DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Tensions With Iran Add to Pakistan's Economic Challenges
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Pakistan conducted strikes inside Iran, targeting separatist Baloch militants two days after Tehran said it had attacked the bases of another group within Pakistani territory. It is undergoing a tough $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme that pulled it from the brink of default last summer. Pakistan's international bonds fell after its foreign ministry said it conducted strikes inside Iran on Thursday, two days after Tehran attacked the bases of another group within Pakistani territory. Earlier in the day, Pakistan's benchmark share index fell 1.6% after Pakistan said it conducted strikes inside Iran, before recovering some ground. Pakistan's economic ties with Iran, while not huge, are important for Islamabad as it struggles to supply its western- most regions in Balochistan with critical commodities, including fuel and electricity.

Persons: Aneel Salman, Salman, Pakistan's, Hasnain Malik, Ariba Shahid, Karin Strohecker, Amanda Cooper, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Baloch, Monetary Fund, Liquified Petroleum Gas, Islamabad Policy Research Institute, Pipeline Locations: KARACHI, LONDON, Pakistan, Iran, Tehran, Tradeweb, Islamabad, Balochistan, Afghanistan, Russia, India, Karachi, London

Helping these countries, which face some of the biggest risks from climate change, access these will be a key aim during the COP28 climate talks underway in Dubai. Ambitions for results at COP28 got off to a good start on the opening day on Thursday when countries approved plans for the climate disaster fund, after months of negotiations. About 60% of low-income countries are either in or at high risk of debt distress, the CDP said. The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program, for example, aims to agree a disaster relief bond issuance and a regional risk transfer facility, the ADB's Principal Disaster Risk Insurance and Finance Specialist, Thomas Kessler, told Reuters. "We are ready to scale up climate protection through early warning systems, anticipatory cash, climate insurance and community-based resilience projects," said Gernot Laganda, director of Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction at the United Nations World Food Programme.

Persons: COP28, Ekhosuehi Iyahen, IDF's Iyahen, Michèle Plichta, Lydia Poole, Odile Renaud, Basso, Thomas Kessler, Otis, Gernot Laganda, Alessandro Parodi, Simon Jessop, Libby George, Karin Strohecker, Susan Fenton Organizations: Insurance, Forum, PAF, Disaster, European Bank for Reconstruction, Global, Swiss, Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation, Finance, Reuters, UN, University of Cambridge's Institute for Sustainability Leadership, United Nations, Food, Thomson Locations: GDANSK, LONDON, Dubai, London, Mexico

Its 2022 annual report, filed on January 19, said the deal desk should review any deals greater than $500,000. SUSE sales growth was slowing at the time. Reuters could not determine if the deal was vetted by the deal desk nor how many deals have been going through the unit. SUSE and Reuters parent company, Thomson Reuters, are involved in litigation over the use of SUSE software products. SUSE claims that Thomson Reuters breached the terms that allegedly governed its use of SUSE software products.

Persons: SUSE, Reuters wasn't, EQT, Melissa Di Donato, Di Donato greenlighted, Di Donato, Eskom, BNY, BNY Mellon, Di, Christian Strenger, Di Donato's, Thomson, Karin Strohecker, Stefania Spezzati, Emma, Victoria Farr, Elisa Martinuzzi, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Microsoft, BMW, Sales, Reuters, Bank of New York Mellon, BNY Mellon, BNY, Corporate Governance Institute, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, Thomson Reuters, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt

☆ Exclusive: European fund giant Amundi dips toe back into Turkey's lira
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A logo of Amundi is seen outside the company headquarters in Paris, France, February 3, 2023. "We have started to cover our underweight in Turkish lira a few weeks ago," Strigo told Reuters, referring to the process of taking a more positive view on the currency. Amundi, while the first major fund to formally declare its shift, is not alone in testing the waters, according to other foreign investors and bankers. "It is probably the easiest way for now," Strigo said about the use of FX forwards to express that balance. With the bank having lifted rates to 40% from 8.5% since June, Amundi thinks another hike next month could finish the job.

