DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Bitcoin could more than double and hit a new record high next year as the token sees a big shakeup, blockchain exec says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Bitcoin could hit a new record high next year, said Bob Ras, cofounder of blockchain firm Sologenic. He cited bitcoin halving, which will reduce mining rewards and supply of the token. The banking crisis and expectations that the Fed will start easing may also lift bitcoin, he added. "When bitcoin's halving kicks in a year from now, we'll likely be well on our way past the previous all-time high," Ras told Insider. Meanwhile, bitcoin appears to be front-running the belief that looser policy from the Federal Reserve is on the way, Ras explained.

We're buying 45 shares of Morgan Stanley (MS), at roughly $84.29 apiece. Following Friday's trade, Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust will own 1,400 shares of MS, increasing its weighting in the portfolio to 4.35% from 4.21%. Morgan Stanley has dropped 6% since its April 28, even with Friday's roughly 2% advance in the broader stock market rally. Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty ImagesWe're buying 45 shares of Morgan Stanley (MS), at roughly $84.29 apiece. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Morgan Stanley YTD performance

☆ Shares rise, dollar weakens on bank sector fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SINGAPORE, May 5 (Reuters) - Asian stocks rose, the dollar eased and gold hovered around its record highs on Friday, as jittery investors remained nervous about the U.S. banking sector following another rout in shares of regional lenders. Wall Street ended lower on Thursday after Los Angeles-based PacWest Bancorp's (PACW.O) move to explore strategic options deepened fears about the health of U.S. lenders as pressure grows on regulators to take more steps to shore up the country's banking sector. Shares of U.S. regional banks sank this week in the wake of the collapse of First Republic Bank over the weekend that has brought back fears of a financial sector crisis. The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised interest rates by 25 basis points, but hinted that its marathon hiking cycle may be ending. China shares (.SSEC) rose 0.21%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index (.HSI) was up 0.6%, helping lift the region's shares.

☆ US regional lenders eke out gains after brutal sell-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Shares of U.S. regional lenders rose in premarket trading on Friday following a brutal sell-off during the week that saw First Republic Bank collapse and peer PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) explore strategic options. The KBW Regional Banking Index (.KRX) has plunged about 31% this year as the sector grapples with deepening investor concerns with billions in market value wiped in recent weeks. PacWest, whose shares have plummeted 86% this year, said late on Wednesday it was in talks with potential partners and investors as it weighs strategic options. Shares of the bank plunged to close down 33%. Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Amruta Khandekar Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Gold flat; set for weekly jump on hopes of Fed pause, banking woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bars of gold are seen at the Krastsvetmet company, one of the world's largest producers of precious metals in Moscow, Russia on January 31, 2023. Gold prices were flat on Friday but are set for their biggest weekly gain in nearly two months, as hopes of a pause in the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate hike cycle and banking worries in the country bolstered the safe-haven metal's appeal. Spot gold was little changed at $2,050.63 per ounce as of 0349 GMT, but was up 3% for the week. Mounting risks to the U.S. economy have also supported strong investor demand into gold as they sought haven assets, ANZ said in a note. The dollar index was set for a weekly drop, making gold more attractive for overseas buyers.

☆ Republic First Bancorp cuts jobs in preparation to exit mortgage business
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Republic First Bancorp (FRBK.O) said on Friday it cut jobs in its commercial lending unit as the lender prepares to exit its mortgage origination business. The Philadelphia-based regional bank said high costs of running a mortgage origination platform were not allowing it to improve its profitability and sharpen focus on core businesses. The layoffs will affect employees of its lending and credit teams in New York, the bank said. Major U.S. lender Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) also said in January it would slim down its mortgage business. Deposit balances at Republic First fell 2.7% in the first quarter, but grew between March 31 and April 30, the company reported earlier this week.

☆ Yen set to snap 3-week losing streak on bank jitters, dollar slides
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Although ECB President Christine Lagarde signalled more tightening to come, markets pared back their expectations on how much further rates would rise. Traders have since priced in more aggressive rate cuts from the Fed, with Fed funds futures implying a small chance that cuts could come as soon as June and through to the end of the year. The Aussie and the kiwi were among the largest beneficiaries of the sliding dollar, each rising more than 0.5% and touching multi-week highs. "For the Fed's June decision, inflation data and employment indicators ... along with bank lending standards will be key to watch. The Australian dollar was last up 0.62% at $0.6735, after touching a two-week peak earlier in the session.

