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☆ Spirit Airlines furloughs 260 pilots to save money
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Spirit Airlines said on Monday it has reached a deal with Airbus to delay all aircraft deliveries scheduled from the second quarter of 2025 through 2026 and intends to furlough about 260 pilots, as the company looks to save cash. As a result of the deferrals, along with quality issues with engines made by supplier Pratt & Whitney, Spirit is furloughing pilots effective Sept. 1. “[The] aircraft deferrals and pilot furloughs look positive, in terms of helping the carrier to reduce [or] defer some costs. Spirit, which has been losing money for several quarters despite strong travel demand, operates an all-Airbus fleet. Spirit now expects to end 2025 with a total of 219 jets in its fleet, with no additions of the A320neo aircraft.

Persons: Stephen Trent, ”, Ryan Muller, Muller Organizations: CNN — Spirit Airlines, Airbus, Pratt, Whitney, Pratt & Whitney, Citi Research, Air Line Pilots Association

☆ China’s consumer inflation rate rises for first time in six months. But the holiday boost is likely to fade
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s consumer inflation turned positive for the first time in six months, largely supported by the Lunar New Year holiday, when a spending boom pushed up prices. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 0.7% in February from a year earlier, government data showed on Saturday, versus a rise of 0.3% forecast in a Reuters poll. This was the first increase in the inflation rate since August 2023. Last Tuesday, Premier Li Qiang said the government had set this year’s growth target at around 5% and inflation target at 3%. But the key to growth and rising prices will be how Beijing implements its policy to stimulate demand and boost confidence, analysts said.

Persons: “, ”, Zhiwei Zhang, ” Nomura, Price, Li Qiang, Gongsheng, Zheng Shanjie Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Index, “, People’s Bank of China, Getty, National, ” Citi Locations: China, Hong Kong, Nanjing, Jiangsu province, Beijing

A New York bank is under severe pressure Friday close to one year after absorbing a large chunk of another bank 30 miles away that had failed. That pressure has been compounded at the Hicksville, New York, bank because it grew massively almost overnight after absorbing the failed Signature Bank. That put New York Community Bancorp at a new level that requires higher regulatory scrutiny, a transition that has been rocky. One of those failed banks, Signature, was acquired by New York Community Bancorp, pushing it above $100 billion in assets, which by law puts it under more scrutiny from regulators. DiNello was CEO of Flagstar Bank, which New York Community Bancorp acquired in late 2022.

Persons: Thomas Cangemi, ”, Joe Biden, ” Citi’s Keith Horowitz, Horowitz, Cangemi, Alessandro DiNello, DiNello Organizations: New York Community Bancorp, Moody’s, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Bank, Industry, Flagstar Bank, New, Community Bancorp Locations: York, New, , New York

☆ US allows China to boost passenger flights to 50 per week as summer travel season nears
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

By February of that year, most American airlines had suspended flights to China due to fears about the coronavirus. In the next month, the CAAC slashed international flights to China, citing the need to curb imported Covid-19 cases. Despite the two sides amending their rules after negotiations, the number of flights between the United States and China still fell significantly during the pandemic. We look forward to once again welcoming Chinese group travel to the United States,” she said in a statement issued at the time. In June, Reuters reported that newly approved flights by Chinese airlines were indeed avoiding Russian airspace on their way to the United States.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, David McNew, Trump, Gina Raimondo, ”, Biden Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, US Department of Transportation, ” Citi, Civil Aviation Administration of China, Air China, LAX Tom, US, Reuters Locations: China, Hong Kong, Hong Kong CNN — Washington, United States, Los Angeles , California, Beijing, Washington, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Alibaba shares sink after it shelves IPO plans for two units
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Shares in Alibaba sank as much as 7% in Hong Kong on Thursday, after the Chinese tech giant reported disappointing sales figures and announced it would suspend listings plans for two of its units. The news comes at a tough time for the tech giant. In December, the company reshuffled its top ranks after the stellar performance of a competitor caused a stir at Alibaba. The company’s announcement of a $25 billion share repurchase program, which it said demonstrated its confidence in its business and cash flow outlook, also failed to ignite interest among investors. Alibaba shares in New York closed 5.9% lower on Wednesday.

