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☆ Morning Bid: Banks are leaking money
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

There is some relief that First Citizens BancShares Inc (FCNCA.O) is in advanced talks to acquire Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O). There was also some talk the Federal Reserve could expand its new lending programme for banks as another step to reassuring depositors. Money is clearly flowing out of smaller banks toward their bigger siblings and to money market funds, which have seen an inflow of more than $300 billion in the past month to a record $5.1 trillion. Capital Economics points out that deposits across all the banks have fallen by $663 billion in the past year as customers search for higher yield. Deutsche Bank's five-year CDS hit 222 bps on Friday, the highest since late 2018, while UBS CDS shot up to 139 bps.

☆ Credit Suisse accessed billions in liquidity last weekend, Swiss finance minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZURICH, March 25 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) tapped the Swiss National Bank for "a large multi-billion amount" last weekend to secure its liquidity, the country's finance minister Karin Keller-Sutter told Swiss broadcaster SRF on Saturday. The troubled Swiss bank had said last week it intended to borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs from the country's central bank to boost its liquidity. "Last weekend, a large multi-billion amount was withdrawn by Credit Suisse for liquidity protection," Keller-Sutter said. Keller-Sutter said "it is to be assumed" that the figure was above 50 billion Swiss francs ($54.35 billion), but said the Swiss National Bank had the exact number. Last Sunday, UBS (UBSG.S) agreed to buy its rival Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) for 3 billion Swiss francs in stock and agreed to assume up to 5 billion francs in losses in a merger engineered by Swiss authorities to prevent more market turmoil in global banking.

☆ Hedge fund Rokos cuts risk after losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Carolina Mandl | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, March 25 (Reuters) - London-based hedge fund Rokos Capital Management told investors in a letter on Saturday that it has decided to de-risk, following double-digit losses this month. "We have de-risked following this month's market price action," the hedge fund said in the letter which was seen by Reuters. Rokos lost 15.3% this month through March 17 and has lost 9.8% so far this year. On Friday, the Financial Times reported that SEC Chair Gary Gensler brought up Rokos in calls with UK regulators, following its losses. The hedge fund told investors it continues to have normal interactions with regulators and that they have not expressed any concern specific to the firm.

LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Bank of America's electronic stocks desk has halted trading with a desk at Credit Suisse that uses computer-led strategies, "out of an abundance of caution effective today," an email seen by Reuters on Monday said. Bank of America (BAC.N) said it would no longer send trades to Credit Suisse's "ATS Crossfinder". That trading platform anonymously matches buy and sell orders for the same kinds of securities, according to the Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) website. Bank of America sent the email to traders and hedge fund clients on Monday morning. Credit Suisse declined to comment on the email and Bank of America also declined to comment.

☆ Asia's regulators say banking system is robust and stable after UBS-Credit Suisse takeover deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Last week, Credit Suisse logged their worst weekly decline since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Hong Kong says industry is resilientThe Hong Kong Monetary Authority said the city's banking sector is resilient with strong capital and liquidity positions. "The total assets of Credit Suisse, Hong Kong Branch amounted to about HK$100 billion, representing less than 0.5% of the total assets of the Hong Kong banking sector. Credit Suisse customers will continue to have full access to their accounts and "contracts with counterparties remain in force. Japan banks 'shielded'As for Japan, the country's banking system is unlikely to be affected by the deal, said Cyrus Daruwala, managing director of IDC Financial Services.

☆ 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.

☆ U.S. poised to tighten reporting rules on $20 tln private fund sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Douglas Gillison | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

March 17 (Reuters) - Wall Street's top regulator is set to adopt new rules aimed at bolstering oversight of systemic risk in the burgeoning, multitrillion-dollar world of private equity and hedge-funds. As proposed in January 2022, the rule would require reporting of such events to the SEC within one business day. The agency billed the new rule in part as a means of supporting the Financial Stability Oversight Council, a multi-agency risk-monitoring body also created under Dodd-Frank. The proposal offered "scant evidence" that it would enhance FSOC's monitoring for systemic risk, she said in dissenting remarks against the proposal, adding that it would likely become a tool "for government to micromanage private fund risk management." Reporting by Douglas Gillison; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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.

☆ Credit Suisse managed funds' net outflows top $450 mln -Morningstar
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Nell Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Net outflows seen March 14,15Data for March 16 yet to compiled -MorningstarLONDON, March 17 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse <CSGN.S> saw more than $450 million in net outflows from its U.S. and European managed funds from March 13 to 15, Morningstar Direct said on Friday, as retail and institutional counterparties pulled money out of funds managed by the embattled Swiss lender. The more than 300 European funds managed by the bank had an estimated net inflow of just over $14 million on March 13. By March 14 that had flipped to net outflows of $205 million, data provider Morningstar said. On March 15 there were net outflows of just over $211 million, it said. More than 20 U.S. funds tracked showed a $22,000 net outflow on March 13 which widened to $20 million the next day and to $29 million on March 15, Morningstar said.

