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☆ Singapore seizes money launderer's assets in Swiss banks in S$1.8 billion case
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Chen Lin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Straits Times Illustrations/Cel Gulapa via REUTERS/File Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreSINGAPORE, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Police in Singapore investigating a major money laundering operation have seized S$125 million ($91.79 million) from the bank accounts of one of ten foreign suspects accused in the case. The total value of assets seized by investigating authorities now stands at S$1.8 billion, according to prosecutors. The scale of the money laundering operation has shocked the wealthy Asian financial hub, and raised concerns over whether there are loopholes in its financial system. A state court denied bail for two of the accused foreigners, Wang Baosen and Su Baolin, on Wednesday. ($1 = 1.3618 Singapore dollars)Reporting by Chen Lin in Singapore; Additional Reporting by Yantoultra Ngui; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Su Baolin, Su Haijin, Chen Qingyuan, Su Wenqiang, Lin Baoying, Zhang Ruijin, Wang Dehai, Su Jianfeng, Vang Shuiming, Wang Baosen, Bank Julius Baer, Julius Baer, Chen Lin, Yantoultra Ngui, Simon Cameron, Moore, Jan Harvey Organizations: The Straits, REUTERS, Police, Turkish, Credit Suisse Singapore, Bank, Credit Suisse, Thomson Locations: Singapore, SINGAPORE, Vang

☆ Hans Niemann reinstated by Chess.com, vows to become ‘best chess player in the world’ after alleged cheating scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —American chess grandmaster Hans Niemann has been reinstated by Chess.com following the conclusion of a legal dispute between Niemann, Magnus Carlsen and the online platform, among others. In June, a US judge dismissed a $100 million defamation lawsuit filed by Niemann against Chess.com, five-time world champion Carlsen, and popular streamer and player Hikaru Nakamura. This followed an alleged cheating scandal surrounding Niemann which rocked the sport last year. “I am pleased that my lawsuit against Magnus Carlsen and Chess.com has been resolved in a mutually acceptable manner, and that I am returning to Chess.com,” Niemann said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter. According to Niemann’s dismissed lawsuit, the dispute began in September 2022 when then world champion Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, Missouri.

Persons: Hans Niemann, Niemann, Magnus Carlsen, Chess.com, Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, ”, Hans, ” Chess.com, “, ” Niemann, Magnus, Niemann’s, José Mourinho, ” Carlsen, Pavel Mikheyev, Julius Baer, Nakamura Organizations: CNN, Chess.com, Niemann, Louis Chess Club, YouTube Locations: American, Chess.com, St, Louis , Missouri, Kazakhstan

☆ Robust equities erode gold's safe-haven allure as ETF holdings fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Deep Kaushik Vakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) -Receding fears of a U.S. slowdown, surging bond yields and the robust performance of equities have gradually eroded the appeal of exchange-traded funds (ETF) backed by traditional safe-haven gold this year, despite sticky inflation. The biggest ETF, SPDR Gold Trust, saw holdings dwindle to pre-pandemic levels. [GOL/ETF]Investors typically buy gold during times of financial and economic uncertainty and rising inflation. [GOL/]“Gold has fallen into disfavour as a hedge against economic uncertainty for many institutional investors,” said Ross Norman, chief executive of Metals Daily. Equities have outperformed gold despite higher interest rates, while rival safe-haven Treasury bonds have attracted investors away from gold, which doesn’t earn any interest or dividends.

Persons: Ilya Naymushin, ”, Ross Norman, Carsten Menke, Julius Baer, Gold, Philip Newman, Newman, hasn’t Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, World Gold Council, Investors, U.S, Metals Daily, U.S . Federal, Treasury, Metals Locations: U.S, Siberian, Krasnoyarsk, Russia, disfavour, “

