DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Opinion: This TV mom changed everything
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Opinion Raakhee Mirchandani | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Raakhee Mirchandani Kim Lorraine PhotographyI never searched for either of us on TV. I’m grateful NHIE gave Indian moms — Brown moms, Desi moms, South Asian moms — the crown we deserve. (L to R) Poorna Jagannathan as Nalini Vishwakumar, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi in episode 410 of "Never Have I Ever." But now, among the cohort of timeless TV mothers, there’s Devi’s mom — and let me tell you: Nalini, as realized by the inimitable Jagannathan, certainly has got it going on. (And anyone with a Brown mom knows the eyes; one look is all it takes.)

Persons: Kalpana Chawla, ”, Brady, Roseanne, Angela Bower, Clair Huxtable, Aunt Viv, Raakhee Mirchandani Kim Lorraine, Desi, Vishwakumar, Poorna Jagannathan, I’m, NHIE, — Brown, Mindy Kaling, Lang Fisher, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Jessica Brooks, —, Brown, there’s, Devi, Nalini, wasn’t, Will, Jamie Ryan, Niecy Nash, let’s, She’s, she’s Organizations: CNN, Netflix, Princeton, Twitter, Facebook

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW.PA) said late on Monday it will transfer its Westfield San Francisco shopping mall to lenders. The announcement followed Park Hotels & Resorts (PK.N) statement last week that it ceased making payments toward a $725 million mortgage linked to its Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Parc 55 hotels. Westfield's decision is the latest blow to San Francisco, the once-booming tech hub that has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. The potential for difficulties from commercial real estate to flow through to banks is also becoming a bigger worry for investors and regulators. Warren Wachsberger, CEO of Aecom Capital, a real estate investor, said mall owners like Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield are focusing on their best properties.

Persons: Thomas LaSalvia, Warren Wachsberger, we're, Wachsberger, Granth, Shankar Ramakrishnan, Matt Tracy, Sriraj Kalluvila, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Westfield San, Resorts, Hilton San Francisco, Square, downtown, Real Estate Economics, Aecom, Westfield, U.S, Flagship, Nordstrom, Banana Republic, Washington DC, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Westfield, Westfield San Francisco, downtown San Francisco, Bengaluru, New York, Washington

☆ ‘Never Have I Ever’ star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan jokes Mindy Kaling has ‘spoiled’ Hollywood for her
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Maitreyi Ramakrishnan was a high school student who had never acted professionally when in 2019, she responded to an open casting call from Mindy Kaling for a TV series about an Indian American teenager. That’s one thing I don’t think I’ll ever comprehend: This was my first opportunity? I couldn’t ask for a better boss than Mindy Kaling. Mindy Kaling screwed me over. The first Tamil person I knew on TV was Mindy (Kaling) in “The Mindy Project.” That was probably the first South Asian person I saw on TV.

Persons: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Mindy Kaling, Ramakrishnan, Devi Vishwakumar, Priya Mangal, Lizzie Bennet, “, ”, Devi, She’s, Kulkarni, I’ve, hasn’t, That’s, Kamala, Harry Potter, Patil, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Yule, –, Hermione Granger, we’re, ” That’s, ” What’s, What’s Organizations: CNN, Netflix, “, South Locations: American, South Asian, Canada

☆ Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Is Done With School. On TV, Anyway.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Nancy Coleman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When we last saw Devi, she had about as much life as she could handle. She had just cashed in Ben’s handwritten coupon for “one free boink” — and, in doing so, traded in her long-detested V-Card. There are friendships and romantic prospects to balance, yes, but also admissions counselors to meet, universities to visit. Ramakrishnan, who grew up just outside Toronto, in Mississauga, Ontario, was once a normal teenager navigating high school herself, a first-generation daughter of Tamil immigrants from Sri Lanka. Like Devi, who is Indian American, she was raised in a multigenerational home — and still lives there with her family.

Persons: Devi, Ramakrishnan, Mindy Kaling, Lang Fisher, “ Organizations: Indian, Disney, Netflix Locations: Toronto, Mississauga , Ontario, Sri Lanka, Indian American, Los Angeles

☆ ‘Never Have I Ever’ comes to an end. Its stars reflect on what made the show so special
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

For one, she wasn’t the only South Asian person there. For another, she and her fellow South Asian castmates Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Poorna Jagannathan were the leads of the show. “From that day forward, every day that I was on set until the last day we wrapped up season four, that realization hit me every single day,” Moorjani said in a Zoom call. And as the beloved show comes to an end, its stars are reflecting back on its legacy. That she is the lead of the show is in itself significant for South Asian representation.

