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☆ Banks in EU face tougher rules on using cloud computing giants
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Regulators worry about the speed and scale at which banks, insurers and investment firms are moving critical functions and market operations onto a handful of cloud platforms. A glitch at one cloud company could potentially bring down services across many financial firms, regulators have said. "Thanks to the harmonised legal requirements which we adopted today, our financial sector will be better able to continue to function at all times," Stanjura said. The requirements will apply to financial firms and "critical" third parties supplying cloud based services. "If a large-scale attack on the European financial sector is launched, we will be prepared for it," Stanjura said.

☆ EU sets out plans to shift derivatives clearing from London to Frankfurt
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The loss of clearing in contract worth trillions of euros would be a further knock to the City as it faces new competition from EU financial centres like Paris and Frankfurt, alongside longstanding rivals such as New York and Singapore. Global banks have warned Brussels they could clear contracts in the United States if the EU is too heavy-handed. The commission is due to publish the draft law on Dec. 7, with the European Parliament and EU states having the final say. Global banks have warned Brussels that heavy, mandatory action forcing them to shift euro derivatives clearing out of London would backfire on EU banks, who need access to global liquidity pools in London, and could send clearing activity to the United States. The draft law tentatively proposes requiring EU clearers of commodity derivatives to hold a standalone default fund for that particular asset.

☆ Morning Bid: China, COVID and Crude
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Rare anti-government unrest across China's cities over the weekend has unnerved world markets, weakening crude oil prices and adding fresh political risks to a fragile year-end. Wary that both the unrest and the COVID crunch compound the economic hit to China and the world, the initial market reaction on Monday was to sell Chinese stocks, the yuan and oil - with crude oil prices falling to close to $80 per barrel, their lowest since January. A U.S. regulatory clampdown on Chinese tech giants, citing national security concerns, also weighed on shares of tech firms. As U.S. markets return after the Thanksgiving weekend, attention will return to Federal Reserve tightening, the labour market and inflation picture. The German banking giant said it expected U.S. output to drop 2% over the whole year, euro zone output to decline 1% and world economic growth to slow to a recessionary 2%.

☆ Global regulators to target crypto platforms after FTX crash
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The crash of FTX exchange has injected greater urgency into regulating the crypto sector and targeting such 'conglomerate' platforms will be the focus for 2023, the new chair of global securities watchdog IOSCO said in an interview. Jean-Paul Servais said regulating crypto platforms could draw on principles from other sectors which handle conflicts of interest, such as at credit rating agencies and compilers of market benchmarks, without having to start from scratch. Cryptoassets like bitcoin have been around for years but regulators have resisted jumping in to write new rules. "Is it the case for the crypto market? "For investor protection reasons, there is a need to provide additional clarity to these crypto markets markets through targeted guidance in applying IOSCO’s principles to crypto assets," Servais said.

☆ Morning Bid: COVID vs RRR
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Nov 24 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Stella Qiu:Another central bank pivots. This has aided the risk-on mood in the market, with Asian shares mostly advancing and U.S. dollar broadly weaker. The minutes of the Fed's November policy meeting showed a "substantial majority" of policymakers reckon it will "likely soon be appropriate" to slow the pace of rate hikes. China's COVID infections hit a record high, with Beijing, which has the strictest rules, failing to contain the spreading virus. "In our view, ending zero COVID as soon as possible is the key to raising credit demand and bolstering growth."

LONDON, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The Bank of England will not accept interference with the system of paying interest to banks from reserves issued by the central bank, BoE Chief Economist Huw Pill said on Thursday, pushing back against talk that change is needed. Some former BoE officials have said the central bank should alter its system of paying interest to banks on its 950 billion pounds ($1.15 trillion) of reserves, the vast majority of which the BoE issued to finance its quantitative easing programme. Pill's comments are likely to be interpreted as a warning to the government, which ultimately decides how interest on reserves are paid. Commercial banks are paid interest on the reserves by the BoE at whatever is the BoE's current interest rate - just 0.1% a year ago, but 3% now and likely to rise further. However, another former BoE rate-setter, Gertjan Vlieghe, said on Thursday it would be a "disaster" to stop paying interest on reserves, even partially - citing recent concerns about Britain's institutional credibility.

