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☆ Russia boasts it is beating sanctions, but its longer-term prospects are bleak
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Far from buckling under their weight, the Russian economy is in fact 1% larger than it was on the eve of the invasion. India and China now account for 90% of Russian oil exports, according to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. Noemi Cassanelli/CNNThere’s little sign that ordinary Russians have been drastically impacted by Western sanctions. Sanctions will have a long-term impact on the Russian economy, according to the European Commission. Nabiullina said the Russian economy was like a car trying to go too fast.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Sergei Chemezov, ” Chemezov, Scott Peterson, Alexander Novak, Christine Abely, “, ”, SWIFT, Alexei Mordashov, Noemi Cassanelli, Geoffrey Pyatt, Rachel Lyngaas, —, Alexander Nemenov, Elvira Nabiullina, Nabiullina, Natalia Kolesnikova, ” Abely Organizations: CNN, Atlantic Council, Russia, West ., Shipping, Windward, Reuters, US Treasury Department, United Arab Emirates, Crime Agency, US Treasury, “, Bank of, European, US, Financial Times, Russian Central Bank, Getty, Producers, International Energy Agency Locations: United States, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Western, Sviatohirsk, Donetsk region, Asia, West, West . India, China, India, Volgograd, Turkey, UAE, Bank of Finland, Hong Kong, Europe, Egypt, Thailand, Moscow, Kazakhstan, Soviet Russia, AFP, Beijing

☆ Russia wants to topple dollar dominance, but it isn't even able to deliver oil to India with alternative currencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-27 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

This delayed six cargoes of Sokol oil the IOC was supposed to receive from late November to December, Reuters reported, citing shipping data. It isn't immediately clear how much Sokol oil is stuck at sea due to the payment issue. AdvertisementIndia has emerged as a major buyer of Russian oil following swathes of Western sanctions against Moscow. This means that dollar trade with Russia is restricted — and this is important since the greenback is the international trade currency of choice. To be able to buy Russian oil, India insisted on settling trades in the rupee earlier this year.

Persons: —, Rosneft, It's Organizations: Service, Russian Sokol, Indian Oil Corp, Reuters, Business, United, UAE dirham, IOC, Business Insider, Sokol, Bloomberg, Moscow Locations: Moscow, Russian, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Sokol, India, Sri Lanka, Russia, Ukraine, China, Delhi, Beijing

☆ Credit demand in India's banking system remains healthy, Goldman Sachs says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCredit demand in India's banking system remains healthy, Goldman Sachs saysRahul Jain, co-head of Asia financial research at Goldman Sachs, says its strategy team is overweight on Indian banks.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Rahul Jain Locations: Asia

The moon rises over the Toronto city skyline as seen from Milton, Ontario, Canada, January 23, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Blinch/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTORONTO, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Canadian banks had a mixed fourth quarter but a common theme underlining all the reports was the rise in bad loan provisions, signalling that lenders were strapping in for a shaky economy. Impaired loans related to residential mortgages, real estate and construction were also higher from the prior quarter, indicating that the banks were also being cautious when considering underwriting new loans. He noted that despite the mixed results, the banks reported healthy capital levels, giving investors assurance that the banks remain resilient. Reuters Graphics($1 = 1.3559 Canadian dollars)Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Toronto; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mark Blinch, Verecan, Colin White, Dave McKay, Mike Archibald, Nivedita Balu, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Bank of Canada, BOC, Royal Bank of Canada, CIBC, National Bank, Scotiabank, BMO, RBC, Reuters Graphics Reuters, AGF Investments, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: Toronto, Milton , Ontario, Canada

☆ Stock Market Today: Futures Tick Up; Investors Await Tesla Cybertruck Update
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Stocks, international currencies, and bitcoin have also rallied, with traders betting the Federal Reserve is done lifting interest rates. In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 inched higher after data showed French inflation softening in November. Up ahead: Tesla will update investors on the Cybertruck. The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, the PCE, or personal-consumption expenditures price index, is also due. Economists expect to see signs of softening inflation.