Persons: Joseph Tsai, ”, Alibaba, Jack Ma, PDD, Alicia Yap, Ma, —, Laura Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Cainiao, Reuters, Refinitiv, ” Citi Locations: China, Hong Kong, Alibaba, New York

☆ Exclusive-Eisai Expects 1,500 Alzheimer's Patients in China Launch, Sees ‘Huge’ Growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

“China is one of the fastest-aging countries in the world and is one of the most important countries in the area of Alzheimer’s disease for Eisai,” a company spokesperson said. “The potential growth for Leqembi in China is huge.”Eli Lilly, which is developing a similar treatment called donanemab, told Reuters it has filed for approval in China. The Indianapolis-based company is now testing its drug in a 1,500-person trial with volunteers in China, Taiwan, South Korea and the EU, a spokesperson said. Leqembi, which works by removing a toxic protein called beta amyloid from the brain, is the first Alzheimer's treatment proven to alter the course of the fatal, brain-wasting disease. Once on treatment, suitable patients undergo a series of MRI scans to monitor for potentially fatal swelling and bleeding in the brain.

Persons: Julie Steenhuysen, Andrew Silver CHICAGO, ” Eli Lilly, Biogen, Liu Zhou, Eisai, ”, Hidemaru Yamaguchi, Soeren Mattke, Mattke, Andrew Silver, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, EU, Leqembi, Guangdong Medical University, ” Citi, Psychiatry, Siemens Healthineers, University of Southern, University of Southern California Brain Health Locations: SHANGHAI, China, ”, Leqembi, The Indianapolis, Taiwan, South Korea, Eisai, United States, Japan, Europe, U.S, University of Southern California, Chicago, Shanghai

☆ UK’s Metro Bank and Lloyds join Barclays in announcing job cuts weeks before Christmas
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Staff at UK banks face layoffs in the lead-up to Christmas in what one labor union called “disgraceful” timing. Struggling Metro Bank said Thursday that it expected to slash headcount by 20% as part of efforts to save £50 million ($63 million) a year. But Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at stockbroker IG, said becoming more like the big banks Metro Bank sought to displace would “sorely diminish” the lender’s appeal. “Far from being a serious challenger to the UK’s established banks, Metro continues to flounder,” he wrote in a note. Metro Bank also said new stock issued as part of an emergency equity raise last month to shore up its finances would begin trading Thursday.

Persons: “, Daniel Frumkin, Chris Beauchamp, ”, Charles Schwab, Dominic Hook, upskilling, Andrew Coombs, Jaime Gilinski Bacal Organizations: London CNN — Staff, Metro Bank, Lloyds, Barclays, Metro, Citigroup, Vice Media, Continental, Unite, ” Citi, Bank of England Locations: United Kingdom

☆ Citibank fined $26 million for ‘treating Armenian Americans like criminals,’ US agency says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Citibank illegally discriminated against Armenian Americans for years by singling them out on credit card applications based on their surnames, a federal regulator alleged on Wednesday. “Citi treated Armenian Americans as criminals who were likely to commit fraud,” the CFPB alleged. Citi applied more stringent criteria to suspected Armenian Americans’ applications, including “denying them outright,” placing blocks on the accounts and requiring additional information, according to the regulator. To punish Citi for the alleged discrimination, the CFPB ordered the bank to pay $25.9 million in fines and consumer redress. “Regrettably, in trying to thwart a well-documented Armenian fraud ring operating in certain parts of California, a few employees took impermissible actions,” Citi spokesperson Karen Kearns said in a statement to CNN.

Persons: “, “ Regrettably, ”, Karen Kearns Organizations: New, New York CNN, Citibank, Armenian, Consumer Financial, Bureau, Citi “, Citi, ” Citi, CNN Locations: New York, California

☆ China PMI, bumper 'Golden Week' travel give glimmers of hope for economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

PMI data released by Caixin Media and S&P Global showed both manufacturing and services losing some momentum. “We see increasing evidence of a near-term growth stabilization,” Nomura analysts said in a research note on Saturday, thanks partly to the raft of policy measures unveiled since late July, they added. While domestic travel for the Golden Week holiday appears strong, Chinese consumers are leaving the mainland in fewer numbers. Preliminary statistics from ForwardKeys, a global travel data provider, last week showed that Chinese travel within Asia was down 33% on pre-pandemic levels. On the first day of the Golden Week holiday, the number of mainland Chinese tourists entering Hong Kong was still less than half of 2018’s level, the city’s government said over the weekend.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Stringer, “, ” Nomura, Julie Kozack, Xu Jiayin, Xu Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Bureau, Statistics, PMI, Caixin Media, P Global, Getty, China State Railway Group, Ministry, Transport, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, NBS, ” Citi, International Monetary Fund, Bank, Golden, Evergrande Group Locations: Hong Kong, Nantong, China's Jiangsu, AFP, China, Hangzhou, China's, Zhejiang, Beijing, Asia

☆ Citi’s big restructuring has a familiar ring to it
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jane Fraser CEO, Citi, speaks at the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 1, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Jane Fraser is trying to make history. Citigroup’s (C.N) boss said the shake-up she unveiled on Wednesday is the most “consequential changes” to the organization in 20 years. Citi shares gained less than 2% in a flat market following her presentation at the Barclays Global Financial Services conference. The bottom line is that an investor who put $10 into Citi 20 years ago would have just $1 today.

