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☆ Dollar nurses losses after Fed hints rate cuts on the way; yen firms
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Markets have been fully pricing in a 25 basis points of rate cut in September for some time and added to wagers of the Fed going big even after Powell said policymakers are not thinking about a 50-basis-point interest rate cut "right now." Goldman Sachs strategists said Powell comments suggest the bar is not very high for a rate cut in September. The dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against six peers, was little changed at 104.02, having dropped 0.38% on Wednesday. But the BOJ seem keen to get interest rates up and normalize policy. It probably leads to more yen strength, but it could weigh on the local economy and equity markets."

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, Goldman Sachs, Kazuo Ueda, Ben Bennett Organizations: U.S, Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, The U.S, Fed, Traders, Reuters, Bank of England, Legal, General Investment Management Locations: The, Japan, Asia, Pacific

☆ Yen heads for strongest week in 3 months as carry trades unwind
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The yen was poised for its strongest week in nearly three months on Friday as traders unwound their long-held bets against the frail currency ahead of crucial U.S. inflation data that could cement rate cut expectations. The yen was poised for its strongest week in nearly three months on Friday as traders unwound their long-held bets against the frail currency ahead of crucial U.S. inflation data that could cement rate cut expectations. The euro was a tad stronger at $1.0853 but is down 0.35% for the week, its steepest weekly decline since early June. The souring risk sentiment this week has weighed heavily on the Aussie and the New Zealand dollar . The Aussie is down 2% for the week, its worst weekly performance since November 2023.

Persons: James Athey, Ben Bennett, they're Organizations: Marlborough Investment Management, Federal, Fed, Traders, Bank of Japan, Legal, General Investment Management, New Zealand Locations: Tokyo, Asia, Pacific

☆ Dollar steady, yen fragile after Fed comments dash rate cut bets
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The comments follow a slew of data in recent weeks that highlight the strength of U.S. economy along with persistent inflation. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar was last at 106.33, just below the five month peak of 106.51 touched on Tuesday. I'm watching dollar strength and U.S. real yields very closely." On Wednesday, the yen was last at 154.65 per dollar, having touched the 34-year low of 154.79 in the previous session. The Australian dollar rose 0.12% to $0.641, while the New Zealand dollar rose 0.22 to $0.589.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, Powell's, " Powell, Ben Bennett, Kieran Williams, InTouch Capital's Williams Organizations: Federal Reserve, U.S, Traders, Investment Management, Asia FX, InTouch, CPI, New Zealand Locations: Washington, Asia, JPY, Japan

☆ Growing quant giant Qube just added a fundraiser focused on Asian investors
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Sources familiar with the firm's plans told Business Insider that it hopes Hirazumi will help bring in assets to the firm’s China strategy. The manager has four Asian offices listed on its website, including one in mainland China in Shanghai, plus others in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Mumbai. It helps that performance has been stellar: The manager is already up roughly 10% through January this year, Business Insider previously reported . Another Millennium spin-out, Kurt Baker’s 30th Century Partners, is planning to start trading this year with $3 billion out of Hong Kong, according to a Bloomberg report.

Persons: Noriaki Hirazumi, Qube, Hirazumi, Ray Dalio, Blackstone, Jonathan Xiong, Kurt Baker’s Organizations: Research, Technologies, General Investment, London, Winton Group, Business, Credit Suisse, Public, Tiger, Investment Partners, Century Partners, Bloomberg Locations: Asia, London, Japan, China, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai, Qube, Bridgewater

☆ Fat Cat Thursday: UK CEO pay already exceeds average worker salary for the year
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The average FTSE 100 CEO will have earned more this year than the median full-time worker's annual salary by 1 p.m. London time on Thursday, according to estimates from the High Pay Centre think tank. The calculations are based on the High Pay Centre's analysis of the most recent available CEO pay figures from British blue-chip companies' annual reports, compared with government data on pay levels across the U.K. economy. Median FTSE 100 CEO pay (excluding pension) currently stands at £3.81 million ($4.84 million), 109 times the median full-time worker's pay of £34,963, the think tank said. This represents a 9.5% increase on median CEO pay levels as of March 2023, while the median worker's pay has risen by 6%. The High Pay Centre highlighted that in December, Legal and General Investment Management adjusted its executive pay guidelines to permit companies it invests in to offer more generous incentive payments.

