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REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 5 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist. Global currency volatility on Wednesday spiked to its highest since May, a day after U.S. Treasury market volatility also jumped to a five-month high. And although U.S. yields fell across the board, yield curve steepening continued as the 30-year yield pierced 5.00%. Japanese assets, meanwhile, will also be sensitive to possible Bank of Japan activity in the domestic government bond or currency markets on Thursday. An esoteric corner of Japanese markets - yen cross-currency basis - is at levels consistent with previous bouts of volatility.

Persons: Issei Kato, Jamie McGeever, Josie Kao Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Treasury, of, Bank of Japan, FX, Japan's Nikkei, PMI, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Tokyo, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, U.S, of Japan, Bank, India, Australia

"It's not going to be a matter of struggling to get the inflation rate higher. While higher interest rates are good news for savers, businesses and consumers have become used to paying nothing for money over the past 15 years. Reuters GraphicsREADING YIELDSA market-based Fed model that breaks down the 10-year Treasury yield into its components provides further insight into investors' thinking. This rise in term premium, which spent much of the last decade below zero, reflects high levels of uncertainty about economic outlook and monetary policy, investors said. While the market appears to be confident in its belief in the end of the era of zero interest rates, it is far less so about the economy's actual likely path.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Greg Whiteley, It's, Neel Kashkari, Kashkari, Adrian, Crump, Emanuel Moench, John Velis, Leslie Falconio, BNY's Velis, Velis, Paritosh Bansal, Anna Driver 私 Organizations: Eccles Federal Reserve, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Treasury, Federal Reserve, York Fed, Minneapolis, Moench, Frankfurt School of Finance, Management, Americas, BNY Mellon, UBS Global Wealth Management, San, San Francisco Fed Locations: Washington ,, U.S, DoubleLine, San Francisco

☆ Canada's RBC injects capital into City National to bolster US subsidiary's liquidity
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sign for the Royal Bank of Canada in Toronto, Ontario, Canada December 13, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio Acquire Licensing RightsSept 29 (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) (RY.TO) on Friday said it had injected capital into City National to strengthen the Los Angeles-based subsidiary's liquidity position and pay down higher-cost borrowing. "This is part of the management actions that RBC is taking on the path to improving profitability at City National" an RBC spokesman told Reuters. RBC, which bought City National in 2015 for $5.4 billion, said in August that the subsidiary's losses in the third quarter stood at $38 million, compared with a profit of $102 million a year ago. RBC has also hired Greg Carmichael, the former CEO of U.S. regional lender Fifth Third Bancorp, to sit on City National's board.

Persons: Carlos Osorio, Dave McKay, Greg Carmichael, Mike Rizvanovic, Rizvanovic, Jaiveer Singh, Balu, Maju Samuel, Paul Simao Organizations: Royal Bank of Canada, REUTERS, RBC, City National, Reuters, Valley Bank, Fifth Third Bancorp, City, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Los Angeles, California, U.S, Santa Clara, Bengaluru, Toronto

☆ What could break under higher-for-longer interest rates?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Yet, the strain from interest rate hikes has just started to come through and with central banks signalling that rates will likely stay higher for longer, the notion of something "breaking" remains strong. Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics1/ PROPERTY PAINNowhere is the impact of higher rates being felt more acutely than in real estate, still reeling from COVID-19. "We have many zombie companies in the United States and Europe from the low interest rates era, and I cannot imagine how they can survive now with high interest rates." Still, big question marks remain over their future, not least from a global property rout. Miller noted that European banks are also vulnerable given their bigger size relative to the economy that leaves them more exposed to risks from various pockets.

Persons: Jonathan Ernst, Heimstaden, Markus Allenspach, Julius Baer, Guy Miller, Miller Organizations: . Federal, REUTERS, Reuters Graphics Reuters, SBB, China Evergrande, HK, Federal, European Central Bank, Zurich Insurance, The Bank of Japan, Capital, Thomson Locations: Washington, Sweden, Europe, Stockholm, Berlin, CHINA, China, United States, Big U.S

☆ Bitcoin is both a risk asset and safe haven—and still worth owning at these levels, says Wolfe Research
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bitcoin has long perplexed investors with its ability to act as both a store of value and a high risk asset, but Wolfe Research says it's worth owning either way and to lean into the nuance. "A question we have often asked is whether BTC should be treated more like a risk asset or a storage of value such as Gold. "Bitcoin is highly correlated to small caps, a risk asset. That said however, bitcoin only rallied this spring thanks to the banking scare, which saw investors flee to the 'safety' of the coin," he added. Though bitcoin was initially designed to be digital cash and an alternative financial system, it spent much of 2022 trading like a speculative asset.

