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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.

☆ File Raiffeisen’s sanctions-bypass idea in the bin
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Raiffeisen Bank International thinks it may have found a clever way to repatriate a small part of its Russian assets. Hence the idea to swap its stranded roubles against the frozen euros accumulated by Sberbank, the Kremlin-owned bank forced to unwind its operations by the war in Ukraine. Up to 400 million euros of its assets are now sitting idle in a frozen fund. Promoters of the idea, now being tested with regulators, reckon this might conform with sanctions because the swap would not involve sending hard currency to Russia. In reality, it would allow Russia’s largest bank to recover its frozen money, opening a massive loophole in the sanctions regime.

Commuters cycle past a Credit Suisse Group AG bank branch in Basel, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022. Credit Suisse will present its third quarter earnings and strategy review on Oct. 27. Shares of Credit Suisse on Wednesday hit another all-time low for a second consecutive day, dropping by more than 24% at one point during the session. Credit Suisse's largest investor, Saudi National Bank, said it could not provide the Swiss bank with any further financial assistance, according to a Reuters report, sparking the latest leg lower. It's a regulatory issue," Saudi National Bank Chairman Ammar Al Khudairy told Reuters Wednesday. However, he added that the SNB is happy with Credit Suisse's transformation plan and suggested the bank was unlikely to need extra money.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Credit Suisse, Lennar, PacWest & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Axel Lehmann, chairman at Credit Suisse Group AG, speaks during the Institute of International Finance (IIF) annual membership meeting in Washington, DC, on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Credit Suisse — Shares of Credit Suisse were down 21.5% after the firm's biggest backer, Saudi National Bank, said it won't provide it with further financial help. Credit Suisse and several other European banks, including Societe Generale , Italy's Monte dei Paschi and UniCredit , were halted from trading as prices plummeted. Bank of America , Morgan Stanley , Wells Fargo — Shares of larger financials were in lower early Wednesday as the Credit Suisse tumble sent ripples across the global banking sector. Bank of America lost 2.9%, Morgan Stanley dropped 3.2% and Wells Fargo declined by nearly 4.2%.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Credit Suisse, First Republic Bank, Halliburton and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Credit Suisse — Shares of Credit Suisse plunged 25% after its biggest backer, Saudi National Bank, said it won't provide the Swiss bank with further financial help. First Republic Bank — The regional bank stock tumbled 23%, giving back some of Tuesday's gains as turmoil at Credit Suisse rattled the broader sector and S&P Global Ratings downgraded its debt rating to BB+ from A-. U.S. banks — Major U.S. banks tumbled on Wednesday as unease over the latest crisis at Credit Suisse spooked some investors. Energy stocks — Major energy stocks took a hit as oil stooped to its lowest level in more than a year. New York Community Bancorp — The regional bank stock jumped more than 5%, bucking the broader sell-off trend in banking names.

☆ UniCredit shareholders urged to reject CEO Orcel's pay rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Valentina Za | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationMILAN, March 13 (Reuters) - Leading governance adviser Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) on Monday recommended shareholders at UniCredit (CRDI.MI) reject a proposed new pay package for CEO Andrea Orcel as well as the bank's new incentive scheme. After recommending UniCredit shareholders vote against Orcel's pay package when he first joined in 2021, ISS last year noted his package, especially a 15 million euro ($16.1 million) severance payment, remained of concern, stopping short of calling for a rejection. "The 30% fixed pay raise in favour of the CEO and the newly introduced discount on the conversion price of equity awards could lead to an excessive increase in the CEO total pay," it added. "With the 30% increase, Orcel's fixed remuneration will be above the top quartile and 55% higher than the median ... When looking at ISS-only selected peers, Orcel will remain the CEO with the highest pay opportunity."