Persons: Britain aren't, Luke Hildyard Organizations: General Investment Management Locations: London, Britain

☆ British investment managers get green light for tokenised funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kevin Coombs/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 24 (Reuters) - British investment managers have got the go-ahead to develop tokenised funds, in which assets are split into smaller tokens backed by blockchain technology, the industry's trade body said on Friday. Tokenisation, or fractionalisation, of funds will enable a fund's assets to trade more cheaply and transparently and investors to buy into a wider range of assets, industry proponents say. Funds authorised by Britain's Financial Conduct Authority can take the first steps towards offering tokenised funds, provided the investments are in mainstream assets and valuation and settlement arrangements don't change, the Investment Association said in a statement. Scrimgeour is chair of a working group which is working with the FCA and Britain's finance ministry to open up opportunities for tokenised funds. Investment managers and exchanges in the United States, Europe and Asia have already taken tentative steps in offering tokenised funds.

Persons: Kevin Coombs, tokenisation, Michelle Scrimgeour, Scrimgeour, Carolyn Cohn, Elizabeth Howcroft, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Britain's Financial, Investment Association, Legal, General Investment Management, FCA, BlackRock, Investment, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain, United States, Europe, Asia

☆ Stocks in Asia hit 2-month high, dollar defensive on Fed view
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A passerby walks past an electric monitor displaying various countries' stock price index outside a bank in Tokyo, Japan, March 22, 2023. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was 0.97% higher at 510.11 having touched 511.05, the highest since Sept. 18. In rest of Asia, Japan's Nikkei (.N225) edged higher and remained close to the 33-year high it toucehd on Monday. The Japanese yen strengthened 0.22% to 148.03 per dollar, lifting away from the one-year low of 151.92 it touched last week. The Australian dollar , often seen as a barometer of risk appetite, touched a three-month high of $0.65775 earlier in the session.

Persons: Issei Kato, DAX, Wall, Sam Altman, Ben Bennett, Nicholas Chia, murmurs, Hong, HSI, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Jacqueline Wong, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, . Federal, Nvidia, Microsoft, Stock, Traders, Legal, General Investment Management, Standard Chartered, Japan's Nikkei, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Europe, Thursday's U.S

☆ Asian stocks hit 2-month high on Wall St rally, Fed view
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was 0.91% higher at 509.82 having touched 510.42, the highest since Sept. 18. The index is up 7% for the month and on course for its biggest monthly gain since January. The index is up roughly 28% this year, making it the best performing stock market in Asia. Lower yields kept the dollar on the back foot, with the dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against a basket of six major currencies, down 0.058% at 103.37. The Australian dollar , often seen as a barometer of risk appetite, touched a three-month high of $0.65775 earlier in the session.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Hong, HSI, Wall, Sam Altman, Ben Bennett, Rob Carnell, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Nikkei, REUTERS, Rights, . Federal, Japan's Nikkei, Microsoft, Nvidia, Stock, Traders, Legal, General Investment Management, Treasury, OPEC, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Thursday's U.S, Russia, U.S, China

