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☆ Bank of America says Q3 investment banking fees down 30%-35% for sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A person walks past a Bank of America sign in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 19, 2022. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Investment banking fees are down 30% to 35% in the third quarter from a year earlier for the sector, but Bank of America (BAC.N) will fare better than that average, its chief financial officer said on Monday. "We'll do slightly better than that," Alastair Borthwick told the Barclays Financial Services Conference, referring to investment banking fees for the industry. BofA in July posted strong gains for investment banking in the second quarter with net income surging 76% to $2.7 billion. Reporting by Saeed Azhar and Pritam Biswas; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Alastair Borthwick, BofA, Saeed Azhar, Pritam Biswas, Jonathan Oatis, Deepa Babington Organizations: Bank of America, REUTERS, Investment, Barclays Financial Services, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S

☆ He moved from Reno to rural Portugal, bought a house for $300,000, and makes travel videos for a living: How one American guy pieced together his dream life at 32
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Dave Alastair moved from Reno, Nevada, to a rural province 45 minutes north of Lisbon, Portugal, in 2022. He bought a three-bedroom house with a pool for $300,000 and says he appreciates his new laidback lifestyle. The exterior of Dave Alastair's house in Portugal. "My neighbors within a mile have tons of wine vineyards, so I'm guessing this was all wine country back then." Buying property in Portugal as a foreigner can be challenging because of the legalities of the process, he said.

Persons: Dave Alastair, Alastair, Dave, Sara, Dave Alastair's, there's, it's, Portugal Alastair, they're, you'll, he's, you've, Amanda Goh Organizations: Service, YouTube Locations: Reno , Nevada, Lisbon, Portugal, United States, Wall, Silicon, American, Nevada, Europe, Algoz, Lisboa, Reno, Dave, America, agoh@insider.com

Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey speaks as he attends a press conference for the Monetary Policy Report August 2023, at the Bank of England in London, Thursday, August 3, 2023. "But I think we are much nearer to it on interest rates on the basis of current evidence." It is expected to raise borrowing costs again later this month, taking Bank Rate to 5.5%. In May, Bailey told the same panel of lawmakers that the BoE was "nearer" to the peak in interest rates. After that, the central bank increased Bank Rate in June and in August.

Persons: Bank of England Andrew Bailey, Alastair Grant, Andrew Bailey, we're, we've, Bailey, BoE, I've, Jon Cunliffe, Cunliffe, Swati Dhingra, Dhingra, Farouq Suleiman, Suban Abdulla, Kylie MacLellan, William Schomberg, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Bank of England, Monetary, Companies Bank of England, Treasury, Thomson Locations: London, British

The plane that listed Mr. Prigozhin as a passenger left Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on Wednesday at about 6 p.m. local time, bound for St. Petersburg. The paint and a partial registration number, RA-02795, visible on the aircraft match a jet that Mr. Prigozhin is known to use. Was Mr. Prigozhin killed? American officials said they could not confirm Mr. Prigozhin had been killed in the plane crash, or why the jet went down. Emerging from jail as the Soviet Union was collapsing, Mr. Prigozhin began his post-criminal career selling hot dogs on street corners in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Persons: Yevgeny V, Russian Wagner, Prigozhin, Prighozin, Dmitri Utkin, Wagner, Vladimir V, Putin, Mr, ”, Prighozhin, Putin’s Organizations: RIA Novosti, Embraer, Russian, Kremlin, Central African Locations: Russian, Moscow, Sheremetyevo, St . Petersburg, Kuzhenkino, Tver, Western, Kremlin, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Bakhmut, Syria, Libya, Mali, Central African Republic, Belarus

Independence Day in Ukraine commemorates the country’s 1991 break from the Soviet Union, but also increasingly serves as a rallying point for Ukrainians to assert their identity and aspirations. Ukraine declared independence on Aug. 24, 1991, a few days after communist hard-liners tried to depose the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and reverse his efforts to liberalize the Soviet Union. Celebrations of Independence Day have often featured military parades and festive crowds wearing vyshyvankas, the traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts. But Mr. Szporluk, the historian, said that Ukrainians see Independence Day not so much as a day of remembrance as one to reassert their commitment to democracy and sovereignty. On Wednesday, Mr. Zelensky took part in a ceremony on the occasion of the Day of the National Flag, which precedes Independence Day.

