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A view shows the logo of the European Central Bank (ECB) outside its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany March 16, 2023. That was a relief to financial markets, roiled in recent weeks by a surge in government bond yields led by U.S. Treasuries. The central bank reiterated it would reinvest all the cash it receives from maturing bonds it holds under its 1.7 trillion euro pandemic-era bond scheme until the end of 2024. Instead, the ECB kept the emphasis on slowing inflation, raising investors' conviction that September's rate rise was the central bank's last. And inflation risks have not disappeared.

Persons: Heiko Becker, Christine Lagarde, Lagarde, Piet Christiansen, Gabriele Foa, reinvestments, Marcus Brookes, Sabrina Kanniche, Yoruk Bahceli, Naomi Rovnick, Amanda Cooper, Nick Zieminski Organizations: European Central Bank, REUTERS, ECB, U.S, Treasuries, Reuters, Danske Bank, The Bank of, Algebris, Quilter Investors, Asset Management, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Italy, Copenhagen, Israel, The Bank of Canada, wean, Ukraine

☆ Bargain hunters dig in to 'cheap' European banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Naomi Rovnick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Just before earnings season kicks off, European bank shares are sporting a dividend yield of almost 8%, making them cheaper on this basis than during the 2008 global financial crisis. European banks, which struggled during 2014 to 2022 as the ECB kept rates below zero, have had a major boost from hiking their loan costs in line with central bank rates. Analyst forecasts collated by European asset manager Amundi show European banks are expected to grow adjusted earnings per share by 25% this year, followed by a 6% gain in 2024. Generali's Morganti said he has moved his position on European banks from negative to neutral and was likely to add more. He did not forecast quick gains for European banks ahead, however.

Persons: Guy de Blonay, Sebastiano Pirro, Roger Lee, Amundi, LSEG, Michele Morganti, Italy's Unicredit, Banks, Pirro, Generali's Morganti, Naomi Rovnick, Joice Alves, Dhara Ranasinghe, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Reuters Graphics Banks, Jupiter Asset Management, Algebris Investments, European Central Bank, Reuters, ECB, Bank, Generali Investments, Monetary Fund, Thomson

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 11, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Coty gains on raising sales forecastFederal Reserve rate verdict due at 2 p.m. The U.S. central bank is expected to maintain its key rate in the range of 5.25%-5.50% as it concludes its meeting at 2 p.m. ET, with investors focused on economic projections and Chair Jerome Powell's comments for clues on the outlook for rates and inflation. Investors were also looking forward to the debut by marketing automation company Klaviyo on the New York Stock Exchange against the backdrop of some recent successful U.S. listings.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Jerome Powell's, Gabriele Foà, Foà, Klaviyo, Morgan, Ankika Biswas, Shristi, Arun Koyyur Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Companies Coty, Citigroup, Dow, Nasdaq, Algebris Investments, Financial, Arm Holdings, Dow e, Coty, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

Odey Asset Management "does not recognise the picture of the firm that has been painted" by the allegations, it told investors in a letter seen by Reuters. Within hours of the report being published, Wall Street firms including Goldman Sachs (GS.N), JPMorgan (JPM.N) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N) began reviewing their prime broking ties with Odey Asset Management, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. "We are confident our service providers will continue to work with us," an Odey Asset Management letter said later. Industry experts consulted by Reuters said that did not necessarily indicate a major change in culture in the City, however. A London employment tribunal last month awarded a former Algebris employee over 32,000 pounds in a sex harassment claim against the asset management company.

