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☆ Dollar edges down as traders look to central banks for cues
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Saqib Iqbal Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationNEW YORK, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The dollar edged down against the euro on Wednesday in subdued trading as investors were hesitant to make any big bets ahead of next week's central bank meetings, including the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank. "Trading ranges remain remarkably compressed ahead of next week's central bank meetings," said Karl Schamotta, chief market strategist at Corpay. Data on Tuesday showed euro zone business activity made a surprise return to modest growth in January. Expectations of further rate increases by the European Central Bank have also supported the euro. In contrast, U.S. business activity contracted for the seventh-straight month in January, data showed on Tuesday, though the downturn moderated across manufacturing and services for the first time since September.

☆ Tech drags European stocks lower on earnings jitters
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Ankika Biswas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) fell 0.3%, heading lower for a second day with technology (.SX8P) and telecom (.SX8P) declining the most. "The weak outlook painted by Microsoft is weighing on the wider tech sector," said Michael Hewson, chief markets analyst at CMC Markets in London. European stocks came under pressure on Tuesday, as an improvement in economic activity spurred speculation that the European Central Bank (ECB) might have more room to raise interest rates to tackle inflation. Boosting UK stocks, EasyJet PLC (EZJ.L) jumped 10.6% after projecting it would beat current market expectations for 2023 and deliver a full-year profit. Reporting by Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ German business morale brightens further in January - Ifo
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File PhotoBERLIN, Jan 25 (Reuters) - German business morale brightened in January as Europe's largest economy started the new year with easing inflation and an improved outlook, a survey said on Wednesday. The Ifo institute said its business climate index rose to 90.2, in line with consensus according to a Reuters poll of analysts and up from a reading of 88.6 in December. "The German economy is starting the new year with more confidence," Ifo's president Clemens Fuest said. The increase is driven by considerably less pessimistic expectations, while companies were, however, somewhat less satisfied with their current situation, Ifo said. "The Ifo business climate has recovered significantly for the third time in a row as the easing on the gas market further diminished companies' fears of a severe recession," Commerzbank's chief economist Joerg Kraemer said.

☆ German recession 'very unlikely' given brighter business sentiment, Ifo head says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A January Ifo survey showed improved sentiment among German businesses. Tobias Schwarz | Afp | Getty ImagesGerman business sentiment improved in January, according to a widely watched survey from the Munich-based Ifo Institute — in a prospective sign that Europe's largest economy could swerve a recession. Ifo's Business Climate Index rose to 90.2 points from 88.6 points previously on "considerably less pessimistic expectations," a release said. "The expectation was that there might be a recession in the fourth quarter of '22 and the first quarter of '23. Fuest said a number of factors were improving within German manufacturing, including energy prices and supply chain bottlenecks easing.

[1/3] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 7, 2022. Trade in European stocks was lacklustre, as signs of an improving economic outlook in the euro zone fed worries about further rate hikes. AUSSIE DOLLAR SURGEThe Australian dollar surged to $0.7123 after the latest inflation data. Germany's Ifo institute said its business climate index rose to 90.2, in line with the consensus, according to a Reuters poll of analysts, and up from 88.6 in December. U.S. crude futures recently rose 1.01% to $80.94 per barrel and Brent was at $86.68, up 0.64% on the day.

☆ German finance minister warns against quick decoupling from China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Germany must reduce its dependence on China gradually as decoupling from the Chinese market would costs jobs in Europe's biggest economy, Finance Minister Christian Lindner was quoted as saying on Sunday. "Decoupling our economy from the Chinese market would not be in the interest of jobs in Germany," Lindner was quoted as saying by the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. He said that gradually other world regions and markets would have to become more important for German business over the coming years and decades, Welt reported. "The political conditions must be improved for this," Lindner said. Reporting by Riham Alkousaa, editing by Emma-Victoria FarrOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Germany's Commerzbank sues EY for Wirecard losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A Commerzbank logo is pictured before the bank's annual news conference in Frankfurt, Germany, February 9, 2017. REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski/File PhotoFRANKFURT, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The German lender Commerzbank (CBKG.DE) is suing accounting firm EY over the 200 million euros ($216.12 million) in losses that it incurred in the collapse of Wirecard, a bank spokesperson said on Thursday. EY was for years the firm that audited and certified Wirecard's books even as journalists and investors raised questions about its finances. The Commerzbank spokesperson said the case had been filed in Frankfurt court in recent weeks. An EY spokesperson said "claims against EY for damages do not hold up".