Persons: —, “, ” Vitali Klitschko, ”, Roman Szporluk, Volodymyr Zelensky, Mikhail Gorbachev, Lenin, Szporluk, Mr, Zelensky Organizations: Harvard Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Soviet Union, Europe, Moscow, ”, Independence, Russian, Ukrainian

☆ The earnings and economic data shows the consumer is still in control of the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Moody's says that consumer savings rates are rising after bottoming out in June 2022. "We still see it as a normalization, not a deterioration story when we talk about consumer credit.'' But consumer loan delinquency rates are at 2019 levels, and below any level ever seen before 2014, according to Federal Reserve data. At JPMorgan, mortgage credit quality is so solid that the bank reported no net chargeoffs in the second quarter. Overall, the Bureau of Economic Analysis says consumer spending on new vehicles rose $40 billion to $642.4 billion in the first half of the year, with most gains coming in the second quarter.

Persons: Brandon Bell, Arun Sundaram, haven't, Alastair Borthwick, Moody's, Scott Hoyt, Jeremy Barnum, it's, Barnum, David Fieldhouse, Hoyt, Sundaram, Horton, Goldman Sachs, Goldman Organizations: Chevrolet, Knapp, Getty, Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Bank of America, CFRA, Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Federal Reserve, JPMorgan, Federal, Wall, General Motors, GM, Ford, U.S, Toll, Pride Locations: Houston , Texas

☆ Bloomberg LP names Vlad Kliatchko CEO in top level overhaul - The Information
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Former mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg speaks during a meeting with Earthshot prize winners and finalists at the Glasgow Science Center during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, November 2, 2021. Alastair Grant/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 21 (Reuters) - Bloomberg LP is replacing CEO Michael Bloomberg with product head Vlad Kliatchko and appointing former Bank of England governor Mark Carney as its chair in a management shake-up, the Information reported on Monday, citing an internal memo. New members will be appointed to the board and existing members will become emeritus, according to the report. Thomson Reuters-owned Reuters News competes with Bloomberg News, a unit of Bloomberg L.P. Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: New York Michael Bloomberg, Alastair Grant, Michael Bloomberg, Vlad Kliatchko, Mark Carney, JP Zammitt, Patti Roskill, Thomson, Bloomberg L.P, Yuvraj Malik, Arun Koyyur Organizations: New York, Glasgow Science Center, Change, Bloomberg, Bank of England, Thomson Reuters, Reuters, Bloomberg News, Thomson Locations: Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, Bengaluru

☆ China, U.S. Test Intelligent-Drone Swarms in Race for Military AI Dominance
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Alastair Gale | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones

☆ High services costs make UK rate-cutting laggard
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey speaks as he attends a press conference for the Monetary Policy Report August 2023, at the Bank of England in London, Britain, August 3, 2023. Alastair Grant/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - UK inflation is slowing, according to many metrics. Unfortunately, those are not the ones the Bank of England values the most. Prices in that category grew 7.4% in July, faster than June’s 7.2%, due to more expensive restaurants, hotels and airfares. Policymakers keep a close eye on services’ prices and wage growth, which hit a record in the three months to June.

Persons: Bank of England Andrew Bailey, Alastair Grant, Andrew Bailey, Bailey, Francesco Guerrera, Exor’s Philips, Bain, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: Bank of England, Monetary, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Bank of, Office, National Statistics . Services, European Central Bank, U.S . Federal Reserve, Twitter, FC Barcelona’s, Messi, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Bank of England, June’s

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/bidens-first-camp-david-summit-looks-to-align-allies-facing-china-threat-89626785

Persons: Dow Jones Locations: david

The Women’s World Cup has delivered stunning goals and shocking upsets. In these photos of the action, we’ve removed the ball. See if you can guess where it was.

Persons: we’ve

Sterling initially dropped, reflecting disappointment after traders had priced in a 30% chance of another 50 bp hike. Longer-term gilt yields, more responsive to investors' perceptions about the economic growth trajectory, rose by the most in a month. Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey attends a press conference for the Monetary Policy Report August 2023, at the Bank of England in London, Britain, August 3, 2023. Two-year gilt yields have risen by more than 120 basis points this year, more than double the increase of their U.S. equivalent. On Thursday, two-year gilt yields were down 5 bps in late trade, while those on 30-year debt rose 10 bps, the most in a month, to 4.66%.

