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☆ Quotes: Global banks under pressure as SVB triggers contagion worries
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

LONDON, March 14 (Reuters) - The health of the global banking sector as interest rates rise remained in the spotlight on Tuesday in the wake of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). But days of wild swings in global markets and hefty losses in bank shares, left the outlook for the sector in focus. Banks are now faced with the classic problem that has threatened banks throughout history: a mismatch in terms between assets and liabilities." Hopefully we'll go over the next few days, whether or not the financial system is going to calm down or not. "It’s been an indiscriminate sell off in banking stocks, the financial sector repriced everywhere.

[1/2] Traders work on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 11, 2022. Stock sales reached $4.97 billion in the United States last week, the highest tally since the second week in 2022, according to data provider Dealogic. Globally, stock sales reached $12.3 billion, the most in more than 30 weeks. "Equity markets have regained some momentum and volatility has decreased, driving animal spirits on the buy side," said Santiago Gilfond, co-head of Americas equity capital markets at Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN.S). A busy week for initial public offerings in early February offered some hope to stock market hopefuls, but advisors remain cautious as stocks sold off in recent weeks.

HONG KONG, March 3 (Reuters) - Bank of America (BAC.N) and Citigroup (C.N) have cut some investment banking jobs in Asia, people familiar with the matter told Reuters, joining global peers in paring headcount as China dealmaking slows. Citi on Thursday trimmed four jobs from its China investment banking team, said one of the two people and a separate person. BofA and Citi both declined to comment on layoffs involving investment bankers in Asia. JPMorgan (JPM.N) has also cut around 20 investment banking jobs, mostly mid-level bankers focused on China deals, according to two separate sources. Nomura Holdings Inc (8604.T) has cut 18 Asian banking jobs, most of them China-focused investment banking roles, sources have said.

☆ This startup found success using A.I. to build beauty products. But can it keep making money?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Oddity Il Makiage Coutesy: OddityOddity — the direct-to-consumer beauty and wellness platform known for its ubiquitous Il Makiage social media ads — is making money and growing in an environment that's increasingly risky for purely digital retailers. Since its U.S. launch in 2018, Oddity has achieved profitability, the company said, making $380 million in gross sales in 2022. In Spoiled Child's first year on the market, the new brand brought in $48 million in gross sales. Oddity builds out new products and brands by using its tech to figure out what customers are looking for. Oddity is in the process of integrating the tech into its Il Makiage powermatch quiz to improve accuracy.

☆ Analysis: Some highly rated US companies take unusual funding route as rates rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Shankar Ramakrishnan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Credit-worthy companies have found in the past that they can raise funds more cheaply in investment-grade bond markets. They were able to issue the securities at much lower interest rates than what they would have had to pay on a bond. In interviews, two bankers and an investor said that uncertainty has made convertible bonds an attractive option to raise money for some investment-grade companies. Earlier this week, for example, investors bought PPL’s convertible bond at 100 cents on the dollar, or at par. Because defensive stocks such as utilities like PPl could benefit if interest rates keep rising, potential returns for investors in convertible bonds could be boosted.

☆ Revisiting JPMorgan’s innovative Cazenove deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Peter Thal Larsen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

JPMorgan avoided most of these problems by structuring its deal as a joint venture with Cazenove. Though the corporate entity called JPMorgan Cazenove was quietly wound down a few years ago, the name still graces the U.S. group’s UK banking business. At the time of the JPMorgan deal, Cazenove acted as broker to almost half of the companies in the FTSE 100 Index (.FTSE). By 2009, the enlarged business reported a pre-tax profit of 280 million pounds. The Cazenove deal still stands as a case study of how to buy an investment bank without destroying it.

☆ U.S. IPO pick-up offers hope of market re-open
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Echo Wang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and an inflation rally fueled a bout of market volatility that prevented most initial public offerings in 2022, last week saw a flurry of listings. In total, the IPOs raised about $1.17 billion in proceeds, up sixfold from the previous week when stock market debuts raised about $193 million, according to Dealogic. We see this as step one in a broader IPO market recovery, with some of the stronger sectors leading the early supply," said Rob Stowe, co-head of Americas equity capital markets at Barclays Plc (BARC.L). Some companies are waiting for a sustained IPO recovery before deciding to pull the trigger for their debut, some of the advisers said. That will likely take at least until the summer if the market recovery continues, they added.

