DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Tech firms, Wall Street lead job cuts in Corporate America
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA AND TELECOM SECTORMeta Platforms (META.O):The Facebook-parent said it would cut 10,000 jobs, just four months after it let go 11,000 employees. read moreMicrosoft Corp (MSFT.O):The U.S. tech giant said it would cut 10,000 jobs by the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2023. The company laid off under 1,000 employees across several divisions in October, Axios reported, citing a source. Workday (WDAY.O):The software company will cut roughly 500 jobs, or 3% of its workforce, citing a challenging macroeconomic environment. Morgan Stanley (MS.N):The Wall Street powerhouse was planning to cut about 3,000 jobs in the second quarter ended June 30, Reuters reported in May.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Goldman Sachs, Axios, Pat Gelsinger, Elon Musk, Morgan Stanley, Lazard, Coinbase, cryptocurrencies, Phillips, Johnson, Joseph Wolk, Deborah Sophia, Akash Sriram, Granth Vanaik, Eva Mathews, Yuvraj Malik, Sourasis Bose, Priyamvada, Tiyashi Datta, Manya Saini, Jaspreet Singh, Maju Samuel, Sriraj Kalluvila, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, TELECOM, Meta, Facebook, IBM Corp, Spotify Technology SA, Spotify, Microsoft Corp, Intel Corp, Reuters, New York Times, Elon, Cisco Systems, HP, Rivian, Match, Dell Technologies, Technologies, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, Goldman Sachs, Wall, Citigroup, Bloomberg News, BlackRock, Bed, Dow, Johnson, 3M, Thomson Locations: New, Wall, U.S, York, New Jersey, Bengaluru

☆ UK needs new plan to reverse hit to living standards, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People walk alongside the City of London financial district in London, Britain, October 25, 2023. REUTERS/ Susannah Ireland/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Britain needs a new economic strategy to reverse 15 years of falling living standards and worsening inequality, a leading think tank and an academic research centre said on Monday. "There is no excuse for fatalism," Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, said. "Closing the gap with peers like Australia, France and Germany would deliver huge living standards gains, with typical households over 8,000 pounds better off." ($1 = 0.7881 pounds)Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Susannah Ireland, Jeremy Hunt, Keir Starmer, Torsten Bell, William Schomberg, Daniel Wallis Organizations: City, REUTERS, Foundation, London School of Economics, Centre for Economic, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Starmer's Labour, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Australia, France, Germany, Birmingham, Manchester

A pedestrian carrying an umbrella walks along the River Thames in view of City of London skyline in London, Britain, July 31, 2023. Finance executives, consultants and headhunters interviewed by Reuters predict subdued deal flows, modest bonuses for most and heavy job cuts in 2024. "2023 will ultimately be one of the lowest corporate finance fee pools in modern history," said Fabrizio Campelli, head of Corporate Bank and Investment Bank at Deutsche Bank. JOB CUTSBanks have already turned to cost cuts to try to weather the downturn, which in a people-intensive business means job losses. And although some bankers expect a tough 2024, others sense an opportunity for European banks from the Basel Endgame.

Persons: Hollie Adams, Fabrizio Campelli, Banks, Ronan O'Kelly, Oliver Wyman, O'Kelly, Dominic Hook, Goldman Sachs, Vis Raghavan, JP Morgan, Morgan McKinley's, Stephane Rambosson, headhunter, Rambosson, Ana Botin, Morgan's Raghavan, there's, Oliver Wyman's O'Kelly, Deutsche's Campelli, Anousha Sakoui, Carolyn Cohn, Jesus Aguado, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, LONDON, Finance, Reuters, Corporate Bank, Investment Bank, Deutsche Bank, Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Development, Barclays, Lloyds, Challenger Metro Bank, UBS UBSG.S, Citi, Workers, Global Investment Banking, Employment, European Union, Santander, Global, Basel, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Ukraine, West, China, United States, India, Madrid

An electronic board shows Shanghai and Shenzhen stock indexes, at the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai, China October 25, 2022. But the extent of the political and economic jitters merely mirrors other signs of a long-term China exit well beyond portfolio flows. Earlier this month, China recorded its first-ever quarterly deficit in "bricks and mortar" foreign direct investment (FDI). What's more, a multi-year aversion to China investments then risks colliding with deteriorating long-term economic growth dynamics - heightened by rising youth unemployment and dire demographics. Despite some recent upgrades of China growth forecasts, yet another business survey this week raised red flags.