Persons: Bitcoin, Wolfe, It's, Rob Ginsberg, bitcoin, Ginsberg, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: BTC, Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank Locations: Silicon, U.S

Ahead of a White House welcome for the leaders, Biden announced U.S. diplomatic recognition of two more Pacific islands nations, the Cook Islands and Niue. The White House said this year it would focus on priorities including climate change, economic growth, sustainable development, public health and countering illegal fishing. In Baltimore on Sunday, Pacific island leaders visited a Coast Guard cutter in the harbor and were briefed on combating illegal fishing by the Commandant of the Coast Guard, an official said. The White House in 2022 said the U.S. would invest more than $810 million in expanded programs to aid the Pacific islands. She added that Pacific island countries "welcome the U.S. re-engagement with the region, but don't want geopolitical tussles to result in an escalation of militarization."

Persons: Joe Biden, Walter E, Elizabeth Frantz, Biden, Manasseh Sogavare, Washington, Sogavare, Meg Keen, Sato Kilman, Kilman, Ishmael Kalsakau, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, Kirsty Needham, Don Durfee, Grant McCool Organizations: Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Washington Convention Center, REUTERS, Rights, Pacific, NFL, White, U.S ., Niue, Sunday, Coast Guard, Sunday's National Football League, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Solomon, Biden, Australia's Lowy Institute, USAID, Vanuatu, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, Cook Islands, Niue, The U.S, Papua New Guinea, U.S, Asia, Cook, Baltimore, Pacific, China, Beijing, Congress, Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, Hawaii, Palau, Micronesia, Marshall, Sydney

Passersby are reflected on an electric stock quotation board outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 25 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist. This may hinge largely on whether the U.S. bond market regains its footing. Here are key developments that could provide more direction to markets on Monday:- Singapore inflation (September)- Vietnam inflation, trade, industrial production (September)- Vietnam GDP (Q3)By Jamie McGeever; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Issei Kato, Jamie McGeever, Goldman Sachs, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, Fed, Bank of England, Swiss National Bank and Bank of Japan, Treasury, Thailand's, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Asia, U.S, Vietnam, Singapore

During the three-day meeting, the U.S. will announce diplomatic recognition for two Pacific islands, promise new money for infrastructure, including to improve Internet connectivity via undersea cables, and honor regional leaders at an NFL game. SOME SKIP SUMMITSolomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who has deepened his country's ties with China, will skip the summit. The White House in 2022 said the U.S. would invest more than $810 million in expanded programs to aid the Pacific islands. She added that Pacific island countries "welcome the U.S. re-engagement with the region, but don't want geopolitical tussles to result in an escalation of militarization. "Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman will also not attend the summit, his office told Reuters.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, James Marape, David Kabua, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, Joe Biden, Biden, Washington, Sogavare, Meg Keen, Sato Kilman, Kilman, Ishmael Kalsakau, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, Kirsty Needham, Don Durfee, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Solomon Islands, Guinea's, Samoa's, U.S ., NFL, White, Coast Guard, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Solomon, Biden, Pacific, Australia's Lowy Institute, USAID, Vanuatu, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Solomon, Papua, Marshall, U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington, Papua New Guinea, Asia, United States, Cook, Niue, Baltimore, Pacific, China, Beijing, Congress, Australia, The U.S, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, Hawaii, Palau, Micronesia, Sydney

The Fed expects to get inflation back to its 2% target in 2026, which is later than some officials had thought possible. Financial markets had widely expected that the Fed would leave rates unchanged. Ahead of the Fed meeting, investors had been banking on significant Fed rate cuts next year, an expectation clouded by the projections that show 10 of 19 officials see the policy rate remaining above 5% through next year. Federal funds futures showed traders had downgraded their estimates of Fed rate cuts ahead. The Fed statement was approved unanimously after a two-day meeting that marked new Fed Governor Adriana Kugler's debut on the central bank policymaking stage.