Persons: BoE, Andy Burgess, Andrew Bailey, Sterling, we've, Bank of England Andrew Bailey, Alastair Grant, Jeremy Hunt, Carl Shepherd, they'll, juicier, Peter Goves, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Bank, Bank of England, Monetary, REUTERS, Conservative, Newton Investment Management, Swiss, MFS Investment Management, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, LGIM, London, Britain, U.S

☆ China Replaces Missile Commander Days After Removing Foreign Minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Alastair Gale | Chun Han Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones

Analysts point to receding recession concerns and the prospect of a less aggressive policy stance from the U.S. Federal Reserve as factors fuelling hopes for a broader market rally. The second quarter earnings season has started positively for cyclical sectors, with over a quarter of the global companies announcing their results so far, Refinitiv Eikon data showed. "The upcoming earnings season has the potential to broaden the rally for sure. However, there are plenty of laggards especially in cyclical sectors such as financials and consumer discretionary, which are available at attractive valuations, analysts say. Over the past month, the communication services, mining and financial sectors have all posted about 5% gains, outpacing the tech sector's modest 2% rise.

Persons: Puneet Singh, Singh, Alastair Pinder, Derek Izuel, Patturaja Murugaboopathy, Noel Randewich, Vidya Ranganathan, Alison Williams Organizations: U.S . Federal Reserve, Reuters, Societe Generale, Carnival Corp, Equity, Nasdaq, Intelligence, Royce, Reuters Graphics Reuters, HSBC Research, Shelton Capital Management, Thomson Locations: U.S, Singapore, Asia, Europe, California

☆ Class Is in Session. The Teacher? Mark Morris.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Alastair Macaulay | More About Alastair Macaulay | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

I teach above all to prevent injury and to help everyone work with music.”And is there a Morris style, as there are Graham and Cunningham and Taylor styles? Yes, Morris said: “Everything in my work derives from music. While teaching, Morris walks around the room, giving advice and corrections. In an interview at the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn in July, he recalled how he used to stretch his arms too straight upward in certain positions. Morris would say, “You only have three joints in your arm.

Persons: Morris, ”, Vaganova, Balanchine, Graham, Cunningham, Taylor, Olive Oyl, Aaron Loux, “, “ Mark, Sam Black, Joyce, Mark Morris Organizations: Mark Morris Dance Center Locations: New York, Seattle, Brooklyn

☆ US lending 'meltdown' shows big investment slump is underway, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Joseph Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US commercial and industrial lending slumped sharply this year, the chief economist at the Institute of International Finance said. Robin Brooks has called it a "staggering meltdown" – and warns a big slump in US investment is on its way. Credit flows have declined amid higher interest rates and tighter lending standards following this year's banking turmoil. Furthermore, a sharp surge in US interest rates since early 2022 has made borrowings much more expensive, potentially damping demand. "Meltdown in US commercial and industrial (C&I) loan growth is staggering," he tweeted on Sunday.

Persons: Robin Brooks, Alastair Borthwick, Borthwick Organizations: Institute of International Finance, Service, Silicon Valley Bank, Big, Federal Reserve, Bank of America Locations: Wall, Silicon, America

☆ Factbox: U.S. banks increase reserves for commercial real estate exposure
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Matt Tracy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

While regional banks carry the greatest exposure to the commercial real estate (CRE) sector, second quarter earnings show that a number of big banks have prepared for potential defaults, primarily on office loans. However, Borthwick noted the bank's office CRE exposure was low relative to its overall loan portfolio, at 2%. CRE loans represented just 15% of the bank's overall lending book, while only 1% of the CRE loan portfolio was office-related. WELLS FARGO (WFC.N)The bank said it had a $949 million increase in its allowance for credit losses, primarily CRE office loans. WEBSTER FINANCIAL CORP (WBS.N)The regional bank's nonperforming CRE loans ticked up to $47.9 million last quarter from $35.8 million in the first quarter.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Andrew Kelly, Alastair Borthwick, Borthwick, GOLDMAN SACHS, markdowns, Denis Coleman, Jeremy Barnum, WELLS, Charlie Scharf, Bruce Van Saun, Dominic Ng, East, James Leonard, MORGAN STANLEY, Webster, Glenn MacInnes, John Ciulla, Matt Tracy, Michelle Price, Nick Zieminski Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, U.S, AMERICA CORP, GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC, Goldman, JPMORGAN CHASE &, JPMorgan, Citizens, EAST WEST BANCORP, East, BANCORP, WEBSTER FINANCIAL, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, California, CRE

So far the signs of revival has not translated into strong investment banking revenue, but markets see a better outlook. Goldman took $1.4 billion in writedowns in the second quarter tied to its consumer businesses and real estate investments. In discussing their earnings, Wall Street executives cited a flurry of initial public offerings as an encouraging sign that activity in capital markets will pick up after months in the doldrums. The lender was buoyed by a slight pickup in equity capital markets and a focus on its middle-market business. At Citigroup (C.N), CEO Jane Fraser warned on Friday that "the long-awaited rebound in investment banking has yet to materialize."