The latest case in point: The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) chose JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) as the winning bidder in an auction to buy collapsed lender First Republic Bank on Monday. FDIC officials, however, say would-be buyers risk losing out if they allow the value of an acquisition target to deteriorate over time while waiting for an FDIC receivership. SWEETENERSU.S. bank mergers were already sluggish as interest rates rose and recession loomed, analysts at Raymond James wrote in an Apr. The first quarter was the quietest opening to a year for bank deals in a generation, they said. Market volatility stops bank buyers from pulling together enough money to cover writedowns on struggling assets, which would be triggered by a traditional acquisition, said David Sandler, co-head of financial services investment banking at Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR.N).

☆ Oil ticks up, but set for third week of losses over demand concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices rose slightly in Asian morning trade on Friday, but were set for a third straight week of losses after markets witnessed dramatic drops on fears of a weakening U.S. economy and slowing Chinese demand. For the week, Brent was set to close down 8.5%, while WTI was set to close 10.3% lower. "It has been a double whammy for oil prices," said Jun Rong Yeap, a market strategist at IG in Singapore. In China, factory activity unexpectedly contracted in April as orders fell and poor domestic demand dragged on the sprawling manufacturing sector. Service activity in China grew through April, though the rate of this expansion has slowed, data showed on Friday.

☆ Short sellers pocketed nearly $400 million in a single day from the regional bank stock sell-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Short sellers made $378.9 million in just one day betting against embattled regional banks, data show. Such traders have been selling borrowed bank stocks before buying them back at lower levels once their price falls. Traders profited as fresh turmoil embroiled regional banks this week following First Republic's failure and its takeover by JPMorgan. According to ORTEX, short sellers have made $816 million from the three bank stocks since the start of the year. Last month, ORTEX reported that short bets against Canada's Toronto-Dominion had swollen to $6.1 billion, having become the world's most shorted bank in early April.

☆ Yen set to snap 3-week losing streak on bank jitters, dollar slips
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A bundle of Japanese 10,000 yen banknotes on a tray arranged at a branch of Resona Bank Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan. "The Japanese yen has slowly gained back its appeal of safe haven status, and has definitely been supported by concerns about U.S. regional banks and the associated safe-haven demand," Kong said. A deepening crisis across U.S. regional banks have kept investors on tenterhooks, with pressure growing on U.S. regulators to take more steps to shore up the sector. "For the Fed's June decision, inflation data and employment indicators ... along with bank lending standards will be key to watch. Down Under, the Australian dollar rose 0.26% to $0.6711, while the kiwi NZD=D3 touched a three-week high of $0.6311.

☆ Regional bank stocks could be a market afterthought in the week ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Scott Schnipper | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

For the immediate economic and earnings and growth outlook, it almost seems irrelevant whether regional bank stocks rally, steady or sell off more next week. Regional banks were top of mind for investors this past week, as First Republic failed , the SPDR S & P Regional Banking ETF tumbled more than 10% — twice the five-day loss in the S & P 500 Energy Index, the hardest hit S & P sector — and lenders such as PacWest Bancorp and Western Alliance Bancorp lost billions in market value. And, for all that, the S & P 500 only fell about 0.75% this week. Now the conventional wisdom on Wall Street is that regardless of how the regional bank stocks trade, it's a given that bank lending officers are going to pull in their horns and risk management desks will grow more risk averse. But stocks still face a host of issues, none of which are going away next week.

☆ U.S. bankers urge SEC to probe short sales, reduce 'abusive' trading
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We urge the SEC to consider all its existing tools and to take measures to reduce the avenues for abusive trading practices and restore investor confidence," the group said. "These measures include, at a minimum, a clear message and appropriate enforcement actions against market manipulation and other abusive short selling practices." Short sellers raked in $378.9 million in paper profits on Thursday alone from betting against certain regional banks, according to analytics firm Ortex. ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols told Gensler that short selling could be a legitimate financial tool, but his group was "unalterably opposed to short selling practices that distort the markets through manipulation and abuse." He called on Gensler to send a clear message to market players and take appropriate enforcement action against market manipulation and other abusive short selling practices.