Persons: Aly, Gina Raimondo, Nicholas Lardy, Xi, Lardy, What's, Morgan Stanley, Morgan Stanley's, Mike Dolan, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, Official Monetary, Financial, Reuters, . Commerce, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, Shenzhen, China, OMFIF, Europe, North America, India, Brazil, Beijing, U.S, Washington, San Francisco

Yet labour markets are softening, the euro zone faces recession and China's property sector is in crisis. Here's what some closely-watched market indicators say about global recession risks:1/ AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM? Britain's economy avoided the start of a recession in the third quarter but still failed to grow. Economists broadly expect the global economy to slow next year but avoid a recession. If supply shocks resulting from the Israel-Hamas war become severe enough to push Brent crude to $150, a level it has never breached, a "mild and fleeting" global recession could result, Oxford Economics reckons.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Guy Miller, COVID, Zurich Insurance's Miller, Torsten Slok, Austria's, David Katimbo, We've, Brent, Yoruk Bahceli, Dhara Ranasinghe, Naomi Rovnick, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, Zurich Insurance, Reuters, Traders, U.S . Federal Reserve, ECB, Apollo Global Management, P, Sweden's SBB, HK, Bank of England, Business insolvencies, EdenTree Investment Management, Oxford Economics reckons, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, China, Zurich, England, Wales, Europe, Israel

☆ BNY Mellon to raise minimum wage, add mental health benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A BNY Mellon sign is seen on their headquarters in New York's financial district, January 19, 2011. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Dec 1 (Reuters) - BNY Mellon (BK.N) will increase its minimum wage next year to $22.50 an hour from $20 and expand mental health benefits for employees, the bank said in a statement on Friday. Bank of America (BAC.N) raised its minimum hourly wage to $23 in October, heading toward a goal of $25 by 2025. BNY Mellon will also expand its mental health benefits to cover 12 therapy sessions a year, expanding from five currently. "We want our employees to feel valued and know that they are being compensated competitively," said Sharyn Jones, BNY Mellon's global head of talent.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, BNY Mellon, Sharyn Jones, Lananh Nguyen, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, BNY, Bank of America, Thomson Locations: New, U.S

☆ Morning Bid: Powell's final shot to shape markets before December Fed meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A street sign for Wall Street is seen in the financial district in New York, U.S., November 8, 2021. Markets are now fully pricing a rate cut by the May meeting with almost a 50% chance they move in March, according to the CME's FedWatch tool. Reuters GraphicsThe 10-year yield is down around 15 basis points and on Thursday hit its lowest level in 2-1/2 months at 4.247%. On Wednesday, the dollar index , which measures the currency against six major peers, touched its lowest level since Aug. 11 and dropped over 3% last month, its worst month in a year. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Samuel Indyk, Jerome Powell's, Powell, Christopher Waller, Europe's, Fed's, Fed's Cook, ECB's, Fitch, Toby Chopra Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, Federal, Fed, Spelman College, Reuters, COVID, P Global, PMI, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, France, Greece, Ireland, DBRS, Germany, Spain

☆ US bond investors brace for Fed rate cuts in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Traders' confidence was reinforced earlier this week when Fed Governor Christopher Waller, a hawkish policymaker, flagged a possible rate cut in the months ahead. SOFR FUTURESBond investors also look to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) futures to gauge expectations of Fed rate moves. The June 2024 SOFR futures have priced at least one Fed cut, while the probability of two 25-basis-point rate reductions was at 76%. An OIS transaction involves exchanging an overnight rate such as the federal funds rate for a fixed one. For instance, in a U.S. two-year OIS transaction, one party receives a fixed two-year rate in exchange for paying the fed funds rate daily over the next two years.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Robert Pavlik, Pavlik, Christopher Waller, Jerome Powell's, It's, Gertrude Chavez, Dreyfuss, Saqib Iqbal Ahmed, Stephen Culp, Alden Bentley, Paul Simao Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, Bond, U.S, Dakota Wealth Management, Fed, Spelman College, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Fairfield , Connecticut, Atlanta