☆ Asia stocks snap winning streak, await RBA
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Asian stocks snapped a three-day winning streak on Tuesday, slipping as the bond market's rally paused and investors reined in enthusiasm about a possible peak in global interest rates. Focus is on whether Australia's central bank turns odd man out and raises rates, with a policy decision due at 0330 GMT. Overnight the dollar had rallied with a rise in U.S. Treasury yields, leaving the Australian dollar under gentle pressure at $0.6495 in morning trade in Asia. Aussie government bond futures fell slightly and the ASX200 (.AXJO), which had gained five sessions in a row, slipped 0.4%. Ten year yields rose 10 bps on Monday, but had fallen almost 30 bps last week.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Ben Bennett, Alan Ruskin, George Saravelos, Commonwealth Bank analyst Carol Kong, Gold, bitcoin, Ankur Banerjee Organizations: Tokyo Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, Reserve Bank of Australia, Treasury, Japan's Nikkei, U.S . Federal Reserve, Nasdaq, Legal, General Investment Management, U.S, Deutsche Bank, Commonwealth Bank analyst, Brent, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights SINGAPORE, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Taiwan, East, Russia, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore

A 0.25 mg injection pen of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy is shown in this photo illustration in Oslo, Norway, September 1, 2023. REUTERS/Victoria Klesty/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON/NEW YORK, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The growth in demand for appetite suppressing anti-obesity drugs like Novo Nordisk's (NOVOb.CO) Wegovy presents opportunities for food manufacturers and the market's initially downbeat reaction may be overdone, investors say. Still, the stock market impact left some food manufacturers "trembling," said John Plassard, senior investment specialist at Nestle investor Mirabaud Group. The uptake in appetite suppressing drugs seems to be a U.S.-led dynamic, said My Nguyen, research analyst at Legal & General Investment Management America. "Elsewhere, trends such as wealthier, more mobile middle classes in emerging countries can support shifts towards snacking and convenience foods."

Persons: Victoria Klesty, Richard Saldanha, Wegovy, Kiran Aziz, Mark Schneider, John Plassard, Brian Frank, Frank, Nguyen, Richa Naidu, Matt Scuffham, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Walmart, Nestle, Aviva, Novo Nordisk, EY, Industry, Health Sciences, Wellness, Mirabaud, Tyson Foods, Arcos Dorados, Legal, General Investment Management America, Germany's, Investments, Unilever, Coca Cola, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, Victoria, United States, Denmark, Germany, Arda, Ural, U.S

ECB chief Christine Lagarde may stick with the high-for-longer mantra that has pushed up long-dated bond yields. A weakening economy meanwhile suggests the need for further tightening is limited but the ECB is likely to push back against rate-cut speculation. ECB chief economist Philip Lane says the ECB will need time, possibly until next spring, before it can be confident that inflation is coming down. The ECB expects headline inflation to ease to 3.2% in 2024 from an average of 5.6% in 2023. Oil price moves, inflation outlook shifts4/ What does the ECB do if things go wrong with Italy?

Persons: Christine Lagarde, Johanna Geron, Francis Yared, Philip Lane, Lagarde, PEPP, Reinhard Cluse, Chris Jeffrey, Cluse, ING's Brzeski, Dhara Ranasinghe, Stefano Rebaudo, Naomi Rovnick, Susan Fenton Organizations: European Central Bank, Parliament's, Economic, Monetary Affairs, REUTERS, ECB, Deutsche Bank, Reuters Graphics Reuters, UBS, Reuters, Legal, General Investment Management, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Europe, United States, Italy, Germany

☆ Stock Market Today: Dow Futures Rise; Nike Shares Jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Stock futures and Treasury bonds recovered some ground, but major indexes were still on track for the worst quarterly performance in a year. Stocks have come under pressure from the bond selloff, which propelled the 10-year Treasury yield to the highest level since 2007 earlier this week. The S&P 500 is down 3.3% this quarter and the Dow has lost over 2%. Treasury notes recovered some ground. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield extended its retreat into a second day, as did the U.S. dollar.