Persons: Sarah Meyssonnier, Sergei Strigo, Amundi's, Strigo, Tayyip Erdogan, Amundi, Goldman Sachs, Erdogan, sceptics, Central Bank Governor Hafize Gaye Erkan, Marc Jones, Karin Strohecker, Jonathan Spicer, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Investment, JPMorgan, FX, Graphics, Central Bank Governor, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Turkey, Turkish, New York, London, Istanbul

☆ Exclusive: European fund giant Amundi dipping toe back into Turkey's lira
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A logo of Amundi is seen outside the company headquarters in Paris, France, February 3, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Amundi, Europe's largest asset manager, has started dipping its toe back into the Turkish lira it says having been impressed by the country's turnaround efforts since its mid-year elections. "We have started to cover our underweight in Turkish lira a few weeks ago," Sergei Strigo, Amundi's co-Head of Emerging Markets Fixed Income, told Reuters, referring to the process of taking a more positive view on the currency. "We are not yet ready to increase the allocation (in the lira) but it is definitely on our radar screen." Additional reporting by Karin Strohecker in London and Jonathan Spicer in Istanbul; editing by Elisa MartinuzziOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sarah Meyssonnier, Sergei Strigo, Amundi's, Strigo, Karin Strohecker, Jonathan Spicer, Elisa Martinuzzi Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Turkey, London, Istanbul

[1/2] International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva addresses the media on the fourth day of the annual meeting of the IMF and the World Bank, in Marrakech, Morocco, October 12, 2023. "So that is to my mind the number one priority for this COP, is to recognise that business as usual has to be dropped." Several countries were also considering using their 2021 SDR allocation on a bilateral basis alongside IMF programmes, she added. While the current average price was now around $5 a ton, "clearly there is a long, long, long way to go", she said, citing a preference for carbon taxes but openness to trading systems, as seen in Europe, or U.S.-style standards and rebates. This is ongoing work at the fund," she said, citing ongoing talks with the World Bank on how it would work.

Persons: Kristalina Georgieva, Susana Vera, Georgieva, it's, Andrea Shalal, Marc Jones, David Lawder, Alex Richardson Organizations: Monetary Fund, IMF, World Bank, REUTERS, International Monetary Fund, Reuters, Growth Trust, Sustainability Trust, African Development Bank, Inter, American Development Bank, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Dubai, Paris, Europe

☆ Zambia debt rework delaying impede key investments, hitting the 'most vulnerable' - FinMin
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Karin Strohecker | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Zambia's Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane takes part in a panel during the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, following last month's deadly earthquake, in Marrakech, Morocco, October 14, 2023. Zambia defaulted three years ago and is trying to rework its debt under the G20 Common Framework, a programme designed to ensure swift and smooth debt overhauls for low-income nations. The first African country to default in the COVID-19 era, Zambia's debt restructuring had started with drawn-out negotiations with bilateral creditors including China. "Zambia’s debt restructuring has dragged on too long," Musokotwane said in emailed comments. Musokotwane said the country had implemented some serious reforms and committed to improving management of government finances and boosting growth.

Persons: Situmbeko Musokotwane, Susana Vera, Musokotwane, Karin Strohecker, Rachel Savage, Kim Coghill Organizations: Zambia's, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, REUTERS, Finance, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Zambia, China

[1/4] An illegal money changer checks old U.S. dollars at a marketplace in Harare, Zimbabwe, November 26, 2020. The government reintroduced the local currency in 2019, but it rapidly lost value. Zimbabwe's dollarization story is as full of warnings as it is with promise. During the five years before dollarization in 2000, the monthly measure of annualized inflation averaged 33% in Ecuador. "With our local currency we couldn't buy anything, it was very expensive to acquire things, so dollarization ... allowed people to have greater security in their purchases."

Persons: Javier Milei, Milei, Zimbabwe's, Bongiwe Mudau, Dollarization, dollarization, Mudau, Moses Mhlanga, Nestor Cerneaz, Wilson Andrade, Juan Carlos Villota, Guido Puig, Tito Correa, Nyasha, Miguel Lo Bianco, Rodrigo Campos, Adam Jourdan, Karin Strohecker, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Philimon, Rights, U.S ., Reuters, International Monetary Fund, hawker, Reuters Graphics Reuters, dollarization, Thomson Locations: Harare, Zimbabwe, Philimon Bulawayo, Rights QUITO, HARARE, BUENOS AIRES, Zimbabwe's, Quito, Ecuador, Argentina, El Salvador, greenbacks, Buenos Aires, Argentine, New York