☆ Morning Bid: On the fence
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Steve Scherer | David Ljunggren | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The market has been looking, almost clamouring, for signs of slowdown in the pace of interest rate hikes. And so, the dollar remains on guard, Asian equities mostly tracked Wall Street gains and gold stayed flat . The tentativeness among investors is in stark contrast with the soccer world, which remains in shock after Saudi Arabia came from behind to beat Lionel Messi's Argentina in the World Cup. The central bank warned the economy might have to spend an entire year in recession to bring inflation under control. The first bankruptcy hearing for FTX showed that the collapsed crypto exchange has been the subject of cyberattacks and had "substantial" assets missing.

☆ Sterling ticks up, economic activity slows by less than expected
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov. 23 (Reuters) - Sterling ticked up on Wednesday, rising for a second day against a faltering U.S. dollar after preliminary British economic activity data beat expectations, though it still showed contraction was underway. Flash purchasing manager index (PMI) data on Wednesday showed British economic activity sticking near 21-month lows, adding to signs of recession as orders sank and employment growth slowed. Despite the latest PMI readings remaining below 50 - the threshold for contraction - the data was slightly better than economists polled by Reuters had expected, leading to a slightly firmer pound. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said on Tuesday that Britain's economy was set to lag major peers in 2023. In an October poll, the rate was expected to end this year at 3.75%.

Companies Financial Conduct Authority FollowLONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Providers of environment, social and governance (ESG) ratings on companies will be asked to apply a voluntary best practice code as a first step to regulating the sector, Britain's Financial Conduct Authority said on Tuesday. Trillions of dollars have flowed into sustainable investments globally using unregulated ESG ratings on companies as a guide for their 'green' credentials, leaving regulators worried about greenwashing or over inflated ESG claims. Britain's government is considering giving the FCA powers to directly regulate ESG ratings providers. The code will reflect recommendations from the global securities regulatory body IOSCO, and developments in Japan and the European Union, the FCA said. "A Code could also continue to apply for ESG data and ratings providers that fall outside the scope of potential future regulation," the FCA said in a statement.

☆ Consumer credit rating firms need reform, says UK watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Experian, Equifax and TransUnion make up almost all of the Britain's 800 million pound ($946.32 million) credit reference agencies (CRAs) sector. Credit agencies also help verify the identity of consumers to combat fraud and help with affordability assessments. There are significant differences in credit information held by the three big companies, which are "very likely" to affect lending decisions by banks, the FCA said. Equifax said it was reviewing the FCA report, and Experian said it supported a recommendation to improve coverage of credit information. A TransUnion UK spokesperson said that the company will work with the FCA and wider industry to sustain a fair and robust credit ecosystem.

☆ JP Morgan remains world's biggest systemically important bank
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - JP Morgan remains the world's most systemically important bank according to the latest rankings from the G20's Financial Stability Board published on Monday. JP Morgan remains in bucket 2 - there is still nobody in the top category with most capital requirements. Within the list, one bank has moved to a higher bucket, Bank of America has moved from bucket 2 to bucket 3," the FSB said in a statement. China Construction Bank and BNP Paribas have moved to a lower bucket. Reporting by Huw Jones; editing by Marc Jones and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK watchdog warns share trading apps not to encourage 'gambling'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Stock trading apps should review their features to ensure that investors are not tempted into "gambling-like" behaviour, Britain's Financial Conduct Authority said on Monday. The watchdog warned stock trading app operators to stop "game-like" elements which risk prompting consumers to take actions against their own interest. "We expect all firms that offer stock trading to consumers to review and, where appropriate, make improvements to their products based on these findings." More than one million new accounts were opened by 4 trading app firms in the first four months of 2021, almost double the amount opened with all other retail investment services combined. FCA Trading App GraphicReporting by Huw JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ FTX shows need to regulate crypto before it gets big, says Bank of England
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Rae Wee | Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - The implosion of cryptocurrency exchange FTX shows the need to bring the crypto world within the regulatory framework, Bank of England Deputy Governor Jon Cunliffe said on Monday. FTX, which has filed for U.S. bankruptcy court protection, has said it owes its 50 biggest creditors nearly $3.1 billion. He added that FTX's woes highlighted the need for regulators to put in place tighter controls as quickly as possible. "The FTX example underlines how important these aspects are," Cunliffe said. "Our aim is to ensure that innovation can take place but within a framework in which risks are properly managed," Cunliffe said.