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

☆ New billionaires getting rich via inheritance rather than entrepreneurship in 'great wealth transfer'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A new wave of billionaires acquired more wealth through inheritance than entrepreneurship during the last year as a "great wealth transfer" picks up steam, a new report by UBS found. Fifty-three heirs received a total of $150.8 billion, which is higher than the $140.7 billion brought in by 84 new self-made billionaires, the report shows. "The great wealth transfer is gaining significant momentum," Benjamin Cavalli, head of UBS global wealth management strategic clients, told reporters in a briefing on Wednesday. Overall billionaire wealth is recovering, with the number of billionaires being up by 7% in the 12 months to early April of 2023, the UBS analysis showed. Billionaire wealth rose by 9% in this time and ended at around $12 trillion in nominal terms.

Persons: Benjamin Cavalli Organizations: UBS Locations: South Dock, Wharf, London, United Kingdom

☆ UK's FTSE 100 lags regional peers as banks, insurers fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) index dipped 0.1%, while the pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) rose 0.5%. The life insurance sector (.FTNMX303010) fell 0.4%, with Prudential (PRU.L) slipping 0.7% after Deutsche Bank reduced its price target on the stock. Banks (.FTNMX301010) slipped 1.7% following a 2.3% fall in HSBC (HSBA.L), which was the biggest weight on the FTSE 100. Among individual stocks Halfords Group (HFD.L) plunged 21.1% after the bicycles-to-car parts retailer narrowed its annual profit forecast range. Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil and Eileen SorengOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Toby Melville, Andrew Bailey, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, Eddie Cheng, Banks, Shashwat Chauhan, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Eileen Soreng Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, REUTERS, Aviva, Bank of England, Prudential, Deutsche Bank, U.S . Federal Reserve, Allspring Global Investments, HSBC, Halfords, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, Europe, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Morning Bid: Waller to Wall St, Fed's on the turn
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

A street sign for Wall Street is seen in the financial district in New York, U.S., November 8, 2021. But back in the markets, the Fed's policy pivot was all the rage as Treasury yields and dollar plunged anew. New York Fed chief John Williams said long-term inflation expectations were anchored, reassuring and "remarkably stable". Fed futures now have the first Fed rate cut of a quarter point fully priced for May and 110bps of rate cuts by year-end. Two-year Treasury yields plunged more than 15 basis points to four-month lows of 4.66% on Wednesday, with 10-year yields hitting their lowest since mid-September - a startling drop of more than 75bps in little over a month.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Mike Dolan, Wall, Charlie Munger, Berkshire Hathaway's Munger, Warren Buffett, Christopher Waller, Jerome Powell, Waller, John Williams, Austan Goolsbee, Michelle Bowman, Powell, Stocks, smartly, Hong, Thomas Barkin, Loretta Mester, Andrew Bailey, BoE, Andrew Hauser, Blinken, Sergey Lavrov, Jane Merriman Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, Federal Reserve, Waller . New York Fed, Chicago Fed, HK, Austria's, Holdings, Richmond Fed, Cleveland Fed, Bank of England, London, Russian, Foods, Intuit, Petco, Thomson, Reuters Locations: New York, U.S, Berkshire, Waller ., China, Europe, Vienna, North Macedonia

☆ London stocks fall as investors await more data; Rolls-Royce shines
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A street cleaning operative walks past the London Stock Exchange Group building in the City of London financial district, whilst British stocks tumble as investors fear that the coronavirus outbreak could stall the global economy, in London, Britain, March 9, 2020. The exporter-heavy FTSE 100 (.FTSE) fell 0.6% touching a two-week low intraday, while the more domestically-oriented FTSE 250 midcap index (.FTMC) also shed 0.6%. Personal goods (.FTNMX402040) led declines among the major FTSE 350 sectors, with Burberry Group (BRBY.L) falling 2.7% after HSBC reduced the stock's price target. Investors will look ahead to UK mortgage data, inflation prints across the eurozone, and a Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report in the U.S. - the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge - later this week. Man Group (EMG.L) fell 3.2% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the hedge fund manager's stock to "Equal-Weight" from "Overweight".