☆ Europe’s banking stocks suffer biggest drop in a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Europe’s benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Banks index, which tracks 42 big EU and UK banks, fell 5.6% by mid-afternoon — notching its biggest fall since March last year. The broader Stoxx Europe 600 index dropped 2.1%, while the bank-heavy FTSE 100 (UKX) was 2.2% down. A Brinks armored truck sits parked in front of the shuttered Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) headquarters on March 10, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. It is unclear how many unrealized losses EU and UK banks are carrying on their books. Beauchamp added that the sharper falls in European bank stocks so far seen on Monday might partly reflect their stronger performance relative to US banks this year.

Europe’s benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 index fell 1.5% in early trading, while London’s bank-heavy FTSE 100 (UKX) index slid 1.8%. Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei ended Friday down 1.7% as the country’s central bank decided to keep its ultra-low interest rates unchanged. Futures on the benchmark S&P 500 (DVS) index fell 0.43%, while futures on the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (COMP) dropped 0.2%. Wall Street wipeoutThe losses come after US bank stocks logged the largest falls in nearly three years on Thursday. The KBW Bank Index, which tracks 24 leading US banks, fell 7.7%, its biggest drop in almost three years.

☆ Europe's lenders sucked into global banks rout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Alun John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, March 8, 2023. The episode underscored the vulnerability of banks, many of which were propped up by taxpayers' cash following the global financial crisis more than a decade ago. Investors in SVB's stock had fretted over whether the capital raise would be sufficient given the deteriorating fortunes of many technology startups that the bank serves. But some startups have been advising their founders to pull out their money from SVB as a precautionary measure, the sources added. Writing By John O'Donnell; Additional reporting by Jo Mason; Editing by Elisa Martinuzzi and Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Italy's UniCredit, Intesa fall as investors fret over bond portfolio risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A view of the Unicredit headquarters of which many employees are working from home due to a coronavirus outbreak, in Milan, Italy March 2, 2020. REUTERS/Yara NardiMILAN, March 10 (Reuters) - Shares in leading Italian banks UniCredit (CRDI.MI) and Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI) fell sharply on Friday following a sell-off in U.S. and Asian banks driven by concerns lenders potentially face losses on their government bond portfolios. The rise in interest rates has hammered the value of those portfolios, with Italian banks seen as particularly exposed given the risk premiums investors demand to hold Italian paper rather than higher-rated German government bonds. By 0820 GMT shares in UniCredit lost 4.5% and Intesa around 4%. Reporting by Valentina Za Editing by Keith WeirOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) fell 1.7% on broad-based losses, with HSBC (HSBA.L), Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE), Barclays (BARC.L), Unicredit (CRDI.MI) and Commerzbank (CBKG.DE) down between 2.7% and 7.2%. If it can happen to a U.S. bank, it could potentially happen to a bank in Europe as well." Next week, the focus is likely to be on the European Central Bank which is expected to hike its key lending rate by 50 bps. Daimler Truck (DTGGe.DE) added 3.5% on dividend payment plans after hitting its 2022 targets and forecasting higher earnings and revenue this year. Reporting by Susan Mathew and Medha Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Sea sails past growth vs. profitability debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, March 8 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Singapore technology giant Sea (SE.N) on Tuesday reported its first ever quarterly profit, beating regional tech firms like GoTo (GOTO.JK) and Grab (GRAB.O) to the punch. The almost $1 billion swing from a fourth-quarter loss in 2021 to a $423 million profit in the final three months of last year is largely down to cost cuts. The company run by Forrest Li slashed sales and marketing expenses alone by $745 million, a whopping 62% drop. Whether that’s sustainable is unclear, though Li pointed out that the company had sold, closed or downsized a number of non-core operations and investments. It’s a welcome sign that upstart tech companies don’t always have to sacrifice profitability for growth.

