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The company logo of Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured at the Shanghai Country Garden Center in Shanghai, China August 9, 2023. Companies accounting for 40% of Chinese home sales - mostly private property developers - have defaulted on debt obligations since a liquidity crisis hit the sector in 2021, leaving many homes unfinished. The developer had been working towards announcing a restructure of its offshore debt, Chinese media reported on Monday. Country Garden faces another big test next week when its entire offshore debt could be deemed in default if it fails to pay a $15 million September coupon by Oct. 17. "The difficult situation shows that Chinese developers face severe liquidity pressure from weak home sales, and repayment to bondholders is still a lower priority," said Gary Ng, senior economist at Natixis Corporate and Investment Bank.

Persons: Aly, Houlihan Lokey, Sidley Austin, Morningstar, Jeff Zhang, Sandra Chow, CreditSight's, Gary Ng, Scott Murdoch, Xie Yu, Rishav Chatterjee, Rashmi Aich, Lincoln, Jamie Freed 私 Organizations: Shanghai Country Garden, REUTERS, Garden Holdings, HK, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, China International Capital Corporation, Asia, Natixis Corporate, Investment Bank Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Sydney, Bengaluru

[1/2] Chairman Anthony Thomson (L) and Vice Chairman Vernon Hill pose with a dog outside the first branch of Metro Bank in Holborn in central London July 29, 2010. Metro declined to comment on Tuesday. A Starling spokesperson said the lender was making inroads into the big banks' market dominance. Metro is not the only smaller bank to have faced problems. One option is for smaller banks to gain scale through mergers and acquisitions.

Persons: Anthony Thomson, Vernon Hill, Toby Melville, John Cronin, Caius Capital, Monzo, Starling, We've, Morgan Stanley, Gary Greenwood, Rupak Ghose, Shore Capital's Greenwood, Ghose, Shawbrook, Jaime Gilinski, Dorita, Iain Withers, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Anousha Sakoui, Huw Jones, Amy, Jo Crowley, Sinead Cruise, Chiara Elisei, Alexander Smith Organizations: Metro Bank, REUTERS, Yorkshire, Lloyds, NatWest, HSBC, Barclays, Metro, Caius, Varde Partners, Finance, Bank of England, London Stock Exchange, The Bank of England, Prudential, Authority, Shore Capital, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Shore, Financial, Bank, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Holborn, London, Starling, Metro, Colombian

Persons: Anthony Thomson, Vernon Hill, Toby Melville, John Cronin, Caius Capital, Jaime Gilinski, Dorita, Gilinski, Monzo, Starling, We've, Morgan Stanley, Gary Greenwood, Rupak Ghose, Shore Capital's Greenwood, Ghose, Shawbrook, Iain Withers, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Anousha Sakoui, Huw Jones, Amy, Jo Crowley, Sinead Cruise, Chiara Elisei, Nelson Bocanegra, Alexander Smith, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Metro Bank, REUTERS, Yorkshire, Lloyds, NatWest, HSBC, Barclays, Metro, Caius, Varde Partners, Harvard, Forbes, Finance, Bank of England, London Stock Exchange, The Bank of England, Prudential, Authority, Shore Capital, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Shore, Financial, Bank, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Holborn, London, BOGOTA, Starling, Colombian, Latin America, Metro, Bogota

The company logo of Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured at the Shanghai Country Garden Center in Shanghai, China August 9, 2023. Country Garden, which missed two dollar interest payments last month, has two coupons totalling $66.8 million coming due on Monday. Country Garden has $10.96 billion offshore bonds and 42.4 billion yuan ($5.81 billion) worth of loans not denominated in yuan. "Until then, the base case is that China Evergrande Group will be liquidated at the next winding up hearing on October 30, 2023." Shares in Country Garden fell more than 6% on Monday, while Evergrande Group shares tumbled 11%, compared to a 1.9% fall in the Hang Seng Mainland Properties Index (.HSMPI).