Persons: Jerome Powell, We're, Bond, Stocks, Chris Wattie, I've, Powell, Olu Sonola, Omair Sharif, Adriana Kugler's, Howard Schneider, Michael S, Chizu Nomiyama, Paul Simao Organizations: U.S . Federal Reserve, Market, Reuters Graphics, Reserve, REUTERS, Fed, Reuters, Fitch, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, Washington , DC

☆ With the economy holding up, why is the market still so down on America's banks?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Regional bank stocks, in particular, gained as much as 35% before the bond warnings and downgrades began. The higher interest rates bond analysts cited hurt profits some, but most banks' net interest income and margins were higher than a year before. The ratings actions pushed the regional bank stock index 10% lower for the month-long period ending Sept. 8, according to Morningstar (the Moody's bank warning was issued August 7). By any reckoning, the argument about banks is about two things: Interest rates and real estate, specifically office buildings. The average regional bank stock rose 8% after earnings, Morgan Stanley said, with banks beating profit forecasts by an average of 5%.

Persons: Morningstar —, downgrades, Morgan Stanley, Jill Cetina, Cetina, Banks, Goldman Sachs, Jan Hatzius, Scott Rechler, Jeff Greene, Alexander Yokum, Dick Bove, Bove, Yokum Organizations: First, JPMorgan, Bloomberg, Getty, Moody's Investors Service, Poor's, Fitch, Morningstar, Federal Reserve, Fedwatch, RXR, Research, Odeon Capital Locations: First Republic, Regional, Moody's, U.S

☆ Hedge funds drop short trades on U.S. regional banks - Goldman
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Nell Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The ratio of long trades compared with short positions on U.S. regional banks has risen by 26% since a year low in mid-July 2023, when traders were mostly short the sector, the bank said. An index of U.S. regional bank stocks (.SPLRCBNKS) has recovered roughly 20% of its value from a two-year low hit in May following the failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SIVBV.UL), Signature Bank (SBNY.PK) and First Republic (FRCB.PK). Reuters GraphicsShort positions on larger U.S. banks have also declined since mid-July, with hedge fund long positions rising about 14% against short bets, the Goldman note showed. Most of the stock buying on U.S. regional banks comprised of hedge funds buying back stock that was borrowed for the purpose of short bets, or so-called short covering, Goldman said. Across broader U.S. financial services, hedge funds finished August with net long positions, the note said.

Persons: Lee Jae, Goldman Sachs, Janet Yellen, Goldman, Nell Mackenzie, Dhara Ranasinghe, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Seoul, . U.S, Silicon

BMO, which bought U.S. regional lender Bank of the West earlier this year, said provision for credit losses rose to C$492 million ($361.42 million), compared with C$136 million a year ago. The bank's earnings were also affected by severance costs of C$162 million and C$83 million in legal provisions at its capital markets unit. At Bank of Montreal, net interest income for the quarter rose to C$4.91 billion, compared with C$4.20 billion last year. At Scotiabank net interest income fell to C$4.58 billion, from $4.68 billion a year ago, largely hurt by lower corporate lending and lower loan fees. At Scotiabank, net income came in at C$2.23 billion, compared with C$2.61 billion.

Persons: Carlos Osorio, Tayfun Tuzun, BMO's, Scott Thomson, Thomson, John Aiken, BMO's Tuzun, Nivedita Balu, Pritam Biswas, Sri Hari, Shweta Agarwal, Bernadette Baum, Mike Harrison, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Bank of Montreal, REUTERS, Bank of Nova, Bank of Canada's, BMO, Bank, Scotiabank, Barclays, Bank of, Analysts, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia, Toronto, U.S, Mexico, Bank of Montreal, Bengaluru

☆ China's big internet names have mostly beat. Here's where analysts think the stocks are headed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

All three stocks have double-digit gains ahead of them, if the average FactSet analyst price target holds true. Still, the average price target rose by 2.4% to $118.90 a share, according to FactSet. KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB) gained nearly 19% last month. "We expect the stock will remain volatile in the near term along with China internet peers on macro uncertainty," the report said. Loop has a $210 price target on Baidu, more than 50% above where shares closed on Friday.

Persons: Tencent, –, Louis, Vincent, Jiong Shao, Nomura, Jialong Shi, Morgan Stanley, Alex Poon, NetEase, Rob Sanderson, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Baidu, UBS, Hong, Barclays, China Internet, CSI China Internet Locations: U.S, Europe, China, Hong Kong, Barclays China, Tencent

☆ TD expects penalties from US probes on money laundering
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) logos are seen outside of a branch in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, May 26, 2016. REUTERS/Chris Wattie/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Toronto-Dominion Bank FollowTORONTO, Aug 24 (Reuters) - TD Bank Group (TD.TO) on Thursday said it expects fines and "non-monetary" penalties related to investigations by U.S. authorities over its anti-money laundering compliance program. "The bank is cooperating with such authorities and is pursuing efforts to enhance its Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering compliance program," TD said in the filing. "What I can say ... we are pursuing efforts to enhance our U.S. AML compliance program," he told analysts. The lender scrapped its planned $13.4 billion acquisition of U.S. regional lender First Horizon earlier this year, a move that was cheered by investors amid the U.S. regional banking crisis.

