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☆ Romania's Hidroelectrica tops $10 billion valuation in 'historic' IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUCHAREST, July 5 (Reuters) - Romanian energy producer Hidroelectrica's IPO has been priced at 104 lei ($22.87) per share, it said on Wednesday, implying a market capitalisation of $10.3 billion in what a government minister described as a "historic success." "We are happy to see the strong investor interest which has driven a successful outcome," said Chief Executive Bogdan Badea. The stock will start trading on July 12 on the Bucharest bourse. The government will retain its 80% holding in the country's largest energy producer, which has power capacity of 6.3 gigawatts from 182 hydroelectric plants. The performance of the shares once they start trading will be watched closely.

Persons: Bogdan Badea, Fondul Proprietatea, Franklin Templeton, Sebastian Burduja, Austria's Verbund, Luiza Ilie, Pablo Mayo, Alexandra Schwarz, David Goodman Organizations: Bucharest bourse, U.S, EU, Bucharest Stock Exchange, Romanian Energy, CAB Payments, Bankers, Vienna Stock Exchange, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Thomson Locations: BUCHAREST, Romanian, Bucharest, London

☆ Crypto is trying to fix its custody problem as institutions pour in and regulatory uncertainty lingers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

And the highly regulated institutions wanting to give their clients access to bitcoin are still a little skeptical that the crypto industry has learned its lessons. Another issue is there aren't enough dedicated custodians in the crypto industry. The Go Network acts as a platform on which partner firms can execute and settle trades between crypto assets and fiat currencies. BitGo handles custody of crypto assets while dollars are spread across a network of banks for safekeeping. "[The crypto industry] was operating on the edge, saying, it's risky, but we're making a lot of money.

Persons: Crypto, Bitcoin, Roger Bayston, Franklin Templeton's, FTX, Schwab, Gustavo Schwenkler, It's, David Wells, haven't, it's, BitGo, Mike Belshe, CNBC's, Wells, Belshe, BlackRock's Joseph Chalom, Franklin Templeton's Bayston Organizations: Crypto, New York City, Arrows, Terraform, Securities and Exchange, Fidelity, Citadel, EDX, Valley Bank, First, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University, Nasdaq, Bank of New York Mellon, CNBC, Go, Markets, Schwab, BlackRock, Securities, Exchange, Coinbase Locations: Coinbase State, New York, First Republic, PacWest, Wells

☆ Hydropower IPO tests appetite for weather risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Yawen Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, June 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - A jumbo hydropower listing may define how investors assess extreme weather risks. Over the last decade, hydropower has been the largest source of clean energy, International Energy Agency data shows. At the top of the range it would raise up to 2 billion euros and be Europe’s largest IPO so far this year. Alarmingly, Hidroelectrica’s gross hydropower generation fell about 15% last year from its annual average of 15.9 terawatt-hours in the decade to 2022. The IPO carries a price range of between 94 Romanian lei and 112 lei (18.95 euros and 22.58 euros) per share, giving the company a potential market capitalisation of 42.3 billion lei to 50.4 billion lei (8.53 billion euros to 10.16 billion euros), Hidroelectrica said in its prospectus.

Persons: Romania’s, Austria’s Verbund, Bogdan Nicolae Badea, Hidroelectrica, Fondul Proprietatea, Franklin Templeton, Lisa Jucca, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, International Energy Agency, World Bank, Alarmingly, Investors, U.S, Thomson Locations: Europe, Romania, Ukraine, Romanian, China, France

Investors now expect China markets to stage a recovery in the second half of 2023. "(China) markets have baked in a lot of the doom and gloom in the economy given the declines since January's peak," said macroeconomist Aidan Yao. If it is the case, spreads will start to tighten across the board," said Monchau, adding that China is under-represented in portfolios. Franklin Templeton expects the recovery in Chinese markets to happen in stages, with opportunities in the industrial equipment and banking sectors. "China (is) at the nadir of its business and profits cycle, but also offering what we consider compelling valuations."

