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☆ Fmr. Sen. Heitkamp on debt ceiling negotiations: An economic crisis would not be good for Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | 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 EmailFmr. Sen. Heitkamp on debt ceiling negotiations: An economic crisis would not be good for BidenFormer U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and former U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) join 'Squawk Box' to discuss the state of the debt ceiling negotiations, including what to expect from President Biden's meeting with top congressional leaders.

May 8 (Reuters) - Dutch postal firm PostNL (PTNL.AS) on Monday reported a surprise operating profit for the first quarter, supported by a smaller-than-expected drop in parcel volumes and adaptive measures implemented last year. Delivery and postal firms from PostNL to Germany's Deutsche Post (DPWGn.DE) and U.S.-based FedEx (FDX.N) have seen parcel volumes fall from their pandemic highs as demand normalises while high inflation erodes consumer confidence. Volumes for PostNL's parcel distribution business fell 6.5% to 81 million items, while analysts had expected a drop of 8%. PostNL confirmed its full-year guidance of normalised EBIT between 70 million and 100 million euros and free cash flow between 10 million and 40 million euros. ($1 = 0.9056 euros)(This story has been corrected to say 81 million items, not 81 million euros, in paragraph 5)Reporting by Olivier Cherfan and Augustin Turpin; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The cash-strapped airline wants the tribunal to accept its plea and is seeking an interim moratorium to save its assets, a move the lessors oppose. Go First did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lessors' bid to deregister the planes. Engine failures have cost the airline 108 billion rupees ($1.3 billion) in lost revenue and expenses, it said. Amid the dispute between the lessors and the troubled airline, banks with exposure to it are awaiting the tribunal's decision to decide their next course of action, two people involved in the talks told Reuters. The company owes financial creditors 65.21 billion rupees ($798 million), its bankruptcy filing showed, and had not defaulted on any of those dues by the end of April.

☆ European shares rise on smaller ECB rate hike, upbeat earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Shubham Batra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies STOXX 600 index up 0.1%Adidas jumps on upbeat earningsEvotec drops on leaving MDAXMay 5 (Reuters) - European shares rose on Friday, as the European Central Bank's smaller rate hike, and market-beating results from Adidas and Apple boosted sentiment. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) edged up 0.1%, but is on track for its second consecutive weekly loss. Energy (.SXEP) and utilities shares (.SXPP) led the gains on the index, rising 1.4% and 1.0% respectively, while food and beverage shares (.SX3P) slid 0.4%. "Inflation pressures worldwide help in driving equity markets although we don't like to pay higher prices, as consumers it eats into our pockets. The higher prices go to some company reaping the rewards of those higher prices," said Chi Chan, Portfolio Manager and Senior Research Analyst, Federated Hermes.

☆ BNP only partly earns title of Europe’s JPMorgan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, May 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Bank investors and analysts often like to say that BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA) is the closest Europe has to a JPMorgan (JPM.N), the goliath of U.S. banking that just bought First Republic Bank (FRC.N). Compare that with Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE), whose deposits fell by 4.7% over the same period. JPMorgan will earn a 19% return on tangible equity this year, using Visible Alpha consensus data, which is good even for a U.S. bank. There’s no shame in losing to a bigger stateside rival on returns, but BNP also risks falling behind regional peers. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ EU's von der Leyen hails Infineon factory as chip production milestone for Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DRESDEN, Germany May 2 (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday hailed the construction of a new factory by Germany's Infineon (IFXGn.DE) a milestone in mass chip production as Europe tries to capture a larger slice of the strategic industry. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of Infineon's factory in the German city of Dresden, von der Leyen said it was a step in Europe's goal of doubling its share of global chip production to 20% by 2030 by quadrupling its current capacity. But she warned that Europe was still too dependent for raw materials on individual suppliers, citing in particular that China has a 76% share of producing the silicon metals needed in chip production. This is why it is vital that we in Europe strengthen the supply chains of our most important goods and technologies," von der Leyen said in a speech. Infineon expects production at the 5-billion-euro semiconductor plant, the largest investment in the company's history, to start in 2026.