Persons: Aly, Cailianshe, Evergrande, Clare Jim, Scott Murdoch, Lincoln Organizations: Shanghai Country Garden, REUTERS, HK, China Evergrande, . Media, Reuters, UBS, China Index Academy, Garden, Evergrande Group, Mainland Properties, Energy Vehicle Group, U.S, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, BEIJING, Beijing, Hang, Hong Kong, Sydney

The company logo is seen on the headquarters of China Evergrande Group in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China September 26, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 9 (Reuters) - China Evergrande Group's (3333.HK) offshore bondholder group said on Monday it was surprised by the property developer's recent announcement that its offshore debt restructuring plan failed to meet regulatory requirements. In a statement, the ad hoc bondholder group said it had not been given any documents or filings from Evergrande despite repeated requests. Evergrande announced in late September that Chinese regulators said it would be unable to issue new debt due to an investigation into its main unit, throwing its offshore debt restructure plans into disarray. "Until then, the base case is that China Evergrande Group will be liquidated at the next winding up hearing on October 30, 2023."

Persons: Aly, Evergrande, Scott Murdoch, Clare Jim, Kim Coghill, Lincoln Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, China Evergrande, Thomson Locations: China, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, HK, Hong Kong, Sydney

☆ Origin Energy shares surge after regulator clears Brookfield's $9.8 bln bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Scott Murdoch | トムソンロイター | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Australian Super, the largest investor, raised its stake to 14% last month and called the shares undervalued. Perpetual, a major Australian fund manager and Origin shareholder, has pushed Brookfield and its partner, U.S. private equity firm EIG, to consider raising their offer to win Origin, according to local media reports. Origin shares jumped to A$9.19 in early trading, well above the A$8.91 per share price of the consortium bid lodged in March, on speculation a higher offer could be forthcoming. Under the consortium deal, Origin will be broken up into two businesses, with its energy markets arm including its electricity generation and electricity and gas retail businesses to be acquired by Brookfield. Brookfield would also be prohibited from selling more than 10% of either Origin or AusNet in the future to one party.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Max Vickerson, I'm, Vickerson, Newmont, Gina Cass, Gottlieb, Brookfield, Scott Murdoch, Jamie Freed 私 Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, SYDNEY, Origin Energy, Brookfield Corp, Australian Competition, Consumer Commission, stockbroker Morgans, Perpetual, Newcrest Mining, Energy, ACCC, AusNet Services Locations: Australian, Brookfield, Australia, Victoria

Signage is seen outside of a Metro Bank in London, Britain, May 22, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - British specialist lender Shawbrook made an offer for rival Co-op Bank and is weighing a fresh bid for embattled Metro Bank (MTRO.L), people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday. Separately, Shawbrook is considering a potential new bid for London-listed Metro Bank after several failed approaches earlier in the year, the sources said. Shawbrook, Pollen Street and Co-op Bank declined to comment. Britain's Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) is sounding out buyers over the weekend in hopes of finding a solution for ailing Metro Bank before markets open on Monday morning.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Shawbrook, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Amy, Jo Crowley, Iain Whithers, Ros Russell Organizations: Metro Bank, REUTERS, Bank, Reuters, BC Partners, Pollen, London, Partners, Prudential, Authority, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

Shawbrook is considering a potential new bid for London-listed Metro Bank after several failed approaches earlier in the year, people familiar with the matter also told Reuters. Metro Bank, Lloyds and Santander did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Metro Bank has seen its shares tumble after news emerged that it had hired advisers to shore up its balance sheet after failing to gain key capital relief from banking regulators. Metro Bank said on Thursday its options included a combination of equity and debt issuance, as well as refinancing and asset sales. While Metro Bank's customer deposits, like those of other UK banks, are backed by a government guarantee up to 85,000 pounds, the regulator is keen for concerns not to spread.