Persons: Jane Fraser, Mike Blake, Michael Corbat, Vikram Pandit, ballyhooed, Fraser, Corbat, BoE, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Citi, Milken, Global Conference, REUTERS, Reuters, Barclays Global Financial Services, JPMorgan, X, Unity, Treasury, UBS, Thomson Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, Asia

☆ Former Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang quits cloud in surprise move amid landmark restructuring
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Daniel Zhang, the outgoing chairman and CEO of Alibaba, has stepped down from his position running the company’s cloud division in a surprise move announced just months after he assumed the pivotal role. Daniel Zhang, the then CEO of Alibaba, speaks at a conference in Shanghai in November 2022. Han Haidan/China News Service/Getty ImagesEddie Yongming Wu will succeed Zhang as acting chairman and CEO of its cloud unit, Alibaba said Monday. Significant restructuringIn March, Alibaba announced it would split into six separate units, including cloud, e-commerce, logistics, media and entertainment. Analysts said Zhang’s departure from the cloud business came as a surprise, but should not affect a potential IPO of the unit.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Daniel Zhang, Zhang, “, “ Mr Zhang, Daniel Zhang, Han Haidan, Eddie Yongming Wu, Alibaba, Joseph C Tsai, Wu, Joe Tsai, Steven Ferdman, Tsai, —, ”, ” Tsai, Jacob Cooke Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, ” Citi, Alibaba, China News Service, Cloud Intelligence Group, Paley International, Paley Museum, CNN, Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, South China Morning, Alibaba Group, Analysts Locations: China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York, Alibaba

☆ As gas prices hit 10-month highs, Citi warns major hurricanes could ‘massively’ disrupt supplies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Oil prices could still fallFor consumers, the good news is that, outside of the risk of a bad hurricane season, Citi is bearish on oil prices. The Wall Street bank’s baseline forecast is that oil prices will drop in the coming months, a scenario that would cool gas prices. “It’s something we certainly keep a close eye on,” a White House official told CNN earlier this week. As recently as Memorial Day and July 4th, consumers were saving big on gas prices when measured against the same point last year. “Energy markets are volatile and gas prices can fluctuate,” the White House official told CNN.

Persons: Hilary, Joe Biden’s, “, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Janet Yellen, heatwaves Organizations: CNN, AAA, That’s, Citigroup, National Hurricane Center, Coast, Citi, White, “ Energy, White House Locations: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, California, Washington, Colorado , Arizona, Illinois, AAA . Indiana , Pennsylvania, New York

☆ TSMC says skilled worker shortage delays start of Arizona chip production
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

“While the company’s declining revenue and profit were disappointing, its long-term growth prospects remain encouraging,” said Brady Wang, associate director at Counterpoint Research. “The short-term frenzy about the AI demand definitely cannot extrapolate for the long term. Still, the company’s earnings of 181.8 billion Taiwan dollars ($5.85 billion) for the quarter ending in June beat forecasts. “We see TSMC well-positioned for a strong growth outlook in 2024,” Goldman Sachs said in a research note. “We expect a solid 2024-onward outlook on the back of its leading position in AI chip manufacturing,” Citi Research analysts said in a note.

Persons: ”, Brady Wang, Mark Liu, ” Liu, ” Goldman Sachs, “ Organizations: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Counterpoint Research, ”, ” Citi Research Locations: Arizona, Taiwan

☆ Wall Street banks cut China's growth forecast after dull second quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Aniruddha Ghosh | Roshan Abraham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) -J.P.Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup trimmed China’s growth forecast for 2023 after the country’s economy grew at a weaker pace in the second quarter, with its post-COVID momentum unravelling rapidly. “Market scepticism on China’s growth outlook is on the rise,” said Morgan Stanley economists led by Robin Xing. JPM cut China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) forecast to 5% from 5.5%. Citi, meanwhile, expects a 20 bps cut in the policy rate and 25 bps in the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by the end of the third quarter. Goldman Sachs, however, maintained its 2023 full-year GDP growth forecast at 5.4%, even as they cut their current-quarter growth forecast to 5.5% on a quarter-on-quarter basis from 6.5% previously.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, ”, Robin Xing, China’s, JPM, “, Xiangrong Yu, ” Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Lisheng Wang Organizations: Reuters, Citigroup, Citi Locations: China, Beijing

