Japan’s leaders seem happy to rest the country’s fate on the shoulders of its women. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to get more of them out of the home to compensate for a shrinking workforce. His deputy Taro Aso, on the other hand, had to apologize recently after blaming them for not having enough kids. I can hear women secretly ...
Read More »Bond traders set to get big update on Fed’s portfolio
Bloomberg In the wake of last month’s Federal Reserve gathering, traders have been left with as many questions as answers when it comes to the fate of the central bank’s balance sheet. Next week may finally provide some clues on where the runoff goes from here. The holiday-shortened week will be light on economic data but heavy on Fed signals. ...
Read More »Stocks staring down earnings recession fuel Wall Street clash
Bloomberg The debate over the trajectory for corporate profits reached a crescendo this week, with two widely followed Wall Street strategists clashing over whether an earnings recession is imminent. Just days after Morgan Stanley’s Mike Wilson announced the S&P 500 profits would turn negative for the first six months of 2019, Brian Belski at BMO Capital Markets said such fears ...
Read More »Deutsche Bank reverses pledge to help distressed homeowners
Bloomberg Deutsche Bank AG has decided that none of the more than $4 billion it promised to spend on consumer relief after the global mortgage crisis will go to distressed US homeowners, according to a report by the monitor of the 2017 settlement. Instead, the consumer-relief money will be spent on originating new loans, according to the February 13 report ...
Read More »StanChart, BNP among banks to be added to Aramco bond
Bloomberg Standard Chartered Plc and BNP Paribas SA are among about a dozen banks likely to be added as co-managers for Saudi Aramco’s landmark international bond sale, people with knowledge of the matter said. Two Japanese lenders — Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc., Mizuho Financial Group Inc. — as well as Samba Financial Group and Gulf International Bank BSC are ...
Read More »Italian state bank mulls doubling Telecom Italia stake
Bloomberg The Italian state lender that’s backing Elliott Management Corp. in a battle for the future of Telecom Italia SpA is considering doubling its stake in the former phone monopoly, people familiar with the matter said. Cassa Depositi e Prestiti SpA was authorized by its board to buy as much as 10 percent of Telecom Italia’s stock if a management ...
Read More »Greece set to subsidise mortgage payments to tackle bad loan crisis
Bloomberg Greece plans to pump as much as 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) into its banks over the next five years by subsidizing a part of households’ mortgage repayments. Under the plan, some households unable to repay their home loans will restructure their debts with the banks, with the state then paying part of the remaining monthly installments, according to ...
Read More »Air France-KLM tensions rise over fate of Dutch unit’s CEO
Bloomberg Just as Air France-KLM looks set to turn the page on last year’s crippling labour strife, the carrier is facing a revolt by its Dutch arm. A tussle over the reappointment of Pieter Elbers, who leads the KLM unit, sparked a noisy demonstration of support for the executive from staffers, managers and even Dutch officials, including a petition signed ...
Read More »Brazil airlines rise on back of troubles at Avianca Brasil
Bloomberg The sadness of some is the happiness of others. The Brazilian saying seems to apply perfectly to the current scenario for airlines that operate in the South American country. Oceanair Linhas Aereas Ltda, which operates under the Avianca Brasil brand, filed for judicial recovery in December, and Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA is the best-performing stock in the Ibovespa ...
Read More »Vietnam’s aviation safety gets approval for US flight
Bloomberg The US Federal Aviation Administration gave its approval to Vietnam’s air-safety system, which will allow the Southeast Asian country’s airlines to fly to the US as it seeks to bolster tourism. Vietnam’s national carrier is planning flights to California. The FAA gave Vietnam a Category 1 rating, meaning US reviewers found that the country adheres to United Nations standards ...
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