DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Debt ceiling threat: Time to take this political football off the field
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Christine Romans | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In theory, the debt ceiling should act as a fiscal restraint during the budgeting process. Deciding later not to pay the bills by not raising the debt ceiling is not sound fiscal policy. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, a Republican, has said the debt ceiling is counterproductive. And the CEO of the nation’s biggest bank, JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon turns visibly frustrated at the subject of the debt ceiling. KPMG Chief Economist Diane Swonk says the politicization of the debt ceiling has weakened America.

☆ Major Financial institutions warn of "devastating scenario" if Biden and Congress do not raise debt ceiling
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In an open letter to President Biden and top Congressional leaders Tuesday, nearly 150 business leaders urged the two sides to act – or face “a devastating scenario … and potentially disastrous consequences,” the letter states. Much worse will occur if the nation defaults on our debt obligations, which would weaken our position in the world financial system,” the letter states. A default on the nation’s debt could send the economy into a recession, and the stock market could tank. In fact, we have already seen Treasury’s borrowing costs increase substantially for securities maturing in early June,” Secretary Yellen wrote Monday. “This cannot be allowed to happen,” the letter states.

☆ Turkish lira sinks to new record low on possibility of Erdogan re-election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Turkish lira slipped 0.5% to trade at 19.70 against the US dollar, a record low. The uncertainty has investors in Turkish government bonds worrying about the country’s ability to pay them back. Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrate at the AK Party headquarters on May 14, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey. Annual consumer price inflation surged to 85% in October, before slowing to 44% in April, data from the Turkish Statistical Institute shows. “A victory for President Erdogan, which now looks like the base case scenario… would be negative for Turkey’s macroeconomic stability and financial markets,” Peach added.

☆ ‘Every family should be concerned’ about debt ceiling, consumer watchdog warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Every family should be concerned,” Rohit Chopra, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, told CNN in an interview on Thursday. If Congress fails to address the debt ceiling, the federal government could run out of money as soon as June 1, according to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. “A lot of things we assume are part of our financial fabric would get ripped away,” Chopra told CNN. The debt ceiling is very likely to be a focus next week when Yellen is scheduled to meet with leading bank CEOs in Washington at a trade association meeting. Moody’s Analytics on Wednesday increased its probability of a breach of the debt ceiling to 10%, up from 5% previously.

☆ Pakistan’s political crisis will deepen its economic misery
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

London CNN —The political unrest that’s engulfed Pakistan since former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested earlier this week will complicate efforts to secure a financial lifeline from the International Monetary Fund and exacerbate the country’s economic crisis. Pakistan’s economic meltdownThe political tumult in Pakistan comes as the country grapples with a dire economic outlook. The government has been working with the International Monetary Fund to resume a financing program that’s been stalled since November and expires in June. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a televised address Friday that the country’s economic problems stem from his predecessor. In February, the ratings agency said about 50% of government revenue will need to go to debt interest payments “for the next few years,” compounding economic woes and fanning political discontent.

In that instance, S&P Global Ratings credit rating agency downgraded the government from AAA to AA+ credit rating. The federal government maintains a perfect credit rating from Fitch and Moody’s, but that could change as the stalemate drags on. Investors care about stability and predictability, so a credit rating downgrade would send a chill down Wall Street’s spine. The broadest economic impact of a US debt default would be a recession that would encompass the global economy, including sharp job losses. And the housing market would not be spared by the “economic calamity” of a US government default, as Yellen once described it.

Notably, Trump refused to plant a flag in the sand on a potential federal abortion ban. Trump is vague on federal abortion banTrump repeatedly ducked questions about whether he would sign into law a federal abortion ban, as well as after how many weeks into a pregnancy abortion should be made illegal. He touted the Supreme Court’s decision last year to overturn Roe v. Wade’s federal abortion rights as “such a great victory” – and one made possible by his appointment of three conservative justices. But Trump also recognized splits within the GOP over whether to impose a federal abortion ban, and what the conditions of such a ban should be. “We now have a great negotiating ability, and I think we’re going to be able to get something done,” Trump said.

☆ Premarket stocks: Wall Street is strangely calm about the debt ceiling. That could change this month
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Dire warnings about the economic chaos and catastrophe that will ensue if the US debt ceiling isn’t lifted soon abound. The debt ceiling crisis of 2011 caused Standard and Poor’s to downgrade US debt for the first time in history. Schwenkler says to expect “a lot more volatility” if debt ceiling issues don’t appear resolved by the last week of the month. By contrast, recovery from a debt-default crisis would likely start the day Congress, belatedly, suspended the debt ceiling,” he added. “A misstep over the debt ceiling would subject businesses and consumers to an economic shockwave,” he added.

