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☆ Standard Chartered agrees to sell business in Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, March 26 (Reuters) - Standard Chartered (STAN.L) plans to sell its Jordanian business to Arab Jordan Investment Bank (AJIB) (AJIB.AM), the two parties said on Sunday, as the emerging markets-focused lender presses ahead with plans to exit seven markets in Africa and the Middle East. All Standard Chartered Bank employees in Jordan will be transferred to AJIB, it said an emailed statement. AJIB said the purchase falls within the Jordanian lender's strategy to grow its market share in the country, which continues to grow after it acquired HSBC's banking business in Jordan in 2014 and National Bank of Kuwait's banking business in Jordan in 2022. Standard Chartered in April 2022 said it plans to leave seven markets, consisting of Angola, Cameroon, Gambia, Jordan, Lebanon, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe. Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh, Editing by Louise Heavens and Elaine HardcastleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Standard Chartered enters agreement to sell business in Jordan - statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DUBAI, March 26 (Reuters) - Standard Chartered (STAN.L) said on Sunday it plans to sell its Jordanian business to Arab Jordan Investment Bank (AJIB) (AJIB.AM), as the emerging markets-focused lender presses ahead with plans to exit seven markets in Africa and the Middle East. The bank entered into an agreement with AJIB, subject to central bank approval, which will see Standard Chartered's corporate, commercial and institutional banking, consumer lending and private banking businesses migrated to AJIB. All Standard Chartered Bank employees in Jordan will be transferred to AJIB, it said an emailed statement. Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Valley National bidding for Silicon Valley Bank, Bloomberg reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 25 (Reuters) - Valley National Bancorp (VLY.O) is vying to buy Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O), Bloomberg News reported on Saturday. The regional bank has submitted a bid to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC), the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. Valley National Bancorp did not immediately respond to a request for comment. First Citizens BancShares Inc (FCNCA.O), one of the biggest buyers of failed U.S. lenders, has also submitted a bid for all of Silicon Valley Bank, a source told Reuters earlier this week. read moreAfter failing to sell SVB's private banking business alongside Silicon Valley Bank over the last two weeks, the FDIC has asked for separate offers for the bank and its private arm by March 24.

☆ Wealth managers ramp up staff in Hong Kong to chase Chinese demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Summer Zhen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HONG KONG, March 24 (Reuters) - Wealth management firms are expanding operations aggressively in Hong Kong to meet pent-up demand from rich Chinese individuals looking to invest more money overseas after three years of COVID-19 curbs, industry sources said. Noah Holdings (NOAH.N), the largest independent wealth management firm in China, was among five private banks and wealth management firms Reuters talked to that said they held client events in the city and organised private art tours. Hywin Holdings (HYW.O), another Chinese wealth manager, invited 30 ultra-high-net worth clients to workshops, fund manager visits and even a yacht party in Hong Kong last week. Chinese financial institutions are vying for this growing wealth management business in Hong Kong. Chinese Everbright Bank and Hua Xia Bank set up private banking departments in Hong Kong in the past few months, according to sources familiar with their plans.

Citizens, one of the largest U.S. regional banks, is preparing to submit an offer in the auction of the business, which is called SVB Private, the sources said. The FDIC, which now controls the Silicon Valley Bank assets, and Citizens Financial declined to comment. It has since asked for separate offers for SVB Private and Silicon Valley Bank by March 24. SVB Financial Group (SIVB.O), the former parent of Silicon Valley Bank which filed for bankruptcy protection last week, is not part of the process. A big part of it comprises Boston Private, a wealth manager acquired by Silicon Valley Bank in 2021.

☆ Emerging venture fund managers had few banking options to begin with. After Silicon Valley Bank's collapse, where do they turn now?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Melia Russell | Vishal Persaud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Silicon Valley Bank had long banked a class of startup investors known as emerging managers. He was able to quickly switch from Silicon Valley Bank with an email to his contact at AngelList. Novak is part of a contingent of investors who are shifting their banking strategy in the fallout of Silicon Valley Bank's failure. After Silicon Valley Bank's demise, the big banks have gotten more selective, the three investors said. The big banks like JPMorgan set account minimums for its private banking group, locking out emerging fund managers.