☆ Russia's inflation spike sets Kremlin and central bank on collision course
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) and Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina Alexei Nikolsky\TASS via Getty ImagesRussia's rising inflation and plunging currency have spotlighted an emerging discord between the Kremlin and the country's central bank. Analysts suggested the government's direct strong-arming of the central bank into monetary policy action was a sign of the problems faced by the country's economy. In other words, the Russian currency has entered a vicious circle that it will struggle to escape from." This is because the negative factors behind the weakening currency are largely outside the control of the Central Bank of Russia." She added that blaming the central bank has therefore become an "easy tactic" for the Kremlin in the absence of any tangible options through which to improve the situation.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina Alexei Nikolsky, Vladimir Putin's, Maxim Oreshkin, Anatoly Aksakov, Agathe Demarais, Demarais, Stephanie Kennedy, Julius Baer, Kennedy Organizations: Russian Central Bank Governor, Getty, Kremlin, Central Bank of Russia, Bank, Bank of Russia, Financial, Bank of, Economist Intelligence Unit, CNBC, CBR, U.S . Locations: Russia, Bank of Russia, Ukraine

☆ The China market is a 'value trap' while the U.S. is the 'biggest' investment idea: Bank Julius Baer
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | 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 EmailThe China market is a 'value trap' while the U.S. is the 'biggest' investment idea: Bank Julius BaerBhaskar Laxminarayan, Asia CIO of Bank Julius Baer discusses where he thinks the opportunities for investors are at the moment.

Persons: Julius Baer Bhaskar Laxminarayan, Bank Julius Baer Organizations: Bank Locations: China, U.S, Asia

Three months ago, a Reuters poll predicted prices would average $1,950 in 2023. Standard Chartered analyst Suki Cooper said gold is "more likely to test the downside until rate cuts materialise unless a new catalyst emerges". For silver , the poll forecast average prices of $23.52 an ounce in 2023 and $25.00 in 2024. "Anaemic performance from gold and concerns over economic outlook especially in China" have weighed on silver, O'Connell added. But silver could still find support from solar panels demand, analysts said.

Persons: Ross Norman, Carsten Menke, Julius Baer, Suki Cooper, Rhona O'Connell, Silver, O'Connell, Ashitha Shivaprasad, Harshit Verma, Arpan Varghese, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Federal Reserve, U.S, Thomson Locations: China, Bengaluru

☆ European markets lower; fresh data shows rising recessionary risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — European markets were mixed on Monday as investors digest the inconclusive results of Spain's election and look ahead to a busy week of corporate earnings and central bank meetings. The pan-European Stoxx 600 moved lower in early afternoon deals, falling 0.1%, with all major bourses trading in negative territory. Fresh data pointed to a slowdown in business activity in France, Germany and the U.K. in July, adding to recessionary risks in Europe. Markets in Asia-Pacific were mixed Monday as investors digested key economic data from across the region. Japan's the Nikkei 225 gained 1.29% to start the week after new data showed business activity expanded for a seventh straight month.

Persons: Switzerland's Julius Baer Organizations: Sunday, European Central Bank, Nikkei, Bank of Japan, Federal Reserve, Meta, Microsoft, Vodafone, Ryanair, Italy's Locations: France, Germany, Europe, Asia, Pacific

☆ Gold hits 2-month high as dollar struggles on Fed pause views
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold bars and gold coins in different sizes are lying in a safe on a table at the precious metal dealer Pro Aurum. Gold prices advanced to their highest in about two months on Thursday, driven by U.S. dollar's weakness and growing expectations that the Federal Reserve would conclude its aggressive rate-hiking cycle at its meeting next week. "The recent reversal in gold prices is very much driven by the expectation that the Fed is almost done in terms of interest rate hikes," said Julius Baer analyst Carsten Menke. "That said, we believe interest rates are set to stay high and a rapid reversal of monetary policy is not imminent due to the resilience of the U.S. economy. Furthermore, we believe that interest rate levels are too high to lure gold investors back into the market."

Persons: Ross Norman, Julius Baer, Carsten Menke Organizations: Aurum, Federal, U.S ., U.S, Fed Locations: U.S

LONDON, July 18 (Reuters) - The spectre of rising corporate debt defaults exacerbating a global economic slowdown has for months been largely brushed aside by resilient credit markets. Now, long-feared corporate debt woes are starting to hit home, while more companies are being downgraded to a junk credit rating - facing higher borrowing costs as a result. Retailer Casino, with 6.4 billion euros ($7.19 billion) of net debt, is in court-backed talks with creditors; Britain's Thames Water is in the headlines with its 14 billion pound ($18.32 billion) debt pile. For FACTBOX: Corporate debt woes are on the rise, click here. Nonetheless, not all firms may be able to survive the challenges of vast debt, higher interest and business costs and declining profits.