Persons: Toby Melville, inflation's, Andrew Jones, Janus Henderson, Dave Ramsden, Jonathan Haskel, Pearson, Morgan Stanley, Shashwat Chauhan, Sonia Cheema Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, REUTERS, Royce, Burberry Group, HSBC, PT Pearson, Man, Janus Henderson Investors, Bank of England's, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ British advertised salaries fall but job ads pick up: Adzuna
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Job search website Adzuna said annual advertised salaries averaged 36,946 pounds ($46,038.41) last month, down 0.4% from September and taking the decline since April to 1.9%. "Falling advertised salaries may not appear to be good news for jobseekers but it does signal that the menace of inflation is finally in retreat," Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna said. However, online job ads climbed 0.35% to 1.03 million adverts, the biggest month-on-month jump since June, helped by pre-Christmas hiring in sectors such as retail and warehousing. But it is closely watching for signs of inflation pressure in the jobs market. An official measure of vacancies, published earlier this month, showed vacancies hit a two-year low of 957,000 in the three months to October and near record wage growth cooled slightly from in the quarter to September.

Persons: Susannah Ireland, Adzuna, Andrew Hunter, Brexit, Suban Abdulla, William Schomberg Organizations: City, REUTERS, Bank of England, Employers, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Insight: Italy is no country for young chefs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Antonella Cinelli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

For the past year, the 25-year-old has cooked at Piccola Cucina, an Italian restaurant in Manhattan's glitzy SoHo district, home to designer boutiques and high-end art galleries. The current outflow of Italian chefs due to difficult conditions at home is not a new phenomenon. A peep into the kitchens of even the most traditional Italian restaurants shows the local dishes are often prepared by low-paid immigrants. Partly for this reason, young chefs in Italy take home half the salary of their peers in Britain while working longer hours, Mazzei said. British people have become knowledgeable about Italian food, even learning about regional differences, he said, so he preferred to hire Italian chefs to satisfy an increasingly demanding clientele.

Persons: Davide Sanna, Brendan McDermid, Sanna, he'd, It's, Massimo Bottura, Roberto Gentile, Paese, Gentile, Di Marzo, Julio, Francesco Mazzei, Mazzei, Giorgia Meloni's, Francesco Lollobrigida, Antonio Bassu, Bassu, Gavin Jones, Daniel Flynn Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Star, Michelin, European, European Labour Authority, Reuters, MELONI'S, PRIDE Italian, Thomson Locations: SoHo, New York City, U.S, Sardinia, New York, Italy, Italian, glitzy SoHo, Modena, Spain, Japan, France, Europe, United States, Sicily, ITALY, Le, Toulouse, Britain, Milan, Gaeta, Rome, Naples, Roman, Emilia, Peruvian, Calabria, Italy's, London, Malta, England, Sardinian, Barcelona

☆ Italy is no country for young chefs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Antonella Cinelli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Italy's food is famous the world over but many talented young chefs, hoping to make a career in their country, find themselves frustrated by low pay, lack of labour protection and scant prospects. The current outflow of Italian chefs due to difficult conditions at home is not a new phenomenon. A peep into the kitchens of even the most traditional Italian restaurants shows the local dishes are often prepared by low-paid immigrants. Partly for this reason, young chefs in Italy take home half the salary of their peers in Britain while working longer hours, Mazzei said. British people have become knowledgeable about Italian food, even learning about regional differences, he said, so he preferred to hire Italian chefs to satisfy an increasingly demanding clientele.