☆ Jeffrey Epstein: JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank ordered to face lawsuits over ties to financier
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank must face lawsuits that accuse them of enabling Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking, a US judge said Monday. Rakoff’s decision gives the plaintiffs a chance to prove another claim: that JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank (DB)knowingly benefited from involvement in Epstein’s sex trafficking. JPMorgan spokeswoman Trish Wexler and Deutsche Bank spokesman Dylan Riddle declined to comment on Rakoff’s ruling. ‘Landmark decision’Epstein had been a client of JPMorgan from 2000 to 2013, and Deutsche Bank from 2013 to 2018. In the Deutsche Bank case, the plaintiff, also known as Jane Doe 1, said Epstein sexually abused her from 2003 to 2018.

[1/2] A J.P. Morgan logo is seen outside the JPMorgan bank offices in Paris, France, January 27, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierNEW YORK, March 20 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge said on Monday JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Deutsche Bank AG (DBKGn.DE) must face lawsuits accusing them of enabling Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking. Rakoff's decision gives the plaintiffs a chance to prove that JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank knowingly benefited from involvement in Epstein's sex trafficking. Epstein had been a client of JPMorgan from 2000 to 2013, and Deutsche Bank from 2013 to 2018. The cases in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York are: Jane Doe 1 v Deutsche Bank AG et al, No.

☆ Morning Bid: Fed halt being priced as bank blaze smoulders
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike DolanAnother weekend of financial firefighting has doused the whole interest rate horizon as the banking blaze smoulders. European bank chiefs were immediately on guard for further contagion and insisted more support was required. And that thinking has crushed the interest rate horizon everywhere. Futures markets now see the first Fed rate cut emerging by midyear. * European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde speaks at the European Parliament in Brussels* Chinese President Xi Jinping meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Former JPMorgan executive, ex-Barclays CEO Staley to be deposed next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Tatiana Bautzer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Lawyers for the bank said during a hearing on Thursday they would depose Staley, who also served as Barclays Plc's (BARC.L) chief executive, on March 23 and 24. JPMorgan has accused Staley, its former head of private banking, of "intentional and outrageous conduct" in concealing information about Epstein, with whom he had been friends. The lawsuit seeks to force Staley to return eight years of compensation and reimburse JPMorgan for damages the company might incur in the other lawsuits. Last week, Rakoff had ordered the bank to hand over more documents concerning its CEO Jamie Dimon. A separate trial involving an Epstein victim suing Deutsche Bank AG (DBKGn.DE) may also be rescheduled.

☆ Credit Suisse puts new dent in Swiss bank armour
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Swiss National Bank’s intervention this week to prop up Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) was anything but uneventful. To rescue the country’s biggest lender, the government in Bern injected 6 billion Swiss francs in capital while the central bank carved off some 40 billion Swiss francs of toxic assets into a special purpose vehicle. The SNB made more than 5 billion Swiss francs from winding down UBS’s bad bank and the state booked over 1 billion Swiss francs of gains on its equity stake. Nervous clients pulled more than 100 billion Swiss francs from the Zurich-based bank in the fourth quarter of last year and may be hesitant to return. Switzerland’s two biggest banks, UBS and Credit Suisse, each had total asset exposure of between 120% and 140% of the country’s GDP.

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.

☆ How Credit Suisse has evolved over 167 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Here is how Credit Suisse has developed over 167 years:1856Politician and business leader Alfred Escher founds Schweizerische Kreditanstalt (SKA) to finance the expansion of the railroad network and promote Swiss industrialisation. 1997A reorganisation turns CS Holding into Credit Suisse Group and drops the SKA name; it also buys insurer Winterthur, a strategic partner. 2002A reorganisation creates two units: Credit Suisse Financial Services and Credit Suisse First Boston; two years later it splits into three units by adding Winterthur. 2005Credit Suisse and CSFB merge and stop using the Credit Suisse First Boston brand name. The Swiss authorities provide assurances that Credit Suisse has met "the capital and liquidity requirements imposed on systemically important banks".

[1/2] The Credit Suisse logo adorns a sign at the entrance to their campus in Research Triangle Park in Morrisville, North Carolina, U.S., March 15, 2023. In its statement early Thursday, Credit Suisse said it is exercising its option to borrow from the Swiss National Bank up to 50 billion Swiss francs ($54 billion). They said the bank could access liquidity from the central bank if needed. Credit Suisse said it welcomed the statement of support from the Swiss National Bank and FINMA. The U.S. Treasury also said it is monitoring the situation around Credit Suisse and is in touch with global counterparts, a Treasury spokesperson said.

