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☆ HSBC wealth investor is convinced four secular themes will keep the U.S. economy humming along
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A handful of drivers will keep the American economy humming along, said Jose Rasco, chief investment officer of the Americas at HSBC's wealth division. On the cyclical front, Rasco expects growth to cool as the effects of higher rates become fully felt. "Those four themes suggest to me that's how we avoid recession," said Rasco, a Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch alum. Bonus: Presidential election year While not exactly an investment trend, Rasco also noted that a big part of his short-term optimism toward U.S. stocks stems from the looming presidential election. Data shows U.S. stocks tend to outperform in presidential election years.

Persons: Jose Rasco, Rasco, Merrill Lynch, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, CNBC Pro, Federal, Lehman Brothers, U.S, U.S . Research, BlackRock, HSBC Asset Management Locations: New York City, Americas, China, Mexico, U.S

☆ Fed can start cutting interest rates by end of 2024, IMF managing director says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Federal Reserve should be able to start cutting interest rates by the end of 2024, according to Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund. "We remain on our projection that we would see, by the end of the year, the Fed being in a position to take some action in a direction of bringing interest rates down," Georgieva said on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street." Fed funds futures pricing data suggests that the first rate cut could come in September, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. Georgieva said the Fed should continue following economic data, which will signal when it's appropriate to begin reducing the cost of borrowing money. Still, Georgieva warned that keeping interest rates elevated for longer than expected can create risks to financial stability for the rest of the world.

Persons: Kristalina Georgieva, Georgieva, Dow Jones Organizations: International Monetary Fund, World Bank, U.S Locations: U.S, United States

☆ India's market cap can 'easily' jump ten-fold in the next two decades, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | In Charmainemariajacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

After overtaking Hong Kong's stock market in December, India currently has the fourth largest in the world, and is now valued at over $4 trillion. India's market capitalization can easily grow to $40 trillion in the next 20 years, driven by stronger investor confidence and robust economic growth, analysts said. After overtaking Hong Kong in December, the country's market is now ranked the fourth largest in the world, valued at over $4.6 trillion. "India's GDP growth has led to companies increasing their earnings and that is resulting in the stock market performance," said Atul Singh, CEO and managing director of wealth management firm LGT Wealth India. The country's financial year starts on April 1 and ends on March 31.

Persons: Sujan Hajra, Anand Rathi, Manish Chokhani, Atul Singh Organizations: Hong, Enam Holdings, BSE, LGT Wealth, India's Ministry, Statistics Locations: India, Hong Kong

☆ In the wake of bitcoin's new highs, South Korea's 'kimchi premium' is in the spotlight again
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Now, get ready for the "kimchi premium," named after the popular side dish of fermented vegetables that's a staple in Korean cuisine. The "kimchi premium" refers to the price gap in cryptocurrencies, especially bitcoin, when listed in South Korea versus those listed in U.S. or European exchanges. The kimchi premium is in the spotlight again after bitcoin reached all-time highs in mid-March, soaring past $73,000 to a record high on March 13, according to Coin Metrics data. According to cryptocurrency data provider Cryptoquant, the Korea Premium Index reached its highest level since May 2021 on March 16, reaching 10.88%. That means bitcoin's trading price in South Korea was roughly 10% higher than the global spot price.

Persons: it's, bitcoin, Sam Bankman, Fried, FTX, Chainalysis, Baik Seunghoon, Baik Organizations: Alameda Research, CNBC, University of Calgary, country's Financial, Commission, South, South Korean Locations: Korea, South, cryptocurrencies, South Korea, Japan, China, East Asia, Korean

☆ Citadel's relocation to Miami was a success. But can Ken Griffin get the rest of Wall Street to do it?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. In today's big story, we're looking at how two of the most powerful Wall Street firms are doing two years after relocating to Miami . Nearly two years ago the billionaire uprooted his hedge fund, Citadel, and market maker, Citadel Securities, from their Chicago headquarters to Miami. Employees at Citadel and Citadel Securities spoke to Business Insider's Emmalyse Brownstein about life in the new HQ . Shares tumbled 55% after The Wall Street Journal reported that Fisker had hired restructuring advisors to assist with a possible bankruptcy filing.