☆ Kakao can end K-pop saga with near-$1 bln mic drop
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Kakao and its entertainment arm are eyeing a 35% stake in SM via a tender offer worth $962 million. If Kakao succeeds, the company, which has the backing of SM's management, would become the label's top shareholder. Kakao Entertainment in January raised $930 million from investors including GIC in Singapore and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The envisioned partnership between Kakao, Kakao Entertainment and SM would cover global distribution, production and more for music and other content. Following Kakao's offer, SM Shares rallied 14% to 148,400 won ($114); they have nearly doubled since the start of the year.

☆ New Carlsberg CEO’s task: stay ahead of Heineken
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 7 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Carlberg’s (CARLb.CO) new boss may struggle to maintain its newfound fizz. The $21 billion Danish brewer revealed on Tuesday that Chief Executive Cees 't Hart will retire after eight years at the helm. The company now trades at nearly 11 times its expected EBITDA for 2023 according to Refinitiv data, a premium to arch rival Heineken (HEIN.AS). In 2022, Heineken grew revenue in its Asia-Pacific market by 70%, while Carlsberg’s sales in the region rose by 22%. If the new boss can’t keep pace, Carlsberg shareholders will face a painful hangover.

☆ US blacklisting is no match for TikTok virality
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, March 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The United States’ web of trade restrictions has a TikTok-sized hole in it. The Commerce Department added another 28 Chinese firms to its trade blacklist on Thursday, requiring licenses to acquire U.S. wares. Yet social media app TikTok, which government officials have repeatedly voiced national security concerns over, hasn’t been hit with trade curbs. TikTok parent ByteDance is based in China and has eluded that list, largely because the Commerce Department’s tools affect hard goods, not software. Meanwhile, negotiations between U.S. regulators and TikTok over a security deal have dragged on for years.

☆ UniCredit finds costly fix for faulty CEO pay
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

UniCredit shares are up 75% over the last twelve months, against 22% for the STOXX Europe 600 Banks Index. To give Orcel an incentive to beat his goals again, and to keep the pay-conscious dealmaker happy, UniCredit tweaked the package. It hiked his fixed pay to 3.25 million euros but changed the way the bonus will be allocated. If Orcel hits new and more challenging targets he will earn a bonus of 4.25 million euros, lower than last year’s payout, paid all in stock. But if he overshoots again, he could get up to 9.75 million euros.

And it's little surprise the International Monetary Fund forecast Britain would be the only economy of the G7 to contract this year. But certainly the potential for improved trade relations with the UK's biggest trading partner is clear. Unicredit this month cited estimates that the UK economy would underperform by 5-7% over 10 years if it remains outside the EU single market and customs union. It may even have been a key spur to this week's breakthrough given the frayed geopolitical backdrop. President Joe Biden has long insisted there would be no progress on a U.S. deal with Britain until the Northern Irish conundrum was resolved.

Monte dei Paschi (MPS), which raised capital last year, needs to merge with a stronger rival to cement its turnaround. Banco BPM CEO Giuseppe Castagna, who faces pressure from shareholders to reject an MPS deal, has repeatedly said the Tuscan bank is too large for Banco BPM to integrate. A Banco BPM spokesperson said nothing had changed in this respect. HURDLESA Banco BPM and MPS tie-up would pose major hurdles, another three sources said separately. Banco BPM investors are also concerned about an expansion into regions of the country where economic growth is much weaker compared with the bank's wealthy home base in the north, one of the sources said.

☆ UniCredit may hike CEO's pay by up to 40% - newspaper
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, Feb 25 (Reuters) - UniCredit is considering a pay rise of between 20% and 40% for Chief Executive Andrea Orcel, Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore reported on Saturday, citing market sources. Orcel's pay package would rise to 9.0-10.5 million euros ($9.5-11.1 billion) from 7.5 million euros at present. On his arrival at UniCredit in April 2021, Orcel narrowly dodged a shareholder revolt over his pay, which is double that of his predecessor. Orcel has focused UniCredit on businesses that maximise returns in relation to the capital allocated to such activities, in order to boost investor rewards through dividends and share buybacks. ($1 = 0.9482 euros)Reporting by Valentina Za Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ One year of war in Europe: How the dollar, energy and food prices swirled
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

