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☆ Judge rules Manhattan DA's office must turn over documents related to JP Morgan exec in bank lawsuit over Epstein connections
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Lauren Del Valle | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —A federal judge ruled Friday that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office must turn over documents related to former JPMorgan Chase (JPM) executive James “Jes” Staley in response to a subpoena from the bank in ongoing federal lawsuits that allege JPMorgan enabled and benefited from longtime banking-client Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking crimes. Staley has denied all wrongdoing alleged in the lawsuits. It is unclear if there is an active investigation into Staley. Judge Jed Rakoff overruled Bragg’s assertion of privilege over certain documents requested in the bank’s subpoena determining that after a full review he found that the privileges and statutes invoked by the Manhattan prosecutor do not apply to the requested documents. The documents will be sealed under a protective order, the ruling said.

☆ Oil slips as U.S. debt caution offset supply concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Florence Tan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Companies Baker Hughes Co FollowSINGAPORE, May 22 (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped on Monday as caution around the U.S. debt ceiling talks and concerns about demand recovery in China offset support from lower supplies from Canada and OPEC+ producers. The resumption of U.S. debt ceiling negotiations later on Monday will remain a key driver for crude and risk sentiment this week, IG's Sydney-based analyst Tony Sycamore said. "If the housing market continues to fall and policymakers fail to respond, the risk of a double-dip China slowdown increases, which spells bad news for crude oil consumption and demand," Sycamore said. Last week, both oil benchmarks gained about 2%, their first weekly gain in five, after wildfires shut in large amounts of crude supply in Alberta, Canada. Total exports of crude and oil products from the group plunged by 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd) by May 16, JP Morgan said, adding that Russian oil exports will likely fall by late May.

☆ Analysis: Investors see trouble ahead after Europe's stellar first quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Europe's largest listed company LVMH (LVMH.PA) produced stellar sales as China rebounded sharply after COVID restrictions ended. The robust corporate margins on show in the first quarter are seen coming under pressure later in the year. Based on Refinitiv I/B/E/S estimates, STOXX 600 companies are expected to report net profit margins of 11.4% in the first quarter, up from 10.2% in the last quarter of 2022. But margins are seen declining to 10.5% in the third quarter, according to Refinitiv estimates. But there has not been a wave of companies revising earnings forecasts down, providing a cushion for European equities.

☆ Investors see trouble ahead after Europe's stellar first quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

☆ Bank of Israel to raise rates 25 bps next week, may be last in cycle
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israel's annual inflation rate held steady at 5% in April versus expectations it would ease to 4.7%, and stayed well above an official annual target of 1-3%. Shal believes the cycle will end next week and expects rates to stay on hold for the rest of the year, before the Bank starts cutting them in early 2024. When it began hiking rates in April of 2022, the Bank of Israel had initially hoped its front-loading stance would be able to cap its key rate at around 3%. The inflation rate has stayed at at least 5% since last October and peaked at 5.4% in January. Bank Leumi Chief Economist Gil Bufman noted "the drop in inflation in Israel since its peak is low compared to the other countries".

Senator Elizabeth Warren is questioning federal bank regulators on their decision to sell First Republic Bank to the nation's largest bank, JP Morgan Chase. In a letter sent to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Wednesday, Warren said the deal was "deeply troubling," and sought details on how the agencies decided to arrange that particular sale, allowing JPM to grow even larger. This is a troubling outcome, leaving me with numerous questions," she wrote. The FDIC announced this month it had seized First Republic and sold it to JPM in a deal that it estimated would cost its deposit insurance fund $13 billion. Warren also pressed the matter with Michael Hsu, the acting Comptroller of the Currency, at a hearing Thursday.

The job cuts are the biggest in the history of Vodafone, which employs 90,000 people directly across Europe and Africa. Della Valle was given a mandate to turn Vodafone around when she permanently took on the top job from the role of CFO last month. Della Valle started cutting jobs when she took the helm at the start of the year, targeting Vodafone's central operations in London. Della Valle said the European telecoms market had long delivered a poor return on the capital invested in networks, but Vodafone's relative performance had worsened over time. "It will take as long as it takes to get a good deal," Della Valle told reporters.

☆ Foreign buying of US Treasuries in March hits largest since June 2021 -data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

There were lots of buying by China, lots of buying by Japan. Japan, however, had been selling Treasuries for most of 2022 to help boost a weak yen. China had been selling Treasuries as well, like Japan for most of last year. U.S. residents, meanwhile, increased their holdings of long-term foreign securities, with net purchases of $22.8 billion, compared with net selling of $8.3 billion in February. Overall, net foreign purchases of long-term securities are estimated to have been $133.3 billion in March, up sharply from February's inflows of $56.6 billion, data showed.