Persons: —, we're, sarayut Thaneerat, Tyler Le, Ken Griffin, Samantha Lee, San Francisco, Griffin, Anita Kot, Dogecoin, Elon Musk, Ned Davis, Fisker, Patrick Pleul, Andrew Cabellero Reynolds, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, Sam Altman, Muhammad Ali, Steven Mnuchin, BI's Peter Kafka, Ezra Bailey, Dan DeFrancesco, Hallam Bullock, Jordan Parker Erb, George Glover Organizations: Service, Business, Wall, Citadel, Citadel Securities, Sunshine State, Miami, New York, Ned Davis Research, Street Journal, Elon, OpenAI, Google, KKR, Benz Locations: Miami, Florida, Chicago, New York, London, York, Plenty, San, Austin, He's, Blackstone

☆ Why South Korea's Japan-style measures to boost its stock market may not work
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An inflatable bull during a ceremony marking the first day of trading of the year at the Korea Exchange (KRX) headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesSouth Korea's Japan-style measures for improving corporate governance may not be enough to boost its undervalued stock markets and tackle the so-called "Korea discount." Asia's fourth-largest economy is striving to boost stock market valuations that are considered much lower compared to peers, with analysts referring to the phenomenon as the "Korea discount." The 'chaebol' problemSouth Korean markets are made up of corporations called "chaebols," which are large family-owned global conglomerates, typically controlled by the founder's family. "The behavior that leads to South Korea's low stock prices is motivated, and therefore seeking to coax South Korean controlling families into 'being nice' to minority stockholders is unlikely to be successful," Pines said.

Persons: SeongJoon Cho, James Lim, Jonathan Pines, Federated Hermes, Daniel Tan Organizations: Korea Exchange, Bloomberg, Getty Images Bloomberg, Getty, Financial, FSC, Samsung Electronics, LG, SK, Hyundai, Dalton Investments, Japan, Korean Stock Exchange, Federated, Grasshopper Asset Management, CNBC Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Japan, Korea, Tokyo, Asia, Singapore

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A longtime public utilities regulator announced her candidacy on Thursday for North Dakota's lone U.S. House seat. North Dakota has an open race for its House seat because Republican Rep. Kelly Armstrong, first elected in 2018, is running for governor. Photos You Should See View All 22 ImagesOther Republican House candidates include former state representative Rick Becker, a plastic surgeon, and former state senator Tom Campbell, a potato farmer. A Democrat hasn't won a statewide election in North Dakota since 2012. If elected, she would be the first woman to represent North Dakota in the U.S. House.

Persons: —, Republican Julie Fedorchak, Fedorchak, ” Fedorchak, Kelly Armstrong, Rick Becker, Tom Campbell, Trygve Hammer, Democrat hasn't Organizations: N.D, North, Republican, Public Service Commission, GOP, Committee, Energy, Commerce, Democrat, Republican Party, Voters, U.S . House Locations: BISMARCK, North Dakota's, Bismarck, North Dakota, North, Fargo, U.S

☆ Russia's military alliances are giving it a major edge — just as Ukraine's are faltering
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A closer relationship with ChinaChina and Russia have deepened their military ties in recent years with the help of arms sales and joint military exercises. It has hosted Russian military drills, soldiers, and equipment, and enabled the transportation of Russian weapons close to Ukraine's borders. The situation is looking bleak for UkraineThe support from Russia's allies matters, especially when paired with the country's soaring defense budget. Its military appears to have a major edge over Ukraine as the country's financial and military support from its allies is faltering. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Senate passed a $95 billion emergency defense-aid bill that could support Ukraine, Israel, and Tawain — but the bill is expected to face stiff opposition by Republicans, BI previously reported.