Lufthansa has offered to buy an initial minority stake in ITA, Italy's state-owned successor to Alitalia, it said on Wednesday. "This may be the next step in European airline consolidation," said Bernstein analyst Alex Irving, citing Portugal's national airline, TAP, as a prime target. Lufthansa, Air-France KLM (AIRF.PA) and British Airways owner IAG (ICAG.L) are potential buyers, analysts said. "At the same time, however, we closely monitor consolidation in the European airline market." Michael O'Leary, the outspoken CEO of fellow low-cost airline Ryanair (RYA.I), also weighed in with his predictions this week.

[1/2] FILE PHOTO-Planes of German air carrier Lufthansa are parked as Lufthansa pilots start a strike over a wage dispute, at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, September 2, 2022. REUTERS/Kai PfaffenbachROME/FRANKFURT, Jan 18 (Reuters) - German carrier Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) said on Wednesday it had offered to buy an minority stake in ITA Airways, betting on reviving the loss-making successor to Italy's Alitalia and expanding its footprint in Europe. One of the sources said it was valued at 200-300 million euros ($540 million). The new right-wing administration in Rome passed a decree in December to initially sell a minority stake through capital increases, in order to speed up a full divestment in ITA. "Acquiring ITA is one of the most challenging propositions in European aviation: the airline has been persistently loss-making," said Bernstein analyst Alex Irving.

[1/2] FILE PHOTO-Planes of German air carrier Lufthansa are parked as Lufthansa pilots start a strike over a wage dispute, at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, September 2, 2022. REUTERS/Kai PfaffenbachBERLIN/ROME, Jan 18 (Reuters) - German carrier Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) said on Wednesday it had offered to buy an initial minority stake in ITA Airways, Italy's state-owned successor to Alitalia. Lufthansa said Italy is the most important market outside of its existing home markets and the United States, noting its prominence as both a business and tourism destination. The move comes after the new right-wing administration in Rome passed a decree in December to initially sell a minority stake through capital increases, in order to speed up a full divestment in ITA. Beside its domestic German business, Lufthansa already operates the brands Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines.

☆ Tesla under fire in Germany over union concerns on working hours, contracts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Workers were also increasingly fearful about discussing their working conditions openly because of non-disclosure agreements they were told to sign along with their work contracts, IG Metall said. Over time we are observing that this enthusiasm is withering," Irene Schulz of IG Metall Berlin-Brandenburg-Sachsen said in a statement. "Tesla is not doing enough to improve working conditions and is leaving too little time for leisure, family and recovery." Tesla China has also asked some staff to sign non-disclosure agreements, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter. Reuters found several people on LinkedIn with the title of "Security Intelligence Investigator" working for Tesla in Austin, San Francisco and Shanghai.

☆ A major union in Germany says workers at Tesla's Berlin factory face unreasonable working hours and fear speaking out
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A major German union has criticized the working conditions at Tesla's giant Berlin plant. IG Metall said long hours mean workers have too little time for "leisure, family, and relaxation." At the conference, IG Metall, a German union representing workers at Tesla's Gigafactory has criticized the electric carmaker for poor working conditions, Reuters reported. Tesla did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside normal US working hours. Tesla struggled to hire at the Berlin-based factory because of low wages, IG Metall told Bloomberg in June.