☆ Stocks stumble in jittery mood ahead of US inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

S&P 500 futures were steady and European futures rose 0.1%. "That's the thing that'd get taken out if CPI numbers come in on the higher side," said ING economist Rob Carnell. "It doesn't look particularly sensible if inflation is falling at too slow a rate and that could feed through into higher longer-term treasury yields as well." Interest rate futures imply about a 60% chance the Federal Reserve cuts rates in September, according to the CME FedWatch tool. "But the debt ceiling drama, and market participants’ focus on rate cuts is unlikely to change much from one CPI report.

☆ Morning Bid: Markets on hold for US CPI
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Tom WestbrookSterling and the euro seem to be losing steam as currency markets tuck themselves in for a nap. Today's inflation data, due at 1230 GMT, could offer a jolt if the surprise factor is big enough. Economists polled by Reuters see core CPI steady at a monthly 0.4%. Beyond the inflation data, U.S. default risks and banking wobbles loom as the next likely focus. Key developments that could influence markets on Wednesday:U.S. CPI dataReporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The chief investment strategist of JPMorgan Global Wealth explains why the worst thing investors can do right now is sit on cash — and shares 5 other high-conviction investment ideas
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But his highest-conviction idea is that investors should rotate out of cash into fixed income. But despite these factors, risk assets are currently fully valued and fully priced into the market. While most investors have some equity exposure, they've also raised a lot of cash in the past two years. 5 other high-conviction investment ideasWithin equities, at the sector level Kennedy currently favors industrial and reasonably-priced technology stocks. Finally, Kennedy also listed China A-shares as an attractive investment, pointing to the economic reopening, a surge in consumption, supportive monetary policies, and increased exports and investment growth as catalysts.

☆ No office tower is safe from the roiling market — not even a trophy building housing Google and Visa deemed one of the best
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Potential problems at One Market Plaza show how far San Francisco's office market may fall. One Market Plaza has long been considered the pinnacle of San Francisco's office market. Autodesk plans to downsize by about 73,000 square feet to 211,000 square feet, a spokeswoman told Insider. Google did not respond to a request for comment on its plans for One Market Plaza. One Market Plaza could indicate how far San Francisco's office woes reachTurbulence at One Market Plaza indicates the extent of the problems facing San Francisco's office market.

☆ Fed says banking sector looks set to weather recent turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. banking sector overall appears well-positioned to weather recent industry turmoil, but the experience could still weigh on credit conditions in the future, the Federal Reserve said on Monday. In aggregate, it said banks remain well-capitalized. DEBT LIMIT CONCERNSThe Fed released the report shortly after a separate central bank survey found banks were tightening credit standards amid weaker loan demand. Beyond banks, the Fed said pressures on various market sectors remained within historical norms. Banking sector stresses were identified as a risk by more than half of respondents, up from 12% in the November report.

☆ Opinion: Vladimir Putin’s anxious time
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. He imagines a boy sitting “upon the high and giddy mast” of a ship tossed by wind and waves. “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown,” concludes the king in Shakespeare’s play. Russia said that President Vladimir Putin was the intended target of a foiled Ukrainian drone attack on the Kremlin, an allegation Ukraine denied. The unfortunate monarch who was the last to own the original St. Edward’s Crown, King Charles I, was convicted of treason and beheaded on January 30, 1649.

☆ The US Virgin Islands can't find Google co-founder Larry Page to serve him a subpoena in a lawsuit over JP Morgan's links to Jeffrey Epstein
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US Virgin Islands is suing JP Morgan, accusing the bank of facilitating Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking scheme. As part of its lawsuit, the government wants to subpoena Google co-founder Larry Page. Epstein "may have referred or attempted to refer" Page to JP Morgan, court documents said. The US Virgin Islands government sued JP Morgan Chase in December, accusing the bank of facilitating and concealing Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking enterprise. An attorney representing the US Virgin Islands did not respond to a request for comment.

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Joe Biden has tried ChatGPT, Silicon Valley goes sober, and leaked Shopify audio
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

And Silicon Valley is catching on, too. My colleague Samantha Stokes did a deep dive into the growing trend of techies avoiding alcohol. Silicon Valley goes sober. My colleague Samantha Stokes examined this growing trend in Silicon Valley and gives some insight into the drying industry. In other news:Screenshot of Hot Chat 30002.

☆ LaLiga loss shrinks as ticket revenues recover after pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LaLiga expects the current season to produce a net profit of just below 30 million euros, "still far from levels reached in the pre-COVID years", with revenues adding a little over 1%. COVID restrictions hit ticket sales and player transactions in 2020-21, leading to the Spanish league's first loss since 2012. Revenues reached almost 4.84 billion euros in 2021-22, landing just short of the record of nearly 5.07 billion in 2019-20. However, the amount of money spent on infrastructure jumped to 430 million euros, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Last month, the club secured a financing deal worth 1.45 billion euros with 20 investors, including Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan, after having renegotiated the initial terms.