Persons: —, That's, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Nils Andreas Stensones, Stensones, Trump, Putin, YURI KADOBNOV, Patrick Bury Organizations: Ukraine, Service, Norway's Intelligence Service, Sputnik, Moscow Times, UN, North, European Council, Foreign Relations, UK's Ministry of Defence, Reuters, University of Bath, Putin, Trump, Republicans Locations: Russia, Ukraine, China, Belarus, Iran, North Korea, Europe, Ukrainian, China China, Japan, Russian, Ukraine's, Helsinki, Israel

☆ Angry Chinese people are using a US embassy social-media page to dodge censors and vent about its slumping economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Advertisement"The US government, please help Chinese stock investors," one person wrote in a repost of the Weibo article, according to CNN. Some commenters used humor and sarcasm to get around the country's strict social media restrictions. China has one of the world's most censored media industries, with digital news and social media use heavily restricted throughout the country. Some social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, are prohibited and the government monitors social media platforms that are allowed, such as Weibo. Meanwhile, top officials have publicly spoken about the importance of elevating the "bright prospects of China's economy," according to the Journal.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Reuters, Bloomberg, CNN, People's Daily, Facebook, The New York Times, Street Journal, China's Ministry of State Security Locations: Weibo, Africa, China, Hong, Beijing

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Hopes sink for March rate cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Overnight, U.S. stocks were sharply lower after Fed chair Jerome Powell said the central bank likely won't be ready to cut rates in March. China tough place for U.S. firmsMore U.S. companies are finding it tougher to be profitable in China compared to before the pandemic. [PRO] Jefferies top picksAlibaba, ASML are some of Jefferies' "highest-conviction" stock picks to buy.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Hang Seng, Paytm, Michael Hart, Meta's, Victor Lee, Jefferies Organizations: Federal Reserve, New York Stock Exchange, CNBC, Treasury, U.S, American Chamber of Commerce, Qualcomm, Jefferies Locations: New York City, U.S, Asia, Hong Kong, South Korea, India, Mumbai, China

☆ The world's 2 biggest economies are moving in starkly different directions
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. AdvertisementMeanwhile, on Monday, a Hong Kong court ordered the liquidation of China Evergrande, the world's most indebted real estate developer. "I expect that the Chinese market will bounce around, but that the bias is towards more pain since the problems are systemic in my opinion," Laffer Jr. said. "The US on the other hand should do well for the 2024 period — strong economy, strong employment, strong earnings, strong dollar."

Persons: —, That's, Arthur Laffer Jr, Laffer, Xi Jinping, Joseph Seydl, you've, Seydl, didn't, Alfredo Montufar, Helu, China Evergrande Organizations: Service, Real, Business, International Monetary Fund, Investments, JPMorgan Private Bank, Conference Board's China Center, CSI, Bloomberg Locations: China, US, Beijing, backtrack, deleverage, Hong Kong

☆ CNBC Daily Open: What recession? The U.S. economy grew at rapid pace
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Tesla shares plunge 12%Shares of electric vehicle maker Tesla plunged 12%, their biggest drop in over a year. Commodity markets in 'super squeeze' spotSupply disruptions and lack of investment are putting global commodity markets in a "super squeeze," according to HSBC. Some investors have been wary since Beijing has been struggling with a property debt crisis that has triggered financial risks across the broader economy.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Tesla Organizations: CNBC, U.S, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, HSBC, Pro Locations: Emmaus, Emmaus , Pennsylvania, Asia, Pacific, Tesla, China, Beijing

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill to create a bipartisan commission that would tackle the nation’s soaring debt and make policy recommendations to Congress won approval Thursday from a House committee. Many Democrats see the commission as an attempt to force cuts to Social Security and Medicare. The commission would have 16 members: 12 from Congress, evenly divided by party, and four outside experts who would not have voting power. Republicans blame federal spending for the annual deficits while many Democrats cite tax cuts enacted under Republican administrations. Three committee Democrats voted for it, including Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., who worked with Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich. in sponsoring the bill.