☆ Pro-Putin operatives in Germany work to turn Berlin against Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +17 min

Now the main Russian Cossack organisations are loyal to Putin, and they are fighting alongside Russia’s forces in Ukraine. He is regularly pictured on his and other social media pages at Cossack gatherings, often wearing Cossack military uniform. Felk has worked as a security guard and has run a logistics firm, according to posts on Felk’s OK social media account. Photos shared by Kharkovsky on social media show him and other participants standing in front of a Great Don Army flag. Eremenko confirmed to Reuters that he worked for Russian military intelligence, the GRU.

☆ German companies plan to invest more in Africa in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Rene Wagner | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The poll of members of the German-African Business Association also showed that a further 39% of Association's members aim to keep their spending levels in Africa stable. "The majority of companies want to expand their activities in the coming year," Association head Christoph Kannegiesser told Reuters. German companies invested about 1.6 billion euros in Africa in 2021, of which about 1.1 billion euros went to the sub-Sahara region, according to economy ministry data. Namibia could also profit massively from green hydrogen production, said Kannegiesser. The survey showed that 56% of the companies viewed their business activities in Africa in 2022 positively and a further 7% rated them "very good".

☆ German businesses expect only mild recession as disruptions ease
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

There have been growing signs that the German economy could stave off the worst of an economic downturn triggered by a plunge in energy supply from Russia after the Ukraine invasion. Inflation slowed slightly to 11.3% in November from a high of 11.6% the month prior as energy prices eased. The Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) said there were many indications that supply chain disruptions were gradually easing. However, the DIHK warned that soaring energy prices and easing consumer sentiment were still clouding the outlook for 2023. The ZDH association of craftsmen echoed the DIHK, saying noticeably fewer orders were coming in for next year.

☆ European shares gain on China recovery optimism
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Bansari Mayur Kamdar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) gained 0.4% to start the holiday-shortened week higher. China on Monday said it would drop its quarantine requirements for inbound visitors, further easing three-year border controls aimed at curbing COVID. While London and Dublin markets remained closed for the Christmas holiday, most European bourses advanced in early trading. Miners (.SXPP) and energy stocks (.SXEP) added 1.0% and 1.4%, respectively, as commodity prices jumped on hopes of demand recovery in top consumer China. Industrials (.SXNP) and banks (.SX7P) gained for a second straight session, lifting the broader European index.

☆ Yen soars to 4-month peak after surprise BOJ policy tweak
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar tumbled as much as 2.78% to 133.11 yen , a level last seen on Aug. 16, before last trading 2.62% weaker at 133.345. It had been slightly stronger at about 137.40 yen ahead of the policy announcement. Eyes will now be trained on BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda's media briefing later in the day for additional hints about a pivot away from ultra-easy policy. Most BOJ watchers had expected no changes until his 10-year term finishes at the end of March. "Unease over China's haphazard COVID policy changes also seems to be keeping a lid on AUD/USD," Callow added.

☆ Yen on defensive before BOJ; NZ dollar sinks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Banknotes of Japanese yen are seen in this illustration picture taken September 22, 2022. New Zealand's dollar dropped after a big decline in a survey of local business confidence. The Aussie, though, was little changed after shrugging off minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia's last policy meeting. Ten-year Treasury yields held at a one-week high of 3.601% in Tokyo trading. Those minutes reinforced the "uncertain outlook" for policy, providing an additional weight on the Australian dollar, said Sean Callow, a strategist at Westpac.

☆ Dollar slips vs euro on upbeat German business morale data
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Saqib Iqbal Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Banknotes of Japanese yen and U.S. dollar are seen in this illustration picture taken September 23, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/IllustrationNEW YORK, Dec 19 (Reuters) - The dollar edged down against the euro as upbeat German business morale data supported the common currency, while a modest improvement in investors' appetite for riskier currencies weighed on the safe-haven dollar. German business morale rose more than expected in December as the outlook for Europe's largest economy improved despite the energy crisis and high inflation, a survey showed on Monday. The euro rose 0.2 % to $ 1.06085 , not far from the six-month high of $1.0737 touched last week. "I think the dollar is generally softer on slightly higher risk-on trading," said John Doyle, vice president of dealing and trading at Monex USA.

