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☆ Explainer: How France aims to discourage buying of Chinese EVs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WHY IS FRANCE REVISING ITS EV BONUS ELIGIBILITY RULES? However, in the absence of cheap European-made EVs, a third of all incentives are going to consumers buying EVs made in China, a French finance ministry source said. Because Chinese industry generally relies heavily on coal-generated electricity, the criteria are likely to put the bonus out of Chinese carmakers' reach. But French car buyers will have to wait because Stellantis' (STLAM.MI) Slovakia-made e-C3 city car and Renault's (RENA.PA) France-made R5 are not due to hit the market until 2024. The model is currently one of the best-selling electric car's in France with the Tesla Y, Peugeot's e-208, Fiat's 500e, the Megane eTech and MG4.

Persons: Angelika Warmuth, EVs, Emmanuel Macron, Stellantis, MG4, Lorraine Morard, Luca De Meo, Tesla, BYD, Gilles Guillaume, Leigh Thomas, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Company, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, SAIC, P Global, Renault, Thomson Locations: Munich, Germany, France, China, Europe, FRANCE, French, Slovakia, Dacia Spring

The Viking Star cruise ship is moored at Greenwich with the City of London financial district in the distance, in London, Britain, August 29, 2023. It is absolutely the time for action over words," Alasdair Haynes, CEO of Aquis Exchange, a share trading platform, and chair of financial industry body TheCityUK's Business Council, told Reuters. The main problem for trade bodies is the vast scope of Britain's financial services industry, with each sub-sector and TheCityUK presenting their own reform priorities and ideas, often overlapping. In the meantime, top financial sector executives running global teams of bankers and traders are increasingly bewildered by Britain's inability to make faster progress on a matter of such economic significance. ELECTION LOOMINGSome senior financial industry sources say politics may hamper the City's reform agenda even further, with a general election expected next year.

Persons: Kevin Coombs, Alasdair Haynes, Jeremy Hunt, Nicholas Lyons, TheCityUK, ” Samuel Gregg, Richard Gardner, Huw Jones, Sinead Cruise, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Viking, City, REUTERS, London’s, Mayor, European Union, Aquis, Business, Reuters, Finance, stoke, of, Arm Holdings, Labour, Conservative, American Institute for Economic Research, Investment Funds Association, EU, Thomson Locations: Greenwich, London, Britain, Europe, Asia, United States, Edinburgh, of London, New York, Amsterdam, City, France

BRUSSELS, Sept 20 (Reuters) - European Union's second-top court on Wednesday backed an EU competition regulator's decision against a 700-million-euro ($748 million) Belgian tax scheme for 55 multinationals, in a major win for EU antitrust chief's crackdown on sweetheart tax deals. The Luxembourg-based General Court had in 2019 annulled Margrethe Vestager's decision after Belgium and about 30 of the companies challenged it. Beneficiaries of the Belgian scheme that dated from 2005 included U.S. manufacturer Magnetrol, oil company BP (BP.L), chemical producer BASF (BASFn.DE), Wabco, Cellio, Atlas Copco (ATCOa.ST) and Belgacom, now Proximus (PROX.BR) . The EU Court of Justice, Europe's top court, in 2021 however sided with the EU competition enforcer and referred the case back to the lower tribunal. Belgium can still appeal to the EU Court of Justice.

Persons: Margrethe Vestager's, Atlas, Europe's, Foo Yun Chee, Bart Meijer, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Belgian, EU, BP, BASF, Justice, Belgian Finance Ministry, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, EU, Luxembourg, Belgium, Brussels, Amsterdam

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares declined Wednesday as markets awaited a decision on interest rates by the Federal Reserve. Trade data for Japan showed exports fell 0.8% last month from a year ago, marking the second straight month of declines, as exports to China lagged, dropping 11%. Markets have see-sawed for weeks on uncertainty about whether the Fed is done with its market-shaking hikes to interest rates. The Fed began its latest meeting on interest rates Tuesday, with an announcement scheduled for Wednesday. Traders are split on whether the Fed may raise rates again this year, but they’re largely expecting the Fed to begin cutting rates next year.