☆ EU wrestles with Payment for Order Flow share trading rules
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - European Union states edged closer on Thursday to ditching a proposed ban on brokers earning fees in return for directing stock trades to specific trading platforms. The United States is considering whether curbs are needed for PFOF while the UK has already banned it. The EU ban was proposed in a draft law by the EU's executive European Commission updating the bloc's MiFID II securities law, with EU states and the European Parliament having final say. The Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE) said discussions on PFOF and consolidated tape risk "cementing fragmentation and opacity" in markets. However, Huebner said competitiveness of EU markets is essential given competition from Britain and the United States.

☆ EU readies next steps to boost its capital market
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mairead McGuinness said there had been good progress in building the EU's capital markets union (CMU) but more needed to be done to ease reliance on banks for funding companies and the economy, and on London post-Brexit for clearing euro denominated swaps. "We are still over-reliant on central counterparties outside the European Union and this is also a matter of financial stability," McGuinness told an event held by the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME). "In the unlikely case of something going wrong, we would not be in the driving seat for decisions, so we want to increase the attractiveness of clearing in the EU," she said. The EU is watching closely steps being taken by Britain to bolster the competitiveness of its financial sector, now largely cut off from the bloc. "We realise that for the size of our economy the capital markets don't reflect that, as we rely very heavily on bank finance and that is not appropriate."

☆ Morning Bid: Bear Hunt
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Long-term sovereign bond yields have been falling sharply all week in advance of finance minister Jeremy Hunt's new budget, dragged down largely by U.S. disinflation hopes. UK 10- and 30-year gilt yields outperformed, however, dropping to their lowest since early September before backing up slightly on Thursday. U.S. housing starts numbers out later will give another glimpse at the state of the ailing property sector. Reverberations continued around the world from this month's latest implosion in the crypto universe and the failure of the FTX exchange. Major crypto player Genesis Global Capital suspended customer redemptions in its lending business on Wednesday, citing the FTX collapse.

LONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The British government and the Bank of England are reforming insurers' capital rules, seen as a post-Brexit test of UK willingness to "unshackle" the City of London after leaving the European Union. The EU's Solvency II rules were introduced for insurers in 2016, after years of debate, when Britain was still an EU member. They are designed to ensure insurers hold enough capital to remain stable and can make payouts on policies. The Bank has already consulted on potential changes it says would release 45-90 billion pounds ($53.65-$107.30 billion) of investment capital. The second element involves easing reporting requirements, widening the range of assets insurers can invest in, and tweaks to how insurers' internal capital models are approved.

☆ Bank of England chief questions government's veto power plan
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey attends the Monetary Policy Report News Conference at The Bank of England, in London, Britain November 3, 2022. REUTERS/Toby Melville/PoolLONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey took the British government to task on Wednesday over its plan to give itself veto powers over post-Brexit financial rules written by independent regulators, including the central bank. The BoE has warned against easing the rules too much as insurers appeal to the ministry to override the central bank. City minister Andrew Griffith has said a veto would be used sparingly, with regulators continuing to enjoy day-to-day operational independence. The veto would be additional to a new remit in a draft law before parliament for regulators to heed the City's global competitiveness when writing new rules.

☆ UK banks say consumer safeguard could backfire in cost of living crisis
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Maja SmiejkowskaLONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Britain's banks are proactively helping customers hit by the cost of living crisis, but implementing a new "consumer duty" on time could exclude vulnerable consumers from help, banking industry body UK Finance said on Wednesday. UK Finance chief executive David Postings said portfolios of lenders have so far stood up to current economic stresses. It is more critical than ever that borrowers and savers are offered fair and competitive rates, Rathi added. UK Finance chair Bob Wigley said he anticipated that finance minister Jeremy Hunt's fiscal statement on Thursday would help restore Britain's "traditional reputation for sound management of public finances" after turmoil in UK bond markets in September. Banks hope Hunt will announce a cut in the tax surcharge on their profits.