Persons: Chris Wattie, Canada's, Bharat Masrani, TD, Gabriel Dechaine, Denny Thomas, Nivedita Balu, Deepa Babington Organizations: Dominion Bank, REUTERS, Rights Companies, TORONTO, Bank Group, U.S, U.S . Department of Justice, Bank, First, National Bank, DOJ, Thomson Locations: Toronto, Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Rights Companies Toronto, U.S

☆ China is furious with Japan's plan to release treated Fukushima water into the ocean
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 destroyed the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which is situated on Japan's east coast, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) northeast of the capital Tokyo. Japan's government has repeatedly said the discharge of the treated water is safe and the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog has endorsed the move. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (C) speaks during a meeting with representatives of the Inter-Ministerial Council for Contaminated Water, Treated Water and Decommissioning Issues and the Inter-Ministerial Council Concerning the Continuous Implementation of the Basic Policy on Handling of ALPS Treated Water, at Prime Minister's Office, on August 22, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan. Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee, meanwhile, "strongly opposes" the discharge of wastewater from the Fukushima power plant. Hundreds of activists in South Korea had gathered in the capital of Seoul earlier this month to rally against Japan's plan to dispose of the treated water into the ocean.

Persons: Philip Fong, Fumio Kishida, Rodrigo Reyes Marin, Wang Wenbin, Wang, John Lee, Chung Sung Organizations: Afp, Getty, Japan, International Atomic Energy Agency, Inter, Ministerial Council, Minister's, Zuma, Anadolu Agency, Foreign Ministry, Japan's Embassy, CNBC, Hong, Japanese Locations: Shinchi, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Japan's, Tokyo, Japanese, China, London, Hong Kong, Seoul, South Korea, Korea, Fukushima

A Wall Street sign is pictured outside the New York Stock Exchange in New York, October 28, 2013. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note scaled over 15-year highs after a brief pullback, dragging equities lower. Wall Street had regained some ground on Monday due to a rally in Nvidia and other tech stocks. Shares of Nvidia (NVDA.O) hit an all-time high of $481.87 soon after markets opened but were last down 1.5%. The S&P index recorded one new 52-week highs and 8 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 23 new highs and 76 new lows.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Phil Blancato, Ladenburg, Robert Pavlik, Jerome Powell, Cos, Amruta Khandekar, Shinjini Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Nvidia, KeyCorp, Comerica, Dow, Nasdaq, Treasury, Asset Management, Federal, Dakota Wealth, Microsoft, Reuters Graphics, Traders, Dow Jones, Nike, Sporting, Activision, Ubisoft Entertainment, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Fairfield, Jackson

☆ Robust equities erode gold's safe-haven allure as ETF holdings fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Deep Kaushik Vakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) -Receding fears of a U.S. slowdown, surging bond yields and the robust performance of equities have gradually eroded the appeal of exchange-traded funds (ETF) backed by traditional safe-haven gold this year, despite sticky inflation. The biggest ETF, SPDR Gold Trust, saw holdings dwindle to pre-pandemic levels. [GOL/ETF]Investors typically buy gold during times of financial and economic uncertainty and rising inflation. [GOL/]“Gold has fallen into disfavour as a hedge against economic uncertainty for many institutional investors,” said Ross Norman, chief executive of Metals Daily. Equities have outperformed gold despite higher interest rates, while rival safe-haven Treasury bonds have attracted investors away from gold, which doesn’t earn any interest or dividends.

Persons: Ilya Naymushin, ”, Ross Norman, Carsten Menke, Julius Baer, Gold, Philip Newman, Newman, hasn’t Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, World Gold Council, Investors, U.S, Metals Daily, U.S . Federal, Treasury, Metals Locations: U.S, Siberian, Krasnoyarsk, Russia, disfavour, “