☆ VIEW Turkey central bank ramps up interest rates to 40%
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A logo of Turkey's Central Bank is pictured at the entrance of its headquarters in Ankara, Turkey October 15, 2021. Below reaction from analysts to the decision:LIAM PEACH, CAPITAL ECONOMICS, LONDON"(Turkey's central bank) suggested that it is very close to the end of the tightening cycle. For the central bank to have any chance of achieving single digit inflation this decade, rates will need to stay at this level for some time." BARTOSZ SAWICKI, CONOTOXIA FINTECH, WARSAW"In October the annual inflation rate inched lower and external price dynamics have turned a tad more favourable. The risk of a sharp slowdown in activity points to less aggressive continuation of the tightening cycle.

Persons: Cagla, LIAM PEACH, CONOTOXIA, Karin Strohecker, Ezgi, Susan Fenton Organizations: Turkey's Central, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, CONOTOXIA FINTECH, WARSAW

Milei's dollar plans, however, put pressure on the embattled peso currency, which is held in check by strict capital controls. The official exchange rate is near 350 per dollar, but dollars trade well over twice that in popular parallel markets. Milei said in the run-up to the election he wanted to ditch the peso altogether in favour of the dollar. Milei had also heavily criticised China and Brazil in the runup to the elections, two of Argentina's main trading partners. China said on Tuesday it would be a "serious mistake" if Milei opted to cut ties between the two countries.

Persons: dollarization, Javier Milei, Miel, Milei, Morgan Stanley's, Viktor Szabo, Banks, Banks Grupo Supervielle, Marc Jones, Elizabeth Howcroft, Mayur Kamdar, Karin Strohecker, Bernadette Baum, Emelia Organizations: Argentina, Abrdn, U.S ., Banks Grupo, Banco, Banco BBVA Argentina, Grupo Financiero, Thomson Locations: BUENOS AIRES, MERV, London, Argentina, U.S, Grupo Financiero Galicia, China, Brazil

The IMF approved a tweaked deal, but official creditors again rejected it, Zambia said. The country's External Bondholder Steering Committee said it was deeply concerned with recent developments and that its latest offer would provide more debt relief than official creditors on a net present value basis, as well as a principal haircut when official creditors were offering none. The Common Framework has been severely criticised, as it is yet to provide any countries with debt relief. "If the OCC does not row back, sovereign debt restructuring would have taken a huge step backwards," said a second source familiar with the situation. Ghana, which is also undergoing Common Framework debt treatment, saw its international bonds slump up to 1.4 cents on the dollar .

Persons: Yuri Gripas, Rachel Savage, Karin Strohecker, Bhargav Acharya, Marc Jones, Libby George, Alexander Winning, William Maclean, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Monetary Fund, REUTERS, International Monetary Fund, IMF, OCC, Government, Paris Club, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Zambia Zambia, Ghana, Sri Lanka, JOHANNESBURG, Zambia, China, Base, France, India, London

☆ IMF, China ready to work with new Argentina leader Milei
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Argentine president-elect Javier Milei waves to his supporters after winning Argentina's runoff presidential election, in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 19, 2023. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Kristalina Georgieva, head of the International Monetary Fund, and a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said on Monday they were ready to work with Argentina's president-elect Javier Milei. Argentina elected right-wing libertarian Javier Milei as its new president on Sunday, rolling the dice on an outsider with radical views to fix an economy battered by triple-digit inflation, a looming recession and rising poverty. The IMF has a $44 billion loan program with Argentina. Reporting by Karin Strohecker and Liz Lee in Beijing; editing by Marc Jones and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Javier Milei, Agustin Marcarian, Georgieva, Mao Ning, Karin Strohecker, Liz Lee, Marc Jones, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Argentine, REUTERS, International Monetary Fund, IMF, South, Thomson Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, China, Beijing

"Coal in North Macedonia represents 40% of the energy source, so it's very big, it's very important," EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso told Reuters. Both of its coal-fired plants are ageing, outdated and run on lignite, the most polluting type of coal. An IFC spokesperson said the green transition, including in North Macedonia, was one of its key priorities, but that it was not in a position to confirm any plan details. "The world's richest countries need to work with the multilateral development banks to find effective, structural ways to channel significantly scaled up energy transition finance," he said. North Macedonia joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance, a group of countries committed to phasing out coal-fired power, in 2021.