☆ G20 watchdog says bank climate stress tests may understate exposures
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Tom JacobsLONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Climate-related stress tests for banks need to better capture the indirect fallout of climate change on lenders and the wider global economy, the G20's Financial Stability Board said on Tuesday. The European Central Bank, Bank of England and other central banks have completed an initial batch of experimental stress tests to assess how banks will cope with the impact of climate change on their business. Echoing what industry officials have already said, the report said that many of the tests do not capture 'second round' effects, or impact on banks of climate change hitting the wider economy. Earlier this month the European Central Bank said euro zone lenders were still failing to meet its climate disclosure and management expectations. The Bank of England said in July that future climate-related stress tests could focus on specific activities at banks, such as trading, which was missing from its first test.

☆ Stock futures rise after Wall Street suffers first decline in three sessions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Stock futures were higher Monday evening after ending the day lower, snapping a two-day advance that started when a better-than-expected inflation report stoked hopes that the Federal Reserve would soon ease up on raising interest rates. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq-100 futures gained 0.23% and 0.31%, respectively. Stocks whiplashed during the day Monday on comments from Federal Reserve leaders Lael Brainard and Chris Waller about rate hikes going forward. Markets will get more inflation information on Tuesday when the producer price index, a measure of wholesale inflation, is released. Investors will also study comments from Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker, Fed Governor Lisa Cook and Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr.

☆ Scientists accidentally found life under 3,000 feet of ice in Antarctica. 'Never in a million years' would they have expected it, the lead scientist said.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The creatures were found attached to a boulder in the arctic seas under the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf. Experts from the British Antarctic Survey drilled through 2,860 feet of ice before making the discovery. —British Antarctic Survey (@BAS_News) February 15, 2021The Filchner-Ronne ice shelf is a massive floating ice sheet that stretches out from Antarctica. An annotated satellite image of the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf. Google Maps/InsiderThe Filchner-Ronne ice shelf is the second-biggest ice shelf in Antarctica.

☆ Fed hopes buoy shares, China COVID easing boosts oil
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Oil prices jumped after health authorities in top global crude importer China eased some of the country's heavy COVID curbs. The S&P 500 (.SPX) and Nasdaq (.IXIC) racked up their biggest daily percentage gains in over 2-1/2 years on Thursday after U.S. data showed prices rose less-than-expected in October. Market bets on the Fed raising rates by 50 basis points instead of 75 basis points increased. US inflation, Fed rates and marketsDOLLAR DIVEInvestors poured into risky assets after the U.S. data, with the dollar suffering its biggest daily drop in 13 years on Thursday. Meanwhile, oil prices rose on Friday after the U.S. inflation data but were on track for weekly declines of more than 4% due to COVID-related worries in China.

☆ Britain's businesses are 'running out of fight' as country faces longest-ever recession
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

U.K. businesses are bracing for a difficult winter amid soaring inflation and higher energy bills. Andrew Matthews - Pa Images | Pa Images | Getty ImagesLONDON — The doors to The 25, a Torquay-based boutique bed and breakfast on the U.K.'s southwest coast, are now closed for the winter period. With rising energy bills and higher costs piling pressure on U.K. businesses, owner Andy Banner-Price has deferred reopening by a month until well into the spring. The Bank of England has warned that the U.K. is facing its longest recession since records began a century ago. Huw Fairclough | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesUntil now, Holliday said his business has been "taking the hit" and absorbing increased production and energy costs to buffer customers.

But there was also a wider question for the officials: could the energy companies' use of such complex instruments threaten financial stability? So the ECB has widened its scrutiny to examine potential domino effects, including on the banks which it supervises. read moreWhile ECB President Christine Lagarde said the ECB stood ready to provide liquidity to banks, she said it would not do the same for energy firms. "Energy companies pose specific risks not only to financial stability. Reuters GraphicsRating agency Moody's, meanwhile, said that energy companies did not provide enough information about their derivatives.

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