☆ These states will be hit the hardest if the US debt ceiling standoff isn’t resolved
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

While most states would be “hit hard” by a debt limit breach, the economic pain would vary from state to state, according to projections released on Wednesday by Moody’s. Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania would also likely lose hundreds of thousands of jobs apiece if there is a breach of the debt ceiling lasting several months, Moody’s found. In the event of a prolonged breach of the debt ceiling, Moody’s estimates some large states would each lose hundreds of thousands of jobs. ‘A real threat’In its report, Moody’s assigns a 10% probability to a breach of the debt ceiling, up from 5% previously. “What once seemed unimaginable now seems a real threat,” Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi wrote in the report.

☆ Debt ceiling standoff doesn't show clear path to agreement, says James Pethokoukis
▼ + 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 EmailDebt ceiling standoff doesn't show clear path to agreement, says James PethokoukisJames Pethokoukis, American Enterprise Institute economic policy analyst, and Mark Zandi, Moody’s chief economist, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss any upcoming compromise in the debt ceiling debate, the economic impact of the debt limit stall and more.

☆ EU debt’s credibility problem is worsening
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Rebecca Christie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BRUSSELS, May 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The European Union’s debt credibility is suffering from rising doubts, as well as rising rates. Relative to initial projections, EU borrowing costs are on course to go up by tens of billions of euros. Even so, as of Tuesday, two-year EU bonds were yielding 3.02% compared to 2.79% for France and 2.94% for Spain , with five-year EU bonds at 2.87% against 2.63% for France . EU debt trades as a supranational institution, not a country. Financially, the EU general budget will be able to manage the increase in debt costs using existing measures.

☆ Fed survey: Banks are tightening up their lending standards after rate hikes, turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Survey respondents attributed the changes in lending standards to economic uncertainty, a reduced appetite for risk, deterioration in collateral values and broader concerns about banks’ funding costs and liquidity positions, according to the Fed report. At the time, banks expected that trend of tightening credit, waning demand and deteriorating loan quality would continue. Fed president: Central bank should weigh effectsFederal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee said in an interview with Yahoo! Fed officials, including Chair Powell, have previously noted that credit tightening could act similarly to a rate hike. A ‘salient risk’Separately on Monday, the Fed released its semi-annual Financial Stability Report, which assesses the resilience of the US financial system.

☆ Premarket stocks: Why these bank stocks aren't getting crushed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

First Horizon (FHN) and TD Bank (TD)also called off a $13 billion deal Thursday that would have formed America’s sixth-largest bank. The Stoxx Europe 600 Banks Index, which tracks big EU and UK banks, has shed 14% over the same period. Year-to-date, European banks are up more than 3%, while US lenders are down 26%. Broader market dynamics have also helped European bank stocks. The European Central Bank, which meets Thursday, has also been slower than the US Federal Reserve to hike interest rates.

☆ Movie theaters are most at risk if the writers’ strike drags on, Moody’s says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Already strained movie theater companies could be hurt most from the Writers Guild of America strike, according to an analysis released Thursday. “New big-budget tent-pole releases tend to fill theaters,” said Moody’s in its new analysis. But in terms of the volume of content produced, television (networks and streamers) has more exposure,” said Moody’s. “Television will bear the brunt of a long strike as the implications of the writers’ strike will play out more noticeably for TV networks, stations, cable channels, and streamers. TV networks, particularly broadcast networks, consistently schedule new prime-time shows to begin in the fall,” the Moody’s analysis said.

[1/2] Workers and supporters of the Writers Guild of America picket outside Sunset Bronson Studios and Netflix Studios, after union negotiators called a strike for film and television writers, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniLOS ANGELES, May 4 (Reuters) - The Hollywood writers' strike that kicked off this week could last well into the summer and likely beyond, top executives close to the discussions told Reuters this week. Moody’s estimates a three-year contract with writers ultimately will cost the media industry $250 million to $350 million per year, a more modest estimate than the guild's projections of about $429 million per year. Television writers say their pay has suffered, as studios squeeze writers into smaller rooms for fewer weeks at minimum pay, despite financing lavishly produced streaming series. Hollywood writers must pay their agents and managers out of their wages -- and, unlike staff writers, can go long periods between gigs.

☆ White House warns debt default could wipe out 8 million jobs, plunge stock market
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —White House economists warned on Wednesday that a protracted debt default would cause the loss of more than 8 million jobs and cut the stock market in half. The new projections, published in a blog post by the White House Council of Economic Advisers, make clear the enormous stakes behind a potential breach of the debt ceiling. The report estimates the impact under three scenarios: brinksmanship, a short default and a protracted default. The White House economists say the worst-case scenario is a “protracted” default that wipes out 8.3 million jobs, plunges GDP by 6.1 percentage points and sends the stock market crashing nearly in half. That estimate is similar to one by Moody’s Analytics, which warned in March that a lengthy default could cost more than 7 million jobs.

☆ A Timeline of How the Banking Crisis Has Unfolded
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Madeleine Ngo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +9 min

March 9Gregory Becker, the chief executive of Silicon Valley Bank, urged venture capital firms to remain calm on a conference call. March 10In the biggest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis, Silicon Valley Bank collapsed after a run on deposits . Regional bank stocks plunged after the unexpected seizure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank , with shares of First Republic tumbling 60 percent. The Treasury secretary believed the actions by the private sector would help underscore confidence in the stability of the banking system. April 28The Fed released a report faulting itself for failing to “take forceful enough action” ahead of Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse.