Persons: Shawbrook, Robey Warshaw, Elisa Martinuzzi, Pablo Mayo Cerquerio, Iain Withers, Amy, Jo Crowley, Bernadette Baum, Ros Russell Organizations: Prudential, Authority, Metro Bank, HSBC, Lloyds, London, Reuters, The Financial Times, JPMorgan, Metro, Sky News, Santander, Shawbrook, Thomson

☆ China has reason not to let Evergrande rejig rot
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Chan Ka Sing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Yet Evergrande creditors are nonetheless in limbo. Up to 44% of Evergrande’s 558 billion yuan of interest-bearing debt is unsecured, of which a large chunk is held by offshore creditors. If the company is forced into liquidation, unsecured offshore creditors will recover less than 10 billion yuan, Evergrande has warned, with some facing a recovery rate as low as 2%. Evergrande was trying to reach an agreement with offshore creditors first before tackling issues onshore. It also cancelled meetings due to be held with creditors on Sept. 25 and Sept. 26.

Persons: Hui Ka Yan, Evergrande, ”, Sunac, Hui’s, Una Galani, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, HK, Guangdong International Trust and Investment Corporation, Street, China Evergrande, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Guangdong, Republic, Hong Kong

SYDNEY, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The blocking of three major deals by Australia's antitrust regulator in the past year was a coincidence, its chair told Reuters, pushing back against concerns among bankers that it has become deal-averse. "There happens to have been a sequence, frankly coincidentally as it turns out, of oppositions," ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said in an interview. There are some concerns that it could be blocked as Brookfield owns AusNet, a poles and wires asset in Victoria state. Cass-Gottlieb also said she doubted foreign investors have been dissuaded from pursuing deals in Australia which does not require companies to get formal clearance before proceeding with a takeover. "The recent stream of merger blockages will make foreign investors think twice."

Persons: Gina Cass, Gottlieb, Canada's Brookfield, Cass, Stephen Corones, Hannah Marshall, it's, Byron Kaye, Scott Murdoch, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Australian Competition, Consumer Commission, Telstra, TPG, ANZ, Transurban, Origin Energy, Brookfield, FOCUS Cass, Investors, Queensland University of Technology, Cass, Marque Lawyers, Thomson Locations: Melbourne, AusNet, Victoria, Australia, Queensland

HONG KONG/BEIJING, Sept 28 (Reuters) - China Evergrande Group's (3333.HK) founder is being investigated over suspected "illegal crimes", the embattled developer said on Thursday, as creditors become increasingly concerned about the group's prospects amid an uncertain debt revamp plan and liquidation risk. Evergrande has been working to get creditors' approval for restructuring its offshore debt. The offshore debt restructuring plan now looks set to falter and the risks of the company being liquidated are rising, some analysts said. An Evergrande sign is seen near residential buildings at an Evergrande residential complex in Beijing, China September 27, 2023. "We believe that Evergrande's debt turmoil has had a great turmoil and negative impact on the global economy, and the things behind it are not simple."

Persons: Hui Ka Yan, Evergrande, Hui, Gary Ng, Ng, Florence Lo, They've, Christopher Beddor, Yan Yuejin, Saxo, Redmond Wong, Upasana Singh, Donny Kwok, Scott Murdoch, Ziyi Tang, Anne Marie Roantree, Sumeet Chatterjee, Kim Coghill, Shri Navaratnam, Lincoln, Miral Fahmy, Susan Fenton Organizations: HK, Trading, Asia Pacific, Reuters, REUTERS, Evergrande, China Research, Development Institution, Buyers, China Market, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, BEIJING, China, Asia, Beijing, Evergrande, Shanghai, Bengaluru, Hong Kong, Sydney

☆ Evergrande sold yacht this year, say sources, as creditors sharpen focus on offshore assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The yacht "Event", which is believed to be owned by China Evergrande, is docked in Hong Kong, China October 11, 2021. Evergrande's offshore bondholders are expected to sharpen their focus on offshore assets as the developer's debt restructuring plan flounders with the founder now being investigated over suspected "illegal crimes". Compared to its $31.7 billion in total offshore liabilities, Evergrande has far fewer assets outside China. Of the remaining offshore assets of the company and its founder, creditors would need to establish whether they have already been used as collateral to raise funds. Foreign bondholders' "ability to get to these (offshore) assets is a function of the legal claim - has he (Chairman Hui) pledged it?"