☆ US bank credit contracts, loans drop in latest week: Fed data
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 18 (Reuters) - Bank credit at U.S. commercial banks shrank in the latest week as commercial banks pulled back on lending to businesses, data published by the Federal Reserve showed on Friday. Overall bank credit fell to $17.23 trillion in the week ending Aug. 9, down from $17.25 trillion a week earlier and $17.32 trillion a year earlier, its second straight year-over-year drop. Loans and leases fell to $12.13 trillion, from $12.15 trillion the week prior; commercial and industrial loans slipped to $2.74 trillion, from $2.75 trillion in the week ending Aug. 2. From a year earlier, commercial and industrial (C&I) loan growth slowed sharply to less than 1%. Reuters GraphicsThe trends reflect reduced demand from borrowers amid the Fed's rapid interest-rate hikes, as well as tightening credit standards and the fallout from the U.S. regional bank failures this year.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Ann Saphir, Jonathan Oatis, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Bank, Federal, Reuters, U.S, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S

☆ Top Morningstar strategist tells investors to sell these 6 'overvalued' stocks — and names 5 to buy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Despite last week's selloff, the strong rally this year means U.S. markets are now trading at only a small discount compared with the start of the year, says top Morningstar strategist Dave Sekera. He named six such stocks: Nvidia , Tesla , Oracle , Netflix , Apple , and Eli Lilly . Stocks to buy Still, Sekera said, there are opportunities in some stocks that investors can get into. He names five that he likes and that are still trading at a discount to their fair value. American Tower : This REIT, which owns cell phone towers, is trading at a 18% discount, Morningstar said.

Persons: selloff, Dave Sekera, CNBC's, Sekera, Eli Lilly, Morningstar, Stocks Organizations: Nasdaq, Nvidia, Tesla, Oracle, Netflix, Apple, Tech, Microsoft, Cognizant, Morningstar, Morningstar . U.S . Bancorp, U.S, Bank, Jacobs Solutions, RTX Corp, Pratt & Whitney Locations: U.S, Morningstar .

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Discover, D.R. Horton, Nvidia, Cleveland-Cliffs, and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. Banks — Major Wall Street banks slid during midday trading after CNBC reported Tuesday that Fitch Ratings may once again downgrade the health of the banking sector. Shares of Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase slid 2%, while Citigroup and Morgan Stanley each fell more than 1%. Paramount Global — Paramount Global shares climbed 2% in midday trading. Turnstone Biologics — The biotechnology stock added 1.96% in midday trading.

Persons: Banks, Fitch, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Roger Hochschild, John Owen, Hannon Armstrong, Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital — Hannon Armstrong, Homebuilders, Warren Buffett's Berkshire, D.R, Horton, Lennar, Wells Fargo, Baird, Turnstone, Piper Sandler, —, Alex Harring, Jesse Pound, Tanaya Macheel, Pia Singh, Samantha Subin Organizations: CNBC, Bank of America, JPMorgan, Citigroup, Citizens Financial Group, U.S . Steel, Esmark, U.S, Steel, Discover Financial, Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital — Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, Paramount Global, The Alliance, Motion Pictures, Television Producers, Bloomberg, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Nvidia, UBS, Investment Locations: Cleveland, Warren Buffett's

☆ India is a rising force in Southeast Asia as region seeks to counter China's dominance
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

(Photo credit RAVEENDRAN/AFP via Getty Images) Raveendran | Afp | Getty ImagesIndia is taking major strides to expand its influence in Southeast Asia, a move that will allow countries to counter China's dominance in the region. "India certainly is becoming more ambitious in Southeast Asia. "This is particularly salient to the maritime sphere, namely the South China Sea, where overlapping sovereignty disputes threaten regional stability and openness," he added. "It continues to maintain a very independent streak in its foreign policy, which suits a large number of Southeast Asian countries." While China remained the most influential and strategic power in Southeast Asia, its standing has diminished, the Southeast Asia survey from February showed.

Persons: Pant, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Narendra Modi's, Satoru Nagao, Nagao, Derek Grossman, Modi, Xi Jinping, Ted Aljibe, Enrique Manalo, Rand's Grossman, Joanne Lin, Lin, ISEAS's Lin Organizations: Indian, Getty, Afp, Observer Research Foundation, CNBC, Southeast, Hudson Institute, Vietnam Air Force, Rand Corporation, TED ALJIBE, Initiative, ASEAN Studies, Yusof Ishak Institute, Observers, Pant Observer Research, China -, Wilson Center, ASEAN Wonk, U.S, ASEAN Studies Centre, Yusof, Ukraine, U.S ., New Delhi's Observer Research Foundation Locations: New Delhi, AFP, Southeast Asia, India, China, Beijing, Vietnam, Tokyo, China —, Manila, Philippine, Delhi, The Hague, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, ISEAS, Singapore, Asia, Europe, China - U.S, U.S, New

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. The drill is the latest in a flurry of Chinese activity in the Middle East, traditionally seen as the US’ backyard. According to the Wall Street Journal, the US wants Saudi Arabia to distance itself economically and militarily from Beijing in return. Four of the top 10 importers of US arms are Gulf Arab states: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE. Some of these purchases were driven by US restrictions on selling arms to Gulf states under the Biden administration, according to Alhasan.