Persons: Aidan Yao, Yao, Goldman Sachs, Charles, Henry Monchau, Mark Haefele, Franklin Templeton, Anisha, Divya Chowdhury, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Investors, Reuters Global Markets, Syz, UBS, Thomson Locations: COVID, U.S, Japan, Germany, China, Asia, Bengaluru

☆ This tax-exempt fund with a yield surpassing 4% is 'one of the best,' Morningstar says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The fund invests at least 80% of its assets in investment-grade municipal bonds, and only up to 20% in those below investment grade. Municipal bonds are issued by government entities, such as a city or state, and raise money for public projects, such as building roads or schools. VWAHX 1Y mountain Vanguard High-Yield Tax-Exempt fund The fund, which trades under the ticker VWAHX, currently has a 30-day SEC yield exceeding 4%. "We are not risk averse, but we are very opportunistic about how we apply our risk," Kiselak explained. Opportunity in health care Health-care muni bonds make up about 15% of the fund, Kiselak said.

Persons: Morningstar, Mat Kiselak, —, Bond, Elizabeth Templeton, VWAHX, Kiselak, Jeff DeMaso, DeMaso, He's Organizations: SEC, Morningstar ., Vanguard, Independent Vanguard, Puerto Locations: Puerto Rico

☆ Bernstein sees a $5 trillion opportunity in blockchains for financial markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

If financial incumbents want to be part of the modernization of financial markets, they need to adopt blockchains, according to Bernstein. Beyond tradeable assets like bitcoin, however, there's an opportunity over the next five years for financial firms in tokenizing real-world assets on blockchains, the firm said in a note this week. "Tokenization, we believe, will transform financial markets over the next decade," analyst Gautam Chhugani said in the Tuesday note. "We forecast ~$5 trillion of real-world financial assets will be tokenized on blockchains over the next 5 years." There is also a big opportunity for new business verticals in custody, trading, trade finance and enterprise consulting, Chhugani said.

Persons: Bernstein, Cryptocurrencies, there's, Gautam Chhugani, Chhugani, Hamilton Lane, Franklin Templeton, Michael Bloom Organizations: Investment, KKR, Securitize, JPMorgan Locations: tokenizing, stablecoins

☆ Blockchains are ‘basic utilities’ for the digital economy, says Franklin Templeton crypto head
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Think of investing in crypto as investing in technology for the data economy. Crypto is unchartered territory for most, but the 76-year-old asset manager has dived deep into research in recent years believing digital assets will transform asset management, capital markets and the increasingly digital, data-driven world at large. "You don't expect it to end just at just Bitcoin and Ethereum , and we expect over the next several years, several things that continue to unfold and find application," Roger Bayston, Franklin Templeton's head of digital assets, told CNBC Pro at the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals' VISION conference in Austin, Texas. Since 2019, the firm has operated node validators on various blockchains – including Ethereum, Solana , Cardano and Polkadot . Bayston said investors who have the stomach for high volatility and uncertainty could be rewarded in the future.

Persons: Franklin Templeton, Crypto, Roger Bayston, Franklin Templeton's, Bayston, It's Organizations: CNBC Pro, Digital Assets, Financial Professionals, Government Money Market Locations: Austin , Texas, Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, U.S

☆ Roger Bayston on using blockchain technology to find investment opportunities
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Joshua Natoli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailRoger Bayston on using blockchain technology to find investment opportunitiesCNBC's Tanaya Macheel sits down with Franklin Templeton Head of Digital Assets Roger Bayston at the VISION 2023 conference taking place this week in Austin, Texas. VISION is the longest-running cryptocurrency investment conference for financial professionals and investors in the industry. Bayston discusses investment opportunities using blockchain technology and finding new applications for Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Persons: Roger Bayston, CNBC's, Macheel, Franklin Templeton, Digital Assets Roger Bayston, Bayston Organizations: Franklin Templeton Head, Digital Assets Locations: Austin , Texas

☆ Amid economic uncertainty, it's an 'attractive time' for investment-grade bonds, financial expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty ImagesAfter the Federal Reserve's interest rate pause on Wednesday, a fixed-income expert covers what to know about bond allocations amid economic uncertainty. Experts are weighing longer bond durationIt's also time to consider adding bond duration, she said, going from "very short" to "extending duration somewhat." As interest rates change, advisors weigh so-called duration, which measures a bond's sensitivity to interest rate changes. Many advisors have shifted to shorter-duration bonds to shield portfolios from interest rate risk. Consider high-yield bondsInvestors with more appetite for risk may also consider high-yield bonds, Desai said, which typically pay a larger coupon, but have a higher default risk.