As part of the overhaul announced in October, it is seeking to spin off merger advice and leveraged finance into a new entity named Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB), for which it has been seeking buyers. Credit Suisse is most valuable in separate parts, and there are high-level M&A talks taking place, said a senior banker who advises banks on deals. TAKEOVERSelling off parts of Credit Suisse could require time, which markets may not give. The two have complementary investment banking businesses -Credit Suisse is stronger in credit and UBS in equities. However, some have faith that Credit Suisse can still make it safely to the end of the tight rope.

☆ US CFTC to give pass over certain swap reporting failures tied to SVB, Signature Bank contracts
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Wednesday said it would give a pass to firms that cannot meet certain swap reporting requirements following the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O) and Signature Bank (SBNY.O). The Commission will not launch enforcement actions against any counterparties that cannot meet agency reporting requirements for swaps contracts solely from the FDIC transfers, it said. Those may include business conduct, margin, clearing and trade execution requirements. Firms should "should use best efforts to fulfill their reporting obligations with respect to such swaps," the CFTC said. Reporting by Chris Prentice, Kanishka Singh, Rami Ayyub and Ismail ShakilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Crypto founders are running out of bank options after the collapses of SVB and Signature. Here's where they're scrambling to move their money.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( April Joyner | Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Crypto founders face dwindling banking options after the collapses of Silvergate and Signature Bank. After back-to-back collapses of several crypto- and startup-friendly banks — Silvergate, Signature, and Silicon Valley Bank — crypto founders face a huge void. Silvergate and Signature, in particular, filled a vital role in the financial system for crypto startups, several founders told Insider. Well before the collapse of SVB and downfall of Signature, crypto founders had found banking havens outside the US in locales such as Dubai and Singapore. "It's a recurring conversation that crypto companies have that are based out of the states," she said.

☆ Quotes: Global banks under pressure as SVB triggers contagion worries
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

LONDON, March 14 (Reuters) - The health of the global banking sector as interest rates rise remained in the spotlight on Tuesday in the wake of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). But days of wild swings in global markets and hefty losses in bank shares, left the outlook for the sector in focus. Banks are now faced with the classic problem that has threatened banks throughout history: a mismatch in terms between assets and liabilities." Hopefully we'll go over the next few days, whether or not the financial system is going to calm down or not. "It’s been an indiscriminate sell off in banking stocks, the financial sector repriced everywhere.

☆ What the failures of Signature, SVB and Silvergate mean for the crypto sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In this article BTC.CM= Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTA man entering Signature Bank in New York City on March 12, 2023. ReutersA lot of crypto's problems in the last year originated in the stablecoin sector, beginning with TerraUSD's collapse last May. Now that it is clear that SVB depositors will be made whole, Carter tells CNBC that he expects USDC to trade at par. The Silvergate Exchange Network (SEN) and Signature's Signet were real-time payment platforms that crypto customers considered core offerings. Meanwhile, Circle has already publicly said that it is shifting is assets to BNY Mellon now that Signature bank is closing.

☆ 3 Failed Banks This Year Were Bigger Than 25 That Crumbled in 2008
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Karl Russell | Christine Zhang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

The three banks that failed this year were worth more in inflation-adjusted assets than the 25 that collapsed in 2008. Before Silicon Valley Bank, the last bank to fail was in late 2020, as the coronavirus was ravaging the country. First Republic Bank ranks 14th, Silicon Valley Bank ranks 16th and Signature Bank ranks 29th. Silicon Valley Bank’s chief executive, Greg Becker, was a strong supporter of the move. In a review of the Fed’s oversight of Silicon Valley Bank released on Friday, Michael S. Barr, the central bank’s vice chair for supervision, said the Fed would “re-evaluate” its rules for banks that were similar in size to Silicon Valley Bank.

☆ ECB to test banks for cyber resilience, Enria says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, March 9 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank plans to test the cyber resilience of the euro zone's top banks after a sharp rise in cyberattacks, including after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, ECB supervisory chief Andrea Enria told a Lithuanian newspaper. "Next year we are launching a thematic stress test on cyber resilience, which will try to test how banks are able to respond to and recover from a successful cyberattack," Enria told Verslo žinios. "There has been a significant increase in cyberattacks," Enria said. But banks can be cut off from counterparties quickly, including through sanctions, leaving them vulnerable. Results of the test are due around the middle of 2024, Enria said.

☆ Justice Department Hiring Dozens of New Prosecutors to Enforce Russian Sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Dylan Tokar | Ian Talley | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

The new prosecutors will work with corporations to investigate sanctions and export control evasion, and also bring criminal charges against companies when they commit violations, he said. Some of the additional prosecutors are new hires, while some are being reallocated from different sections, according to officials. The U.A.E.’s enforcement of sanctions differs between the emirates, officials say, as the separate governments treat the sanctions with varying degrees of compliance. For their part, Justice Department officials have pointed to a growing nexus between their work on corporate crime and national security. In addition to hiring more prosecutors, Mr. Olsen said the counterintelligence section would also hire a lawyer to advise on investigations involving corporations.

