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☆ Adani looks to repay $500 mln bridge loan taken for cement deals-ET
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, Feb 15 (Reuters) - India's embattled Adani Group is in talks with lenders to repay a $500 million bridge loan facility it had taken to buy controlling stakes in cement companies ACC Ltd (ACC.NS) and Ambuja Cements Ltd (ABUJ.NS) last year, the Economic Times daily reported on Wednesday. The group is looking to repay the bridge loan with cash this month, the report said, citing people aware of the matter, adding that the loan had a tenor of six months and was part of a larger $5.25 billion financing package. The loan was underwritten by Barclays (BARC.L), Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) and Standard Chartered (STAN.L), ET reported. The financial consortium lending to Adani also includes DBS, MUFG, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Intesa and Mizuho, the report said. Adani and the lenders did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

☆ Mitsubishi UFJ, Mizuho report strong Q3 results on solid loan demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (8306.T) and Mizuho Financial Group (8411.T) on Thursday reported strong third-quarter profits in their core businesses thanks to an economic rebound in Japan and solid loan demand abroad. Including the expected accounting gain, Mitsubishi UFJ's nine-month net profit totalled 1.14 trillion yen ($8.86 billion), already ahead of its full-year profit forecast of 1 trillion yen. Mizuho's third-quarter net profit more than doubled to 209.3 billion yen compared to the same period last year, when results at the country's No. 3 lender were weighed down by loan loss provisions for KKR & Co's (KKR.N) auto parts supplier Marelli Holdings Co.Japan's second-largest bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc (8316.T), on Monday reported a 42.6% jump in third-quarter net profit. ($1 = 128.6100 yen)Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dollar ticks up ahead of central bank meetings next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoLONDON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The dollar edged up on Friday to pull away from multi-month lows against the euro and sterling, as investors began to train their sights on a slew of major central bank meetings next week. The U.S. Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of England are all due to make rate decisions next week as they judge what policy adjustments may be required in their battle with rampant inflation against a tough global economic backdrop. The euro was last down 0.1% versus the dollar at $1.08760 , while sterling was down 0.4% at $1.23670 . The yen, meanwhile, rose against the dollar as heated Tokyo inflation readings spurred bets that a hawkish pivot from the Bank of Japan (BOJ) could be in the offing. The bank will make its next policy decision on Thursday, and is seen increasing by a half point.

☆ Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo are among Wall Street giants named as possible FTX creditors
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Zinya Salfiti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The 116-page document connects some of the biggest names on Wall Street to FTX's bankruptcy case. The list doesn't disclose the size or kind of debts the collapsed crypto firm might owe the banks, Bloomberg reported. Other elite financial institutions on the list were Deutsche Bank, HSBC Bank and MUFG Bank. "Goldman Sachs has not filed a claim against the debtors," a spokesperson for the bank told Bloomberg. But the total number of creditors FTX is seen to have tops over a million.

This meant the U.S. dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, fell as low as 101.5, its lowest since the end of May. Markets expect policymakers at the Bank of England and European Central Bank (ECB), which also meet next week, to deliver 50 bps rate hikes. The Canadian dollar traded at 1.3387 per U.S. dollar, after the Bank of Canada on Wednesday raised its key interest rate to 4.5% but became the first major central bank fighting global inflation to say it would likely hold off on further increases for now. He said the pullback in Fed rate hike expectations following the BoC’s policy decision had triggered a US dollar sell-off alongside Canadian dollar weakness, which "highlights that the US dollar remains vulnerable to a further dovish repricing of Fed rate hike expectations." Reporting by Rae Wee and Alun John; Editing by Bradley Perrett and Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Bank of Japan showed no sign of making a hawkish shift in its January meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Nationwide core inflation in Japan reached 4% in December, the highest annualized print since December 1981, according to data released last week. Yuichi Yamazaki | Afp | Getty ImagesThe Bank of Japan emphasized that it wants to maintain its current monetary policy, including leaving its yield curve control unchanged, according to the Summary of Opinions from its last meeting published Thursday. The "yield curve control" refers to a policy of the Japanese central bank that's designed to keep the 10-year yield on Japanese Government Bonds (JGBs) within 0.5 percentage points of zero. The central bank continued its operations to purchase Japanese government bonds in response to upward pressure on yields. I think a lot will depend on, for instance, the inflation data in the coming months," he told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia."

