The global bond and stock selloff has revived unhappy memories of the 2013 taper tantrum, when the Federal Reserve’s rumblings about removing stimulus shaved 17 percent off the value of emerging market stocks in less than two months. For the current difficulties you can partly blame risk-parity funds, which buy benchmark government bonds to hedge against stock portfolios. When bond ...
Read More »The world is about to change even faster
We sometimes take for granted that which is right before our collective noses. Creative destruction caused by technology is so rampant that it is practically a cliche. It is easy to ignore not only the speed at which disruption caused by technology is affecting society, but the acceleration in the pace of change. This acceleration and its effect on markets, ...
Read More »US stocks rise on tech bounce
Bloomberg Technology shares drove gains in US equities, while natural gas and crude lifted commodities. The dollar strengthened with Treasuries as investors prepare to parse second-quarter earnings for more evidence global economic growth is back on track. The S&P 500 Index rose for a second day as tech shares rebounded from last week’s selloff. Trading was light, with the volume ...
Read More »Middle East follows global shares up, strong Q2 boosts Saudi
DUBAI / Reuters Middle East markets followed global shares higher on Monday and Saudi Arabia’s stock index was bolstered by strong quarterly reports and dividend announcements. For now, unease about an end to the era of ultra-cheap money has given way to optimism about global growth, with Friday’s stronger-than-expected US non-farm payrolls report bolstering risk appetite. Data on Monday showed ...
Read More »Vietnam’s rate cut may spur growth amid credit worries
Bloomberg Vietnam’s surprise lowering of interest rates for the first time in three years may help to support economic growth, but raises credit risks in a nation still grappling with a hangover of bad debt. The central bank reduced the refinance rate by 25 basis points to 6.25 percent and also lowered the discount rate to 4.25 percent from 4.5 ...
Read More »Saudi Arabia to issue domestic sukuk soon
Dubai / Reuters Saudi Arabia will issue a local currency sukuk, or Islamic bond, this month, Saudi finance minister Mohammed Al Jadaan told Al Arabiya News on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg. The government is expected to tap both the local and international bond markets this year, depending on the level of demand and the pricing it ...
Read More »Morgan Stanley gets new CEO for Saudi office
RIYADH / Reuters Morgan Stanley named a new chief executive of its office in Saudi Arabia on Monday, as the firm carries out work on high-profile deals like the initial public offering of state oil giant Aramco. Abdulaziz Alajaji was previously head of corporate banking at JPMorgan & Chase Co in the kingdom. Rival JPMorgan enjoys a strong position in ...
Read More »HSBC in talks to end crisis-era mortgage probe
Bloomberg HSBC Holdings Plc is in talks to resolve a U.S. probe into its sale of toxic mortgage bonds a decade ago, according to people familiar with matter, a negotiation that could offer an early look at how the Trump Justice Department will deal with global banks. The London-based bank has had at least one meeting with the Justice Department ...
Read More »Barclays to hire more people for Japan ops
Bloomberg Barclays Plc is on a hiring spree to boost its investment banking and market operations in Japan, one year after it shut its cash equity business and cut 120 jobs. The UK firm plans to hire more than 10 bankers and sales staff this fiscal year to advise on mergers and sell investment products, Kentaro Kiso, president of Barclays ...
Read More »BOJ draws line in sand but faces battle to cap bond yields
Bloomberg While the Bank of Japan (BOJ) faced down the market with its offer to buy an unlimited amount of bonds, the battle over yield control may have only just begun. The swift action allowed the BOJ to quickly assert authority over the 10-year yield, bringing it down from a five-month high of 0.105 percent. The question is how far ...
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