Persons: Odile Renaud, Basso, COP27, REK, Renaud, Leo Roberts, E3G, Kate Abnett, Kirsten Donovan, Louise Heavens Organizations: European Bank for Reconstruction, World Bank, Reuters, Investment, United Nations, Climate Investment Funds, International Finance Corporation, IFC, Bank, Past Coal Alliance, Union, Thomson Locations: Dubai, wean, Macedonia, North Macedonia, South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, Senegal, North, Skopje, Europe, Macedonian, Pakistan, Colombia, Ukraine

The deal, which is expected to be announced at the COP28 climate talks in Dubai beginning on Nov. 30, will lay out a plan to close the country's two coal power plants and replace them with 1.7 gigawatts of renewable energy. "Coal in North Macedonia represents 40% of the energy source, so it's very big, it's very important," EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso told Reuters. Both of its coal-fired plants are ageing, outdated and run on lignite, the most polluting type of coal. An IFC spokesperson said the green transition, including in North Macedonia, was one of its key priorities, but that it was not in a position to confirm any plan details. North Macedonia joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance, a group of countries committed to phasing out coal-fired power, in 2021.

Persons: Odile Renaud, Basso, REK, Renaud, Kate Abnett, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: European Bank for Reconstruction, World Bank, Reuters, Investment, United Nations, Investment Funds, International Finance Corporation, IFC, Bank, Past Coal Alliance, Union, Thomson Locations: Dubai, wean, Macedonia, North Macedonia, South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, Senegal, North, Skopje, Europe, Macedonian, Ukraine

☆ Take Five: Black Friday is (almost) here
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 17 (Reuters) - U.S. retailers are gearing up for Black Friday, marking the start of the shopping season that follows the Thanksgiving holiday, while business activity data should gauge the temperature elsewhere. 1/ BARGAIN HUNTINGThe crucial holiday shopping season kicks off with Black Friday on Nov. 24 at a time when investors are questioning whether the consumer-driven U.S. economy can remain resilient. This year's Black Friday comes as Americans grapple with soaring interest rates and inflation that, while easing, remains above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. Already, data for October showed U.S. retail sales fell, pointing to slowing demand, although the decline was less than expected. As long as that's not the case, pressure is on the Kishida cabinet since a weak yen is unpopular politically.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Lewis Krauskopf, Kevin Buckland, Naomi Rovnick, Dhara Ranasinghe, Karin Strohecker, There's, PIMCO, Rishi Sunak, David Cameron, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, bode, Sergio Massa, Javier Milei, Pragmatist Massa, Prinz Magtulis, Sumanta Sen, Kripa Jayaram, Pasit, Mark Potter Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Black, Nvidia, Insider Intelligence, European Commission, PMI, Fed, European Central Bank, Reuters Graphics Reuters, DOWNING STREET, Labour, gilts, Natwest, Reuters, Bank of Japan, Peronist, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Argentina, Lewis, New York, Tokyo, London, Britain, Japan, Egypt, Taiwan, South Africa, India

[1/3] The company logo of Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured at the Shanghai Country Garden Center in Shanghai, China August 9, 2023. Beijing needs to pull "multiple levers" at the same time to address the "vulnerabilities" in the financial system, local government financing, as well as consumer sentiment, said Edward Al-Hussainy, head of emerging market fixed income research at Columbia Threadneedle, which owns Country Garden bonds. China property sector slumpShoring up confidence is the biggest challenge facing Beijing and is key to getting homebuyers spending again, which analysts says isn't likely to happen soon given an uncertain economic outlook. Reuters reported last week that Chinese authorities have asked domestic financial behemoth Ping An Insurance Group to take a controlling stake in Country Garden. "You need to fix the macro environment first; if you don't earn enough how do you buy a property?," said Xu, whose firm holds China property dollar bonds.