☆ Instant View: China's economy slows sharply in Q4, 2022 growth one of the worst on record
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

As a result, the Chinese economic growth rate will be below the Chinese government's target of 5% plus." This could weigh on their potential economic growth in the mid-and long-term, and we really need to be paying attention to that." MARCO SUN, CHIEF FINANCIAL MARKET ANALYST, MUFG BANK (CHINA), SHANGHAI"China's Q4 and full-year 2022 GDP growth rates came in higher than expected. Economic growth will have to depend more on productivity growth, which is driven by government policies." IRIS PANG, GREATER CHINA ECONOMIST, ING, HONG KONG"The biggest surprise is the retail sales number, which is really a big beat...

☆ Morning bid: Look who's back
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A trader works on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., January 5, 2023. Payrolls data due later on Friday are the major factor that will underscore this week's move, or undermine it. A Reuters poll of economists expects an increase of 200,000 jobs last month, after rising 263,000 in November. German 10-year bond yields , which serve as a benchmark for the broader euro zone, have fallen by almost 30 bps this week thanks to lower inflation data in several European markets. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Morning Bid: The year of the yen?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Dhara Ranasinghe, Editor, Financial Markets EMEA, Thomson Reuters. And the yen, for starters, is intent on leaving a dismal 2022 behind. Yet, on the second trading day of the new year Japan's currency is already scaling seven-months highs. All this leaves the yen - you guessed it - as one of the most favored trades early in 2023. MUFG says that even after the recent rebound, the yen is still "deeply undervalued," which leaves scope for further gains.

The BOJ decided to change its "yield curve control" policy on Tuesday even as it kept broad policy settings unchanged. The surge was a sign that traders expect the BOJ to further tighten monetary policy in coming meetings, said Derek Halpenny, head of research at Japanese bank MUFG. The BOJ's move marked a small step away from the central bank's ultra-loose monetary policy. Traders are still digesting the BOJ's policy tweak, said Carol Kong, a currency strategist at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. "The market has interpreted the decision as step towards an eventual pivot from the current ultra-dovish monetary policy," she said.

☆ Goldman Sachs says the Bank of Japan may start tightening, but others disagree
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In this photo illustration, Bank of Japan (BOJ) logo is seen on a smartphone screen. After the Bank of Japan surprisingly widened its target range for Japanese government bond yields, economists at Goldman Sachs said the central bank could belatedly join its global peers by shifting to a tightening policy. The BOJ's monetary meeting concluded Tuesday with no change to its current ultra-low interest rate at -0.1%, a stance it's held since 2016. Following the BOJ announcement, shares of banks listed in Japan rose for two consecutive sessions, bucking the trend of the wider index which saw another day of losses in Wednesday's session. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group also rose more than 6% and Mizuho Financial Group also gained more than 4%.

☆ Bank of Japan makes surprise policy tweak
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

ATUSHI TAKEDA, CHIEF ECONOMIST, ITOCHU ECONOMIC RESEARCH, TOKYO:"Today's move reflects the BOJ's determination not to alter its yield cure control policy. CAROL KONG, CURRENCY STRATEGIST, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA, SYDNEY:"I think the move was certainly unexpected, to say the least. MOH SIONG SIM, CURRENCY STRATEGIST, BANK OF SINGAPORE:"They've widened the band, and I guess that came earlier than expected. CHRISTOPHER WONG, CURRENCY STRATEGIST, OCBC, SINGAPORE:"The timing of the policy tweak is a surprise, though we have been expecting the move to come in 2Q 2023. "The tweak may seem modest but is significant for a central bank that has held dovish for a long time.