Persons: ” Hasan Alhasan, “, Barack Obama’s, ”, Mohammed Baharoon, John Calabrese, …, ” Calabrese, CNN’s Becky Anderson, Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, Washington, Biden, Alhasan, China’s, Xi Jinping, ” Yun Sun, ” Alhasan, ” Baharoon Organizations: UAE CNN, United Arab Emirates, American, Washington, UAE, Middle East, International Institute for Strategic Studies, CNN, Asia Experts, East ., US, Dubai Public Policy Research Center, Middle East Institute, Wall Street Journal, China Program, China, Stimson Center Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, United States, China, China’s, Xinjiang, Ukraine, Gulf, Asia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, Washington, Dubai, Russia, Saudi, Riyadh, Israel, Beijing, Europe, Arab, Qatar, Kuwait, Sun, “

☆ 'Potential minefield': Value investor Guy Spier talks U.S. bank risks, reveals his top stock to own
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Renowned value investor Guy Spier has said U.S. regional banks are a "potential minefield" in the current market environment. Moody's left the larger banks' ratings unchanged. Consolidation risks Spier explained that his view stems from the fact that the U.S. banking system remains highly fragmented, with around 12,000 banks nationwide. While not a "massive advantage," Spier believes larger money center banks like Bank of America have a slight edge in profitability over regional banks. Technology threat Aside from the risks highlighted by Moody's, Spier suggested that technology and innovation also pose major threats to regional banks.

Persons: Guy Spier, Spier, Warren Buffett, CNBC's, Moody's, he's Organizations: Bank of America, Spier . Technology, of America, Federal Reserve, U.S, JPMorgan, Citi, Asset Relief, CNBC Locations: Spier, U.S, Bank

In this article SBGINXSTGTNSSP Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTChristian Petersen | Getty Images Sport | Getty ImagesTensions are building among broadcast station owners and pay TV providers as the local rights to air NBA, NHL and MLB games go up for grabs. Pay-TV providers are also exploring alternatives to keep local games in the bundle. The NBA's Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz recently reached deals to be be aired on local broadcast networks run by Gray and Sinclair, respectively. "The reality is that the issue people keep talking about is the rights fees. But the rights fees aren't necessarily the question," said Berke.

Persons: Christian Petersen, Sinclair, Diamond, Bill Morrow, RSNs, George Kubas, Lee Berke, There's, Gray, Brian Lawlor, Lawlor, Jeff Speer, —, Ion, Berke, David Peralta, Kole Calhoun, Starling Marte Organizations: Getty, NBA, NHL, MLB, Scripps Co, Gray Television, Nexstar Media Group, Diamond Sports Group, Warner Bros, Broadcasters, Comcast, Charter, DirecTV, Gray, Nexstar, Communications, Ohio, Bally Sports, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Progressive, Diamond Sports, Diamond, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Clipper, Las Vegas Golden Knights, NHL Stanley, Scripps, Scripps Sports, Knights, Warnes Bros, Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, Mobile, — ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, CW Network, Nexstar's CW Network, ACC, Nascar, Suns, Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, Chase Field, The Diamondbacks Locations: Cleveland, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Las Vegas , Nevada, Phoenix , Arizona

U.S. bank shares dropped on Tuesday after ratings agency Moody's downgraded credit ratings of several U.S. regional lenders and placed some banking giants on review for potential downgrade. It warned lenders will find it harder to make money as interest rates remain high, funding costs climb and a potential recession looms. The warning caught some investors off guard. On Tuesday, SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF's (KRE.P) options-based 30-day implied volatility rose to 31.1%, up from 28.9% touched on Monday. "In the near term, there are reasons for caution about banks in general and we have made changes where appropriate," he said.

Persons: SPDR, Steve Sosnick, There's, David Wagner, David Smith, Brian Mulberry, Michelle Price, Diane Craft Organizations: Moody's Corporation, P Bank, Regional Banking, Silicon Valley Bank, Banking, Interactive, Alert, Aptus Capital, Autonomous Research, Analysts, Zacks Investment Management, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, Silicon

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