Persons: Richa Moorjani, ”, Poorna Jagannathan, Devi, Kamala, ” Moorjani, Mindy Kaling, Lang Fisher, she’s, ” Ramakrishnan, “, There’s Nirmala, Ranjita, Megan Suri, That’s, it’s, Jagannathan, ” “, subtler, Nalini, Mohan, ” Jagannathan, I’ve, you’re, “ It’s, Kaling’s Organizations: CNN, Netflix, Princeton, Variety Locations: United States, Devi, Indian, Hollywood, Sherman Oaks , California, American, India

Investment-grade rated companies issued $152 billion in May, making it the busiest May since 2020 when the pandemic crisis prompted record debt issuance volumes, according to data from Informa Global Markets. "I believe we have seen an acceleration of issuance into May," said Richard Wolff, head of US bond syndicate at SG CIB, saying this was a result of debt issuance being pulled forward. This debt issuance spree is on the back of strong demand for what were relatively higher yielding corporate bonds after Treasury yields rose in May from levels touched in late April. New investment-grade bonds in May received orders that were three to four times the offering size on average, according to IGM data. CHANGING TIDEThe debt binge, however, gave a broad hint that the largest companies in the world are not optimistic on borrowing conditions later in the year.

Persons: Richard Wolff, Wolff, Manuel Hayes, Jessica Lehmann, Blair Shwedo, Jiyann Daemi, Shankar Ramakrishnan, Matt Tracy, Laura Matthews, Megan Davies, Matthew Lewis Organizations: YORK, U.S, Investment, Informa Global, Junk, SG CIB, London, Insight Investment, Treasury, HSBC, U.S . Bank, IG, TD Securities, Thomson Locations: New York

Reflecting investor optimism about passage, the cost of insuring exposure to a U.S. debt default dropped on Tuesday, but some concerns remained because of the tight timeline and opposition from some lawmakers. Last week, credit rating agency Fitch placed its "AAA" rating of U.S. sovereign debt on watch for a possible downgrade, citing downside risks including political brinkmanship and a growing debt burden. In a previous debt ceiling crisis in 2011 rating agency Standard & Poor's cut the U.S. top 'AAA' rating by one notch a few days after a debt ceiling deal, citing political polarization and insufficient steps to right the nation's fiscal outlook. "Even if a U.S. default is averted, a ratings downgrade could still happen," Vishwanath Tirupattur, a strategist at Morgan Stanley, said in a research note on Sunday. Some also fear a debt ceiling resolution could only provide short-term relief to markets because the U.S. Treasury is expected to quickly refill its account with bond sales, sucking out hundreds of billions of dollars of cash from the market.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, Fitch, Raymond James, Ed Mills, Alex Anderson, Vishwanath Tirupattur, Morgan Stanley, Spokespeople, Blair Shwedo, Davide Barbuscia, Shankar Ramakrishnan, Pete Schroeder, Megan Davies, David Gregorio Our Organizations: YORK, Democratic, Republican, U.S . Treasury Department, BMO Capital Markets, AAA, Moody's, U.S . Treasury, Thomson Locations: U.S

May 28 (Reuters) - Good news of a tentative deal for the U.S. debt ceiling impasse may quickly turn out to be bad news for financial markets. "That's where the debt ceiling matters." In that case, "the impact on broader financial markets would likely be relatively muted," Daniel Krieter, director of fixed income strategy, BMO Capital Markets, said in a report. Some bankers said they fear financial markets may not have accounted for the risk of a liquidity drain from banks' reserves. Bankers put it to hope that the debt ceiling impasse would be resolved without significant dislocation to markets, but warn that's a risky strategy.

☆ AI boom could expose investors’ natural stupidity
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Felix Martin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Indeed, enthusiasm about AI has become the one ray of light piercing the stock market gloom created by the record-breaking rise in U.S. interest rates. It’s a good moment for investors to be especially alert to the tendency of natural stupidity to drive stock market valuations to unrealistic – and therefore ultimately unprofitable – extremes. However, the most important lessons of behavioural economics relate to a more fundamental question: Will the new generation of AI do what it promises? Behavioural economics offers some cautionary tales for such attempts to apply AI in the wild. For example, stock market returns can be affected by a small number of rare but extreme movements in share prices.

☆ Analysis: Overexposed US regional banks could sell commercial property loans
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Matt Tracy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Still, previously unreported data from New York-based real estate data provider Trepp, shared with Reuters, show many regional banks' holdings exceed thresholds stipulated by regulators. While big banks have recently warned about CRE exposure, the new Trepp data underscores how acute and widespread the problem is across the banking sector. The regulatory guidance requires that banks exceeding these thresholds "should employ heightened risk management practices," including potential sales of specific loans. Meanwhile, New York Community Bancorp (NYCB.N) and Flagstar Bank [RIC:RIC:FBCANK.UL] were among the top five banks listed by Trepp that exceeded the CRE loan threshold. In Tuesday congressional testimony, FDIC chair Martin Gruenberg warned CRE loan portfolios "face challenges" should market conditions persist.