Persons: Stocks, Tesla, Brent Organizations: Bloomberg U.S, Federal, Nasdaq, Stock, Dow, Treasury, RBC, Kroger, Dell, Marvell, PCE Locations: Russia, Europe

☆ Intesa CEO says bank profits at peak
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Carlo Messina, Chief Executive Officer of Intesa Sanpaolo bank, looks on during a meeting in Rome, Italy April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Bank profits are close to peaking, and net fees will again play a prominent role from next year, giving an edge to banks such as Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI) which has a diversified business model, Chief Executive Carlo Messina said on Thursday. "There is no doubt that we are currently in a peak phase for bank profits," Messina said. Italian banks have posted record profits this year thanks to higher interest rates, which lifted lending costs while deposit returns remained very low. Reporting by Valentina Za, editing by Gianluca SemeraroOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlo Messina, Remo Casilli, Messina, Valentina Za, Gianluca Semeraro Organizations: REUTERS, Bank, Thomson Locations: Sanpaolo, Rome, Italy

TD said it would be challenging to meet its medium-term adjusted earnings growth target range of 7%-10% in the new fiscal year. It reported adjusted earnings of C$1.83 per share, 7 Canadian cents shy of estimates. RBC reported adjusted earnings of C$2.78 per share, comfortably beating expectations of C$2.62, according to LSEG data. CIBC also beat profit expectations as it set aside smaller-than-expected loan provisions and is slashing costs through a 5% reduction in its workforce, or about 2,400 jobs. The lender, Canada's fifth biggest, reported adjusted earnings of C$1.57 per share, compared with expectations of C$1.53.

Persons: Mark Blinch, Gabriel Dechaine, Kelvin Tran, Victor Dodig, Dave McKay, Niket, Balu, Arasu Kannagi Basil, Shinjini Ganguli, Kirsten Donovan, Mark Porter Organizations: Royal Bank of Canada, REUTERS, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, RBC, National Bank, CIBC, TD Bank, Bank Nova Scotia, Bank of Montreal, Scotiabank, Tuesday, Thomson Locations: Toronto, dealmaking, PCLs, Canada, United States, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Canada's TD Bank's fourth-quarter profit falls on higher provisions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 30 (Reuters) - TD Bank Group (TD.TO) reported a fall in its fourth-quarter profit on Thursday, as Canada's second-largest lender set aside more rainy-day funds to cover for potential sour loans. Peer Scotiabank (BNS.TO), which kicked off the Canadian banks' earnings season on Tuesday, also earmarked higher funds to prepare for potential loan losses, dragging its profit down. TD's net interest income - the difference between what banks earn on loans and pay out on deposits - fell nearly 1.8%, to C$7.49 billion. The lender's personal and commercial business posted a 1% decrease in net income, while the U.S. retail unit dipped 17%. The bank's adjusted net income fell to C$3.51 billion ($2.58 billion), or C$1.83 per share, for the three months ended Oct. 31, from C$4.07 billion, or C$2.18 per share, a year earlier.

Persons: Arasu Kannagi Basil, Shilpi Majumdar, Pooja Desai Organizations: Bank Group, Bank of Canada, PCL, Scotiabank, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

☆ As global rates turn, banks in India and Indonesia set to win
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Loan growth at Asian banks is estimated to rise from 4.5% this year to 10% next year, LSEG data shows, with banks in India and Indonesia leading with 15% and 11% growth, respectively. Ng likes banks in India and Indonesia, given the better economic growth in those economies and ability of banks to sustain margins. LSEG data shows profits at banks in India and Indonesia will grow 13% and 11% respectively next year, nearly double the 6% average rise across Asia-Pacific banks. That compares to price-to-book ratio for MSCI's index for all-country Asian banks (.dMIAS0CB00PUS) of 0.9. Banks in Australia are estimated to see a drop of 5% in profit in 2024 while profits at Singapore banks will be flat.