By attributing that knowledge to JPMorgan, Epstein's accusers might show that JPMorgan "actually knew" about the venture or "recklessly disregarded" its existence, Rakoff said. JPMorgan is separately suing Staley to cover its losses in the two lawsuits it faces, and forfeit eight years of pay. 22-10018; Jane Doe 1 v JPMorgan Chase & Co, No. 22-10019; Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, No. 22-10904; and JPMorgan Chase Bank NA v Staley, in Nos.

☆ Health Plan Coverage of Abortion and Related Services
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Practical Law Employee Benefits | Executive Compensation | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +36 min

The Dobbs ruling, which returned the regulation of abortion to the individual states, has led to legislation that restricts abortion, including medication abortion, in many states. In response to the rapidly changing post-Dobbs legal landscape, this article addresses health plan coverage of abortion, medication abortion coverage and litigation, abortion-related travel benefits, and related Practical Law resources concerning these topics. The insurer in a fully insured health plan, health maintenance organization (HMO), or similar arrangement:Assumes the risk of providing health coverage for insured events by paying medical costs for eligible claims incurred under the plan. Self-Funded Health PlansBy contrast, employers with self-funded arrangements may have more discretion in providing coverage for abortion and related services. Changes to plan coverage of medication abortion will likely require plan administrators to:(For more on coverage of medication abortion, see Newly Launched, ReproductiveRights.gov Website Addresses Access to Medication Abortion (Mifepristone) Using Telehealth on Practical Law.)

☆ Employee Monitoring and Surveillance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +50 min

Ensuring Employee Safety and Systems SecurityEmployers may use electronic workplace monitoring and surveillance to protect their:Worksites. Potential Liability for Electronic Workplace Monitoring and SurveillanceEmployers that engage in electronic workplace monitoring and surveillance must comply with various federal and state laws, including:The Wiretap Act. Best Practices for Electronic Workplace Monitoring and SurveillanceTo avoid violating relevant state and federal laws, before conducting workplace monitoring and surveillance, employers should:Consider the purpose and appropriate scope of their monitoring and surveillance activities and what methods will help them achieve their objectives. Determine the Purpose of Workplace Monitoring and SurveillanceBefore conducting any workplace monitoring or surveillance, best practice is for employers to identify the purpose and goals of these activities to:Ensure that there is a legitimate business purpose for the planned monitoring and surveillance activities. Determine the scope of monitoring and surveillance necessary to accomplish the business purpose, and conduct only the minimum monitoring and surveillance necessary to meet that business need.

A person who works with the group, American Edge Project, told CNBC that the $34 million was from Facebook. A Meta spokesman declined to comment and referred CNBC to American Edge instead. The person who works with American Edge told CNBC that the $4 million was also entirely from Facebook. American Edge launched a wave of TV and digital ads from late 2020 through 2021, taking on antitrust proposals. American Edge spent over $5 million between TV and digital ads in 2021, according to data from AdImpact.

Fabrizio Campelli, who oversees Deutsche's investment bank, said it had been looking to grow its business in Britain. Deutsche Bank shares rose as much as 2.5% in early trade before erasing gains. MOVING INAs part of the deal, 35 Deutsche Bank corporate finance employees will move in with more than 300 London-based Numis staff. As part of its strategy, Deutsche Bank - a leading bank in Germany with strong European roots - said earlier this week that it aims to accelerate "growth initiatives" including potential acquisition of portfolios and assets. Britain is the largest investment banking market in Europe and Numis is a diversified investment bank with a UK franchise.

☆ Digital “Chicago Plan” fixes many financial woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Edward Chancellor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The economists’ solution – often called the Chicago Plan – was to remove commercial banks from the money-creating business. One of the main problems of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) is that it would compete with old-fashioned bank deposits. With the digital money supply increasing in line with the economy’s potential growth, roughly as Friedman advised, inflation would soon come under control. Non-bank lenders like Apollo Global Management (APO.N) would have an enhanced role under the digital Chicago Plan. At present, there’s little chance of the digital Chicago Plan coming to pass.