Launched in February 2022, the FTX Future Fund was part of the FTX Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire which fell apart last year, in what U.S. prosecutors called an "epic" fraud. Representatives for FTX also declined to comment and declined to say whether the FTX Foundation is included in the bankruptcy proceedings. The FTX Future Fund supported research into topics that "improve humanity's long-term prospects" and was funded primarily by Bankman-Fried, according to a profile of its activities published on Twitter. FTX's statement did not reference the FTX Future Fund specifically. One FTX Future Fund beneficiary in the U.S., who asked not to be named, said they received a grant of more than $150,000.

By offloading some of the risk on their loans, the banks can significantly reduce how much capital they need to set aside to cover potential losses, according to law firm Clifford Chance. A bank can normally transfer risks of losses equivalent to around 7% to 12% of a loan portfolio, two market sources said. With synthetic structures, a bank transfers the risk via credit derivatives or guarantees but keeps holding the underlying exposures. The IFC sold BNP a $50 million guarantee on $1 billion of loans to emerging markets, they said, without disclosing terms. While Europe has been at the forefront for risk transfers, the stock of loans covered by SRTs is small relative to European banks' balance sheets.

A source with knowledge of the matter said that Swiss regulators are encouraging UBS and Credit Suisse to merge, but that both banks do not want to do so. Credit Suisse shares jumped 9% in after-market trading following the FT report. Credit Suisse and UBS declined to comment on the report. "Credit Suisse is a very special case," said Frédérique Carrier, head of investment strategy at RBC Wealth Management. The supervisors were told deposits were stable across the euro zone and exposure to Credit Suisse was immaterial, a source familiar with the meeting's content told Reuters.

☆ Exclusive: Some Credit Suisse counterparties curb dealings as bank heads into scenario meetings -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Shankar Ramakrishnan Stefania Spezzati Sumeet Chatterjee | Shankar Ramakrishnan | Stefania Spezzati | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Credit Suisse declined to comment. Credit Suisse intends to borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs ($54 billion) from the Swiss National Bank in what it called "decisive action" to boost its liquidity on Thursday. The five people with direct knowledge of the bank's trading counterparties requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Credit Suisse has said that it is a strong, global bank. Among possible scenarios, analysts, bankers and investors speculate that Credit Suisse could sell or wind down some of its existing businesses with a break-up potentially on the cards.

☆ Exclusive: Some Credit Suisse counterparties put curbs on new dealings involving lender -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Shankar Ramakrishnan Stefania Spezzati Sumeet Chatterjee | Shankar Ramakrishnan | Stefania Spezzati | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] The logo of Societe Generale bank is pictured on an office building in Nantes, France, March 16, 2023. Credit Suisse declined to comment. These five people with direct knowledge of the matter requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Societe Generale has maintained existing counterparty positions with Credit Suisse, which it had cut back in recent weeks, but it is not increasing them, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the situation. Another global bank has reduced its unsecured exposure to Credit Suisse, which includes all lending with no collateral, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

☆ On the precipice: How Credit Suisse's day of drama unfolded
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Fifteen years later, Credit Suisse Group AG found itself on a similar precipice. By the time traders in New York were switching on screens on Wednesday, Credit Suisse had lost more than a fifth of its value. Credit Suisse did not comment for this story but noted recent interviews given by its CEO saying the bank was strong. STILL SMOLDERINGMarkets seemed to calm, but the fresh drama around Credit Suisse jogged memories that the financial system was not out of the woods yet. "We welcome the statement of support," Credit Suisse said.

Rising CDS spreads signal investors are hedging bets on a deterioration in credit quality. In money markets, a closely watched indicator of credit risk in the U.S. banking system edged up on Monday. With investors worried about possible bank runs, the Federal Reserve on Sunday unveiled a new program to ensure banks can meet needs of all their depositors. "Hedge funds are probably the ones that are buyers in this case," said Dan Bruzzo, a strategist at Santander US Capital Markets. Other banks with California exposure were taking the brunt of the selloff in the debt capital markets, he added.

☆ VIEW US intervenes to shore up SVB deposits, stem financial fallout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

March 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. government announced actions to shore up deposits and stem any broader financial fallout from the sudden collapse of tech startup-focused lender Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O) (SVB), sending U.S. stock futures higher. "The market turbulence sparked by SVB has upended rising market expectations on the Fed rate path. The fact that SVB and Signature Bank depositors will be made whole is critical in maintaining trust in the financial system and should help stem contagion fears this week. But it also means that 50 basis points (a possible Fed interest rate hike) is off the table." Given what's happened in the U.S. financial system, a 25 basis point hike is more likely than a 50 basis point hike."