Persons: China Evergrande, Tyrone Siu, Evergrande, Hui Ka Yan, Hui, Scott Murdoch, Julie Zhu, Marc Jones, Sumeet Chatterjee Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, China Evergrande, HK, Reuters, Boeing, Gulfstream, Wall Street Journal, Thomson Locations: China, Hong Kong, Sydney, London, Lincoln

SYDNEY, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Shares in Chinese hospital cloud software firm Neusoft Xikang (9686.HK) slumped nearly 35% in the company's Hong Kong trading debut on Thursday, as sentiment towards some new share sales remained weak. Neusoft Xikang opened down 22.4% and sold off sharply early in the Hong Kong trading session on Thursday. Separately, Chinese AI startup firm Beijing Fourth Paradigm (6682.HK) opened 13.4% higher at HK$63.10 per share in its Hong Kong trading debut on Thursday. Retail demand for Beijing Fourth Paradigm was considered stronger than usual with that tranche 11.4 times covered, according to its filings. ($1 = 7.8238 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney and Donny Kwok in Hong Kong; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Neusoft Xikang, Scott Murdoch, Donny Kwok, Himani Sarkar Organizations: HK, Investor, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, U.S, Commerce Department, Retail, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, Sydney, Lincoln

☆ Explainer: What's in store for China Evergrande with its chairman now under police watch?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Evergrande has been in the process of seeking its creditors' approval to restructure offshore debt worth $31.7 billion, which includes bonds, collateral, and repurchase obligations, amid weakening cash flows. A major group of Evergrande offshore bondholders plans to join a liquidation petition due to be heard in a Hong Kong on Oct. 30 unless Evergrande can present a new restructuring plan before then. Evergrande's supercharged growth helped it become one of China's biggest and most lucrative property developers with sales worth $110 billion in 2020. The company's entire offshore debt was deemed in default after it missed several bond payments in late 2021, and creditors have been grappling with a solution since then. Soon after that, authorities scrambled to assure markets that risks to the property sector and economy could be controlled.

Persons: Evergrande, HUI, YAN, Hui, Scott Murdoch, Sumeet Chatterjee, Muralikumar Organizations: China Evergrande, HK, Bloomberg, Evergrande, Thomson Locations: China's, Hong Kong, Evergrande, Guangzhou, China, Beijing, Sydney

Turkey still has $2.5 billion earmarked in its budget for issuance this year - but could possibly go further than that, JPMorgan's Weiler told Reuters. Markets are expecting Turkey to come to market within days, though some are pointing to a country ratings review by S&P Global Ratings scheduled for Friday. Domestic appliance maker Arcelik last week became the first Turkish corporate to launch an international bond since January 2022. September is generally a busy month for emerging market issuers, though adding to the momentum was increasing risk appetite from investors, he said. Reporting by Karin Strohecker and Jorgelina do Rosario in London; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stefan Weiler, Tayyip Erdogan, JPMorgan's Weiler, Weiler, Erdogan, Mehmet Simsek, Hafize Gaye Erkan, Fitch, " Weiler, Karin Strohecker, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: JPMorgan, Reuters, Wall Street, Turkiye, . Treasury, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Africa, Rosario, London

☆ Exclusive: Some Evergrande creditors plan to join winding-up petition if no new debt plan by Oct 30
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

An aerial view shows the 39 buildings developed by China Evergrande Group that authorities have issued demolition order on, on the man-made Ocean Flower Island in Danzhou, Hainan province, China January 6, 2022. Evergrande has been in the process of seeking creditors' approval for its proposals to restructure offshore debt worth $31.7 billion, which includes bonds, collateral, and repurchase obligations. In July, the hearing for that winding-up petition against Evergrande was adjourned to Oct. 30, in order to wait for the result from the developer's meeting with creditors to vote on its debt restructuring plan. Evergrande needs approval from more than 75% of the holders of each debt class to approve the plan. Many of the defaulted developers have been scrambling to get their offshore creditors' approval for debt restructuring plans to avoid collapse or being forced into liquidation proceedings.