☆ Morning Bid: Amazon cools, Intel warms, Japan hesitates
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] A smartphone with a displayed Intel logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. But the dramatic re-acceleration of Big Tech stocks this week - where the NYFANG+TM (.NYFANG) index of the top 10 Big Tech stocks is now up 37% so far this year - is competing with multiple macro narratives that are increasingly hard to read. With the Fed meeting in view, the release of March PCE price inflation data later on Friday tops the diary. Wall St stock futures fell back 0.4% after a wild ride in Amazon.com shares overnight. With much of Europe and Asia closed on Monday for the May Day bank holiday, Asia bourses advanced in Wall St's slipstream but Europe retreated sharply on some jarring corporate updates.

Reuters GraphicsMany U.S. importers are still sanguine, but their supply chains could still be disrupted as Vietnam's apparel makers depend on China for about half of their input materials, according to the country's industry association. XINJIANG LINKSWhile the halted shipments represent a tiny portion of the $27 billion worth of garments and footwear Vietnam exported to the U.S. last year, compliance risks may lead to more painful adjustments for Vietnam. That, in turn, will hit U.S. consumers as Vietnam is their main source of cotton apparel, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. However Nike has significantly reduced its output of apparel and footwear in Vietnam despite the country remaining its main manufacturing hub, according to its latest annual report updated to May 2022. Two officials from U.S. footwear and apparel industry trade associations said the new rules have had no major impact so far on Vietnam and blamed recent job cuts on lower global demand.

☆ U.S. trade consultations on Mexico's GMO corn rule 'unacceptable violation' of law -Mexican official
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Adriana Barrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, April 27 (Reuters) - Trade consultations requested by the United States on Mexico's plan to limit the use of genetically modified corn are an "unacceptable violation" of Mexican law and feed the interests of seed "oligopolies," a top Mexican official said on Thursday. The United States, Mexico's main trading partner, requested the consultations in early March under the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) agreement, which calls for a science-based approach to domestic regulations. "The United States' request to Mexico follows the interests of seed, agrochemical, and other food-producing oligopolies," said Mexican Deputy Agriculture Minister Victor Suarez. Washington requested consultations after Mexico softened an original plan to ban GMO corn across the board and instead opened its use for animal feed and industrial use. The Mexican policy "does not affect U.S. corn producers in any way," Suarez said, contradictory to the U.S.' claims.

☆ Resolving Credit Suisse: an alternative history
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Reuters GraphicsThe market shock will be all the more extreme because Credit Suisse doesn’t obviously need more capital. It seems perverse to put taxpayer money on the line while leaving the Credit Suisse bonds untouched. Of the 30 global lenders classed as systemically important by the Financial Stability Board, Credit Suisse is the third-smallest by total assets. It also enables the Swiss National Bank to offer Credit Suisse an open-ended credit line, hopefully ending the bank run. Credit Suisse is suffering from a crisis of confidence brought on by years of mismanagement, rather than a system-wide meltdown.

☆ Puma expects Q2 sales growth below full-year target
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 26 (Reuters) - German sportswear maker Puma (PUMG.DE) on Wednesday said it expected second-quarter sales to grow at a low- to mid-single-digit percentage rate, below its full-year target, due to high inventory levels and ongoing challenges in the market. The company said it expected its profit and margins to be under more pressure in the first half of 2023 than in the second half. Puma's revenue rose to 2.19 billion euros ($2.41 billion) in the first quarter from 1.91 billion euros in 2022, ahead of the 2.15 billion expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. The company said strong growth globally, including Greater China, helped it offset a weaker performance in the over-inventoried U.S. market. Puma confirmed its full-year outlook for currency adjusted revenue growth in high single digits, and an operating profit of between 590 million and 670 million euros.