Persons: Julius Baer's, Markus Allenspach, Guy Miller, Miller, it's, Aymen Mahmoud, McDermott Will, Emery, Elena Lieskovska, Chiara Elisei, Dhara, Christina Fincher Organizations: SBB, P Global, U.S, Reuters, ICE, Zurich Insurance, ABN AMRO, European Central Bank, London Finance, Bain Capital, Thomson Locations: Swedish, Spain, Europe

☆ UBS investors warm to Credit Suisse deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Oliver Hirt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Several fund managers who hold UBS stock have told Reuters they think UBS has bought Credit Suisse at a good price, with some even describing it as a steal. "UBS got Credit Suisse for practically nothing, so accordingly the deal will work out for them," another investor told Reuters. Still, UBS inherits a troubled legacy at Credit Suisse, said Thomae, pointing to legal risks which UBS has said could cost billions of dollars. Rivals have poached entire teams from Credit Suisse, he said, and some clients are likely to follow them. Deka's Thomae said UBS and Credit Suisse together would have a market share in Switzerland that is just within acceptable limits.

Persons: Colm Kelleher, Guy de Blonay, Andreas Thomae, Thomae, de Blonay, De Blonay, JP Morgan, Kian Abouhossein, Julius Baer, Deka's Thomae, Oliver Hirt, John Revill, David Holmes Organizations: Credit Suisse, UBS, Switzerland's, Reuters, Jupiter Asset Management, CS, Swiss, UBS AG, Credit Suisse AG, STATE, Deka Investment, Fund, Rivals, Suisse, JP, Suisse's, Investors, Credit, Thomson Locations: ZURICH, Suisse's Swiss, Switzerland

☆ Julius Baer wants to double assets under management - Handelsblatt
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZURICH, July 10 (Reuters) - Swiss bank Julius Baer (BAER.S) can double its assets under management to 1 trillion Swiss francs ($1.12 trillion), CEO Philipp Rickenbacher said in an interview with German daily Handelsblatt on Monday. Achieving the goal would mean a massive increase from the 429 billion francs in assets that Julius Baer currently manages, but it is possible, the daily reported, adding that Rickenbacher declined to give a timeline on when the target could be achieved. "But we are in growth mode and such ambitions are not unrealistic," he said, adding that attracting former Credit Suisse clients will take time. "Perhaps the market has overestimated the speed of the shifts," Rickenbacher said. ($1 = 0.8912 Swiss francs)Reporting by John Revill; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Julius Baer, Philipp Rickenbacher, Rickenbacher, John Revill, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: Credit Suisse, Silicon Valley Bank, Thomson Locations: ZURICH, Swiss, Silicon

☆ These funds were the best performing in the first half — and here are their favorite stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"The US-led equity rebound in 1H 2023 was unusually concentrated in the so-called 'magnificent seven' mega-cap tech stocks. Other artificial intelligence-themed stocks broadly benefited from the excitement around its long-term potential as well, such as semiconductor stocks," said Cheung. He added that was reflected in the top performing Morningstar categories, which were U.S. large-cap growth equity, technology sector equity, and Taiwan equity — based on category average returns. Here are the top performing, actively managed equity funds in the first half of the year, according to data from Morningstar. Here are some stocks that appeared most often in the top 10 holdings of the funds, with potential upside to price targets and buy ratings, according to FactSet.

Persons: Bryan Cheung, Julius Baer, Cheung Organizations: Morningstar, CNBC Pro, Investors Locations: Swiss, Taiwan, U.S, Argentine, Asia

☆ These global and U.S. stocks are set to soar further after a strong first half, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Among global stocks, Japan was the top performer, with shares up over 16% year-to-date at the mid-year, according to data compiled by Julius Baer, while European stocks gained 7.47%. All of the stocks have a buy rating from at least 60% of analysts covering them. They are also well-loved by analysts, with a more-than 70% buy rating and over 30% potential upside. Baidu also appears on CNBC Pro's screen, with 32% potential upside and a 74% buy rating. Super Hi, the international operator of the wildly popular Chinese hotpot chain Haidilao, also has among the highest potential upside at 51%.