Persons: “ everything's, Joe Manchin, Mitt Romney, Jodey Arrington, ”, Arrington, “, Brendan Boyle, Mike Johnson, Hakeem Jeffries, ” Johnson, ” Jeffries, Scott Peters, Bill Huizenga, Peters, ” Peters, Becca Balint Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republicans, Social Security, GOP, Republican, Pennsylvania, U.S . Capitol Police, Democrats, Democratic, ” Locations: R, Utah, Texas, New York

☆ I went to Iceland for the first time. Here are 8 things that surprised me.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

I visited Iceland for the first time in November on a reporting trip. Grace Dean/Business InsiderBut Iceland's population is concentrated in the west of the country. Grace Dean/Business InsiderYou can't find the chains you're used toThere's no McDonald's, Starbucks, or Burger King in Iceland. I found this surprising considering how far west of the UK Iceland is. Grace Dean/Business InsiderA lot of Polish people live in IcelandAccording to data from Statistics Iceland, more than 20% of Iceland's population was born overseas.

Persons: —, Grace Dean, Burger, expats, Jewells Chambers, Sonia Nicolson, Chambers Organizations: Starbucks, Service, Lights, KFC, Nordic, Homes, Greenwich, Statistics Locations: Iceland, Reykjavik Iceland, California, Reykjavik, Vik, Iceland's, Subway, Finland, Norway, Sweden, New York, England, Iceland . Towns, Statistics Iceland, Poland, Europe, Lithuania, Denmark, Romania

☆ Crypto firms introduce risk assessments and finance tests in response to strict new rules in UK
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It comes ahead of tough new rules on the advertising of digital asset products in the country. If a customer fails to complete the tasks successfully, they will be prevented from trading with their crypto account. Coinbase said the changes were made "to ensure we are meeting UK investor protection standards, which require our users to have the necessary knowledge to make informed investment decisions." "We do not expect this to impact user activity in the UK and as always our customer service team is on hand to help with any queries," George Tucker, U.K. general manager of Crypto.com, told CNBC via email. "As an authorised Electronic Money Institution and registered cryptoasset business in the U.K., Crypto.com supports and complies with the FCA's rules and will continue to work with the regulator as we expand our product offering here," Tucker added.

Persons: Brian Armstrong, Daniel LEAL, DANIEL LEAL, Coinbase, George Tucker, Crypto.com, Tucker Organizations: Global Investment, Getty, Financial Services, Markets, Authority, FCA, CNBC Locations: London, Britain, cryptocurrency

MOSCOW, Dec 1 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree putting St Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport under the temporary management of a Russian company, wresting control from investors from Germany, Qatar and other Gulf states. The airport's management company has 14 co-owners. The rights of foreign shareholders will pass to two different Russian entities. Russian shareholders will retain their rights. The decree stated that airport's foreign shareholders would be able to restore their rights to stakes in the new company if they apply and conclude corporate agreements that comply with Russian laws on foreign investment.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Fraport, VTB, Ramzan Kadyrov, Taimuraz, Carlsberg's, Gleb Stolyarov, Alexander Marrow, Ilona Wissenbach, Gareth Jones, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Petersburg's Pulkovo, Qatar Investment Authority, Russian Direct Investment Fund, Baring, Baltika Breweries, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Germany, Qatar, St Petersburg, Abu Dhabi, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow

MOSCOW, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Russia's industrial output growth slowed in October as the unemployment rate dropped to a record low 2.9%, federal statistics showed on Wednesday, with deepening labour shortages showing signs of cooling Moscow's military production capacity. Analysts say wages are growing faster than productivity and the central bank has warned of the impact it has on inflation. Industrial output rose 5.3% year-on-year in October, down from a 5.6% rise in September and driven once again by military production. Rosstat said industrial output had grown since March at a monthly rate of more than 5% compared with the corresponding months of 2022. But when discounting seasonal factors, industrial production dropped 0.4% in October, Rosstat said.

Persons: Maxim Oreshkin, Vladimir Putin, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, Rosstat, Alexander Marrow, Darya, Alex Richardson, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Kremlin, Reuters, VW, Central Bank Governor, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Volkswagen's, Moscow, Ukraine, Putin's Russia

Prior to the February 2022 invasion, Chinese cars accounted for less than 10% of the Russian market. Russia has jumped from 11th place to become China's largest export market for cars, reaching a value of $9.4 billion in January-October, Chinese customs data showed. Overall, monthly car sales in Russia are now more than double what they were a year ago, Autostat data showed, while separate data from federal statistics service Rosstat showed car production was nearly three times higher in September year-on-year, underlining the sector's partial recovery. 'UNSTABLE, SHAKY' MARKETSanctions against Russia contributed to lower car production and sales most notably in 2022, but also after Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. Meanwhile, the rouble's slide to 100 against the dollar this year has made imports more expensive, depressing purchases of Chinese cars.