Crypto analysts said that the U.S. bank closures, along with a regulatory crackdown in the U.S., would push firms to seek banking partnerships in Europe, Asia, and "offshore". Switzerland, long famous for its private banking sector, has also been one of the more welcoming countries in Europe for crypto firms, with the Swiss city of Zug dubbed "The Crypto Valley." "Crypto firms and other money managers have already started the onboarding process and many calls are scheduled next weeks," he said via email. Rani Jabban, head of treasury and financial institutions at Arab Bank, said around 80% of them had been Silvergate customers. Crypto firms relied on Silvergate's crypto payments network, the Silvergate Exchange Network, which allowed round-the-clock transfers between investors and crypto exchanges, unlike traditional bank wires, which can often take days to settle.

The Wall Street bank also wants Staley to repay all compensation from 2006 to 2013. Staley has acknowledged having been friendly with Epstein, but expressed regret for their relationship and denied knowing about the financier's alleged crimes. Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Staley resigned as Barclays' chief executive in November 2021 amid a dispute with British financial regulators examining his ties to Epstein. The cases are JPMorgan Chase Bank NA v Staley, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan said the bank must turn over requested documents from 2015 to 2019, a period after JPMorgan had dropped Epstein as a client. The U.S. Virgin Islands has called Dimon "a likely source of relevant and unique information" about why JPMorgan kept Epstein on, and discussions on Epstein's referrals of prominent and wealthy potential clients. Lawyers for the U.S. Virgin Islands did not immediately respond to requests for comment. JPMorgan wants Staley to reimburse it for damages it might incur in the other lawsuits, and return eight years of compensation. The case is Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

☆ Morning Bid: Job runes, China offer sliver of rate hope
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

That certainly ups the ante for Friday's monthly employment report and next week's consumer price index releases. But the rate at which people were leaving jobs voluntarily was falling and layoffs were up. Another pause for thought came from China's February inflation numbers that show annual consumer price rises slowed to just 1%, the lowest rate in a year. More broadly on Thursday, interest rates markets retained their dramatic re-pricing and relatively resilient stock markets tilted negative again. The implied end-2023 rate is now above 5.50% - more than a full percentage point above where it was assumed on February 1.

☆ Dow Industrials Rise as Oil Prices Jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Anna Hirtenstein | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose Monday as investors weighed a surge in oil prices after Saudi-led crude producers announced a surprise production cut over the weekend, saying they would reduce output by over a million barrels per day from May. “This comes at a time when the fight on inflation is not over. If inflation from energy prices starts to rebound again, that won’t be a good scenario for central banks,” said Luc Filip, head of investments at SYZ Private Banking.

☆ Malaysia and Indonesia can benefit from higher energy prices, says HSBC
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | 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 EmailMalaysia and Indonesia can benefit from higher energy prices, says HSBCJames Cheo of HSBC Global Private Banking and Wealth says it'll be a different situation for energy importers like Singapore.

☆ Edmond de Rothschild to open advisory office in Dubai
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Edmond de Rothschild Group, which specialises in asset management and private banking, said on Tuesday it is expanding its presence in Dubai with an advisory office as it looks to the fast-growing Middle East hub to cater to an affluent pool of clients. It previously had a representative office in Dubai, but said the new office will "enhance" its ability to serve clients in the region. Edmond de Rothschild plans to hire about five people in Dubai next year, a spokesperson said. A growing number of hedge funds have set up shop in Dubai, attracted by lower licensing fees and capital requirements for the industry, including Millennium Management, ExodusPoint Capital Management and BlueCrest. French private equity firm Ardian said last month it was opening an office in neighbouring Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, while CVC opened an office in Dubai last year.

[1/3] Jamie Dimon, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of JPMorgan Chase & Co., gestures as he speaks during an interview with Reuters in Miami, Florida, U.S., February 8, 2023. Lawyers for the U.S. Virgin Islands did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The U.S. Virgin Islands is seeking damages from JPMorgan for missing red flags about Epstein's misconduct on Little St. James, a private island he owned there. Dimon and Staley, who later served as Barclays Plc's (BARC.L) chief executive, are not defendants in either lawsuit. The case is Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

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