☆ VIEW Bank of England raises rates to 3.5%, says inflation has peaked
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

LONDON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The Bank of England on Thursday raised interest rates by a widely expected 50 basis points (bps) to 3.50%, in its ninth straight increase - and its eighth this year. UK rates began rising in December 2021, making the BoE the first of the world's major central banks to kick off a monetary policy-tightening cycle. MONEY MARKETS: Interest rate swaps showed investors expected rates to peak at 4.46% by next August, compared with an anticipated terminal rate of 4.53% just before the decision. Their own numbers have been pointing to a recession for a little while, and they've still materially hiked interest rates. EDWARD HUTCHINGS, HEAD OF RATES, AVIVA INVESTORS, LONDON:"The Bank of England duly delivered on financial markets expectations of a 0.50% hike.

☆ Dollar edges up, investors weigh outlooks for rates and economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Next week brings a raft of major central bank decisions, including those from the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and the Bank of England. The key question for traders and investors is whether inflation has reached a peak, giving policymakers more scope to deliver smaller interest-rate rises over the coming months. The yield on the 10-year Treasury has fallen almost continuously since hitting a 15-year high in late October, having shed almost a full percentage point. The 10-year yield was last up 5 bps at 3.45%, having neared is lowest in almost three months overnight. Additional reporting by Kevin Buckland in Tokyo; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dollar eases against euro as investors weigh rates outlook
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar edged lower on Thursday against the euro as investors weighed the outlook for U.S. Federal Reserve policy against the chances that higher interest rates could lead to a recession. Traders and investors will be on the watch for any signs that the Fed is getting ready to pause its hikes. The dollar was down 0.37% at $1.05435 against the euro at 9:45 a.m. EST (1545 GMT), and up 0.13% at $1.2228 versus the pound. The 10-year yield was last up 4 bps at 3.44%, having neared is lowest in almost three months overnight. Rates are now seen peaking at just below 5% in May.

☆ U.S. job growth likely slowed again in November; labor market still tight
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But the labor market remains tight, with 1.7 job openings for every unemployed person in October, keeping the Fed on its monetary tightening path at least through the first half of 2023. Labor market strength is also one of the reasons economists believe an anticipated recession next year would be short and shallow. The labor market is still very strong and still very tight," said Agron Nicaj, U.S. economist at MUFG in New York. The unemployment rate is seen unchanged at 3.7%, consistent with a still-tight labor market. "I still believe the economy tips into a short and shallow recession mid-2023, based on eroding labor market growth, but the probability of no recession is now higher," said Steven Blitz, chief U.S. economist at TS Lombard in New York.

☆ Nissan gets $1.44 bln green loan for zero-emission mobility investments
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Japan's Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) has signed a 200-billion-yen ($1.44 billion) green loan agreement to fund zero-emission mobility investments, the automaker said on Wednesday. The syndicated loan was arranged by Mizuho Bank and MUFG Bank with contract periods of five and seven years, it said in a statement. The funds will be used for research and development of zero-emission vehicles, components for electric vehicles, and other carbon-neutral initiatives, Nissan added. ($1=138.5700 yen)Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ to buy two Asia units of Home Credit for $620 mln
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Makiko Yamazaki | Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (8306.T) said on Thursday it would buy the Philippines and Indonesian units of Dutch consumer finance company Home Credit BV (HC) for about 596 million euros ($621 million). The acquisitions will be made through main Mitsubishi UFJ banking arm MUFG Bank, Thai unit Bank of Ayudhya PCL (BAY) (BAY.BK), and Indonesian unit Adira Dinamika Multi Finance (ADMF), with the deal to be completed within 2023, the company said. PPF, which had been looking at selling or taking on partners in some markets for the HC business, said in a statement it was the right time to pass the baton. A Mitsubishi UFJ executive said in a briefing that the lender would explore further acquisition opportunities in Southeast Asia. MUFG Bank will hold 25% of HC Philippines, and ADMF will hold 10% of HC Indonesia shares.

☆ Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ to buy two Asia units of Home Credit for $596 mln
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Makiko Yamazaki | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (8306.T) said on Thursday it would buy the Philippines and Indonesian units of Dutch consumer finance company Home Credit Group BV for about 596 million euros ($621 million). The acquisitions will be made through Japanese unit MUFG Bank, Thai unit Bank of Ayudhya PCL (BAY) (BAY.BK), and Indonesian unit Adira Dinamika Multi Finance (ADMF), with the deal to be completed within 2023, the company said. Home Credit (HC) is controlled by the Czech Republic's biggest investment group, PPF, which was founded by late billionaire Petr Kellner. read moreAfter the completion of the deal, Bank of Ayudhya will hold 75% of the shares of HC Philippines and 75% of the shares of HC Indonesia. MUFG Bank will hold 25% of HC Philippines, and ADMF will hold 10% of HC Indonesia shares.