Persons: Australia's, Robert Carnell, they’re, homebuilders, Brent Organizations: TOKYO, Federal Reserve, Nikkei, Finance Ministry, ING, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Fed, Wednesday, Traders, Instacart, Walt Disney Co, U.S . Steel, United, Detroit’s Big, Ford, General Motors, UAW, New York Mercantile Exchange, U.S Locations: Hong, Shanghai, Japan, China, U.S, Europe, Asia, Pacific, Beijing

☆ Russia's oil and gas revenues set to rise 14% in September - Reuters calculations
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Russia's oil and gas revenues, which account for around a third of total federal budget proceeds, are set to rise to around 733 billion roubles ($7.6 billion) in September, up 14% from the previous month, Reuters calculations showed on Tuesday. The corresponding figure in September 2022 was 688 billion roubles. The budget is expected to return some 278 billion roubles to refineries under the damping mechanism in September, according to Reuters calculations. Proceeds from oil and gas sales are crucial for Russia's commodity-oriented economy and for the financing of what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine. The finance ministry is due to publish its data on budget revenues from oil and gas in early October.

Persons: Alexander Manzyuk, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Kuwait's finance ministry says cyber attack hits one of its systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DUBAI, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Kuwait's finance ministry said on Monday that one of its systems had suffered a cyber attack in the early morning but that the ministry continued to work normally. The ministry said in a statement that protection systems and procedures had been activated and "the level of the hacking attempt is being assessed." The salary transfers will not be affected, the ministry added. Reporting by Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Jon BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nayera Abdallah, Jon Boyle Organizations: Thomson Locations: DUBAI

☆ Canada risks more than C$50 billion in clean tech as incentives in limbo
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

OTTAWA, Sept 18 (Reuters) - More than a year after Canada first announced incentives to jumpstart clean technology projects there is still no money flowing, and if they are not in place soon, more than C$50 billion ($37 billion) in investments could be at risk, industry groups said. The government "urgently needs to get as much of this out the door this fall as possible." Masterson says there are "well beyond C$25 billion of proposed investments" in more than a dozen projects in his industry that are waiting for the incentives. An additional C$17 billion in ITCs for clean hydrogen, electricity and manufacturing were announced six months ago and those are at an earlier stage. Adam Auer, president of Cement Association of Canada, said his members have "billions" in projects that are waiting on the ITCs.

Persons: Justin Trudeau's, Bob Masterson, Masterson, Trudeau, Dennis Darby, Darby, Adam Auer, Rachelle Schikorra, Steve Scherer, Timothy Gardner Organizations: Canada, Justin Trudeau's Liberal, Chemistry Industry Association of Canada, Canadian Manufacturers, CME, Cement Association of Canada, Dow Chemicals, Reuters, Thomson Locations: OTTAWA, United States, U.S, Exshaw , Alberta, Canada, Fort Saskatchewan , Alberta

☆ Ukraine plans big rise in defence spending in 2024 draft budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty/Serhii Nuzhnenko via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Sept 15 (Reuters) - The government approved a draft 2024 budget on Friday that puts the deficit at 1.548 trillion hryvnias ($41.92 billion) and increases defence spending to 1.7 trillion hryvnias, over 21% of GDP. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the increase in defence spending was needed to fund Ukraine's war effort following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. "This amount (defence spending) is 113 billion hryvnias more than this year. Debt repayment is planned to be 606.5 billion hryvnias, including 421.6 billion hryvnias to be spent on internal debt repayments and 184.9 billion hryvnias for external debt repayments. About 468.8 billion hryvnias is budgeted for social spending, with 30.8 billion hryvnias allocated for business support.

Persons: Nuzhnenko, Denys Shmyhal, Yuliia Dysa, Olena Harmash, Anna Pruchnicka, Timothy Organizations: Radio Free, Radio Liberty, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Donetsk region, Radio Free Europe

☆ German carmaker stocks dip amid China-EV probe dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Alternatively, punitive tariffs on imports from China could accelerate Chinese EV makers' plans to build in Europe, analysts said, raising competition for domestic carmakers. "Volkswagen could gain from lower mass-market competition, but is the most exposed ... premium OEMs ...face the risk of retaliation and might see their China-export plans sent awry," he added. By 1210 GMT, the STOXX Europe 600 Auto (.SXAP) index was down 1.46%, while the broader market was steady. BMW, which exports the iX3 from China and plans to export the Mini from 2024, fell 2.08%, with Mercedes-Benz down 1.56% and Volkswagen down 1.83%. Stocks of carmakers Renault and Stellantis, which are less exposed to the Chinese market than their German counterparts, saw smaller dips of 1.33% and 0.81% respectively.

