Draghi’s masterclass in something for everyone

The European Central Bank’s (ECB) policy meeting was a masterclass from President Mario Draghi in how to ride two horses at once: calling time on quantitative easing while keeping a dovish tone. The bond-buying program will end this year — but the governing council paired this with a clear message that interest rates won’t rise before the end of summer ...

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Coal isn’t safe even in its Asian fortresses

The latest review of BP – one of world’s leading integrated oil and gas companies – of the world’s appetite for energy, contained a startling chart indicating that coal’s grip on electricity generation has not changed in 20 years. There were clear signs of a shift occurring at the margin when you looked at growth in different types of power ...

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Argentina’s IMF package could trigger ugly blowback

Markets welcomed the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) $50 billion rescue stabilization package last week, which seems to be stabilizing the peso. But the financial umbrella will be costly. Rightly or wrongly, Argentines blame the IMF for precipitating their country’s worst economic crisis. In the eyes of many voters, the mere association will damage President Mauricio Macri’s standing. As detrimental, the ...

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Bitcoin’s greater fools have gone into hiding

Bitcoin’s price was supposed to go to the moon. Yet over the past six months, from high to low, the linchpin of the entire cryptocurrency craze has shed 66 percent of its value. It’s an unraveling almost on par with the Nasdaq index during the dot-com bust, or US bank equities in the financial crisis. Thankfully, the wider economy has ...

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AirAsia doesn’t need a doctorate in the house

Samsonite International SA Chief Executive Officer Ramesh Tainwala resigned this month after a short seller highlighted issues with how he’d presented his educational history. Investors in AirAsia Bhd. should take notice. After all, co-founder Tony Fernandes is another notable Asian CEO who’s not been shy of boasting academic credentials that are less than they first appear. At a time when ...

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US stocks pare losses as oil rally gives a lift; dollar steady

Bloomberg US stocks shook off the worst of their losses as oil rose before a key OPEC meeting this week. Equities declined in Europe and Asia amid concern over the escalating protectionist standoff between China and the US. The S&P 500 came off its lows of the day as energy shares advanced along with software makers. The Stoxx Europe 600 ...

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SGX, India stock futures to continue as dispute drags on

Bloomberg Singapore Exchange (SGX) and National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. will remain partners for a little longer than both anticipated. An arbitrator deciding on a quarrel between the exchanges over Indian stock futures contracts ordered them to extend their licensing agreement beyond August, and for at least two months after the end of arbitration. It ordered SGX to refrain ...

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HDFC Bank mulls relying on India in $2.3bn share sale

Bloomberg HDFC Bank Ltd, the world’s most expensive major lender, is considering relying entirely on the Indian market for a share sale that could raise as much as 155 billion rupees ($2.3 billion), people with knowledge of the matter said. The Mumbai-based bank is weighing seeking all the capital through a qualified institutional placement in India, rather than its usual ...

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Moody’s upgrades UBS wealth management business credit rating

Bloomberg UBS Group AG had the credit rating for its main operations raised by Moody’s Investors Service, which said the restructured investment bank and wealth management business should help the lender weather a market downturn. The long-term issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings of UBS AG, which comprises the main banking and wealth management businesses of UBS, were raised one ...

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Credit Suisse to tap leveraged loan market

Bloomberg Credit Suisse Group AG is betting that the leveraged loan market can continue its explosive growth over recent years, as buyout firms sitting on unprecedented levels of capital look to maximise their firepower over the next few years. “There is over a trillion dollars of capital committed to private equity firms that has yet to be deployed,” David Miller, ...

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