Bloomberg Bank of New York Mellon Corp. and State Street Corp. stand to benefit most as US regulators rush to ease a key leverage rule, giving the custody-banking giants room to once again accept deposits they’ve shunned in recent years. The Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency may unveil a proposal to ease the leverage ...
Read More »Macquarie joins venture firm to target infrastructure
Bloomberg Macquarie Group Ltd. is teaming up with a New York-based venture firm to spot the next big thing in energy and infrastructure innovation. The Australian bank will provide specialist knowledge and possibly financial backing for the project with R/GA Ventures, according to a statement. Macquarie’s New York-based program will help develop so-called infratech companies, which typically feature technology and ...
Read More »Danske Bank hires 2,700 to cope with digital age
Bloomberg Danske Bank A/S hired 2,700 people last year as part of a strategy it says will help it cope with the digital age. In an industry relying increasingly on robots, adding headcount isn’t a given. Danske Chief Financial Officer Jacob Aarup-Andersen says management is building up its technology department, adding staff to areas such as the “customer experience.†Net ...
Read More »Norway DNB sees investors lining up for bail-in bonds
Bloomberg The European bank with the most capital relative to total assets is DNB ASA of Norway. That pedigree will make it easier to sell a new kind of senior debt that’s designed to absorb losses if issuers get into trouble, according to the bank. “We don’t think that will be a big challenge or problem for DNB due to ...
Read More »Whole Foods’ 365 chain moving ahead under Amazon’s watch
Bloomberg Whole Foods Market’s lower-priced offshoot chain, whose future was questioned after Amazon.com Inc. took control of the company in 2017, is cautiously plowing ahead. The business, known as 365 by Whole Foods Market, opened its latest store this week in Brooklyn—its first location on the East Coast. And the division is still signing leases and plans to open at ...
Read More »Alibaba leads $300mn funding for India’s online grocer
Bloomberg Alibaba Group Holding Ltd led a $300 million investment into India’s biggest online grocer Bigbasket, signaling that the region’s segment is firing up. Hari Menon, Bigbasket’s co-founder and chief executive officer, said the investment values the company at $950 million—just $50 million under the $1 billion valuation that would have earned it tech unicorn status. “We wanted a strategic ...
Read More »WestJet’s Swoop plans US, Mexico flights
Bloomberg WestJet Airlines Ltd.’s new ultra-low-cost carrier plans to expand to southern locations in the US and Mexico in the second half after it launches with Canada service in June. WestJet is counting on its Swoop brand to fend off a new breed of bargain carriers such as Flair Airlines while the fledgling carrier attempts to take market share from ...
Read More »UK airlines scrutinised over fees for advance seat selection
Bloomberg UK airlines’ practice of charging for assigned seats is being scrutinised by regulators amid concerns the policy—which adds as much as 390 million pounds ($550 million) to ticket prices a year—is confusing. An increase in the number of complaints by passengers travelling in groups who are forced to pay to sit together has prompted an examination of “whether consumers ...
Read More »First UAE-made satellite set for launch in 2018
DUBAI / WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visited the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) to inspect the progress of the KhalifaSat project. KhalifaSat is the first satellite to be fully built by Emirati engineers, an achievement that highlights the UAE’s growing expertise in ...
Read More »DHA’s preparations for Expo 2020 on track
DUBAI / WAM The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) announced that its preparations to provide the highest levels of healthcare services for Dubai’s Expo 2020 are on the right track. The authority revealed that its preparations are going as planned in line with the country’s vision and Dubai’s strategy and as per the required standards of Expo 2020 Hig- her Preparatory ...
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