Persons: Annegret, Emmanuel Macron, Daniel Roeska, Bernstein, Danilo Masoni, Victoria Waldersee, Josephine Mason, Thomas Leigh, Michel Rose, Sharon Singleton, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, EV, HK, European Commission, Renault, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Benz, Porsche, carmakers Renault, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Beijing, China, Europe, France

☆ France targets 16 billion euros in savings next year, trims growth outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Leigh Thomas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Sept 14 (Reuters) - The French government aims to squeeze 16 billion euros ($17 billion) in savings from its 2024 budget, finance minister Bruno Le Maire said on Thursday as he trimmed France's growth outlook. Le Maire said 10 billion euros in savings would come from scrapping caps on power and gas prices, put in place to soften the pain for households from Europe's energy price crisis. Le Maire said the inflation shock over the last year would further subside, boosting household consumption - the traditional motor of French economic growth. While the government aims to cut spending, it would nonetheless increase some expenditures, with 4 billion euros more earmarked for the interior ministry and the armed forces. A further 7 billion euros has been set aside for environmentally friendly investments due to be presented later this month and financed by removing some of the tax breaks which some industries get on their on fossil fuel use.

Persons: Digital Security Bruno Le Maire, Benoit Tessier, Bruno Le Maire, Le Maire, Leigh Thomas, David Holmes Organizations: Economy, Finance, Industry, Digital Security, Bercy Finance Ministry, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Paris, France

☆ Bank of England tells UK to hold insurers to account on infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A general view of the Bank of England (BoE) building, the BoE confirmed to raise interest rates to 1.75%, in London, Britain, August 4, 2022. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Bank Of England FollowLONDON, Sept 13 (Reuters) - The government should check that insurers are spending up to 100 billion pounds ($125 billion) on Britain's economy after their capital rules were eased, Bank of England Deputy Governor Sam Woods said on Wednesday. "I think it may happen, but I can't guarantee it," Woods told a sub-committee of parliament's Treasury Select Committee. The finance ministry overrode the Bank of England to ease some capital rules more than Woods had wanted, which could make an insurance company failure more likely. This means insurers will have more money to invest, currently only a modest part of their portfolios is in infrastructure, Gerken said.

Persons: BoE, Maja Smiejkowska, Sam Woods, Woods, Charlotte Gerken, Gerken, Huw Jones, Alexander Smith Organizations: Bank of England, REUTERS, Bank, Association of, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Zimbabwe: Outrage as Mnangagwa appoints son second-in-command over treasury after disputed polls
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Zimbabwe’s recently re-elected President Emmerson Mnangagwa is facing outrage after appointing his son as deputy minister to the country’s finance ministry. Mnangagwa’s 34-year-old son, David, was among 26 officials sworn in as cabinet ministers Tuesday despite public anger when the list of the nominees was made public on Monday. In his expanded cabinet, Mnangagwa’s son is to deputize finance minister Mthuli Ncube while his nephew, Tongai, would serve as deputy minister in the country’s tourism ministry. Some Zimbabweans have accused Mnangagwa of running the impoverished southern African country as “a family business.”“Slowly Zimbabwe is becoming a family business. The opposition CCC party, which placed second in last month’s disputed polls, also criticized the ministerial list which included a couple, Christopher and Monica Mutsvangwa, both associates of President Mnangagwa, as ministers.

Persons: CNN — Zimbabwe’s, Emmerson Mnangagwa, David, Mnangagwa’s, Mthuli Ncube, Tongai, ”, Mugano, “ It’s, Ncube, ” Mugano, David Mnangagwa, Nick Mangwana, “, ” Mangwana, Christopher, Monica Mutsvangwa, Mnangagwa Organizations: CNN, University of Zimbabwe, Business Administration, Drake University, CCC Locations: Zimbabwe, Harare, doldrums, United States

☆ India minister to propose higher diesel vehicle tax, warns automakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Aditi Shah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A worker switches on a fuel pump before filling a car with diesel at a fuel station in New Delhi September 13, 2012. REUTERS/Mansi Thapliyal/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Sept 12 (Reuters) - India's road transport minister, Nitin Gadkari, on Tuesday said he will propose an additional 10% tax on diesel vehicles and warned automakers of even higher levies to cripple their ability to sell such high-polluting vehicles. Gadkari said he will later in the day ask the finance minister for an "additional 10%" goods and services tax on diesel vehicles to tackle problems related to pollution. The Indian government currently imposes a 28% tax on diesel cars and an additional so-called "cess" is levied depending on the vehicles' engine capacity. Shares in Indian automakers Tata Motors, Mahindra and Mahindra, Ashok Leyland (ASOK.NS), and Eicher Motors (EICH.NS) fell between 1.5% and 4.5%.