Persons: Stocks, Dow, ”, John Roe Organizations: Legal, General Investment Management, Nasdaq, Dow, Treasury, ., bund Locations: Europe

Benefiting from the highest interest rates since 2008, pension funds are better funded to meet future payouts than they have been in years. Because insurers hold a lot less government debt than pension funds, favouring higher-return assets such as corporate debt, they are expected to sell some of the gilts they receive. It is selling 240 billion pounds of debt this year, a record, save for 2020-21. Helped by the pension fund demand of past years, Britain's average debt life is around 15 years, more than double the U.S. and Germany's. Britain has already started skewing its funding towards shorter debt this year, citing high borrowing needs, a move investors reckon also reflects declining pension fund appetite.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, BoE, gilts, Chris Jeffery, Lane Clark, Peacock, Barry Kenneth, Van Lanschot, Arif Saad, Craig, Owen Davies, LGIM's Jeffery, Yoruk, Carolyn Cohn, Dhara Ranasinghe, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of England, Legal, General Investment Management, Fund, Investment, Royal London Asset Management, Investors, Yoruk Bahceli, Thomson Locations: gilts, Germany's, Britain, Amsterdam, London

Traders cheered the expected end of rate hikes that have raised borrowing costs from minus 0.5% in just over a year. That sent euro zone government bond yields tumbling, the euro down and stocks (.STOXX) higher. The ECB cut its outlook for euro area growth this year to 0.7%, while economists polled by Reuters expect growth of 0.6%. A market rally is also likely unwelcome to the ECB. Hawkish policymakers have started calling for an earlier end to PEPP reinvestments, and the ECB is likely to begin a debate on furthering its balance-sheet runoff with rate hikes likely done.

Persons: Charles Diebel, Simon Bell, Jason Simpson, Anna Stupnytska, reinvesting, Mediolanum's Diebel, reinvestments, Divyang Shah, Christine Lagarde, Shah, Yoruk Bahceli, Naomi Rovnick, Dhara, Dhara Ranasinghe, Hugh Lawson Organizations: European Central Bank, Traders, Reuters Graphics, Mediolanum Asset Management, ECB, Reuters, Legal, General Investment Management, State, Fidelity International, Thomson Locations: Italy, Germany

The company logo of Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured at the Shanghai Country Garden Center in Shanghai, China August 9, 2023. It has around $14.8 billion worth of debt due within 12 months, while its cash levels are around $13.8 billion. Country Garden declined to comment. Despite those measures, China's new home prices fell for the fourth month in August, according to a private survey on Friday, as the property debt crisis kept confidence at a low ebb. "Country Garden will probably make full use of the grace periods…it still looks challenging for them to generate enough cash for the upcoming payments, both onshore and offshore," said Ting Meng, a senior credit strategist at ANZ.

Persons: Aly, Edward Al, Ting Meng, Benjamin Bennett, they've, Xie Yu, Davide Barbuscia, Sumeet Chatterjee, Muralikumar Organizations: Shanghai Country Garden, REUTERS, HONG KONG, Country Garden Holdings, HK, Columbia, U.S, Country Garden, ANZ, General Investment Management, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG, Country, Hong Kong, New York

☆ Pensions business boosts Legal & General H1 profit above expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Legal & General (LGEN.L) reported a forecast-beating operating profit of 941 million pounds ($1.20 billion) in the first half on Tuesday, boosted by its bulk annuity business, and said it was on track to meet its five-year ambitions. Analysts in a company-compiled consensus poll had forecast operating profit for the British life insurer and asset manager of 834 million pounds. Operating profit fell nearly 2% from a year earlier but analysts at Jefferies said they expected the results to be "well received" on Tuesday. British specialist insurer Just Group (JUSTJ.L) reported a 154% jump in first-half profit on Tuesday, also beating market estimates, boosted by bumper sales of its retirement income products and higher new business income. ($1 = 0.7868 pounds)Reporting by Carolyn Cohn in London and Eva Mathews in Bengaluru, editing by Sinead CruiseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nigel Wilson, Jefferies, Carolyn Cohn, Eva Mathews, Sinead Cruise Organizations: General Investment Management, Thomson Locations: London, Bengaluru

☆ Investment strategist on US recession risks and fiscal outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | 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 Email'Concerned' about US recession risks in the next 12 months and unsustainable fiscal outlookBen Bennett of Legal & General Investment Management says that he is more "positive" on the Chinese economy over the long-run from a fiscal sustainability perspective and worried that the U.S. might fall into a recession in 2023.