Persons: Crispin Odey, Odey, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, MS.N, Schroders, Evan Nierman, Megan Tobias Neely, Neely, retrained, Daniel Beunza, Davide Serra, Serra, Algebris, Yasmine Chinwala, Nell Mackenzie, Sinead Cruise, Naomi Rovnick, Dhara Ranasinghe, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Odey Asset Management, Financial Times, Tortoise Media, Reuters, Odey, Wall, JPMorgan, FT, Financial, Bayes Business, Labour Party, New, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, New York

☆ Sergio Ermotti returns as UBS CEO to steer Credit Suisse takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( John Revill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Sergio Ermotti, newly rehired CEO of UBS Group AG attends a news conference in Zurich, Switzerland March 29, 2023. "Sergio has already reduced risk and made the investment bank serve its clients and not its investment bankers as Credit Suisse did. Reuters GraphicsErmotti had earlier described the task of integrating UBS and Credit Suisse as "urgent and challenging". The Dutch executive was a notable absentee from the announcement of UBS's takeover of Credit Suisse on March 19. The next day, Hamers looked bleary eyed as he described the end of Credit Suisse as a "sad day" that nobody wanted.

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☆ Ermotti returns to UBS to steer Credit Suisse takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( John Revill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He takes charge weeks after UBS bought rival Swiss bank Credit Suisse in a shotgun merger engineered by Swiss authorities to stem turmoil after Credit Suisse ran aground. "Sergio has already reduced risk and made the investment bank serve its clients and not its investment bankers as Credit Suisse did. HAMERS HANDS OVER REINSErmotti said he was looking forward to integrating UBS and Credit Suisse. He was a notable absentee from the announcement of UBS's takeover of Credit Suisse on March 19. The next day, Hamers looked bleary eyed as he described the end of Credit Suisse as a "sad day" that nobody wanted.

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The U.S. central bank's two-day policy meeting will end at 2 p.m. ET (1800 GMT), with investors keenly awaiting Fed Chair Jerome Powell's conference at 2:30 p.m. ET to gauge the central bank’s rate-hike trajectory. While the central bank is likely to continue its hiking cycle with a 0.25% move, we think the guidance for future meetings will be considerably more open," said Gabriele Foà, co-portfolio manager at Algebris Investments. ET, Dow e-minis were up 24 points, or 0.07%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 1.5 points, or 0.04%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 12.75 points, or 0.1%.

☆ These 10 funds had over $100 million each in Credit Suisse bonds — which are now worth nothing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A number of funds could be facing over $100 million in losses on their Credit Suisse investments after the lender's forced merger with its rival UBS . The funds face losses on Credit Suisse's additional tier-1 bonds (AT1), according to CNBC Pro analysis, after Swiss regulators deemed them worthless as part of the emergency merger . The Swiss regulator FINMA saw the merger between Credit Suisse and UBS as a trigger event to write down 16 billion Swiss francs ($17 billion) worth of the bonds. The following table shows the funds that held AT1 bonds with a par amount of at least $100 million each as of Mar. About 80 funds run either directly by PIMCO or one of its affiliates, held Credit Suisse AT 1 bonds, according to CNBC's analysis.

In both the United States and Europe, the words of central bankers led investors to cut their estimates of the peak or "terminal" rate expected in the current tightening cycle. With financial conditions loosening despite rising policy rates, "central banks must...be resolute in their fight against inflation and ensure policy remains appropriately tight long enough to durably bring inflation back to target," Adrian and others wrote. The European Central Bank seems furthest from a likely stopping point. Combined, the statements mark the start of the endgame for central banks that were slow to recognize the onset of inflation last year before engaging in a record-setting round of rate increases. Central bankers long ago stopped using the word "transitory" in reference to inflation that proved faster and more persistent than any expected.