☆ Analysis: China rebound buoys hopes for stronger-than-expected US, Europe earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But recent data and upbeat comments from major companies like LVMH (LVMH.PA), Europe's most valuable listed company, about business in China have given investors some cause for optimism. Refinitiv I/B/E/S data points to a 2.5% decline in earnings growth in the first quarter for STOXX 600 (.STOXX) companies, down from a forecast for 5.4% growth prior to the banking chaos. Europe is headed for a recession too, the data shows, with a drop in earnings of 5.4% expected in the second quarter. But stubbornly high inflation means major central banks are expected to continue to hike rates, at least in May. European financials are expected to report first-quarter earnings growth of 31%, according to Refinitiv.

☆ Silver Lake to buy Germany's Software AG in $2.42 bln deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 22 (Reuters) - Private-equity firm Silver Lake has offered to buy Software AG (SOWGn.DE) in a deal that values the German business software developer at 2.2 billion euros ($2.42 billion). The offer price of 30 euros per share in cash by Silver Lake-controlled Blitz 22-449 SE represents a premium of 53% to Software AG's closing price of 19.59 euros on Thursday. In February 2022, Silver Lake had invested 344 million euros in the software developer's convertible bond, which upon conversion would represent nearly 9% of issued Software AG shares, the company said in a statement. Software AG's board and takeover committee are "highly supportive" of the offer and intend to recommend it to its shareholders, the company said. ($1 = 0.9102 euros)Reporting by Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Guest view: Why bank investors have it the hardest
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Rupak Ghose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But what matters at least as much for shareholders is the risk of near or total wipe-out, as demonstrated by Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse. No investor could have known that Credit Suisse allowed Archegos to fund its trades with insufficient cash collateral. More recently, U.S. authorities seemed to flip-flop on whether uninsured depositors at other banks would enjoy the same protection offered to Silicon Valley Bank’s customers. The upshot for bank investors is that seemingly low valuations might not be low enough. Previously, he was head of corporate strategy at UK-based brokers ICAP and NEX, and an equity research analyst at Credit Suisse focused on the financial sector.

☆ Rivals can feast on Credit Suisse client spoils
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Credit Suisse saw 110 billion Swiss francs flying out the door in the final quarter of 2022. These outflows were chiefly cash from wealthy clients and some deposits at Credit Suisse's Swiss bank unit. Those holding accounts at both Credit Suisse and UBS may dislike too much wealth concentration. And Credit Suisse is hardly incentivised to transfer securities swiftly. The minister said this was needed because Credit Suisse customers had again withdrawn money.

NEW YORK, April 14 (Reuters) - Societe Generale SA (SOGN.PA) agreed to pay $105 million to settle U.S. investor litigation accusing the French bank of violating antitrust law by conspiring with rivals to rig Euribor, a key European interest rate benchmark. A preliminary settlement was filed late Friday with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, and requires a judge's approval. Societe Generale denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle, court papers show. The case is Sullivan et al v. Barclays Plc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, Editing by Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ European banks surge on strong Q1 results from U.S. peers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] The logo of Deutsche Bank is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves HermanLONDON, April 14 (Reuters) - European banks surged on Friday, rising to a one-month high, gaining support from U.S. lenders, which reported better-than-expected results in the first quarter. The STOXX 600 index of European banks (.SX7P) gained as much as 3% to reach its highest since mid-March after JPMorgan (JPM.N), Citigroup (C.N) and Wells Fargo WFC.N beat estimates. Banks largely outperformed the broader market, with the STOXX 600 (.STOXX) index climbing 0.6% as risk assets gained support from expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve may soon finish raising interest rates. In London, Standard Chartered (STAN.L) shares rose 4.3% to three-week highs, Barclays (BARC.L) shares were up 3%, touching a five-week high, while HSBC (HSBA.L) shares up 3.1% to one month highs.

Exchange operators' shares have outperformed in the past few weeks, with traders and analysts pointing to signs of investors rotating into exchanges, partly at the expense of banks. "Exchange operators are data and technology businesses with defensive utility-like features, while banks are highly cyclical and exposed to idiosyncratic business model risks". Average daily value traded at the London Stock Exchange (LSEG) (LSEG.L) rose 12.9% month-over-month in March. "Investors tend to look at the exchanges as defensive names. "We continue to like exchange stocks."

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