Bloomberg While the Bank of Japan resolutely maintains its 2 percent inflation target, Credit Suisse Group AG says that’s an unrealistic goal. The Japanese economy is enjoying a cyclical recovery, benefiting from a pick up in global demand, but nothing suggests structural change, said Hiromichi Shirakawa, chief Japan economist at Credit Suisse and a former BOJ official. “It’s difficult for ...
Read More »India to fix bank system with $12.6bn bond plan
Bloomberg India took another step towards cleaning up a banking system riddled with bad loans, with the government seeking parliamentary approval to issue about 800 billion rupees ($12.6 billion) of bonds to fund capital injections into state lenders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration expe-cts to sell the first of its recapitalisation bonds before the fiscal year ends March 31, as ...
Read More »Fed’s bullard says tax overhaul may light fire under investment
Bloomberg Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said President Donald Trump’s $1.5 trillion tax overhaul may spur investment and US economic growth, though policy makers can “wait and see†if that warrants higher interest rates because inflation is low. “There is some possibility this could light a fire under investment and really drive growth higher,†Bullard, a ...
Read More »Steinhoff to sell $25 million Gulfstream jet as funds ebb
Bloomberg Steinhoff International Holdings NV, the South African retailer laid low by an accounting scandal, is selling one of its more high-flying assets as it seeks liquidity to keep itself alive. The owner of UK discounter Poundland and bedding supplier Mattress Firm in the US is in discussions with a potential buyer of a 2006 Gulfstream G550 private jet that’s ...
Read More »British Airways stutters as sister units power IAG traffic gain
Bloomberg British Airways owner IAG SA’s Irish and Spanish businesses spurred gains in passenger traffic at the company last year as expansion at the UK arm slowed. Dublin-based Aer Lingus, purchased by IAG in 2015, posted a 12 percent traffic increase, while the advance at Madrid-based Iberia accelerated to 7.6 percent, according to a statement from the group. London-based IAG, ...
Read More »Boston, New York bear brunt of cancelled flights
Bloomberg A wave of cancelled flights is moving north to New York and Boston as the first major winter storm of 2018 threatens to paralyse cities and airports over the next couple of days. Airlines have scrapped more than 2,100 flights on January 4 so far on top of 558 on January 3, according to FlightAware, an online tracking service. ...
Read More »China’s baby-formula revamp may boom Nestle, Danone
Bloomberg A safety overhaul of China’s notorious baby-formula industry removed about 1,400 products from store shelves this week, clearing the way for international brands such as Nestle SA and Danone to grab greater shares of a $20 billion market. The regulations, effective from January 1, require factories making formula to register those products with China’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ...
Read More »Hatta goes solar
DUBAI / WAM The Hatta solar project has enabled building owners to install solar panels on their rooftops to generate electricity from solar power as part of the Shams Dubai initiative. Implemented by Etihad ESCO, it is the largest residential rooftop solar PV project in the region. The Hatta solar project consists of 640 solar powered villas, supporting the Hatta ...
Read More »Google’s ‘Dutch Sandwich’ shielded $19bn from tax
Bloomberg Alphabet Inc.’s Google moved 15.9 billion euros ($19.2 billion) to a Bermuda shell company in 2016, regulatory filings in the Netherlands show — saving the company billions of dollars in taxes that year. Google uses two structures, known as a “Double Irish†and a “Dutch Sandwich,†to shield the majority of its international profits from taxation. The setup involves ...
Read More »ADGM brings in enhanced prudential regime for ‘firms’
ABU DHABI / WAM The Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) will publish and ‘go live’ with a number of enhancements to its “Prudential – Investment, Insurance Intermediation and Banking†(PRU) Rulebook. This follows a successful public consultation which was completed on December 7, 2017. The new enhancements cover the prudential supervision of banks, insurance ...
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