Persons: Ben Bennett Organizations: Legal, General Investment Management Locations: U.S

☆ Struggling US downtowns could take a cue from a small town in England that gave businesses rent-free space
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The UK is experimenting with offering small businesses free rent to revitalize downtown districts. Several small towns in the UK have experimented with giving small businesses rent-free shop space over the last few years. Now it's vibrant, upbeat, colourful," Hope Dean, the owner of a plant shop that was one of the 10 businesses given free rent, told The Guardian. Some US cities have pursued similar downtown revitalization initiatives. Denver offered free rent and services valued at $20,000 to businesses willing to use empty space in the city's downtown, and San Francisco has offered free rent and grant money to pop-up businesses in its downtown.

Persons: Hope Dean, We're, Matt Soffair Organizations: Service, Legal, General Investment Management, Guardian, Times, Westminster City Council, Oxford, BBC, Denver Locations: Poole, Wall, Silicon, American, Westminster, London, San Francisco

☆ Analysis: Bond markets reckon a central bank policy error is on the cards
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Yoruk Bahceli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"We are positioned for a very big bond rally, and we think that risky assets are completely underestimating the risk of a recession or something nasty happening," he added. (.MERW0G1)An early sign that the bond outlook is improving came last week with data showing euro zone business growth stalled in June. In response, German bond yields, which move inversely to prices, posted their second biggest daily drop since March. But highlighting how hard economic data has become to read, higher-than-expected U.S. first quarter growth and German inflation sent yields surging on Thursday. Major central banks fighting a surge in inflation have collectively raised borrowing costs by over 3,750 bps since September 2021.

Persons: Jason Reed, Mike Riddell, Viraj Patel, Vanda's Patel, BoE, Urban, Jill Hirzel, Dhara Ranasinghe, Harry Robertson, Catherine Evans Organizations: U.S . Federal, REUTERS, Bond, U.S, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Bank of England, Reuters, Allianz Global Investors, Vanda Research, Deutsche Bank, General Investment Management, Insight Investment, Thomson Locations: Washington, hawkish, Canada, Britain, Norway, Sintra, Germany, United States, U.S

☆ Analysis: Germany leads big bond rally as inflation finally heads down
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Yoruk Bahceli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Borrowing costs, or bond yields, in the benchmark euro area issuer are down at least 20 basis points (bps) this week , . Yet this week's notable moves suggest investors are plumping with the view that easing inflation and recession risks are strong bond buy signals. Traders now expect the ECB hikes to peak at around 3.7% by September, suggesting two more hikes from 3.25% currently. COMPLICATEDInvestors cautioned that the European inflation outlook remained more complicated than in the United States, where inflation broadly is down sharply from peaks. This week's fall in borrowing costs followed sharp rises the previous two weeks on bets for more rate hikes.

Persons: Kaspar Hense, Flavio Carpenzano, It's, Cosimo Marasciulo, Marasciulo, BlueBay's Hense, Oliver Eichmann, DWS, Eichmann, Yoruk Bahceli, Harry Robertson, Dhara Ranasinghe, Susan Fenton Organizations: Bank, British, Thursday's, Traders, BlueBay Asset Management, Capital Group, ECB, U.S . Federal Reserve, General Investment Management, Bank of England, NatWest, Pictet Wealth Management, Thomson Locations: Germany, United States, Europe, Amundi, U.S, Britain, DWS

Climate investors aren’t expecting a triumphant repeat of what happened two years ago, when Engine No. 1, a San Francisco-based activist hedge fund, stunned the corporate world by landing three of its eco-conscious nominees on Exxon’s board. Mark van Baal, founder of the activist shareholder group Follow This, was more blunt. The hedge fund, he said, was “the biggest disappointment in the fight against climate change.”Engine No. But critics say that green investments are still a tiny percentage of Exxon’s spending, and that the company remains committed to fossil fuels.