Persons: Mansi, Nitin Gadkari, Gadkari, Maruti Suzuki, Ashok Leyland, Aditi Shah, Tanvi Mehta, Christian Schmollinger, Tom Hogue Organizations: REUTERS, New, Tata Motors, Mahindra, Maruti, Volkswagen, automakers Tata Motors, Eicher Motors, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, DELHI, India

☆ German economic weakness belies France's outperformance
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Leigh Thomas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The European Commission said on Monday the two economies were on diverging paths this year with Germany forecast to be in a recession with a 0.4% contraction and France expected to grow 1.0%. With weak construction and declining construction investment weighing on Europe's biggest economy, Germany's outlook was slashed from a previous forecast for 0.2% growth while France was upgraded from 0.7%. The contrasting fortunes of the euro zone's two biggest economies can also be explained by tailwinds working against Germany and headwinds helping France. Germany's gas-hungry chemical industry has seen production fall 18% from 2019 levels while in France it is only 8%, Colombier said. That leaves few props to lend support to French growth going forward other than household savings.

Persons: Jean, Paul Pelissier, Germany's, Mathieu, tailwinds, headwinds, Charles, Henri Colombier, Colombier, Plane, Leigh Thomas, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, European, Germany, France's Finance, Thomson Locations: Marseille, Fos, Fos sur Mer, France, Germany, PARIS, Paris

REUTERS/Raquel Cunha Acquire Licensing RightsMEXICO CITY, Sept 11 (Reuters) - The Mexican government's plan to run up the biggest budget deficit in decades during the 2024 general election year could put pressure on public finances and eventually threaten its credit rating, analysts said on Monday. Lopez Obrador last week backed former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum as his party's candidate to succeed him. Historic data show the projected budget deficit for 2024 will be the highest since 1988 as a proportion of GDP. The government's higher spending plans should bolster Latin America's second-biggest economy, which has outpaced forecasts this year, brightening the outlook for 2024. He also noted that since Mexico's current account deficit is currently considerably lower than foreign direct investment, there was a pool of untapped demand in the economy that the government could temporarily offset via higher spending.

Persons: Mexico's Finance Ministry Rogelio Ramirez de la O, Marcela Guerra, Raquel Cunha, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Lopez, Patricia Terrazas, Lopez Obrador, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, Gabriela Siller, Alberto Ramos, Goldman Sachs, Ramos, Raul Feliz, Feliz, Dave Graham, Diego Ore, Noe Torres, Jamie Freed Organizations: Mexico's Finance Ministry, Mexican, REUTERS, Lopez Obrador's, Action Party, PAN, Mexico City Mayor, Banco Base, Bank of, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, MEXICO, Bank of Mexico

☆ Mexico sees similar economic growth next year, more help for Pemex
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Ana Isabel Martinez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A draft seen by Reuters had forecast 2024 economic growth at 2.4%, below the final published figure. The 2024 budget will now be debated by lawmakers in Congress, where the ruling coalition of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador commands majorities in both chambers. The key 2024 oil price is used to estimate a large amount of government revenue. State oil company Pemex's overall budget will be cut 36%, according to the draft budget from 2023 funding levels. The draft budget projects those costs will dip next year by about 4.75 billion pesos ($270 million), or down by 7.6% in inflation-adjusted terms.