LONDON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Russia's invasion of Ukraine has disrupted economies and markets around the world, from energy and food prices to European banks, emerging market stocks and the Russian currency. Below are five charts that show how Europe's biggest conflict since World War Two has shaped global financial markets in the last 12 months. But when Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine in late February, European natural gas prices rocketed by almost 400% in two weeks. Energy prices soared, bringing the threat of blackouts, recession and a worrying switch back to dirtier sources of fuel. Food price pressures are easing, but that does little to soften the blow for many developing nations, where food and energy prices make up a larger share of spending.

☆ Analysis: Boom in European bank earnings hints at a rally with legs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The euro zone is expected to stagnate rather than contract, while cost of borrowing is still rising. The European Central Bank's campaign to raise interest rates as it fights to bring inflation back to its 2% target has been a boon for euro zone lenders. In the meantime, euro zone lenders' earnings per share (EPS) have surged to their highest since the global financial crisis in 2008. In the United State, where the rate cycle is more advanced, there's less potential for earnings upgrades at this point, she said. Earnings euro zone banks($1 = 0.9408 euros)Reporting by Joice Alves and additional reporting by Samuel Indyk in London; editing by Amanda Cooper and Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: ECB faces new communication challenge as inflation falls
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Balazs Koranyi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But core inflation is proving stubborn and could still rise from last month's 5.2%. "We have to continue to emphasize that we have this medium term perspective," Klaas Knot, the Dutch central bank chief said. It has oscillated between focusing on current inflation, future inflation and core inflation. Wages are the biggest factor in that sector's prices and services inflation is still just above 4%. So wage growth of the magnitude of 5% or more could push services inflation even higher.

☆ Italian fund buys stake in asset manager Anima in play on bank M&A
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Valentina Za | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The 109 million euro ($116 million) stakebuilding strengthens the grip of Italian investors on a company in which France's Amundi (AMUN.PA) - Europe's biggest asset manager - has also taken a stake. Amundi has a strong presence in Italy having spent 3.6 billion euros in 2017 to buy peer Pioneer from UniCredit (CRDI.MI). Formerly backed by the state and focused on promoting national champions, private equity fund Fondo Strategico Italiano (FSI) targeted a stake of up to 9%. Amundi acquired its Anima stake a month after Amundi's owner, French bank Credit Agricole (CAGR.PA), bought 9.2% of Banco BPM, becoming its single largest investor. Of Anima's 177 billion euros of assets under management, some 100 billion euros are invested in Italian government bonds.

☆ Analysis: Washington pushes for harsher action against banks with Russia ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( John O'Donnell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"We are looking at additional banks and financial institutions to see how Russia deals with the outside world. Some European banks, including UniCredit (CRDI.MI) and Raiffeisen Bank International (RBIV.VI), have large businesses there and must follow local rules to grant payment holidays to soldiers. ENFORCEMENTO'Brien said that the United States would step up enforcement, something the EU also hopes to improve. "We are now looking at how sanctions, including financial sanctions, can be most effective," he said. "While the majority of important Russian banks are sanctioned, there is a lot outside that perimeter that you could go after," said Nicolas Veron, of Washington think tank the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

☆ Saipem shares drop, group says cannot explain why
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Saipem (SPMI.MI) does not have any information explaining Monday's share movements, a spokesman for the Italian energy contractor said, after the stock closed down 5.7%. More than 10% of the share capital of the group was traded on the Milan stock exchange, according to Refinitiv data. In July a pool of lender bought Saipem's shares worth almost 600 million euros after a cash call fell short of the 2 billion euro target. BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Intesa Sanpaolo and UniCredit were the joint global coordinators of the Saipem issue. Reporting by Francesca Landini and Giancarlo Navach, editing by Gianluca Semeraro and Gavin JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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