☆ Italy's Monte dei Paschi says cash call 96.3% covered
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Valentina Za | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Concerns about tapping markets against the backdrop of the Ukraine war, record inflation and an impending economic slump had risked derailing Monte dei Paschi's (MPS) seventh cash call in 14 years. European Union laws curbing state aid to banks capped the Italian taxpayers' contribution at 1.6 billion euros, reflecting Rome's 64% stake in MPS. Underwriters led by global coordinators Bank of America (BAC.N), Citigroup , Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) and Mediobanca (MDBI.MI) will be left holding 93 million euros in shares, MPS said. Having committed up to 200 million euros towards the issue, AXA is expected to emerge as the Tuscan bank's second-biggest shareholder. ($1 = 1.0265 euro)($1 = 1.0259 euros)Reporting by Valentina Za; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Andrea RicciOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tricky Monte Paschi cash call comes at high cost
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The fees amount to some 15% of the 857 million euros banks and fund Algebris have agreed to backstop. The fees in Saipem’s (SPMI.MI) 2 billion euro rights issue amounted to less than 5% of the amount banks had agreed to mop up. Monte Paschi says investors have committed 37 million euros and others say they will take up more than 50% of the 900 million euro portion of the rights issue reserved for private investors. That implies the banks may get stuck with some 400 million euros of unsold stock in a worst case scenario. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterFor Monte Paschi, the cost of the rights issue will cut some 15 basis points off its Tier 1 capital ratio target of 14.2% for 2024.

☆ Monte dei Paschi to pay 125 million euros in fees for share sale
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Valentina Za | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MILAN, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Italy's Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) (BMPS.MI) said a new share sale to raise up to 2.5 billion euros ($2.4 billion) would cost it 125 million euros in fees to financial institutions backstopping the issue. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterAfter difficult negotiations that risked derailing the capital raising, the eight banks have agreed to guarantee the share issue for up to 807 million euros. Algebris is backstopping up to another 50 million euros. The fees amount to nearly 15% of the guaranteed sum and compare with a market value of just 99.8 million euros for MPS on Friday. The cost of the capital increase, which totals 132 million euros, would shave 15 basis points off that target, MPS said.

☆ Monte dei Paschi to pay 125 mln euros in fees for share sale
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MILAN, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Italy's Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS.MI) said a new share sale to raise up to 2.5 billion euros ($2.4 billion) would cost it 132 million euros, mostly due to fees paid to financial institutions backstopping the issue. Monte dei Paschi said it was set to pay 125 million euros in fees to a group of eight banks led by global coordinators Bank of America (BAC.N), Citigroup (C.N), Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) and Mediobanca (MDBI.MI), plus London-based fund Algebris. ($1 = 1.0263 euros)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Valentina Za, editing Gianluca SemeraroOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Up to 200 million euros of the capital will come from France's AXA (AXAF.PA), MPS' partner in an insurance joint-venture. Another 50 million euros are being guaranteed by London-based fund Algebris, whose founder Davide Serra is a close associate of Lovaglio. The state will put in 1.6 billion euros towards the capital raising, based on its 64% stake. Local banking foundations in Tuscany - charitable organisations overseen by Italy's Treasury - have already put in some 30 million euros. After its market value shrunk to just 256 million euros, MPS will sell the new shares with a discount of only 8.6% over Wednesday's closing price stripped of subscription rights.

Another 50 million euros are being guaranteed by London-based fund Algebris, whose founder Davide Serra is a close associate of Lovaglio. The state will put in 1.6 billion euros towards the capital raising, based on its 64% stake. If MPS gathers less than the maximum 2.5 billion euros, the state's contribution will be proportionally reduced so as not to exceed 64% of the total. At least 100 million euros will come from France's AXA (AXAF.PA), MPS' partner in an insurance joint-venture. After its market value shrunk to just 256 million euros, MPS will sell the new shares with a discount of just 8.6% over Wednesday's closing price stripped of subscription rights.

But it is unclear how many lenders are tapping the facility and whether pension funds are willing to shell out additional fees for what is a temporary solution, sources told Reuters. Banks are reluctant to increase their lending to LDI funds through the repo facility, according to one official at a European bank. BRIDGING THE GAPLDI is an investment strategy sold by asset managers like BlackRock, Legal & General Investment Management and Insight Investment to pension schemes to help them match their assets and liabilities. Governor Andrew Bailey has rejected calls to continue buying bonds from pension funds which say they still need support beyond Friday. "It's a bridging tool that they can still use to keep the dialogue with the market and the pension funds going."

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