☆ Kraft Heinz lifts profit outlook on price hikes, easing costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Aatrayee Chatterjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) -Kraft Heinz Co raised its full-year profit forecast on Wednesday on the back of higher prices and sustained demand for its packaged food items as raw material costs, which have plagued the industry, also ease. FILE PHOTO: A Heinz Ketchup bottle sits between a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese and a bottle of Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce on a grocery store shelf in New York March 25, 2015. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoShares of the Philadelphia Cream Cheese maker were up 3.9% in early trading after it also reported better-than-expected quarterly results. The strong outlook echoes comments from peers PepsiCo Inc and Mondelez, who have also lifted annual forecasts supported by price increases. Excluding one-off items, Kraft Heinz earned 68 cents per share, topping analysts’ estimate of 60 cents per share, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

☆ Deposition of JPMorgan CEO Dimon in Jeffrey Epstein lawsuit set for late May, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon will be deposed in late May over two days for civil lawsuits accusing the giant bank of benefitting from sex trafficking by the late money manager Jeffrey Epstein, a source told CNBC's Eamon Javers on Wednesday. The government of the U.S. Virgin Islands and one of Epstein's accusers are suing JPMorgan in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. The bank has said Dimon did not have knowledge about Epstein that was relevant to the lawsuit. JPMorgan argues that Staley, not the bank, is legally responsible for any civil liability related to its dealings with Epstein. Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019, a month after being arrested on federal child sex trafficking charges.

☆ Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan CEO, to be deposed in Epstein suits
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Lauren Del Valle | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

New York CNN —JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is scheduled be deposed May 26 and 27 in two civil cases related to the bank’s former client, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, according to a source familiar with the cases. A complaint filed last month in New York alleged that JPMorgan Chase executives were aware of numerous sex abuse and trafficking allegations against Epstein several years before the financial institution cut ties. The complaint was part of a lawsuit against the bank filed by the attorney general for the US Virgin Islands (USVI). It added an additional count alleging that JPMorgan obstructed federal law enforcement and prosecuting agencies that were pursuing Epstein. CNN has reached out to JP Morgan for comment.

May 3 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever. The U.S. regional banking index tanked 5.5% on Tuesday, its biggest fall since the depths of the crisis in mid-March. This may play into Malaysian policymakers' thinking as they prepare to deliver their latest interest rate decision on Wednesday. But that's what Asian markets will be waking up to on Thursday. Before that on Wednesday they have the Malaysian rate decision, services PMI data from Australia and India, and South Korean FX reserves to offer local direction.

[1/3] Federal Reserve Board Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Chairman Martin Gruenberg testify at a House Financial Services Committee hearing on the response to the recent bank failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 29, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueMay 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Banking Committee said on Tuesday it would hear from former top officials at the failed Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, as well as top U.S. banking regulators at separate hearings later this month. Gregory Becker, the former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, and Scott Shay and Eric Howell, former senior executives for Signature Bank, will appear on May 16. On Monday, regulators closed a third firm, First Republic, which then was sold to JP Morgan Chase. The panel will also hear from top regulators for the states of New York and California, which helped oversee the two failed firms.

New data for March showed the ratio of job openings to the number of unemployed job seekers fell for the fourth consecutive month and hit the lowest level since October 2021. At roughly 1.64 to 1 the number remains far above the levels around 1.2 seen before the pandemic. In recent months the relationship between job openings and unemployment has kept that prospect alive. The number of estimated job openings has fallen from a peak of 12 million in March of 2022 to 9.59 million in March this year. The openings rate, expressed as a percentage of filled and available positions, has fallen from a high of 7.4 last spring to 5.8 in March.

☆ Gold prices flat on caution ahead of Fed meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Gold prices were flat on Tuesday, as cautious market participants awaited fresh cues from top central banks on their monetary policy plans, especially from the U.S. Federal Reserve. The Fed, which meets on May 2-3, is widely expected to raise interest rates by 25 basis points. Gold prices could move towards $2,000 if the Fed highlights recession worries and hints at a pause in the rate hike cycle, said Ajay Kedia, director at Kedia Commodities in Mumbai. U.S. manufacturing contracted in April but there was a build-up of inflation pressures, supporting expectations of Fed rate hike, according to data released on Monday. In the previous session, gold prices briefly rose above $2,000 after JP Morgan's acquisition of First Republic Bank's assets.

May 2 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever. The White House said First Republic was "severely mismanaged," the takeover protects depositors and the current banking turmoil bears no resemblance to 2008. Anyone who went long mega tech and short regional U.S. banks on Dec. 31 will be sitting pretty today. Expectations for further tightening this year are far from certain, and are gradually being pushed into the third quarter. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

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