee that president Donald Trump will win another term in November, Morgan Stanley strategists warned. “The most common misconception among investors we talk to is that solid economic growth assures the president’s re-election,” strategists at the Wall Street bank including Michael Zezas wrote in a note on Monday. ...

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Little Asian market impact from Iran tensions: UBS

Bloomberg Escalating friction between the US and Iran will likely have limited impact on Asian stock markets, according to UBS Global Wealth Management and JPMorgan Asset Management. Following the US airstrike that killed Iran’s top military commander Qassem Soleimani last week, Iran said it will no longer abide by any limits on its enrichment of uranium and Iraq’s parliament voted ...

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HSBC walks tricky political tightrope between HK, Beijing

Bloomberg The two bronze lion statues standing guard over HSBC Holdings Plc’s main offices in Hong Kong still bear the marks of an attack by protesters, who last week daubed them with red and black paint, setting at least one ablaze. Graffiti declared that HSBC had been dyed the red of China. HSBC has vowed to restore the iconic lions ...

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India offshore bond craze rolls on after record sales

Bloomberg Indian companies have started the year with more debt offerings overseas, after record issuance in 2019 driven by stronger borrowers turning abroad as local credit markets struggled. The firms sold a record $22 billion of notes overseas in 2019. Yield-hungry global investors have been betting that the kind of higher-rated Indian issuers that have been big sellers could continue ...

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Takeaway nears final victory in $8 billion Just Eat battle

Bloomberg Takeaway.com NV is set to declare final victory in the five-month takeover battle for UK food-delivery company Just Eat Plc, people with knowledge of the matter said. Investors holding more than half of Just Eat stock have indicated they’ll agree to Takeaway’s all-stock bid, which values the company at about 6 billion pounds ($7.8 billion), according to the people. ...

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