☆ Bank of Japan had 'lots of reasons' to keep monetary policy unchanged, says Moody’s
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | 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 EmailBank of Japan had 'lots of reasons' to keep monetary policy unchanged, says Moody’sStefan Angrick of Moody's Analytics cites "choppy" economic data as one of the reasons.

☆ Nomura shares drop more than 7% after quarterly profit tanks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, April 27 (Reuters) - Nomura Holdings Inc (8604.T) shares dropped more than 7% early on Thursday after Japan's biggest brokerage posted a sharp fall in quarterly net profit as worries about a global banking crisis roiled markets and hit its investment banking business. Moody's Japan senior analyst Tomoya Suzuki also blamed rapidly rising interest rates around the world and geopolitical tensions for dampened investor sentiment. "Moody’s has a negative outlook on Nomura Holdings’ rating, reflecting structural challenges to the company's profitability in the domestic retail segment," Suzuki wrong in a report. Nomura's wholesale division, which houses its investment banking and trading businesses, sank into the red for the second consecutive quarter with a pre-tax loss of 14.2 billion yen ($106.24 million). Its shares were down 7.5% in early trade, marking the biggest daily fall since March 2021.

☆ Analysis: American living standards are on the line in the debt ceiling drama
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Christine Romans | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Inside the Beltway, jockeying over raising the debt ceiling has become a partisan ritual to gain political points. But marching toward a debt ceiling default puts American living standards on the line. For most of that time, the debt ceiling was raised with little fuss, until 2011 brought the debt ceiling into a new dangerous realm of political brinksmanship. Deciding later not to pay the bills by not raising the debt ceiling is not sound fiscal policy. Roger Ferguson, economist and former vice chair of the Fed, said the debt ceiling is out of date.

☆ Record High Manhattan Apartment Rents May Not Save Blackstone From Default
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Will Parker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Blackstone is in danger of defaulting on a $270 million loan backed by 11 apartment buildings in New York’s most expensive borough. Photo: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg NewsApartment rents in Manhattan are soaring to new highs this year, even as rents plateau or fall in most of the rest of the country. Blackstone Inc. risks losing a portfolio of Manhattan apartments anyway. The real-estate and private-equity firm is in danger of defaulting on a $270 million loan backed by 11 apartment buildings in New York’s most expensive borough. Cash flow from the properties isn’t enough to cover the cost of all the debt, according to a report from Moody’s Investors Service.

☆ Debt crisis is a scary white swan for US economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

If Democrats and Republicans can’t agree to lift the government’s borrowing limit, the country could suffer an unprecedented and catastrophic default on its debt. The standoff over the debt ceiling is a white swan, or an entirely predictable, very frequent event that has the potential to be as catastrophic as its darker sibling. That is why, in all past scuffles over government borrowing, Congress ended up raising or suspending the debt ceiling. Uncertainty over the timing of the agreement led to the most volatile week for financial markets since the 2008 financial crisis. Failure to lift the debt ceiling soon can spark a vicious cycle of market anxiety, rising borrowing costs and bank stress.

☆ Banks ‘aren’t out of the woods’ after the collapse of SVB and Signature
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —A month ago, code blue sirens went off at banks across the globe after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. For now, looking at banks’ deposits may lead you to believe that banks are in better shape than they are, but they “are not out of the woods just yet,” said Ana Arsov, managing director at Moody’s. After the collapse of SVB and Signature Bank, record levels of deposits poured into Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Citibank from mid-size and regional banks. A sign is posted on the exterior of a First Republic Bank office on March 16, 2023 in San Francisco. And the Fed’s likely rate hikes at its upcoming meetings will lead to more deposit outflows, said Wolfe.

☆ Smaller U.S. Banks Say the Crisis Is Contained but Fears Persist
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Jason Karaian | Stacy Cowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The abrupt collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank threw the entire industry into turmoil and exposed fissures in the financial foundations of some smaller banks. A month later, the nation’s biggest banks are raking in billions and will likely keep doing so even if the economy softens. Deposits are falling and the cost of keeping customers is rising, eating into profits. And fears remain about the value of investments and loans, especially ones backed by real estate. One of the banks attracting the most concern among investors, First Republic, is set to report its results on Monday after the markets close.

The challenges of saving a troubled lenderFirst Republic will report quarterly earnings on Monday, its first since the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank sparked a regional banking crisis. And despite a $30 billion lifeline provided by some of the country’s largest banks, First Republic’s shares have fallen nearly 90 percent over the past six months. So why hasn’t there been a deal to raise more cash or sell assets — or itself? First Republic is not expected to announce a deal alongside its earnings. Assuming those have moderated, First Republic has time to solve its problem.

Search resuls for: "Moody’s"

25 mentions found