Feb 17 (Reuters) - Chinese dealmaker Bao Fan, founder of investment bank China Renaissance Holdings Ltd (1911.HK), has gone missing in the latest disappearance of a top business executive, unnerving investors and sending its stock down as much as 50% on Friday. A China Renaissance spokesperson referred Reuters request for comment on Friday to the investment bank's public filing. The firm earned $20.6 million in Chinese related investment banking fees in 2022, down from $43.13 million a year earlier, the data showed. Bao started China Renaissance in 2005 as a two-person team, seeking to match capital-hungry startups with venture capitalist and private equity investors. China Renaissance is also an active investor in the tech sector.

☆ Factbox-Five facts about missing star Chinese dealmaker and his firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Xie Yu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Well-known Chinese dealmaker Bao Fan, founder of investment bank China Renaissance Holdings Ltd, has gone missing in the latest disappearance of a top business executive in the country, unnerving investors. FILE PHOTO: Fan Bao founder and CEO of China Renaissance speaks at the WSJD Live conference in Laguna Beach, California October 25, 2016. Here are five facts about Bao and his firm --* Bao entered China’s prestigious Fudan University in 1989, and later received his master’s degree from the BI Norwegian School of Management. Its investment management business has assets worth around 48.6 billion yuan by the end of last June. It earned $20.6 million in Chinese related investment banking fees in 2022, down from $43.13 million a year earlier.

☆ Factbox: Five facts about missing star Chinese dealmaker and his firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Xie Yu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Well-known Chinese dealmaker Bao Fan, founder of investment bank China Renaissance Holdings Ltd (1911.HK), has gone missing in the latest disappearance of a top business executive in the country, unnerving investors. Here are five facts about Bao and his firm --* Bao entered China's prestigious Fudan University in 1989, and later received his master's degree from the BI Norwegian School of Management. Its investment management business has assets worth around 48.6 billion yuan by the end of last June. * The firm is currently ranked ninth on China's equity capital markets league table for 2023, according to Refinitiv. It earned $20.6 million in Chinese related investment banking fees in 2022, down from $43.13 million a year earlier.

NEW YORK, Feb 15 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s (JPM.N) head of trading sees China as its largest potential overseas market as the bank aims to expand its international business. "China is by far the biggest opportunity for us," Troy Rohrbaugh, JPMorgan's head of global markets, told investors at a conference. Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan's chief executive officer, told Reuters in an interview last week that he was planning to visit the country. Meanwhile, debt and equity capital markets were faring better than expected despite concerns about an economic slowdown. JPMorgan's fixed-income revenue climbed 12% to $3.7 billion in the fourth quarter, fueled by rising revenue in rates, currencies and emerging markets.

☆ Wall Street’s frozen IPO market is thawing as companies take advantage of stock rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Hugh Son | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street in New York City. Wall Street just pulled off its biggest IPO in four months, giving bankers hope that the market for newly-listed company shares is stirring to life. The solar technology firm Nextracker raised $638 million by selling about 15% more shares than expected, sources told CNBC Wednesday. Wall Street's so-called IPO window, which allows companies to readily tap investors for new stock, has been mostly shut for the past year. "The window seems like it's cracked open right now," Wise told CNBC in a phone interview.

☆ Gautam Adani’s next hurdles may be harder to clear
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HONG KONG, Feb 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - It helps to have friendly investors and rich families on hand when finalising a tricky share sale. The feat will be hard to repeat though, while the Indian tycoon’s next hurdles might be harder to clear. Investor interest in Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS) was underwhelming. Shares in $32 billion Adani Total Gas (ADAG.NS) have nearly halved since Hindenburg published its critical report. loadingCONTEXT NEWSThe $2.4 billion share sale by Adani Enterprises was fully subscribed on Jan. 31, data released by the Indian stock exchange showed.