Persons: Julius Baer, Buffett, Morgan Stanley, bullish Organizations: CNBC Pro, Chrysler, Baidu, CNBC, Warner Bros Discovery, MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment Locations: Japan, China, Swiss

☆ Singapore is the most expensive city for a life of luxury, according to a new ranking. 2 US cities make the top 10.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Singapore is the most expensive city for living in luxury, per a report by the Julius Baer Group. Rent, house prices, school fees, taxes on cars, and living expenses are all high in the city-state. Singapore pushed Shanghai off the podium, marking the first time the Asian city-state topped the ranking. By the end of 2022, Singapore had an estimated 1,500 family offices – twice the number of the previous year. Here is Julius Baer's ranking of the 10 most expensive cities for "living well":

Persons: Julius Baer, —, Long, –, Julius Baer's Organizations: Julius Baer Group, Service, Privacy, Singapore Locations: Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, London, New York, Swiss

☆ What could break as interest rates rise?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Sweden, where rates rose again on Thursday, is one to watch with most homeowners' mortgages moving in lockstep with rates. Reuters Graphics2/ REAL ESTATE: PART 2Having taken advantage of the low rates era to borrow aplenty and buy up property assets, the commercial real estate sector is grappling with higher debt refinancing costs as rates rise. "The single most important thing is interest rates. But not just interest rates; what it is equally important is the predictability of rates," said Thomas Mundy, EMEA head of capital markets strategy at real estate firm JLL. "If we were settled on an interest rate, real estate prices could adjust.

Persons: Richard Portes, Thomas Mundy, Banks, Florian, Ielpo, Jerome Powell, Markus Allenspach, Julius Baer, Nick Kraemer, Wagner, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Tina Fordham, Chiara Elisei, Naomi Rovnick, Nell Mackenzie, Karin Strohecker, Vincent Flasseur, Kripa Jayaram, Sumanta Sen, Pasit, Dhara Ranasinghe, Alison Williams Organizations: International Monetary Fund, Reuters, Federal, Finance, London Business School, Lombard, Federal Reserve, Casino, Sweden's SBB, Fordham Global Foresight, Thomson Locations: Britain, Norway, Russia, Sweden, lockstep, London's, City, RUSSIA, Ukraine

☆ Gold prices steady on softer dollar, focus on economic cues
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Arundhati Sarkar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Spot gold held its ground at $1,923.09 per ounce by 1200 GMT while U.S. gold futures edged down 0.1% to $1,932.90. The dollar index (.DXY) eased slightly, making dollar-priced bullion more attractive for overseas buyers. Meanwhile, Julius Baer analyst Carsten Menke said that high interest rates are offering other alternatives than gold to safe-haven seekers. Spot silver rose 0.5% to $22.88 an ounce and was on track for a third straight session of gains. Reporting by Arundhati Sarkar and Seher Dareen in Bengaluru Editing by Christina Fincher, David Goodman and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Han Tan, Jerome Powell's, Julius Baer, Carsten Menke, Arundhati Sarkar, Seher, Christina Fincher, David Goodman, Louise Heavens Organizations: Federal, Fed, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: U.S, United States, Sintra, Bengaluru

☆ These are the most expensive cities if you want to live in luxury, according a Swiss private bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Singapore is the most expensive city for living in luxury, per a report by the Julius Baer Group. Rent, house prices, school fees, taxes on cars, and living expenses are all high in the city-state. The Swiss private bank released its 2023 Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report on Tuesday. By the end of 2022, Singapore had an estimated 1,500 family offices – twice the number of the previous year. Here is Julius Baer's ranking of the 10 most expensive cities for "living well":

Persons: Julius Baer, —, Long, –, Julius Baer's Organizations: Julius Baer Group, Service, Privacy, Singapore Locations: Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, London, New York, Swiss

The region's benchmark Stoxx 600 index closed 0.6% lower, with sectors mixed as trading came to a close. Household goods fell 2.5% as industrials dropped 1.3%, while oil and gas stocks gained 0.9%. The euro zone Composite Purchasing Managers' Index for May showed solid growth that continued to be driven by services, with manufacturing hit by weak demand and a fall in selling prices. "Eurozone GDP is likely to have grown in the second quarter thanks to the healthy state of the services sector. However, the manufacturing sector is a powerful drag on the momentum of the economy as a whole," said Cyrus de la Rubia, chief economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank.