Persons: PPK, Sergei Udalov, Udalov, Russia's, Natalia Zubarevich, Zubarevich, Gleb Stolyarov, Alexander Marrow, Zoey Zhang, Vineet Sachdev, Mike Collett, White, Mark Potter Organizations: Reuters, Reuters Graphics, Chery, Geely, HK, West shuns, Autostat, Russia, Western, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Moscow State University, Wages, Lada, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Soviet, Beijing, China, West shuns Russia, Western

☆ Australia's Perth Mint agrees to comply with anti money-laundering laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 23 (Reuters) - Australia's Perth Mint said on Thursday it had entered into an agreement with the country's financial intelligence agency to fully adhere to anti-money laundering laws after an external audit found compliance issues. The external audit was conducted between November 2022 and July 2023 at the direction of the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), after it found non-compliance in an August 2022 assessment of Perth Mint. "The audit findings reflected AUSTRAC's concerns in relation to Gold Corporation's AML/CTF (anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing) program, monitoring systems and controls, and reporting to AUSTRAC," the agency said. In April, Western Australia state launched a review of its ownership of The Perth Mint, as the company battled allegations it sold diluted gold to China. Reporting by Deep Vakil in Bengaluru; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Jacqueline Wong, Diane Craft Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Perth Mint, Australian, Thomson Locations: Perth, New York, U.S, Western Australia, China, Bengaluru

☆ What do we know about China's new financial watchdog?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BEIJING, Nov 21 (Reuters) - China's Central Financial Commission (CFC), a new regulator with Premier Li Qiang as its head, held a meeting on Monday and urged stronger supervision of risks in the financial sector as Beijing accelerates efforts to become a "major financial power". The CFC was set up for the top-level design, development and supervision of the financial sector, strengthening "unified leadership on financial work", according to a restructuring plan published by state media in March this year. The CFC has recruited many officials from the central bank and the finance ministry, financial news outlet Caixin reported earlier this month. The appointments indicate that both officials, who are close confidants of President Xi Jinping, will play important roles in shaping China's financial policies. He was also appointed as party chief of a separate Central Financial Work Commission (CFWC), which has been set up to strengthen the ideological and political role of the party in China's overall financial system.

Persons: Li Qiang, Premier Li, Li, Lifeng, Xi Jinping, Wang Jiang, Xia Xiande, Xi, Ziyi Tang, Kevin Yao, Ryan Woo, Sumeet Chatterjee Organizations: Financial Commission, Communist Party, CFC, WHO, THE, Financial Work, China Everbright Group, Analysts, Reuters, National Financial Regulatory Administration, State Council, People's Bank of China, prudential, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, Lincoln

"This super pre-emptive right will work only in specific cases, with specific companies," Chebeskov said on the sidelines of a financial forum in Moscow on Nov. 14. "The idea was that this concerns only those strategic companies in which the state already has a share," Chebeskov said. The lack of clarity and uncertain timeline highlights the unpredictable nature of regulatory changes facing investors and businesses seeking to adjust their exposure to Russia. This compares with net outflows of around $48 million in March 2022 and $69 million in February this year. Western investors have already struggled to get assets out of Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Ivan Chebeskov, Chebeskov, Rybalkin, Tskhakaya, Thomas J Brock, Carlsberg's, Putin, JP Morgan, JPM, Vijay Marolia, Brock, Sinead Cruise, Alexander Marrow, Elena Fabrichnaya, Darya Korsunskaya, Jane Merriman Organizations: Ukraine LONDON, Reuters, Nato, Dyakin, Partners, Kaiser Consulting, Investors, Morningstar Direct, Federal Property Agency, Assets, Deutsche Bank, Regal Point Capital, HSBC, Expobank, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, MOSCOW, Moscow, Russian, Magnit, London