Persons: Mexico's Finance Ministry Rogelio Ramirez de la, Raquel Cunha, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Ana Isabel Martinez, Carolina Pulice, Sarah Morland, Stephen Eisenhammer, Chizu Nomiyama, Leslie Adler, William Mallard Organizations: Mexico's Finance Ministry, REUTERS, Reuters, DUC, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, MEXICO, Brazil

☆ Exclusive: Mexico budget sees lower growth, slower inflation in 2024 -draft
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Ana Isabel Martinez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Mexico's finance ministry expects economic growth to slow in 2024 to around 2.4% from some 3% this year, according to draft budget forecasts seen by Reuters on Friday. The ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the forecasts, which were in a draft document and confirmed by a source familiar with the matter. The draft was not dated, but the source said the figures were up to date. The ministry is due to present the official 2024 budget to lawmakers in Congress later on Friday. According to the document, the government estimates that headline inflation will ease to 3.8% at the end of 2024 from 4.5% at the close of this year.

Persons: Ana Isabel Martinez, Stephen Eisenhammer Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Reuters, Bank of, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Bank of Mexico, Mexico's

☆ China's Aug new yuan loans seen rebounding on policy support
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese banks are estimated to have issued 1.20 trillion yuan ($163.41 billion) in net new yuan loans last month, more than triple July's 345.9 billion yuan, according to the median estimate in the survey of 20 economists. But that would be lower than 1.25 trillion yuan issued the same month a year earlier. Outstanding yuan loans were expected to grow by 11.1% in August from a year earlier, the same as in July, the poll showed. China is aiming to complete the issuance of the 2023 special local government bonds quota of 3.8 trillion yuan by end-September. In August, TSF is expected to jump to 2.46 trillion yuan from 528.2 billion yuan in July.

Persons: TSF, Li Qiang, Judy Hua, Kevin Yao, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Citi, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China

☆ A timeline of 5 major hurdles Russia's imposed on Western firms trying to exit the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Russian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours. Some companies trying to exit Russia recently are facing demands of even steeper discounts, Reuters reported on August 25, citing three persons familiar with exit processes for foreign companies. Both firms had been trying to exit Russia for months before the seizures, before the sudden takeover. In July, Moscow targeted the Russian assets of food and beverage giants Danone and Carlsberg for seizures. A month later, in September, Russia demanded foreign banks unfreeze Russian assets if they wanted to exit the market.

Persons: Linklaters, —, Vladimir Putin's, Germany's, Fortum —, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Alexei Moiseev Organizations: Service, Yale University, Russia, Russian, Novaya Gazeta, Companies, Kremlin, Investors, Danone, Carlsberg, Financial Times, UBS, Credit Suisse —, Zenit Bank, Reuters, Raiffeisen Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, London, Russian, Moscow

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele speaks during a ceremony to lay the first stone of a new public hospital, in San Salvador, El Salvador June 15, 2023. El Salvador's debt repurchases last year and a still-light payments calendar were behind a rally that shrank the premium to hold Salvadoran government debt (.JPMEGDELSR) from above 3,200 basis points in July last year to about 1,000 a year later. Katrina Butt, a senior economist at AllianceBernstein, said that even as the size of the investment is yet to be made public, "Google Cloud's announcement could significantly improve macro fundamentals in El Salvador over time". "Though outperformance of El Salvador has been impressive we think the carry is still attractive given the low default risk." BNP's Marshik said the next leg of the rally could come from good news on El Salvador's relationship with the International Monetary Fund - where the United States is the largest shareholder.

Persons: Nayib Bukele, Jose Cabezas, Nathalie Marshik, Katrina Butt, Shamaila Khan, BNP's Marshik, Siobhan Morden, Rodrigo Campos, Nelson Renteria, Angus MacSwn Organizations: El, San Salvador , El, REUTERS, SALVADOR, Reuters, BNP Paribas, Google, United States, U.S . Embassy, Peace Corps, Central American, U.S, Asia Pacific, UBS Asset Management, International Monetary, IMF, Santander US Capital Markets, Thomson Locations: San Salvador ,, San Salvador , El Salvador, El Salvador, America, Peace, El Salvador's, Asia, United States

FILE PHOTO: An Aramco employee walks near an oil tank at Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia May 21, 2018. Riyadh says it aims to stabilise the oil market by extending a voluntary oil output cut of 1 million barrels per day until the end of 2023. Declining oil production and revenue this year could see Saudi Arabia's economy shrink for the first time since 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, although a hefty dividend from state oil producer Saudi Aramco (2222.SE) should provide a cushion for public finances. Last year the Saudi economy grew 8.7% and generated a fiscal surplus of 2.5% of GDP, its first surplus in nine years as oil soared to highs near $124. "Certainly, we see no signs that the Public Investment Fund's acquisition streak is cooling," RBC Capital Markets said in a note.