☆ Wirecard witness admits guilt but pins German fraud blame on ex-CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Christina Amann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Oliver Bellenhaus, who was head of Wirecard's subsidiary in Dubai, became a key witness in the case after turning himself in to German authorities in 2020. They face charges including fraud and market manipulation and if convicted could be jailed for up to 15 years. Florian Eder, a lawyer for Bellenhaus, told Reuters that the cooperation of his client should result in a "very significant reduction" in his sentence. It was a swindle from the beginning," Bellenhaus told the court, saying he deeply regretted his involvement and the damage it caused. But Bellenhaus told the court on Monday it was "blind loyalty" to Braun, whom he described as an "absolutist CEO", that had landed him in court in Munich.

☆ Tesla to search for water in quest to expand German gigafactory
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Victoria Waldersee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) plans to drill for new water sources to supply an expansion of its electric vehicle plant near Berlin, according to local authorities and water associations, the latest move by the carmaker to jump-start German bureaucracy. A local environmental ministry spokesperson said Tesla was in touch with local authorities but an application had not yet been filed. If the carmaker finds new water sources, it must still apply for the licence to use them, a spokesperson for the local environmental ministry said. It does what it wants, and it'll do the same with the water it finds," said Michael Ganschow, head of local environmental organisation Gruene Liga. "That could take a very long time," said Joachim Schroeder, representative of Spreenhagen, one of the areas Tesla wants to explore – "unless Tesla takes over, of course, and does it at Tesla-speed."

☆ Dollar headed for weekly loss as investors brace for slower Fed hikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Japanese yen jumped roughly 0.7% overnight, and last bought 138.60 per dollar. Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar index stood at 105.94, testing its three-month trough of 105.30 hit last week. read moreThe euro was 0.06% lower at $1.04045, but remained close to $1.0481, its highest level in over four months hit last week. The kiwi slid 0.19% to $0.6252, but that was not far off its three-month peak hit in the previous session. The New Zealand dollar was headed for a weekly gain of more than 1.5%, aided by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's 75 bp rate hike earlier in the week and its hawkish rate outlook.

☆ Germany — burned by overrelying on Russian gas — now vows to end dependence on trade with China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Germany's dependence on Russian gas is sparking a rethink of Berlin's foreign policy. Germany, an industrial powerhouse and Europe's biggest economy, is reliant on piped natural gas from Russia which accounts for 35% of the country's fuel imports. Europe's largest economy has since been diversifying away from Russian natural gas by importing liquefied natural gas from other countries and is racing to build more essential infrastructure to hasten the shift. It has also learnt a lesson from its Russia policy. In particular, Berlin is working on a new trade policy with China to cut dependence on Chinese raw materials, batteries, and semiconductor chips, Reuters reported in September.

Doha has faced mounting criticism, mostly from Europe, over its treatment of foreign workers and LGBT rights ahead of the World Cup that began on Sunday. It has denied discrimination and pointed to labour reforms, while organisers previously denied allegations of bribery to win hosting rights. In October his office summoned the German ambassador to object over critical comments by Germany's interior minister. The QatarEnergy boss said Habeck had never voiced such criticism of Qatar to him directly. The German minister, who is responsible for Berlin's energy portfolio, was in Doha in March and had said that long-term energy partnerships were being negotiated.

☆ German industry calls for more support to diversify beyond China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Nov 21 (Reuters) - One of Germany's main industry lobby groups called on Monday for more support for industry to diversify trade beyond China, as the government prepares new policies aimed at reducing the German economy's dependence on Beijing. Planned measures such as stress tests and greater scrutiny on investments in China, outlined in a draft document seen by Reuters, would be an administrative burden for businesses, the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) said. "Everything we have heard so far about the German government's China strategy is extremely defensive," said Volker Treier, head of foreign trade at DIHK. "We need an active and resilient industrial policy and strategy in Europe with regards to raw materials, batteries or semiconductors." Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Andreas Rinke, Ludwig Burger Editing by Rachel More and Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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