The logo of Russian technology giant Yandex is on display at the company's headquarters in Moscow, Russia December 9, 2022. Dutch holding company Yandex NV's planned restructuring is aimed at recouping some shareholder funds with the sale of its main revenue-generating Russian businesses, such as its search and ride-hailing operations. 'CONTROL FOR LESS'Yandex NV may sell 100% of a holding company set up in Russia's Kaliningrad region, said one of the people. A third source said this scenario would see Yandex NV make a clean break with Russia. Yandex NV shareholders could easily have been left with nothing, said one of the sources.

Persons: Evgenia, Yandex, Yandex's, Arkady Volozh, Russia's, nationalising Yandex, Darya Korsunskaya, Alexander Marrow, David Goodman, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Kremlin, VK, Reuters, Carlsberg, Danone, Yandex, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Yandex, Dubai, Russia's Kaliningrad, nationalising

☆ Greek state bank bailout fund sells 9% of Alpha bank to Unicredit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ATHENS, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Greece's state-controlled bank bailout fund HFSF said on Monday it sold its 9% stake in Alpha Bank (ACBr.AT) to UniCredit after an improved bid by the Italian bank. UniCredit (CRDI.MI) announced last month it would become Alpha Bank's biggest investor by buying a 9% stake owned by Greece's HFSF and also agreed to acquire most of Alpha's Romanian business. Greece has been attracting significant investment as its economy strengthened after the crisis, prompting S&P Global to upgrade the country to investment grade in October. HFSF sold last month its 1.4% stake in Eurobank and is expected to proceed with the sale of about 20% of National Bank in next coming days. Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas; Editing by Tom Hogue and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: HFSF, Greece's HFSF, UniCredit, Lefteris Papadimas, Tom Hogue, Stephen Coates Organizations: Alpha Bank, Alpha, Athens Stock Exchange, Global, National Bank, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Italian, Romanian, Greece, Eurobank

☆ Greece starts process to sell 20% stake in National Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People walk outside the National Bank of Greece headquarters in Athens, Greece, January 17, 2022. REUTERS/Louiza Vradi/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsATHENS, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Greece on Monday announced plans to sell a 20% stake in National Bank of Greece (NBG) after concluding the sale of a 9% stake in Alpha Bank to UniCredit as it looks to divest from the country's lenders. It currently holds a 40.4% stake in NBG and a 27% stake in Piraeus Bank (BOPr.AT), Greece's third largest lender. NBG's shares were down about 1% at 5.39 euros at 1012 GMT on Monday, with the 20% stake valued at about one billion euros ($1.07 billion). Earlier on Monday, HFSF said it sold its 9% stake in Alpha Bank (ACBr.AT) to UniCredit for 293.5 million euros after an improved bid from the Italian bank.

Persons: Louiza, HFSF, Lefteris Papadimas, Jason Neely Organizations: National Bank of, REUTERS, Rights, Monday, National Bank of Greece, Alpha Bank, Hellenic, Stability, Piraeus Bank, Reuters, Global, Thomson Locations: National Bank of Greece, Athens, Greece, UniCredit, NBG

☆ Indonesia to cap interest on loans given by fintech companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Indonesia will in stages lower the maximum interest rates charged by financial technology (fintech) firms in the microfinance sector, amid complaints that overly high rates have been hurting borrowers, the country's financial regulator said on Friday. Starting next year, fintech firms can only charge a maximum of 0.3% interest per day for a loan intended for consumption which will fall to 0.1% in 2026, the country's Financial Services Authority (OJK) said. "Because if we don't regulate the interest rates properly, then the ones who suffer most are the consumers," Agusman, the OJK commissioner overseeing financing firms, told a press conference. The authority wants 50% to 70% of loans provided by fintech firms channelled to productive activities by 2028, compared to below 40% currently, Agusman said. The regulation on interest rates is part of the authority's plan to develop the fintech sector from 2023-2028.

Persons: Agusman, Stefanno Sulaiman, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: country's Financial Services Authority, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia

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