Persons: Frederic Neumann, Neumann, Morgan, Yao Ng, abrdn, Ng, Vinay Agarwal, Agarwal, Morgan Stanley, Ankur Banerjee, Gaurav Dogra, Patturaja, Vidya Ranganathan, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: U.S . Federal, Fed, HSBC, ICICI, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank, FSSA Investment Management, Indonesia's Bank Central Asia, BCA, Reuters, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Asia, Japan, J.P, Pacific, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Banks, Australia, China, Bengaluru

The Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank) logo is seen outside of a branch in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, February 14, 2019. It also disrupted Canada's prestigious Giller Prize Gala on Nov. 14, a literary award sponsored by Scotiabank. It claims in its petition that Scotiabank is the biggest foreign shareholder in Elbit, whose weapons were heavily used during Israel's 11-day operation in Gaza in May 2021. The email said Scotiabank was "not the biggest shareholder of Elbit, nor is it the biggest foreign shareholder of Elbit. Eko said it would not comment on the protests at Scotia branches and has not taken part in the protests.

Persons: Chris Wattie, Eko, unitholders, Angus Wong, Wong, Bezhalel Machlis, Nivedita Balu, Denny Thomas, David Gregorio Our Organizations: of Nova, REUTERS, Rights TORONTO, Bank of Nova, Elbit Systems, Scotiabank . Toronto Police, Scotiabank, Global Asset Management, Management, Vanguard Group, BlackRock Institutional Trust, Israel Ministry of Defence, Israel MOD, Thomson Locations: of Nova Scotia, Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia, Israel, Elbit, Gaza, Toronto, Scotia

☆ Russia's fraught rupee oil trade is a warning for countries trying to abandon the dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But trading in alternative currencies like the Indian rupee and the Chinese yuan has its own issues. Russia's oil trade best exemplifies the problems it has with alternative currency trade, as it accounts for about a quarter of Russia's budget. AdvertisementThe international oil trade is typically denominated in the dollar, but due to sanctions, less than 10% of Russia's daily oil trade is sold in the dollar and the euro, five traders told Reuters on Monday. Risks and complications of alternative currenciesRussia's oil trade with India is particularly problematic. To be able to buy Russian oil, India insisted on settling trades in the rupee earlier this year.

Persons: —, hasn't, Vladimir Putin, It's, Sergey Ivanov Organizations: Service, Reuters, United, United Arab Emirates Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Europe, India, China, Africa, Turkey, Delhi, Beijing, United Arab, UAE, Russian

A sign for The Bank of Nova Scotia, operating as Scotiabank, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada December 13, 2021. The lender said earnings in the 2024 fiscal year to Oct. 31 would be impacted by "slowing economic growth across its markets and increasing regulatory capital requirements" but it would also benefit from interest-earning assets. "We expect a challenging environment will persist for consumers and businesses," Chief Risk Officer Phil Thomas told analysts, citing muted Canadian economic growth, continued inflationary pressures and uncertain prospects for rate cuts. Finance chief Raj Viswanathan said deposit and loan growth were also expected to moderate from 2023 levels, noting savings levels have started coming down in Canada with inflation at multi-year highs, leaving consumers with less cash in hand. Its efforts to streamline operations resulted in a restructuring charge of C$258 million, Scotiabank said.

Persons: Carlos Osorio, Phil Thomas, Raj Viswanathan, Mike Rizvanovic, Scott Thomson, Niket, Balu, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: The Bank of, Scotiabank, REUTERS, Bank of Nova, Finance, Bank of Canada, Thomson Locations: The Bank of Nova Scotia, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia, Bengaluru, Toronto

While high interest rates have boosted the banks' lending margins, residential mortgages, auto loans and commercial real estate loans have slowed as consumers and businesses pulled back. With interest rates forecast to remain high, renewal of the mortgages will squeeze household budgets. Banks are also rethinking lending to industries sensitive to high interest rates, from condo development to office space. "We want to make sure we have some kind of confidence when a project is going to go ahead," said Victoria Girardo, Canadian Western Bank's (CWB.TO) VP in real estate lending. "That is creating liquidity issues across the real estate developer space.