☆ MediaMath seemed destined for a $1B fairy-tale exit. Instead, most early investors got nothing.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

At its Halloween party in 2015, the adtech startup MediaMath seemed on the brink of greatness. The machine-learning revolution that took over the financial industry was finally happening in marketing, and many industry insiders considered MediaMath to be the hottest adtech company of the time. "We never came close to consummating such a deal with MediaMath nor entertained the purported valuation," said a representative for Singtel. The Trade Desk, the most comparable independent DSP company to MediaMath, was riding high after its 2016 initial public offering. The quasi-equity agreement was structured to protect Searchlight if MediaMath didn't perform to certain quotas or if things went south financially.

☆ Cineworld gets no offer for whole company, warns on shareholders' equity
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Yadarisa Shabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It said it had received initial proposals from a number of counterparties but none offered an all-cash bid for the entire company. Cineworld said talks with certain stakeholders about a possible plan of reorganisation were ongoing in parallel with a potential sale of assets, but neither path would see shareholders recover their equity interest. Cineworld had a net debt of $8.81 billion as of June 30, 2022, including lease liabilities, while its cash reserves had dwindled to $131 million. Larger rival AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC.N) in December had said its talks to buy some theatres owned by Cineworld had fallen through. Sky News reported earlier this month that London-based cinema operator Vue International, with support from two funds, would be among the bidders for Cineworld.

One U.S. holder of Adani bonds looked to buy more this week but said his trade orders were not being executed because of lack of available paper. Another U.S. based emerging markets focused money manager who held Adani bonds said he was sitting tight on his position. Indian companies have not been prolific issuers of U.S. dollar bonds and Adani's bonds with secured assets were seen as providing direct, quality exposure to the fast-growing economy. Another source, a U.S. based hedge fund manager, said he was looking to short Adani's dollar bonds after the Hindenburg report but was finding it difficult to borrow bonds to sell. Bid-offer spreads, a measure of liquidity, widened significantly after the Hindenburg report, Tradeweb data showed.

☆ The Manhattan DA's office considered charging Trump with racketeering before backing off, book says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Sonam Sheth | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Manhattan DA considered charging Trump with racketeering, a new book says. Mark Pomerantz, a former prosecutor in the DA's office, writes that he built a sweeping case against Trump, according to NYT. The DA's office ultimately decided not to indict the former president. The DA's office charged the Trump Organization and its chief bookkeeper, Allen Weisselberg, with 15 felony counts in July 2021. He seemed always to stay one step ahead of the law," Pomerantz writes.

☆ Trader Is Charged in Alleged $110 Million Crypto Manipulation Scheme
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

He faces charges of commodities fraud, commodities market manipulation and wire fraud in connection with what prosecutors said was manipulation of Mango Markets. Mr. Eisenberg remained in police custody on Thursday and will be arraigned Feb. 14, when he would be asked to enter a plea. PREVIEWThe Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed parallel civil charges against Mr. Eisenberg last month. The CFTC, which regulates derivatives markets, said the enforcement action against Mr. Eisenberg was the first of its kind against an alleged manipulation scheme involving a decentralized exchange. He allegedly artificially pumped up the price of MNGO on three different digital asset exchanges that Mango Markets used to determine the value of the derivative contracts.

☆ Deutsche Bank turnaround victory is really a loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Feb 2 (Reuters Breakingviews) - In many ways, Christian Sewing has successfully rejuvenated Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE). Counterparties no longer fret about the German lender’s solvency, and he’s axed 3 billion euros of costs since starting as chief executive in 2018. The centrepiece of Sewing’s turnaround, however, was an 8% return on tangible equity (ROTE) target for 2022, which he’s effectively missed. The main question now is whether Sewing’s 2022 miss makes his 2025 ambitions even more farfetched. Sewing wants to cut another 2 billion euros in the coming years by closing retail branches, merging IT systems and decommissioning old ones.

☆ Cathie Wood's Ark Invest says bitcoin could hit $1.5 million by 2030, doubling down on its bullishness for the world's largest cryptocurrency
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ark Invest said bitcoin could hit nearly $1.5 million by 2030, a 6,326% increase from its current price. The famed money manager predicted bitcoin will scale unto a "multi-trillion dollar market," per a recent report. The bullish estimates come amid a severe and lengthy crypto market rut. Bitcoin is down 65% from its all-time high in November 2021, with the industry's total market value off over 64% from its peak. Since the start of the year, Ark's flagship exchange-traded fund, ARKK, bought 108,548 Coinbase shares, worth $6.3 million at its current price.

☆ Britain sets out plans to regulate crypto industry in wake of FTX collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In a widely-anticipated industry consultation launched Tuesday, the government proposed a number of measures aimed at bringing regulation of crypto asset businesses in line with that of traditional financial firms. A big theme that emerged in 2022 was the rise of risky loans made between multiple crypto firms and a lack of due diligence done on the counterparties involved in those transactions. The collapse of FTX has added urgency to global regulators' attempts to govern the regulation-averse crypto space. The regulatory move comes as crypto firms in both the U.K. and beyond are feeling the chill of a deep downturn known as "crypto winter." Global crypto hub ambitionsThe U.K. wants to become a leader in crypto and blockchain technology on the global stage.

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