Persons: Aly, Evergrande's, Evergrande, homebuyers, Scott Murdoch, Donny Kwok, Sumeet Chatterjee, Kim Coghill Organizations: China Evergrande Group, Rights, China Evergrande, Group, Thomson Locations: Danzhou, Hainan province, China, HK, Hong Kong, Shenzhen

SYDNEY, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Vietnamese internet company VNG Ltd has delayed a $150 million U.S. initial public offering (IPO) due to volatile market conditions, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The person spoke on condition of anonymity as the information is not yet public. Founded in 2004, VNG was Vietnam's first unicorn, or a startup valued at $1 billion or more. VNG still aims to carry out a New York listing, likely in the first half of 2024, they added. Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney and Yantoultra Ngui in Singapore; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: VNG, Scott Murdoch, Yantoultra, Himani Sarkar, Rashmi Organizations: VNG, Reuters, U.S, Thomson Locations: New York, Sydney, Singapore

☆ Beijing Fourth Paradigm to price Hong Kong IPO at low end of range -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Chinese artificial intelligence startup Beijing Fourth Paradigm is set to price its shares at HK$55.6 each, the low end of the price range, to raise HK$1.023 billion ($131 million), a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. Fourth Paradigm is selling 18.4 million shares in the IPO and had flagged a price range to investors of HK$55.60 to HK$61.16 each, according to its regulatory filings. It is the second IPO this week to price at the bottom end of the range with Tuhu Car raising $145 million with the final price at the low point. Three cornerstone investors, headed by New China Capital Management, subscribed for about $96.8 million worth of Fourth Paradigm stock, which equates to 70.6% of the IPO, the filings showed. Fourth Paradigm counts Goldman Sachs (GS.N), Sinovation, Haitong International Investment and a number of state-backed funds as pre-IPO investors, according to filings.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Scott Murdoch, Himani Sarkar, Alexander Smith Organizations: HK, Commerce Department, New China Capital Management, Paradigm, International Investment, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Sydney

An NIO ET7 car model is presented at the NIO House, the showroom of the Chinese premium smart electric vehicle manufacture NIO Inc. in Berlin, Germany August 17, 2023. The company raised $500 million in a six-year put-four convertible bond and the same amount in a seven-year put-five bond. The shorter dated bond has a 3.875% interest rate, while the seven year bond's rate is 4.625%, Nio said in a Hong Kong Stock Exchange announcement. Nio posted a net loss of 6.12 billion yuan ($839.51 million) in the second quarter, versus a loss of 2.75 billion yuan in the corresponding period a year ago. Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Annegret, Nio, Scott Murdoch, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Nio, HK, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Sydney

☆ Chinese AI firm Fourth Paradigm leads Hong Kong IPO surge to raise $280 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Fourth Paradigm (also known as 4Paradigm) sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Three Chinese firms, led by AI software company Beijing Fourth Paradigm, are aiming to raise up to $280 million in Hong Kong initial public offerings launched on Monday. Beijing Fourth Paradigm, an AI startup, is aiming to raise up to $144 million by selling 18.4 million shares in a price range of HK$55.60 to HK$61.16 each, according to its regulatory filings. Separately, Chinese cloud hospital platform Neusoft Xikang is aiming to raise $81 million to $101 million by selling 133.8 million shares, regulatory filings showed. ZX Inc, the mobile games operator, is selling 18.97 million shares in a range between HK$11 to HK$14 each to raise between $27 million and $34 million, according to its prospectus.

Persons: Aly, Scott Murdoch, Stephen Coates Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, Rights, HK, New China Capital Management, Commerce Department, ZX Inc, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Beijing, Hong Kong, Sydney

People walk past a logo of French bank Societe Generale in front of the company's skyscraper at the financial and business district of La Defense near Paris, France September 14, 2023. The bank sees the business as non-core, having sold part of its operations in 2020, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity. But a transaction may not happen soon because difficult market conditions weigh on the unit's valuation, they said. Societe Generale Equipment Finance provides equipment leasing and financing solutions to manufacturers, dealers and vendors in sectors ranging from transport to industrials. Rather than naming non-core businesses, Krupa is more likely to outline the group's growth areas, said one person familiar with the bank's thinking.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Slawomir Krupa, Krupa, Italy's, SocGen, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Mathieu Rosemain, Andres Gonzalez, Amy, Jo Crowley, Elisa Martinuzzi, Silvia Aloisi, Jane Merriman, David Evans Organizations: Societe Generale, La Defense, REUTERS, Finance, Reuters, Deutsche Bank, BNP, Societe Generale Equipment Finance, Basel Committee, Thomson Locations: La, Paris, France, PARIS, Basel