☆ Big U.S. banks continue to add jobs as Goldman Sachs cuts staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The chief financial officers of the two biggest U.S. banks said they would hire selectively despite waning economic growth. JPMorgan's Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Barnum said the bank is still hiring and "in growth mode" in a call with journalists to discuss the bank's fourth-quarter earnings. Bank of America also continues to hire, particularly in wealth management, while also remaining disciplined on its expenses, Chief Financial Officer Alastair Borthwick told reporters on Friday. Citigroup Inc's Chief Financial Officer Mark Mason told an earnings briefing "we're actively hiring to execute against our strategy. The banking giants stood by their hiring plans even as other lenders cut staffing in investment banking and mortgages.

[1/4] A Bank of America logo is pictured in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 30, 2019. The chief financial officers of the two biggest U.S. banks said they would hire selectively despite waning economic growth. JPMorgan's (JPM.N) Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Barnum said the bank is still hiring and "in growth mode" in a call with journalists to discuss the bank's fourth-quarter earnings. Bank of America (BAC.N) also continues to hire, particularly in wealth management, while also remaining disciplined on its expenses, Chief Financial Officer Alastair Borthwick told reporters on Friday. The banking giants stood by their hiring plans even as other lenders cut staffing in investment banking and mortgages.

☆ Goldman staff brace as global jobs cull begins
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON/HONG KONG, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Staff at Goldman Sachs (GS.N) are bracing for news on whether they will keep their jobs on Wednesday, as the U.S. investment bank begins a sweeping cost-cutting drive that could see its 49,000-strong global workforce shrink by thousands. About 8 staff were also laid off in Goldman's research department in Hong Kong, the source added, with layoffs ongoing in the investment bank and other divisions. A trader works at the Goldman Sachs stall on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, April 16, 2012. Goldman had 49,100 employees at the end of the third quarter, after adding significant numbers of staff during the coronavirus pandemic. Reporting By Sinead Cruise and Iain Withers, Selena Li in Hong Kong and Scott Murdoch in Sydney;Editing by Elaine HardcastleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Goldman Sachs to start cutting thousands of jobs midweek
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo for Goldman Sachs is seen on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, New York, U.S., November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoJan 9 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group (GS.N) will start cutting thousands of jobs across the firm from Wednesday, two sources familiar with the move said, as it prepares for a tough economic environment. Goldman Sachs declined to comment. Hundreds of jobs are also likely to be reduced from Goldman Sachs' loss-making consumer business after it scaled back plans for its direct-to-consumer unit Marcus, the sources said. Investment banking fees nearly halved in 2022, with $77 billion earned globally by the banks, down from $132.3 billion one year earlier, Dealogic data showed.

☆ Bankers not expecting quick recovery as IPO volumes plunge to lowest level since 2008
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro | Echo Wang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

With questions swirling around monetary policy and the prospect of a looming recession, IPO advisers are not holding their breath on a near-term recovery in the equity capital markets. Global share sales plunged this year as the IPO market froze and hundreds of companies postponed stock market debuts, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and interest rate hikes from central banks weighed on the broader economy. “It’s all about rates - the price of money changed and it has affected everything," said James Palmer, head of EMEA equity capital markets (ECM) at Bank of America. A return by long-only investors to capital markets deals is seen as key for any recovery, after a year in which hedge funds have taken a lead role as buyers of new issuance. "When the stock market is going like this, people typically don't buy new issuance," said Joshua Bonnie, co-head of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett's global capital markets practice.

The funds, which reflect a range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, are also set to lag the performance of non-ESG funds for the first time in five years, data shows, after the fossil fuel shares they typically shun soared. "They (ESG funds) are subject to the same market movements," she added. Reuters GraphicsHowever, non-ESG funds have also suffered withdrawals, losing $420 billion in the first 11 months of 2022, the data shows. Reuters GraphicsUNDERPERFORMINGAfter several years of outperform - thanks partly to large holdings of U.S. technology stocks - ESG equity funds, which make up the bulk of assets in the sector, have fallen back to earth. ESG equity funds have lost 18% to end-November, versus a 15.8% fall in non-ego equity funds, based on Refining Lipper data.