Persons: Carlos Osorio, Ebrahim Poonawala, Mike Rizvanovic, Rizvanovic, Banks, Victoria Girardo, Nigel D'Souza, Nivedita Balu, Mark Porter Organizations: Bank of Montreal, REUTERS, Rights TORONTO, U.S, National Bank, Bank, Veritas Investment Research, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Toronto

With the Canadian economy showing signs of a slowdown, money markets are pricing in the first interest rate cuts since March 2020 as soon as April, which would bring down mortgage costs. Still, more home buyers took out fixed-rate mortgages in September compared with a year ago, eschewing variable rate mortgages where the interest rate varies based on current market rates. Since then, the central bank has raised the key interest rate to a 22-year high of 5% in July. The share of fixed rate loans among five-year and three-year mortgages rose to 68% in August compared with 32% a year ago. In the first three weeks of November, 79% of mortgage seekers in Canada opted for a fixed mortgage, said Hanif Bayat, CEO of financial data firm Wowa Leads.

Persons: you've, Macklem, Sophie Tremblay, Hanif Bayat, Wowa, Carolyn Rogers, Rogers, Ryan Sims, William Coyle, Nivedita Balu, Denny Thomas, Deepa Babington Organizations: TORONTO, Bank, Bank of Canada, Montreal, NEW, National Bank analysts, BoC, The Mortgage Group Inc, Bank of, Thomson Locations: Canada, Niagara, Huntsville, Toronto

☆ Russia's sanctioned Sovcombank requests US licence to make UN climate payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Elena Fabrichnaya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows a board with the logo of Sovcombank at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 17, 2022. "We have funds in foreign currency for these payments, but we have not received any response from them yet, unfortunately." Avtukhov said Sovcombank was in dialogue with the UN on the matter. "We have not suspended our membership in international organisations," Avtukhov, who also sits on Sovcombank's board, said. There are certain difficulties with making payments in general for Russian participants of this programme," Avtukhov said.

Persons: Maxim, Sovcombank, Mikhail Avtukhov, Avtukhov, Elena Fabrichnaya, Alexander Marrow, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: St ., Economic, REUTERS, U.S . Treasury, United, Reuters, European Union, Foreign Assets, United Nations Environment, Finance Initiative, U.S, Treasury, UN, Thomson Locations: St, St . Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine MOSCOW, Russian, United Nations, Sovcombank, Ukraine, Washington, Moscow

☆ Russian Agricultural Bank files lawsuit against JP Morgan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A J.P. Morgan logo is seen in New York City, U.S. January 10, 2017. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Nov 21 (Reuters) - State-owned Russian Agricultural Bank has filed a lawsuit against JP Morgan (JPM.N) in a Moscow court, court files showed on Tuesday. Russian Agricultural Bank, the main financial intermediary for Russian food and fertiliser exports, has been hit by Western sanctions and disconnected from the SWIFT international payment system. While trying to salvage a deal that allowed grains to be safely exported from Ukraine's Black Sea ports, the United Nations earlier this year arranged for JP Morgan to operate a special payments link with the Russian bank. Russian banks have also filed dozens of lawsuits against Western financial intermediaries over funds frozen due to sanctions.

Persons: Morgan, Stephanie Keith, JP Morgan, Elena Fabrichnaya, Olzhas Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Russian Agricultural Bank, SWIFT, United Nations, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Moscow, Russian

MPS shares were down 7.8% at 2.83 euros by 1145 GMT on Tuesday, reflecting the impact of the sale. EU COMMITMENTSBofA Securities, Jefferies and UBS Europe coordinated the accelerated bookbuilding for the stake sale, the Treasury said in a statement. Commitments Italy agreed with European Union competition authorities at the time of the bailout bind Rome to eventually sell its entire stake in the bank. Two years ago heavyweight UniCredit (CRDI.MI) sank the government's privatisation efforts, forcing Rome to seek more time from the EU. The stake sale is seen as giving Italy more flexibility to pursue a long-term solution for MPS via a merger with a rival, after negotiations with UniCredit were complicated by an impending re-privatisation deadline.