Persons: Sonal Desai, Franklin, Desai, They've Organizations: Franklin Templeton, CNBC's Financial

☆ A woman who got called 'Central Park Karen' lost an appeal in a lawsuit about her finance job
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A woman who got called "Central Park Karen" lost her appeal against unfair dismissal. Amy Cooper was fired by Franklin Templeton after a confrontation with a Black man in Central Park. The woman labelled "Central Park Karen" after a confrontation with a Black man lost an appeal against the dismissal of a lawsuit that named her former employer. A charge of false reporting against Amy Cooper following the incident was dismissed after she went to racial bias therapy. However, her employer Franklin Templeton fired Cooper a day after the video went viral, tweeting: "We do not tolerate racism of any kind."

Persons: Karen, Amy Cooper, Franklin Templeton, she'd, Cooper, Christian Cooper, George Floyd, –, Amy Cooper didn't Organizations: NPR, CNN, Geographic Locations: Central Park, New, Manhattan

☆ Stock market news: The Fed meets next week. What can investors expect?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The S&P 500 Index last week entered a bull market, meaning that it notched a 20% rally from its low in October. Moreover, investors appeared calmer than they have in years, after the United States suspended the debt ceiling in time to avoid a default, allowing investors to breathe a sigh of relief. The May Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index reports, two key inflation prints, are also due the days that the Fed meets. But the United States could still suffer a downgrade to its credit rating, even though it avoided losing its ability to make payments on time. Tuesday: Consumer Price Index report for May and NFIB small business optimism index.

Persons: CNN — Stocks, Price, ”, JJ Kinahan, there’s, Karim El Nokali, Jerome Powell, ” El Nokali, —, Joe Biden, Benjamin Jeffery, Patrick Klein, ” Josh Lipsky, it’s, Olivier d’Assier, “ It’s, George Mateyo Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, CNN, Nasdaq, United, Fed, IG North America, Fitch, AAA, BMO Capital Markets, Franklin, GeoEconomics, International Monetary Fund, Treasury Department, US Treasury, Key Private Bank, Federal Reserve Bank of New York Survey, Consumer, Federal Reserve, Federal, University of Michigan Locations: United States, US

☆ Woman who called police on Black bird-watcher in Central Park loses employment appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Cooper had been an insurance portfolio manager at Franklin Templeton, a unit of San Mateo, California-based Franklin Resources (BEN.N). The case arose from a May 25, 2020 video that went viral, in which Cooper confronted bird-watcher Christian Cooper, who is not related. Franklin Templeton fired Amy Cooper the next day, saying it had conducted an internal review and that "we do not tolerate racism of any kind." Franklin Templeton said it was pleased with the decision. The case is Cooper v Franklin Templeton Investments et al, 2nd U.S.

Persons: Amy Cooper, Karen, Cooper, Franklin Templeton, Christian Cooper, Franklin Templeton's, George Floyd, Cooper's, Jonathan Stempel, Richard Chang, Bill Berkrot Organizations: YORK, U.S, Circuit, Franklin Resources, Black, Franklin Templeton Investments, 2nd U.S, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, San Mateo , California, Minneapolis, 2nd, New York

The companies in discussion are largely small- to mid-sized, making them achievable targets, as opposed to firms listed on the FTSE 100. 'DRY POWDER'One of the contributing factors for PE firms' abundance of cash, or "dry powder", is the continued buildup of uninvested capital during the pandemic, according to fund managers. During the first five months of 2023, nine listed firms on the London Stock Exchange were approached by PE firms, exceeding the number of targets in the same time period last year, according to Refinitiv data. Among those out shopping for firms, many seem attracted to these lower valuations of small- and mid-cap firms. Though firms listed on the smaller UK indexes are more domestically focused than their larger counterparts, analysts point out that nearly half of their revenue is from their international presence, making them an even more attractive purchase for PE firms.