☆ Instant view: US intervenes to shore up SVB deposits, limit financial fallout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

March 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. government announced actions to shore up deposits and stem any broader financial fallout from the sudden collapse of tech startup-focused lender Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O) (SVB), sending U.S. stock futures higher. ALVIN TAN, HEAD OF ASIA FX STRATEGY, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, SINGAPORE:"Markets remain unsettled from the SVB failure. "The market turbulence sparked by SVB has upended rising market expectations on the Fed rate path. ANTHONY SAGLIMBENE, CHIEF MARKET STRATEGIST, AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL, TROY, MICHIGAN:"It was imperative that regulators stepped in and decisively acted before markets around the world opened for the week. GREG MCBRIDE, CHIEF FINANCIAL ANALYST, BANKRATE:"While the Fed has talked about a lot in the past year, until today it has been in the context of monetary policy.

NEW YORK, March 13 (Reuters) - Credit risk indicators flashed red on Monday, as investors worried about contagion risks across corporate debt markets after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and New York's Signature Bank in the space of 72 hours. Investment grade credit spreads, which indicate the premium investors demand to hold corporate bonds over safer government debt securities, have also been widening. The BlackRock Investment Institute said that after recently trimming its 'overweight' recommendation for investment grade credit, it was reassessing its view due to tighter financial conditions. In money markets, a closely watched indicator of credit risk in the U.S. banking system edged up on Monday. Other banks with California exposure were taking the brunt of the sell-off in the debt capital markets, he added.

☆ In the midst of the AI boom, investors are doubling down on diligence. Here are the five questions VCs are asking every generative AI startup during pitches.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Buzzy generative AI startups have so far avoided the troubles plaguing the rest of the tech world. Here are the five diligence questions investors are asking generative AI startups, according to VCs. But for generative AI startups, 2023 has been much of the same — and that hasn't been a bad thing. Insider spoke with eight of these VCs about the top five questions they're asking generative AI startups during diligence processes. One hallmark of generative AI startups are their eye-staggering round sizes.

☆ US companies rush to issue corporate debt, busiest February ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Matt Tracy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies have been rushing to issue bonds as yields spiked to touch new highs with the Federal Reserve looking to keep interest rates higher for longer. The average yield on U.S. investment grade bonds rose to 5.55% on Monday from just 4.94% on Feb. 1. "There's much more yield now to be had in corporates," said David del Vecchio, co-head of the U.S. investment grade corporate bond team at PGIM Fixed Income. Investors still had plenty of cash, despite the flurry of issuance, said Blair Shwedo, head of IG corporate bond trading at U.S. Bank. "With more volatility, you may see some short term negative returns but overall, we’re well positioned to have a very nice positive total return in investment grade credit in 2023," said Natalie Trevithick, head of investment grade credit strategy at investment management firm Payden & Rygel.

☆ Analysis: Some highly rated US companies take unusual funding route as rates rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Shankar Ramakrishnan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Credit-worthy companies have found in the past that they can raise funds more cheaply in investment-grade bond markets. They were able to issue the securities at much lower interest rates than what they would have had to pay on a bond. In interviews, two bankers and an investor said that uncertainty has made convertible bonds an attractive option to raise money for some investment-grade companies. Earlier this week, for example, investors bought PPL’s convertible bond at 100 cents on the dollar, or at par. Because defensive stocks such as utilities like PPl could benefit if interest rates keep rising, potential returns for investors in convertible bonds could be boosted.

☆ Analysis: To raise prices or not? Consumer goods makers weigh bets on buyer strength
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Jessica Dinapoli | Thomson Reuters | New York-Based Reporter Covering U.S. Consumer Products Spanning Paper Towels To Packaged Food | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But, there are small signs the pressure is easing, with U.S. consumer prices a month earlier declining for the first time in two-and-a-half years, due in part to gas prices. Price hikes - or halts - are set to take center stage at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York annual conference on Feb. 20 in Boca Raton, Florida. DIFFERENT PREDICTIONSAfter more than a year of consistent price hikes, some consumer goods makers such as Kraft Mac & Cheese manufacturer Kraft Heinz Co (KHC.O) are pressing pause as they weigh consumer demand for their items. Frozen pizza prices have risen about 14% in the last year, according to IRI data. "Retailers cannot truly push back on prices … if the company has an important brand," Bernstein analyst Bruno Monteyne said.

Search resuls for: "Ramakrishnan"

25 mentions found