Restrictions in Beijing and elsewhere tightened further on Tuesday, though currency traders seemed to think the previous day's moves were sufficient. In Europe on Tuesday, data from the European Central Bank showed the euro zone's current account deficit narrowed in September. In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin fell to a new two-year low of $15,479 on Monday, another victim of Monday's rush to the dollar, and also amid jitters about the health of crypto broker Genesis. The lending unit suspended redemptions last week, citing fallout from the collapse of FTX, which filed for bankruptcy on November 11. Reporting by Rae Wee and Alun John; editing by Kim Coghill, Jason Neely and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"What's going on in China is going to take centre stage," said Joseph Capurso, head of international and sustainable economics at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. MUFG analysts noted that more cautious remarks from Fed officials were also been a factor in the dollar losing some momentum on Tuesday. The major factor driving dollar moves in recent months has been market expectations of how aggressively the Federal Reserve will raise rates. The dollar fell 0.5% on the offshore yuan to 7.1412, having gained 0.7% overnight. The lending unit suspended redemptions last week, citing fallout from the collapse of FTX, which filed for bankruptcy on Nov 11.

☆ Everyone from the vet to the barber is hiking prices. And there’s no relief in sight
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

And that’s exactly where inflation can get “sticky,” meaning once prices for services rise they tend to remain at those levels for some time. “When you have strong price pressures in the services sector, they’re likely to last longer,” Nicaj said. That’s the risk that you also take as a business raising prices, because you may lose clients.”To Ryczko, it’s a strategic balancing act. Courtesy Genora Boykins and Sharon Owens“I don’t know of any goods that we are utilizing that haven’t increased in cost,” Boykins said. “Even if it doesn’t necessarily turn around, at least you don’t want [prices] to continue to escalate month after month after month.”

☆ China leaves lending benchmarks unchanged for 3rd straight month in Nov
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SHANGHAI, Nov 21 (Reuters) - China kept its benchmark lending rates unchanged for the third straight month on Monday, as a weaker yuan and persistent capital outflows continued to limit Beijing's ability to ease monetary conditions to support the economy. As expected, the one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was kept at 3.65%, while the five-year LPR was unchanged at 4.30%. The latest official data showed that overseas investors had sold their holdings of China's onshore bonds for a ninth straight month in October, the longest streak of outflows on record. "We think there's probability to lower the 5-year LPR in December due to the downturn in the property market," said Xing Zhaopeng, senior China strategist at ANZ. Most new and outstanding loans in China are based on the one-year LPR, while the five-year rate influences the pricing of mortgages.

☆ Kraken exec Ankur Ranshid just exited the high-profile crypto exchange. Here's why he left, and exclusive details on his new a16z-backed gig's $200 million funding round.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Matter Labs announced a $200 million Series C round, led by Blockchain Capital and Dragonfly. Kraken, which has a reported valuation of $10.8 billion, is trying to fill C-suite-level roles such as chief product officer, chief commercial officer, chief technology officer, and a chief compliance officer, Forbes reported last month. (The firm, however, told Insider in an email that the only existing vacant C-suite positions were chief product officer and chief compliance offer. Matter Labs' $200 million raiseFounded in 2018, Matter Labs is best known for developing a scaling protocol, or zero-knowledge rollup called zkSync. Matter Labs says nothing about the company's funding round or executive appointment has changed following this news.

[1/2] The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, November 14, 2022. As soon as these numbers can start coming down, even if it's a slow walkdown in inflation, the market will be relieved." MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe (.MIWD00000PUS) gained 1.55%, while its emerging markets index (.MSCIEF) rose 2.35%. The pull-back we've seen, the dollar sells off last week sharply, some of the currencies were three standard deviation moves." Data out on Tuesday showed that the British unemployment rate rose in September.

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