☆ British investment managers get green light for tokenised funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kevin Coombs/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 24 (Reuters) - British investment managers have got the go-ahead to develop tokenised funds, in which assets are split into smaller tokens backed by blockchain technology, the industry's trade body said on Friday. Tokenisation, or fractionalisation, of funds will enable a fund's assets to trade more cheaply and transparently and investors to buy into a wider range of assets, industry proponents say. Funds authorised by Britain's Financial Conduct Authority can take the first steps towards offering tokenised funds, provided the investments are in mainstream assets and valuation and settlement arrangements don't change, the Investment Association said in a statement. Scrimgeour is chair of a working group which is working with the FCA and Britain's finance ministry to open up opportunities for tokenised funds. Investment managers and exchanges in the United States, Europe and Asia have already taken tentative steps in offering tokenised funds.

Persons: Kevin Coombs, tokenisation, Michelle Scrimgeour, Scrimgeour, Carolyn Cohn, Elizabeth Howcroft, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Britain's Financial, Investment Association, Legal, General Investment Management, FCA, BlackRock, Investment, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain, United States, Europe, Asia

☆ Wall St edges higher before holiday, crude claws back initial loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] A street sign for Wall Street is seen in the financial district in New York, U.S., November 8, 2021. While Wall Street's rally was modest but broad-based, energy stocks (.SPNY) were the clear outlier, falling in tandem with crude prices . But crude prices settled well above the day's lows. U.S. crude dipped 0.86% to settle at $77.10 per barrel, while Brent settled at $81.96, down 0.59% on the day. Gold prices dipped below the key $2,000 per ounce level in opposition to the dollar's strength.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Ryan Detrick, Detrick, Sterling, Wall, Brent, Stephen Culp, Amanda Cooper, Deepa Babington Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, U.S, Nasdaq, Nvidia, Carson Group, Federal Reserve, Fed, Dow Jones, Japan's Nikkei, Treasury, OPEC, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, China, Omaha, Asia, Pacific, Japan, OPEC, London

☆ US stocks edge higher ahead of holiday, crude tumbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] A street sign for Wall Street is seen in the financial district in New York, U.S., November 8, 2021. All three major U.S. stock indexes were green ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, with interest rate sensitive momentum stocks putting the tech-laden Nasdaq in the lead. "People feel good going into the Thanksgiving holiday," said Peter Tuz, president of Chase Investment Counsel in Charlottesville, Virginia. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) rose 0.36% and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe (.MIWD00000PUS) gained 0.11%. Emerging market stocks lost 0.57%.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Peter Tuz, Tuz, Sterling, Brent, Stephen Culp, Amanda Cooper, Deepa Babington Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, U.S, Nvidia, Federal Reserve, Chase Investment, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Japan's Nikkei, Treasury, Fed, Federal, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, China, Charlottesville , Virginia, OPEC, Asia, Pacific, Japan, London

☆ US high-grade corporate bond spreads to tighten in 2024 :JPM
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Matt Tracy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 21 (Reuters) - Spreads on U.S. corporate high-grade bonds are likely to tighten in 2024, according to JPMorgan (JPM.N). In a report published on Monday, JPMorgan forecast that returns on high-grade bonds will reach new highs in 2024 that will continue through the end of the year. The bank anticipates total returns on high-grade bonds climbing to 12.4% by year-end 2024 from 1.8% currently. Lower new bond supply next year will contribute to high-grade spreads' tightening, according to the report. At the same time as it expects high-grade spreads to tighten next year, JPMorgan forecast that high-yield bond spreads will widen.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, HG, Matt Tracy, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, JPMorgan, HG, Federal Reserve, Treasury, UST, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S

☆ US demand for new credit down in 2023, New York Fed survey shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Michael S. Derby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People walk by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in the financial district of New York City, U.S., June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Demand for new credit in the U.S. over the last year has declined and will likely stay soft in the future, according to a survey released on Monday by the New York Federal Reserve. But even as the overall application rate for new credit declined among those surveyed, interest in applying for more credit card debt rose. The survey said that reading had hit 29% as of October and was 26% for 2023, compared to a 27.2% credit card application rate in 2019. The report noted that expected decline in applications for credit extended to new credit cards, auto loans, mortgages and home refinancing.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Michael S, Paul Simao Organizations: Federal Reserve Bank of New, REUTERS, New York Federal Reserve, Fed, Consumer, New York Fed, Thomson Locations: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, New York City, U.S