Persons: Cyrus de la Rubia Organizations: Hamburg Commercial Bank Locations: Hamburg, France

With a wry nod to the weekend coronation of King Charles, Goldman Sachs' currency team labelled an upgrade of its sterling recommendation from neutral to 'Long (live) Sterling' - nudging a 3-month forecast for sterling 3% stronger to 0.86 per euro. "Headwinds on sterling in 2022 - mostly natural gas prices and the relative stance of BoE policy - have turned to tailwinds." Economic surprise indexes compiled by Citi show incoming UK readouts more positive relative to expectations than at any time since October 2020. But the FTSE 250 is mostly holding its own so far in 2023 as they have both advanced 3%-4%. UK Economic Surprises surge vs rest of the westG3 Terminal RatesFTSE100 vs FTSE250The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.

☆ Julius Baer discusses M&T Bank's performance and banking sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | 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 EmailConfidence may return to banking sector if M&T Bank's performance is indicative of others': BankMark Matthews of bank Julius Baer says M&T Bank "beat expectations" and its guidance was above what analysts had forecast, and if that's indicative of what the others will report, confidence will probably return to the banking sector.

China's refined copper imports and exportsIMPORT SLUMPChina imported 408,174 tonnes of copper in March, down by 19% year-on-year and the lowest monthly intake since October. The preliminary customs report aggregates arrivals of refined metal, anode, alloy and semi-manufactured products. The country also imported 1.8 million tonnes of recyclable materials, the largest amount since 2018, and a record 25.3 million tonnes of mined concentrates. National refined copper output rose by 11% year-on-year in January-February, according to the country's official statistics body. So far this year it seems to have lost its appetite for more refined copper.

☆ Rivals can feast on Credit Suisse client spoils
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Credit Suisse saw 110 billion Swiss francs flying out the door in the final quarter of 2022. These outflows were chiefly cash from wealthy clients and some deposits at Credit Suisse's Swiss bank unit. Those holding accounts at both Credit Suisse and UBS may dislike too much wealth concentration. And Credit Suisse is hardly incentivised to transfer securities swiftly. The minister said this was needed because Credit Suisse customers had again withdrawn money.

☆ Swiss bank Julius Baer makes key appointments in Southeast Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SINGAPORE, April 13 (Reuters) - Zurich-based Julius Baer (BAER.S) has appointed Chin Lit Yee as its new head of South East Asia, the private bank said on Thursday. Kevin Tay will assume Yee's previous role as group head of South East Asia, with all appointments coming into effect on Thursday, according to the statement. Prior to joining Julius Baer in 2015, he had worked with Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank and J.P. Morgan, according to Thursday's statement. The appointments come as Julius Baer intensifies its focus on Asia, its second home market. Meanwhile, Julius Baer named Yee Kim Tan as its Singapore branch manager.

April 13 (Reuters) - Swiss fragrance and flavour maker Givaudan (GIVN.S) on Thursday reported quarterly like-for-like sales slightly above expectations, with price rises helping to offset lower sales volumes in North America. Its first-quarter revenue rose 3.6% to 1.84 billion Swiss francs ($1.97 billion) on a like-for-like basis, beating the 1.80 billion francs expected by analysts in a poll compiled by the company. The sales growth was below Givaudan's mid-term target of between 4% and 5% on average, which it also reiterated. On a reported basis, sales fell 0.4% to 1.77 billion Swiss francs. Givaudan reported a 9.5% drop in like-for-like sales in North America, the only region to record a decline in the quarter.

[1/2] The logo of chocolate and cocoa product maker Barry Callebaut is pictured during the company's annual news conference in Zurich, Switzerland, Nov. 7, 2018. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File PhotoApril 5 (Reuters) - Switzerland's Barry Callebaut (BARN.S), the world's biggest chocolate maker, on Wednesday appointed Peter Feld as its new chief executive after lowering sales volume guidance as inflation-hit consumers cut back on purchases. The chocolate maker now forecasts full-year volume growth to be "flat to modest," Chief Financial Officer Ben De Schryver said. Barry Callebaut shares were down 2.5%, according to Julius Baer bank's pre-market indications. The company said that the sales volumes decline moderated in the second quarter, slowing to -0.5%, from -5.1% in the previous quarter.

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