Persons: Ahmed Jadallah, Justin Alexander, Monica Malik, Alexander, James Swanston, PIF, Neil Quilliam, Quilliam, Rachna Uppal, Yousef Saba, Ahmad Ghaddar, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, Saudi Aramco, OPEC's, Khalij Economics, Abu, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, PMI, GlobalSource Partners, Capital Economics, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Public Investment Fund, Saudi, Public Investment, RBC Capital Markets, Reuters, Chatham House, Aramco, Riyadh bourse, Thomson Locations: Aramco, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, DUBAI, Riyadh, Ukraine, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Aramco, London, PIF

☆ Morning Bid: Fed steals focus, stocks sell off
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, September 5, 2023. REUTERS/Staff/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsA look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Kevin BucklandThe dominating theme in global financial markets is once again central bank policy, and equity investors in particular are worried. Even ultra-resilient Japanese stocks seem to have finally succumbed, with the Nikkei threatening to snap an eight-day winning streak. Traders have preferred to trust the data over protestations from ECB officials that the tightening cycle may not be over ahead of next week's policy meeting. German industrial production figures are due today, with the euro bloc's giant threatening to slip back into recession.

Persons: Kevin Buckland, haven't, It's, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Nikkei, Traders, Federal, Philly Fed, Philadelphia Fed, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, China, Australia, India

☆ Russia will increase foreign currency sales 830% as deadline for Eurobond repayment nears
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's central bank said it will increase its foreign currency sales by 830% later this month. The sales will help Russia repay a $3 billion Eurobond that is due on September 16. The offloaded foreign currency will also help calm ruble volatility, the central bank said. Between September 14 and 22, the Bank of Russia will sell 21.4 billion rubles worth of foreign currency a day into the domestic market, up 830% from a planned 2.3 billion. This will total 150 billion rubles worth of foreign currency, or $1.5 billion.

Persons: Wagner, Elvira Nabiullina, Anton Siluanov Organizations: Service, Bank of Russia, Bolshevik, Kremlin, Moscow Times, Reuters Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Russia's, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ G7 shelves regular Russian oil cap reviews as prices soar - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Julia Payne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BRUSSELS, Sept 6 (Reuters) - The G7 and allies have shelved regular reviews of the Russian oil price cap scheme, people familiar with the matter told Reuters, even though most Russian crude is trading above the limit because of a rally in global crude prices. The Group of Seven (G7) countries along with the European Union and Australia imposed the price cap mechanism on Russian oil last December, followed by a cap on fuel from February. The idea was spearheaded by Washington to cut Moscow's revenues amid its war on Ukraine while avoiding market disruptions as a result of an EU ban on Russian oil. According to LSEG data, Russian crude has been trading above the cap since mid-July and is currently being traded at around $67 a barrel at Russian crude terminals. Russian refined products such as fuel oil and diesel have also surpassed their caps.

Persons: Julia Payne, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Reuters, European Union, General Assembly, Brent, U.S . Treasury, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Australia, United States, Washington, Ukraine, Russian Urals, Russia, Western, Russian, U.S

It is likely to be the biggest of three funds launched by the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, also known as the Big Fund. Its target of 300 billion yuan ($41 billion) outdoes similar funds in 2014 and 2019, which according to government reports, raised 138.7 billion yuan and 200 billion yuan respectively. China's finance ministry is planning to contribute 60 billion yuan, said one person. Backers of the Big Fund's previous two funds include the finance ministry and deep-pocketed state-owned entities such as China Development Bank Capital, China National Tobacco Corporation and China Telecom. INVESTMENT MANAGERSThe Big Fund is considering hiring at least two institutions to invest the new fund's capital, said the three people.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Florence Lo, China's, Julie Zhu, Kevin Huang, Yelin Mo, Roxanne Liu, Sumeet Chatterjee, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: U.S, China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, Big Fund, Washington, Information Office, Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, REUTERS, China Development Bank Capital, China National Tobacco Corporation, China Telecom, Big, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, HK, Hua Hong Semiconductor, Memory Technologies, IC, China Aerospace Investment, China Aerospace Science, Technology Corporation, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, BEIJING, China, Beijing, U.S, Japan, Netherlands

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