☆ China's re-opening to lift Asia equity capital market volumes from 3-year lows
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | 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

SYDNEY, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Asian equity capital markets activity, languishing at three-year lows now, is set to get a much needed boost in 2023 from China's expected re-opening to the rest of the world after a spate of COVID-19 lockdowns, dealmakers said. "As China's re-opening happens, market activity will come in stages," said Edward Byun, Goldman Sachs' co-head of equity capital markets in Asia ex-Japan, adding that secondary market trading and follow-on capital raisings would benefit first. IPOs in Asia Pacific, including Japan, fell by 43.3% this year in value terms, while total equity capital market deals plunged 52%, according to Refinitiv data. New share sales in Hong Kong plunged 74% to $7.4 billion this year from $28.17 billion in 2021, Refinitiv data showed. In India, IPOs were down nearly 60% to $7.13 billion from $17.05 billion, the Refinitiv data showed.

☆ Who will be Wall Street’s un-American idol?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Europeans have been losing the battle against Wall Street’s cozy club for a decade. Deutsche Bank has done the former. BNP has made smaller steps, buying Bank of America’s prime broking business in 2008, then Deutsche Bank’s in 2019. Even with the best intentions, European banks must contend with their own regulators, which affects their ability to take risk elsewhere. JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs together took the top five slots for debt capital markets and merger advisory, as they also did in 2021.

☆ Analysis: Investors face dilemma as capital increases fill IPO void
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro | Oliver Hirt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"This is a test as to whether shareholders want to support a company they know well already," he said. In contrast with a drought of initial public offerings (IPO), EMEA companies have raised an overall 33.3 billion euros ($34.99 billion) through capital increases so far this year. Meanwhile, fund managers' cash holdings stand at a near 21-year peak, according to poll data from Bank of America. "However, the market could see more firms turn to shareholders for funding given the rising cost of debt and changing outlook," he added. ($1 = 0.9517 euros)Reporting by Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro and Oliver Hirt; Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Saudi Aramco's Luberef expects to raise up to $1.32 bln from IPO
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Yousef Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Saudi oil giant Aramco's (2222.SE) base oil subsidiary Luberef expects to raise up to 4.95 billion riyals ($1.32 billion) from its initial public offering, it said, if it prices at the top of a range announced on Sunday. Gulf issuers have raised about $16 billion through such listings this year, accounting for about half of total IPO proceeds from Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Refinitiv data shows. A minimum of 75% of the Luberef shares being sold will be offered to institutional investors, with bookbuilding getting underway on Sunday and running until Friday. Aramco owns 70% of Luberef and Saudi investment bank Jadwa Investment the remaining 30%. Saudi Aramco's record listing in late 2019, later boosted to total $29.4 billion in proceeds, was the world's largest IPO.

☆ Saudi Exchange launches market-making framework to boost liquidity
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's stock exchange said on Sunday it was launching a market-making framework for its stock and derivatives markets to help ensure liquidity and raise price-determination efficiency. Entities must be exchange members, derivatives exchange members or their clients to be market makers. "Market Makers have to ensure the availability of liquidity for a listed security by providing continuous quotes throughout market open session," the Saudi Exchange, also known as Tadawul, said. "The Saudi Exchange will monitor compliance with Market Maker obligations, and will provide incentives to the Market Maker after obligations are met." As of October, Tadawul was the world's ninth largest exchange by market capitalisation of listed companies at $2.86 trillion, just ahead of the London Stock Exchange, according to Statista.

☆ Citigroup targets more deals in Gulf region
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Gulf region has become a bright spot for public share sales this year, boosted by high oil prices and government-led privatisation programmes. The growth in Gulf equity capital markets is in sharp contrast to the United States and Europe, where global banks have been trimming headcount in a dealmaking drought. Citigroup moved its director for power, renewables and utilities, Omar El Duraie, to Dubai from London this year . "This year the region has been extremely active while the rest of the world has been on pause," he told Reuters. Others expanding in the Gulf include Rothschild & Co (ROTH.PA), which has opened an office in Saudi Arabia, while Goldman Sachs (GS.N) is hiring bankers for its wealth management and investment banking businesses in the region.

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