Persons: aren’t, DealBook, Vivienne Walt, ”, Mark Kramer, “, Danielle Fugere, Mark van Baal Organizations: Exxon, Legal, General Investment Management, Harvard Business School Locations: San Francisco, Berkeley, Calif, Texas, New Mexico

☆ Environmental platform urges more than 1,600 high-emitting firms to disclose data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The companies targeted in the 2023 campaign include repeat non-disclosers such as Exxon Mobil(XOM.N), Glencore (GLEN.L) and Caterpillar (CAT.N), CDP said in a statement. Since it launched in 2017, CDP has expanded the universe of companies it targets for data disclosure. That has meant the number of non-disclosing companies targeted this year is higher than in its 2022 campaign. Despite the progress, disclosure remains a problem in high-emitting sectors and getting laggards to submit data will prove tricky, she acknowledged. Overall, about 50% of companies across sectors disclose environmental data, Elsdon told Reuters.

Persons: Glencore, Claire Elsdon, Elsdon, laggards, Tommy Reggiori Wilkes, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Exxon Mobil, Caterpillar, European Union, Reuters, Sumitomo Life Insurance, General Investment Management, Thomson Locations: United Kingdom, Canada

SummarySummary Companies Investors seeking more information on thermal coal plansGlencore calls on shareholders to reject resolutionLGIM's Marks says 'fundamental lack of willingness to engage'LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - Investors pushing for more transparency on miner Glencore's (GLEN.L) thermal coal production said its decision not to support a shareholder resolution on the topic showed a "fundamental lack of willingness to engage". Unlike its peers, Glencore mines and trades thermal coal, the fossil fuel used to generate electricity. It has said it plans to responsibly run down its coal mines by the mid-2040s, closing at least 12 by 2035. "There is a fundamental lack of willingness to engage," said Michael Marks, LGIM's Head of Investment Stewardship and Responsible Investment Integration. Just 24% of investors voted against Glencore's climate progress report at the miner and trader's 2022 AGM, with some citing slow progress in scaling back coal production.

Things are calmer now, but seven traders who spoke to Reuters, some heading rates desks at big global banks, said March's mayhem continues to reverberate, with fears of further volatility in traditionally stable bond markets muting activity. Investors rely on government bond markets to translate central bank interest rates into a stable benchmark for borrowing costs, from corporate loans to household mortgages. Yield shifts in government bond markets have become bigger - occasionally hitting 20 bps a day - since central banks started ramping up rate hikes last year to tame surging inflation. For some, March's turmoil is the latest sign of how post-2008 regulations constraining dealer balance sheets are affecting bond market functioning. Others noted markets were leaving behind an era of low volatility for good as rates rise.

☆ L&G's fund arm to back climate votes at U.S., Canadian banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Simon Jessop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LGIM, insurer Legal & General's (LGEN.L) fund arm, which manages more than $1.5 trillion, said it was going public ahead of the banks' meetings as part of an escalation strategy after backing several climate votes last year. "Accordingly, we believe our support of many of these resolutions – depending always on the specifics of their drafting language and advisory or binding nature – is warranted." It would also back votes calling for a report on how the bank is aligning its financing activities with its 2030 targets at Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD.TO), Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley. "We believe detailed information on how a company intends to achieve the 2030 targets they have set... can further focus the board's attention on the steps and timeframe involved and provides assurance to stakeholders," LGIM said. ($1 = 0.7993 pounds)Reporting by Simon Jessop Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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