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Brendan McDermid, dealmaking, Goldman Sachs, Morgan, ”, Rick Meckler, Goldman, Meckler, Mike Loewengart, David Solomon, Sharon Yeshaya, Alastair Borthwick, Jane Fraser, Mark Mason, Jeremy Barnum, Tatiana Bautzer, Sinead Carew, Saeed Azhar, Noor Zainab Hussain, Lananh Nguyen, Nick Zieminski Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Cherry Lane Investments, Wall Street, Morgan, Reuters, Bank of America's, Citigroup, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, New Vernon , New Jersey, writedowns, New York, Bengaluru

INVESTMENT BANKING GAINSInvestment banking was a standout, with net income surging 76% to $2.7 billion. The gains were driven by higher interest payments and leasing revenue, the company said. In another surprise bright spot, the bank's sales and trading revenue outperformed expectations to post a 3% increase in revenue to $4.3 billion. Revenue from fixed income, currencies and commodities trading rose 7% to $2.7 billion from a year earlier. The financial health of consumers underpins BofA's consumer banking unit, where revenue rose 15% to $10.5 billion.

Persons: Wells, Brian Moynihan, David Fanger, BofA, Alastair Borthwick, Borthwick, Manya Saini, Saeed Azhar, Lananh Nguyen, Anil D'Silva, Nick Zieminski Organizations: YORK, Bank of America's, Wall, U.S, . Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Federal Reserve, " Bank of America's, Investment, Bank of America, Thomson Locations: U.S, dealmaking, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Bank of America Reports Big Profit Jump on Higher Interest Rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Stacy Cowley | More About Stacy Cowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The NumbersBank of America reported a profit of $7.4 billion last quarter, up nearly 20 percent from the year before. Revenue grew more than 10 percent, to $25.2 billion in the second quarter. Customer spending on credit and debit cards rose 3 percent, to $226 billion, the bank said. Notably, the lender’s investment-banking business rebounded in the second quarter, after a sharp drop in deal-making had cast a chill over the industry. Last week, Bank of America was fined $150 million by two federal regulators for charging its customers improper fees and denying them promised sign-up bonuses.

Persons: Mr, Borthwick, Takeaways Brian Moynihan, “, ”, “ That’s, Alastair Borthwick, “ We’ve, that’s, Wells Fargo, Banks, Goldman Sachs, They’ll Organizations: Bank of America, Revenue, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Western Alliance Locations: U.S

☆ You can thank the American retail consumer for the soft landing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Economists this week are embracing a higher probability that the Fed will achieve a "soft landing." A much-hoped-for "soft landing" indeed seems increasingly likely now as inflation cools and the job market remains strong. US retail and food services sales were up 1.6% from April to June, following a slight decline in March. "Consumers are far from depressed, but neither are they in celebratory mood," GlobalData retail analyst Neil Saunders said in a note. As consumer spending accounts for roughly 70% of the US economy, the continued strength in that area has been key to the US outperforming every other wealthy nation in the world.

Persons: —, Jerome Powell, Alastair Borthwick, Neil Saunders Organizations: Fed, Service, Commerce Department, Bank of America, Retailers Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Would Allies Fight With U.S. for Taiwan? Japan Is Wary
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Alastair Gale | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones Locations: taiwan, japan

☆ China gallium curbs raise chip questions for future EV models
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Gallium is found in trace amounts in zinc ores and in bauxite, and gallium metal is produced when processing bauxite to make aluminium. Transphorm uses ultra thin layers of gallium nitride that are a micron, or one thousandth of a millimetre thick, on its semiconductors. "If you are already banking on gallium nitride and designing it into your platform, then you're in trouble," he said. A source at a Japanese automotive supplier told Reuters the company was weighing up whether to use gallium nitride or silicon carbide for future power semiconductors. "People have to look for other options, but gallium nitride is hard to replace, said the CMI's Neill.

Persons: Umesh Mishra, Mishra, Transphorm, Alastair Neill, Transphorm's Mishra, Neill, Nick Carey, Daniel Leussink, Christina Amann, Zoey Zhang, Matt Scuffham, David Evans Organizations: Alliance, micron, Critical Minerals Institute, Reuters, Infineon, Canada's GaN Systems, Thomson Locations: China, Goleta , California, Tokyo, Berlin, Shanghai

☆ NATO’s New Focus on China Creates Internal Tension About Mission Creep
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Alastair Gale | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones

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