Persons: Aly, Edward Al, isn't, Morgan Stanley, Ping, Ping An, Elliot Hentov, Steven Xu, Xu, Raymond Cheng, Goldman Sachs, Clare Jim, Davide Barbuscia, Karin Strohecker, Summer Zhen, Rae Wee, Sumeet Chatterjee Organizations: Shanghai Country Garden, REUTERS, HONG KONG, Columbia, Reuters, HK, Economic Work Conference, Reuters Graphics, HIT, Insurance Group, State Street Global Advisors, Country, Harmonia, Bloomberg, China, CIBM Securities, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG, Beijing, outflows, Hong Kong, New York, London, Singapore

☆ JPMorgan ratchets up Israel's 2024 budget deficit forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza will lead to a larger-than- expected budget deficit next year, investment bank JPMorgan said on Wednesday, adding that the cost of the conflict would also result in a significant jump in debt issuance. The bank's analysts said they now expected the government's budget deficit to widen to around 4.5% of GDP in 2023 and 2024 versus their previous forecasts of a 4.5% deficit in 2023 but a lower 2.9% deficit in 2024. They added that while the pressures would impact investor appetite for Israel's bonds, they did not expect demand to evaporate. The bar for the country's central bank to intervene in the bond market was also high, they said. Reporting by Marc Jones, editing by Karin StroheckerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marc Jones, Karin Strohecker Organizations: JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: Gaza

JOHANNESBURG/LONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Zambia's official creditors including China rejected a deal the country struck with its international bondholders because they believed its "base case" scenario did not deliver debt relief comparable to what they offered in a separate deal, two sources familiar with the talks said. Official creditors said the agreement in principle, which the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also rejected, did not comply with "Comparability of Treatment", said the sources, who declined to be identified as the discussions are private. Both bondholders and official creditors had proposed extending the maturity of Zambia's debt and that it be paid back quicker if the country's economy performs better than expected. The bondholder deal proposed they would be paid more than $700 million before 2026 in the base case, while official creditors had offered a longer three-year grace period. Bondholders would need to offer more debt relief in the base case scenario for the deal to be acceptable to official creditors and the IMF, one of the sources said.

Persons: Rachel Savage, Karin Strohecker, Marc Jones, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: International Monetary Fund, IMF, Paris Club, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: JOHANNESBURG, LONDON, China, Zambia

☆ Exclusive: Inside IMF, stance hardens on Argentina as $44 bln deal skids off track
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | Thomson Reuters | Jorgelina Do Rosario Is Emerging Markets Correspondent At Reuters Based In London | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

With "depleted reserves and an overvalued currency, recent economic measures are not aligned with the programme," a second source added. In an August report, the IMF said that Argentina's programme had gone off track, but allowed for changes in some goals - such as easing reserves targets - to put it back on course. It also comes at a sensitive time for the cash-strapped country, which has a review of the programme scheduled for early November. During the Oct. 30 meeting, a representative for Argentina said that the country was committed to remain current with IMF payments, one source added. Reporting by Jorgelina do Rosario in London Editing by Karin Strohecker and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Sergio Massa, Javier Milei, Mauricio Macri's, Jorgelina, Karin Strohecker, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Argentine, REUTERS, Monetary Fund, JPMorgan, IMF, Argentina's, Farmers, Peronist Economy, Argentina, Peronist, Thomson Locations: Argentina, Rosario, Washington, London

☆ Sri Lanka, Argentina top list of most vulnerable economies -study
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka and Argentina remain very vulnerable amid a worsening in global financial conditions while China has suffered a sharp deterioration in financial resilience since pre-COVID times, a think-tank study found on Wednesday. The study also showed that debt sustainability has declined over the last four years across emerging market economies. "In 2019, only Tunisia, Pakistan, Argentina, and Sri Lanka had ratios of external financing needs above 100%. The study calculated external financing needs by measuring short-term external debt plus current account deficits as a proportion of international reserves. Bolivia, Egypt, Turkey and El Salvador are also on the list of vulnerable countries, while the study shows that Indonesia, Peru and Bulgaria are the most resilient countries in the group.