A representative for Co-op Bank declined to comment. The sale is being closely watched as one of the first examples of long-touted consolidation among Britain's midsize lenders. Co-op Bank had a book value of 1.3 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) at the end of December. Despite interest from financial investors, Co-op Bank is more focused on a deal with a competitor, two people said. Aldermore, OSB, Paragon and Shawbrook declined to comment.

Persons: Toby Melville, Aldermore, JC Flowers, Bain, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Andres Gonzalez, Anousha Sakoui, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Bank, REUTERS, Reuters, Paragon Banking Group, Paragon, Bain Capital, Co, Fenchurch Advisory, PJT Partners, Thomson Locations: London, British, Aldermore

NEW YORK, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Barclays (BARC.L) said on Thursday it has hired two senior bankers for its financial sponsors group to oversee relationships with private equity clients. The British lender appointed Tom Vignon as a managing director in the financial sponsors group for the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, it said in a statement. Christian Oberle also joined Barclays as the head of its financial sponsors group in the Americas, the bank said. Oberle previously worked as a senior managing director at JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), where he served clients including Apollo Global Management and Advent International. In recent months, the bank has appointed new leaders from within its ranks, including global co-heads of capital markets, debt capital markets and equity markets and a sole head of equity capital markets.

Persons: Tom Vignon, Vignon, Christian Oberle, Oberle, Jean, Francois Astier, Taylor Wright, Cathal Deasy, Lananh Nguyen, Rashmi Organizations: Barclays, Credit Suisse, Christian, Reuters, JPMorgan Chase, Apollo Global Management, Advent, UBS, Jefferies, Thomson Locations: Europe, East, Africa, Americas, New York

☆ Young startups are feeling the pinch as seed funding succumbs to the VC winter
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

There were 441 seed rounds recorded on Carta in the second quarter of this year, the slowest quarter for deal activity since early 2019. Funding for early-stage startups leveled off in the second quarter of this year. That has to do in part with a greater number of seed startups trying to raise extension rounds, multiple investors said. Carta data shows the median seed valuation hit $13.7 million in the second quarter, which is significantly higher than any quarter prior to 2021. "The founders that are raising seed rounds are raising them for decent cash and at decent valuations — healthy on both fronts," said Peter Walker at Carta.

Persons: That's, Jenny Fielding, Fielding, Carta, Andreessen Horowitz, they're, Marlon Nichols, Lily Lyman, —, it's, Brian Sugar, Sugar, Peter Walker Organizations: Carta, Ventures, New, Sequoia, Greylock Partners, MaC Venture Capital, Fund, Sugar Capital Locations: New York, Boston, Carta

☆ Asia stock markets weaken amid ongoing retreat from Chinese property sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A man walks past an electronic board showing Japan's Nikkei average and stock prices outside a brokerage, in Tokyo, Japan, March 17, 2023. Australian shares (.AXJO) reversed earlier losses to be up 0.12% and Japan's Nikkei stock index (.N225) slid 0.19%. The Hang Seng Property Index (.HSNP), a gauge of Hong Kong's top developers, shed almost 4% while the mainland property index (.HSMPI) was off 3.24%. "We need the property market to stabilize first in order for any meaningful kind of economic rebound to happen in China," said David Chao, Invesco's Asia Pacific market strategist. Those should put a floor under the property market some time soon."

Persons: Androniki, David Chao, Daniel Zhang, Brent, Scott Murdoch, Edwina Gibbs, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Nikkei, REUTERS, Rights, Alibaba, HK, Index, Chevron, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Asia, China, Pacific, Hong Kong, Asia Pacific, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, United States, Wells, Australia, Sydney

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