Persons: Jennifer Lorenzini, Luigi Lovaglio, Giancarlo Giorgetti, Giorgia Meloni, Valentina Za, Lincoln, Richard Chang, Mark Potter Organizations: Monte, REUTERS, Treasury, MPS, BofA Securities, Jefferies, UBS Europe, European Union, Reuters, Economy, Banco, BPER Banca, EU, Thomson Locations: Monte dei, Siena, Italy, MILAN, Rome

☆ Australian banks facing a 'competitive spiral', play these sectors instead: Portfolio manager
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAustralian banks facing a 'competitive spiral', play these sectors instead: Portfolio managerJason Kururangi of Milford Asset Management explains why he is bearish on the Australian banking sector and shares where he would allocate assets to instead.

Persons: Jason Kururangi Organizations: Milford Asset Management Locations: Milford

REUTERS/Chris Helgren Acquire Licensing RightsNov 13 (Reuters) - Canada's Sun Life Financial (SLF.TO) on Monday reported better-than-expected quarterly profits, helped by growth at its wealth and asset management unit and higher fees. The insurer, however, reported a fall in underlying earnings hurt by weakness in the United States and fewer sales of personal health insurance. "The dental business reported middling results this quarter... short-term volatility is a part of this business, from a long-term perspective, the investment should be positive," Morningstar analyst Suryansh Sharma said. Sun Life said underlying earnings from its U.S. segment were down 19%. Underlying net income from wealth and asset management rose 9% to C$457 million.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Sunlife, Suryansh Sharma, Pritam Biswas, Shilpi Majumdar, Shounak Dasgupta, Lincoln Organizations: Sun, REUTERS, Morningstar, DentaQuest, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, United States, DentaQuest, U.S, Asia, Bengaluru

☆ Australia's CBA Q1 profit flat as competition in home loan market intensifies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Himanshi Akhand | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Even though rate hikes since last year have boosted interest incomes and margins at Australian banks, rising cost of repayments has intensified competition in the home loan market, capping profit margins and hindering credit growth. Australia's biggest lender said cash net profit after tax was A$2.50 billion ($1.59 billion) for the quarter ended Sept. 30, same as the year earlier. CBA dominates Australia's A$2 trillion mortgage industry, which benefited from a property boom through COVID-19 restrictions. That had prompted Australia's "Big Four" banks to start offering cash payments for mortgage refinancing to lure borrowers. CBA's rivals National Australia Bank (NAB.AX), Westpac (WBC.AX) and ANZ Group (ANZ.AX) all posted higher annual profit earlier this month despite inflationary headwinds.

Persons: Edgar Su, CBA's, Matt Comyn, Australia's, Himanshi, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, REUTERS, Commonwealth Bank of Australia's, Citi, CBA, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ Group, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Australia's, COVID, Bengaluru

☆ UniCredit, RBI among banks on hook for $2.4 bln in Signa loans -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

RBI, which the person said had sharply reduced its exposure to the Signa group in recent years, declined to comment on Thursday. The European Central Bank (ECB), which supervises the banks, declined to comment. Raiffeisen Landesbank Niederoesterreich-Wien, Raiffeisen Landesbank Oberoesterreich and Erste Group are also among the banks with exposures to Signa, the person said. The other two Austrian banks declined to comment. A spokesperson for Austria's central bank said it had no concerns about the country's financial stability, when asked about Signa's financial position.

Persons: UniCredit, Signa, Rene Benko, Fitch, Landesbank, Banks, Arndt Geiwitz, Francesco Canepa, Tom Sims, Elisa Martinuzzi, Alexander Smith Organizations: Signa Group, Chrysler, Raiffeisen Bank, Bank, European Central Bank, ECB, Reuters, Erste Group, Erste, Austria's National Bank, Market Authority, Thomson Locations: VIENNA, Banks, Austria, Bank Austria, Wien

With the economy slowing and adding fewer jobs, banks are anticipating more consumers could default on credit-card payments and mortgages, hurting profits. "(Canadian banks) are running a little bit tighter in capital than they have in the past," said Adrienne Young, director of corporate credit research at Franklin Templeton Canada. "I don't see them having to go out and raise equity... I think the banks will use other tools in their toolbox before having to go and raise equity," said Maria Gabriella Khoury, analyst at credit-ratings agency Fitch. "They are doing that.. to make sure banks are holding more capital as we potentially head into a downturn," Colangelo said.