Persons: Richard Bullas, Martin, Franklin Templeton, John Wood, Bullas, Moodley, Johann M Cherian, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: Bank of, Network International Holdings, Hyve, Medica Group, Pharmaceuticals, PE, Martin Currie UK Equity, London Stock Exchange, Apollo, John, John Wood Group, BNP, FTSE, U.S, Thomson Locations: Bank of England, Britain, United States, 10.2x, Europe, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ From Wall Street to Washington: Which finance execs would make the best public servants?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

There has long been speculation that America's most-famous banker has plans to run for some sort of public office. The path from Wall Street to Washington is well worn, with plenty of high-profile executives taking up positions in the government. When most Wall Street executives were still afraid of the public cloud, she was ready to embrace it with open arms. Jon Gray — Treasury SecretaryBlackstone's president and chief operating officer has already had a brush with public office. The idea of him holding public office doesn't seem far-fetched.

Persons: Dan DeFrancesco, TikTok, I'm, we've, nabbing, Joe Biden's, Kevin McCarthy's, Jamie Dimon, Larry Downing, hasn't shied, Dimon, Dimon's, Bill Ackman, Kenneth Chenault —, Kathy Hochul, she's, Chenault, He's, Larry Fink —, We've, Larry, Fink, Adena Friedman, Friedman, Jon Gray —, Gray, Donald Trump, Gray's, Wall, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Ken Griffin, Griffin, hasn't, Griffin hasn't, Ron DeSantis, he'll, Brian Moynihan —, Moynihan, Dan Schulman —, PayPal — he's, Taylor Swift, Kevin Mazur, Larry Fink, Franklin Templeton, It's, Rockefeller, Stephen Schwarzman, Warren Buffett, Cliff Asness, that's, Here's, Jeffrey Cane, Nathan Rennolds Organizations: JPMorgan, REUTERS, Bloomberg, American Express, Catalyst, Washington Post, BlackRock, SEC, CFTC, OCC, Nasdaq, Wall, Democrat, GOP, Florida Gov, Commerce, PayPal, Express, Virgin Mobile, Rockefeller Capital Management, Putnam Investments, Blackstone, Credit Suisse, UBS, Reuters, LinkedIn Locations: NYC, Washington, New York, Florida, Chicago, Miami, Ohio, Swiss, London

☆ Franklin Templeton to Acquire Putnam Investments From Great-West Lifeco
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Dean Seal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/franklin-templeton-to-acquire-putnam-investments-from-great-west-lifeco-6e4b7baa

Persons: Dow Jones, templeton Organizations: franklin, putnam

☆ Franklin Resources to Acquire Putnam Investments From Great-West Lifeco
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Justin Baer | Dean Seal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Dow Jones, templeton Organizations: franklin, putnam

☆ Greg Fleming's Rockefeller strategic-advisory team defies dealmaking drought thanks to this rich family
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The wealth manager's CEO Greg Fleming has deep ties to the Desmarais family behind the insurer. In the midst of a dealmaking lull, Rockefeller Capital Management can add another billion-dollar advisory deal to its resume. Advised by the five-year-old firm, Canadian insurer Great-West Lifeco is selling asset management subsidiary Putnam Investments to Franklin Templeton, the firms announced today. Since Fleming launched Rockefeller, born out of the Standard Oil heirs' family office, Great-West Lifeco has consistently sought the firm's services. The Rockefeller family also increased its stake by an undisclosed amount.

Persons: Rockefeller, Franklin Templeton, Greg Fleming, Lifeco, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Jim Ratigan, Stephen Valentino, Fleming, Paul Desmarais Jr Organizations: Rockefeller Capital Management, Putnam Investments, Pitchbook, Wall Street, Deutsche Bank . Rockefeller, Standard, Rockefeller, Power Corporation of Canada, Viking Global, Bank of America

☆ Japan stocks are on fire this year. Here are 3 reasons why the rally could have 'staying power'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Since then, Japanese equities have rallied. Even so, Strategas Securities' Chris Verrone has remained optimistic on Japanese equities, saying this week that the rally is not yet overbought. Meanwhile, JPMorgan chief market strategist Marko Kolanovic said in a note, also on Tuesday, that the rally in Japan still has "staying power." For international investors, those remarks signaled that Japanese companies may be more transparent with shareholders in the future. Investors can also take a company-specific approach, according to Diamond Hill's Mohanraj, who favors Japanese companies that boast differentiated products.