Jamie Dimon, the bank’s chief executive, has deep political connections, and his prognostications on the economy are scrutinized in some circles as closely as a central banker’s musings. The U.S. economy “continues to perform better than many had expected,” said Charles W. Scharf, the bank’s chief executive. Unlike the other banks, Citigroup reported a fall in second-quarter profit, although the decline was not as severe as analysts had predicted. The U.S. government debt-limit standoff in April and May was also reflected in the banks’ results, with Citi citing anxiety during the negotiations as pushing investment-banking clients to the “sidelines” during the second quarter. What’s NextIn the next week or so, a slew of other banks will report quarterly earnings.

Persons: Jamie Dimon, Dimon, didn’t, ”, Wells, “, Charles W, Scharf, Jane Fraser, Goldman Sachs Organizations: JPMorgan, Treasury, Citigroup, Citi, Western Alliance and Comerica Locations: U.S, Wells Fargo, Republic

☆ China takes major step in regulating generative AI services like ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

China also urges platforms to “participate in the formulation of international rules and standards” related to generative AI, it said. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have taken the world by storm. Generative AI refers to the technology that underpins platforms like ChatGPT. In the global race to build guardrails for how governments tap AI, China had gained a significant head start, US Senator Mark Warner warned last month. So far, Baidu, Alibaba and JD.com’s generative AI services are either in the trial stage or being tested by corporate users.

Persons: —, Olivier Morin, Mark Warner, ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Cyberspace Administration, Ant, Baidu, Getty, China, Politico’s Global Tech Summit ., ” Citi, National Development, Reform Commission Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, AFP, United States

☆ Russia could weaponize metal exports next, Citi warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Russia has restricted exports of natural gas to Europe and announced it will temporarily slash oil output this month in response to Western sanctions. Next, it could weaponize exports of important metals such as aluminum and palladium, researchers at Citigroup have warned. For example, last year Russia made deep cuts to its natural gas exports to Europe, its top customer. Russia’s role in the global nuclear power industry is also under the microscope. The country is a key exporter of nuclear fuel and its nuclear sector has so far mostly escaped Western sanctions.

☆ China's State Council shakeup aims to counter rising US tech restrictions and financial risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“These proposed institutional changes reflect key focus areas of Chinese policymakers in the next few years, namely improving financial regulation coordination to enhance financial stability,” Goldman Sachs analysts said on Wednesday. Among the changes announced Tuesday during the annual gathering of the National People’s Congress, Beijing will set up a new powerful financial regulator: the National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA). VCG/Getty ImagesA super regulatorChina’s financial system has traditionally been jointly overseen by the People’s Bank of China, the CBIRC and the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). The new regulator is meant to “better manage risks” in the financial system and strengthen the supervision of “institutions, behaviors, and functions,” the government proposal said. The move comes as risks to the stability of China’s financial system are rising amid a housing market slump and economic slowdown.

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Citigroup took a $110 million writedown on leveraged loans in the third quarter, the company said on Friday as its Wall Street competitors downplayed their exposure to the sector. Banks have since pulled back from leveraged financing in the wake of losses taken on Citrix and other deals, as investors lost their appetite for riskier, floating-rate leveraged loans amid rapid interest rate hikes and fears of recession. “There are no real levels of loan write-down this quarter, and that market isn’t yet to clear,” Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan’s chief executive officer, told analysts on a conference call. So we’re very comfortable.”Morgan Stanley also scaled back its leveraged exposure in the third quarter. “They actually were quite modest marks, given the environment,” Sharon Yeshaya, Morgan Stanley’s chief financial officer, told analysts.

☆ Rail Shippers Brace for Potential National Strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Companies from food suppliers in the Midwest to retail importers across the U.S. are bracing for a potential national rail strike by seeking alternative transport to keep their supply chains running. Tens of thousands of American workers are on strike and thousands more are attempting to unionize. “We believe the potential for a rail work stoppage is growing,” Citi’s Christian Wetherbee wrote in a research note Wednesday. Other shippers will have to hold on to cargo if the rail network shuts down. U.S. railroads hauled more than 18,000 carloads of grains over the past week, according to the Association of American Railroads.

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