Persons: Banks, Adrienne Young, Maria Gabriella Khoury, Fitch, Robert Colangelo, Colangelo, Anthony Visano, Nivedita Balu, Rod Nickel Organizations: TORONTO, Franklin Templeton, " Bank of Nova, Scotiabank, BMO, Equity, DSB, Royal Bank of Canada, RBC, HSBC Canada, Kingwest, Thomson Locations: Franklin Templeton Canada, " Bank of Nova Scotia, U.S, Toronto

That has left Italian equities overall more cheaply valued than even battered UK shares (.dMIGB00000PUS), which are trading at a 33% discount to global peers. Goldman Sachs estimates that each 10 bps rise in sovereign spreads takes around 2% off Italian bank shares and 1.5% off the FTSE MIB index. Conflict in Ukraine and in the Middle East meanwhile threaten to spark a fresh surge in energy prices and weaken growth. UniCredit shares are up almost 80% this year and among the best performing euro zone banking shares. Fidelity International portfolio manager Alberto Chiandetti, said he was chasing opportunities in battered industrials and consumer sectors in the FTSE Italia Star index.

Persons: Claudia Greco, Chris Hiorns, Fitch, Goldman Sachs, Giuseppe Sersale, Andrea Scauri, Lemanik, Scauri, LSEG, Alberto Chiandetti, Joice Alves, Danilo Masoni, Dhara Ranasinghe, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Companies, LONDON, Barclays, European Commission, FTSE Italia Star, Anthilia, Banco, Fidelity International, FTSE, Thomson Locations: Milan, Silicon, Italy, Companies Italy, MILAN, Germany, Ukraine, iShares, Europe, dei, London

☆ Russian cenbank: capital controls may have reverse effect long-term, make rouble weaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Capital controls on certain Russian exporters that went into force last month may have the opposite of their intended effect in the long term, leading to a weaker and more volatile rouble, the Russian central bank said in a report on Tuesday. The rouble has strengthened from beyond 100 to the dollar since that decree was announced. The central bank's higher-than-expected hike in its main interest rate, to 15%, in late October has also helped. The bank also said in its report that it expected annual inflation to start coming down next spring due to Russians' increased savings and higher interest rates. Annual inflation in Russia is seen at 7.25% in the fourth quarter, compared to 6.00% in the third quarter, according to the bank's assessment.

Persons: Alexander Marrow, Elena Fabrichnaya, Marina Bobrova, Gareth Jones Organizations: Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Russia

☆ The US just sanctioned the Russian manufacturer of Lancet, a $35,000 tank-smashing 'suicide' drone that has been impeding Ukraine's counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US imposed sanctions against Russian manufacturer Zala Aero, which produces the Lancet drones. The Lancet drone is a loitering munition that stays near its target before crashing into it. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe US imposed sanctions on Thursday against a Russian manufacturer of lightweight drones that has been impeding the progress of Ukraine's counteroffensive. Lancet drones are small and lightweight, with its latest iteration, the Lancet-3M, weighing about 26.5 pounds — including the payload —and measuring less than 6 feet long, The Wall Street Journal reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementOne video circulating online appeared to show a Lancet drone dropping explosives on a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet that was sitting on the tarmac of an air base.

Persons: —, It's, Igor Zimenkov, Samuel Bendett, James Patton Rogers, Patton Rogers, Oleksandr Afanasyev Organizations: Zala Aero, Service, Ukraine, Department of State, US, SWIFT, State Department, Department, Foreign, Control, Street Journal, Center, New, New American Security, Reuters, Russia, IRIS, Cornell Tech Policy Institute, University of Southern, Aero Locations: Zala, Russian, Russia, New American, Germany, University of Southern Denmark, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine

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