A street sign for Wall Street is seen in the financial district in New York, U.S., November 8, 2021. The Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF has seen net inflows of more than $100 million so far this month, according to Lipper data, adding to the nearly $180 million it raked in October. Peers like the $5.5 billion iShares US Aerospace & Defense ETF and $1.78 billion SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF have posted net inflows of $178.4 million and $163.6 million, respectively, since October. U.S. President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide $106 billion in supplemental funding, with $61.4 billion for Ukraine and $14.3 billion for Israel. The U.S. Congress has approved $113 billion for Ukraine in 21 months since the start of the war.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Peers, Ashish Shah, Joe Biden, Michael Ashley Schulman, Bansari Mayur, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF, US Aerospace & Defense, P Aerospace & Defense ETF, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Israel, U.S, Congress, Running, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Europe, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Bengaluru

☆ Morgan Stanley urges higher quality corporate bonds as 2024 maturities approach
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Matt Tracy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 20 (Reuters) - Investment bank Morgan Stanley (MS.N) is recommending that corporate bond investors focus on higher quality investment-grade and high-yield bonds headed into next year, as a wave of maturities poses risk to more junk-rated companies. Morgan Stanley said it suspects the Federal Reserve has neared the end of its rate-hiking cycle, with a soft landing for the economy in the cards next year. As maturities hit next year, 15-20% of this ratings class is likely to see downgrades to CCC, according to Morgan Stanley. Downgrades will not be limited to junk issuers, Morgan Stanley added. On the leveraged loan front, Morgan Stanley said it expects a return in loan issuance next year for M&A and leveraged buyouts, buoyed in part by anticipated Fed rate cuts.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Morgan Stanley, maturities, Downgrades, Matt Tracy, Stephen Coates Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, Investment, Federal Reserve, BBB, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S

☆ Argentine ETF trading surges after election, led by small investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Suzanne Mcgee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Global X MSCI Argentina ETF , which offers exposure to a basket of the country's most liquid stocks, soared more than 13% on Monday and hit its highest level since September. While the South American country's markets are closed on Monday for a local holiday, U.S.-listed shares of Argentinian companies also surged in U.S. trading. The gains for the ETF came through large amounts of small trades, Todd Sohn, an ETF analyst at Strategas in New York, said. By mid-morning, the value of trading in the ETF had topped $11 million, compared with average of about $1 million a day throughout 2023. "These small country funds are ideal vehicles for small day traders who jump on events" like Sunday's presidential election in Argentina, Sohn said.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Argentina's Javier Milei, Todd Sohn, Sohn, Suzanne McGee, Megan Davies, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Argentina ETF, Management, Inc, U.S, Banco, Grupo Financiero, Thomson Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, American, New York, ARGT, Grupo Financiero Galicia

☆ UK's next government will find tax rises hard to avoid
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

But tax rises will be very hard to avoid for whichever party forms the next government, says James Smith, a former Bank of England economist who is research director at the Resolution Foundation, which focuses on issues affecting low and middle earners. For earlier governments, the main way to increase tax levels has been to raise the rate of national insurance - a payroll tax paid by employers and employees - and, in the Conservatives' case, higher value-added tax. Annual GDP growth averaged 2.0% from 2010-2019, compared with 3.0% from 1997-2007. Asked on Sunday about widespread reports of looming tax cuts, Hunt told Sky News: "Everything is on the table ... Higher-than-expected inflation has boosted tax revenue and overall GDP in cash terms, giving more leeway against fiscal targets as most public services' spending budgets are fixed.

Persons: Susannah Ireland, Jeremy Hunt, Rishi Sunak's, James Smith, Smith, Britain's, It's, Carl Emmerson, Hunt, Foundation's Smith, David Milliken, Mike Harrison Organizations: REUTERS, Labour Party, Bank of England, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, Britain, Conservatives, Fiscal Studies, Foundation, Reuters, Monetary Fund, Institute for Government, Sky News, British, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, Ukraine

Search resuls for: "Financial District"

25 mentions found