Persons: Liliana Rojas, Suarez, Rojas, Jorgelina, Karin Strohecker Organizations: Washington -, Global Development, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, U.S, Thomson Locations: Sri Lanka, Argentina, China, Washington, Ukraine, Lanka, Britain, Tunisia, Pakistan, Bolivia, Egypt, Turkey, El Salvador, Indonesia, Peru, Bulgaria, Rosario, Lincoln

A view shows the logo of the European Central Bank (ECB) outside its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany March 16, 2023. Central banks in Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Great Britain and the United States held no rate setting meetings. That compares to September, where three major developed central banks delivered a last-gasp set of rate hikes, which took 2023 the year-to-date tally for G10 central banks to a total of 1,150 bps across 36 hikes. Emerging markets interest rate moves in Oct 2023Meanwhile, diverging rate trajectories continued to be on display in emerging economies where 12 out of the 18 central banks in the Reuters sample held meetings in October. Central banks in Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, Malaysia and Czech Republic did not meet in October.

Persons: Heiko Becker, Fabiana Fedeli, Barnaby Martin, Karin Strohecker, Sumanta Sen, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: European Central Bank, REUTERS, Bank of Japan, Reserve Bank of Australia, Reserve Bank of New, Bank of Canada, Fed, Bank of England, G Investments, U.S . Federal, Reuters, BofA Securities, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Central, America, Europe, Asia, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Great Britain, United States, Chile, Hungary, Poland, Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, Malaysia, Czech Republic

[1/3] A state oil company PDVSA's logo is seen at a gas station in Caracas, Venezuela May 17, 2019. The restrictions were removed in response to a deal reached between the country's government and opposition parties for the 2024 election. JPMorgan's index team, which has made no statement as yet on the future treatment of the Venezuelan bonds, has reached out informally to investors to discuss the topic, the sources said. Venezuela and PDVSA have around $60 billion of international bonds outstanding, which are in default. The decision on index membership and weighting is taken by JPMorgan, though any changes usually follow consultations with investors.

Persons: Ivan Alvarado, Rodrigo Campos, Jorgelina, Rosario, Karin Strohecker, Christina Fincher, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, JPMorgan, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, United States, PDVSA, Washington

Reuters GraphicsThe Tel Aviv Inter-Bank Offered Rate, or TELBOR , a proxy for interest rate expectations, shows markets are now pricing in just over 50 bps of rate cuts over the next 12 months. "We thought the market was overreacting and exaggerating a rate cut in the (Oct. 23) decision, during the war," Bank Hapoalim's Shafrir said. The central bank's own economists project 50-75 bps of rate cuts in the next year. Prior to the war, markets had predicted that the benchmark rate would be lowered by at least 100 bps through 2024 as inflation returned to its target range. Israel's next rate decision is due on Nov. 27 with markets currently expecting rates to be held, and the three-month TELBOR rate pointing to a 25 bps cut in early 2024.

Persons: Violeta Santos Moura, Morgan Stanley, Georgi Deyanov, Modi Shafrir, Amir Yaron, Andrew Abir, Shafrir, Yaron, Anatoliy Shal, Shal, Steven Scheer, Karin Strohecker, Sumanta Sen, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Palestinian, Hamas, Bank of Israel, Bank Hapoalim, Reuters, Tel Aviv Inter, Monday, P Global Market Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Israel's, Gaza, Israel, LONDON, Jerusalem, London

Zambia was the first African country to default in the COVID-19 era, in late 2020, but its restructuring process has been beset by delays. International bondholders also complained they were left out of the process, which started with drawn-out negotiations with bilateral creditors including China. Zambia's three international bonds rose sharply after the announcement, adding as much as 3.9 cents on the dollar, Tradeweb and MarketAxess data showed. The committee of bondholders owns or controls 40% of the outstanding bonds, Zambia's finance ministry added. Earlier this month, Zambia agreed a memorandum of understanding with its official creditors, including China and members of the Paris Club of creditor nations, to restructure about $6.3 billion of debt.

Persons: Situmbeko Musokotwane, Susana Vera, amortization, Rachel Savage, Karin Strohecker, Bhargav Acharya, David Holmes Organizations: Zambia's, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, REUTERS, IMF, Bondholder, Amia, Amundi, RBC BlueBay Asset Management, Farallon Capital Management, Greylock Capital Management, Paris Club, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, JOHANNESBURG, Zambia, China, Rosario

Search resuls for: "Karin Strohecker"

25 mentions found