He said Franklin Templeton might have worried about people seeing Cooper, a former insurance portfolio manager, display bad judgment and a short temper. Litt said Franklin Templeton crossed a line. Critics labeled Cooper "Central Park Karen," using a pejorative for an entitled white woman. Its lawyer Bryan Killian told the appeals court it was unreasonable to see the company's statements as "anything other than a response to the video." The case is Cooper v Franklin Templeton Investments et al, 2nd U.S.

☆ Fund manager outperforming 96% of peers bets big on AI with Nvidia and Microsoft but avoids Apple, Alphabet and Meta
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Franklin Templeton fund is outperforming 96% of peers with big bets on artificial intelligence. But the fund is avoiding other tech giants like Apple, Alphabet, Meta and Netflix. According to Bloomberg, Franklin Templeton's $158 million FTGF Martin Currie Global Long-Term Unconstrained Fund has outperformed 96% of peers this year. "But you have to look at it through different segments rather than invest across Big Tech." In fact, the fund is avoiding traditional tech heavyweights such as Apple, Alphabet, Meta, and Netflix.

☆ Municipal bonds will perform despite macro headwinds, says Franklin Templeton's Jennifer Johnston
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | 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 EmailMunicipal bonds will perform despite macro headwinds, says Franklin Templeton's Jennifer JohnstonJennifer Johnston, Franklin Templeton SVP and director of municipal bond research, joins 'The Exchange' to discuss the relationship between MUNIs and the debt ceiling, navigating market headwinds, and the impact of inflation on employee hiring.

☆ Mexico's mighty peso hits 7-year record high against U.S. dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Noe Torres | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Some analysts chalk up the peso's latest gains, however, as mostly the flip side of a weakening greenback. The peso gained 0.95% on Monday to trade at 17.42 pesos per dollar, its strongest level since May 2016. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador repeatedly touts the peso's strength as evidence of sound macroeconomic policies, especially his administration's budget austerity and pledge to avoid taking on new debt. "A big part of (the peso's strength) is the dollar's weakness," he said, adding that the Mexican economy further benefits from growing flows of fixed investments into the country. "Mexico has shown itself to be the least ugly person at the party," quipped Gonzali, helping it attract more dance partners.

☆ A.I. and blockchain the 2 biggest disruptors: Franklin Templeton
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | 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 EmailA.I. and blockchain will be the 2 biggest 'disruptors' to any industry, says Franklin Templeton CEOJenny Johnson, CEO of Franklin Templeton Investments CEO, says "bitcoin is the greatest distraction from the greatest disruption."

☆ Jeffrey Epstein chatted openly while hanging out with billionaires about his time in jail for soliciting a child prostitute: WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A former executive told WSJ that Jeffrey Epstein openly talked about his time in jail in 2008. Barnaby Marsh, who frequented Epstein's home, spoke to WSJ about Epstein. Epstein served 13 months in prison in 2008 in connection to soliciting a child prostitute. Marsh told the WSJ that Epstein openly talked about the time he had previously spent in jail for soliciting a child prostitute. "So many of these billionaires knew him," Marsh told WSJ.

☆ Fanatics moves one step closer to IPO, hiring Meta's head of investor relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

While an IPO is not on the immediate horizon, the company is taking a step in the direction of preparing for one, hiring Meta's investor relations head to further build out its engagement with current and future shareholders. Deborah Crawford, who has served as Meta 's vice president of investor relations for more than eight years, is being appointed as Fanatics' head of investor relations, a new position at the company. Prior to Meta, Crawford was head of investor relations for Netflix, where she helped initiate the streaming company's first formal investor relations function, according to Fanatics. Schiffman declined to comment on the potential timing of a Fanatics IPO but confirmed the company has a goal of going public. Fanatics has seen its valuation and investor roster drastically expand in recent years, which has also helped to fuel IPO chatter.

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