☆ The stock market could become 'untouchable' if the regional banking crisis continues to spiral, Fundstrat says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The stock market could become "untouchable" if the regional banking crisis continues to spiral out of control. "This raises too many tail risk issues including credit tightening, commercial real estate, and wide economic implications," Lee said. Lee's cause for concern about the banking crisis and the chilling effect it could have on the stock market is based on the type of risks that could percolate if the instability continues. "This raises too many tail risk issues including credit tightening, commercial real estate and wide economic implications," Lee explained. The SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF surged more than 6% on Friday, suggesting that the regional banking crisis could ultimately be contained without spilling over into a bigger problem for the stock market.

☆ Oil heads for third straight weekly loss as economic worries persist
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Arathy Somasekhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Oil prices held steady in early trading on Friday, but were set for a third straight week of losses after markets witnessed dramatic drops on fears of a weakening U.S. economy and slowing Chinese demand. For the week, Brent was set to close down 8.7%, while WTI was set to close 10.5% lower. Worries of a U.S. regional banking crisis persisted, worrying markets further, after PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) said it planned to explore strategic options. Traders are now focused on the release of U.S. employment data for April later in the day, hoping it could help gauge the health of the economy, as well as comments on monetary policy from St. Louis Fed President James Bullard and Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari at the Economic Club of Minnesota. Reporting by Arathy Somasekhar; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Treasury yields climb ahead of key jobs report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

ET, the yield on the 10-year Treasury was up by around three basis points to 3.3823%. The 2-year Treasury was last trading at 3.8022% after rising by over seven basis points, recouping some of Thursday's losses . U.S. Treasury yields rose on Friday as investors awaited key labor market data and assessed the outlook for the economy, and especially the financial sector. Treasury yields had declined on Thursday as concerns about a banking crisis re-emerged, prompting many investors to seek out traditionally safer assets like government bonds. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones are expecting the report to show that 180,000 jobs have been added and the unemployment rate to have risen to 3.6%.

The Labor Department's report showed non-farm payrolls increased by 253,000 last month, higher than economists' expectations of 180,000. "This is a strong report and shows that the labor market is resilient. "It's been a tough week for the stock market, the regional banking problems have raised the fear factor, but Apple earnings came in strong. The S&P 500 has gained nearly 6% so far this year, while the S&P 500 Banks index (.SPXBK) and KBW Regional Banking index (.KRX) have lost 17% and 31%, respectively. ET, Dow e-minis were up 222 points, or 0.67%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 33.5 points, or 0.82%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 87 points, or 0.67%.

☆ PacWest and the Bank Confidence Genie
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Aaron Back | Telis Demos | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The FDIC seized First Republic Bank early Monday and struck a deal to sell the bulk of its operations to JPMorgan Chase. WSJ’s Ben Eisen explains what led to the bank’s failure and what it means for customers, investors and the industry. Illustration: Preston JesseePacWest Bancorp is the latest lender to face an investor panic. What is becoming clear is that investors aren’t willing to give some banks much credit beyond the bare minimum. The immediate trigger for Thursday’s selloff in PacWest and other regional bank stocks appeared to be a Bloomberg story Wednesday afternoon saying the California lender is looking at “strategic options,” including a sale or breakup.

☆ Regional-Bank Shares Dive as Investors Fret About Contagion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Gina Heeb | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WSJ’s Ben Eisen explains what led to First Republic Bank’s failure and what it means for customers, investors and the industry. Illustration: Preston JesseeRegional-bank stocks tumbled Thursday morning despite assurances from the Federal Reserve that the banking system is on solid footing. PacWest Bancorp , which has been hit hard since regional banks started wavering in March, fell a record 42% after the market opened. The stock started falling in after-hours trading Wednesday evening, after a report that it was considering selling itself.

☆ Dollar gains, euro dips after cautious ECB
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Karen Brettell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, May 4 (Reuters) - The dollar gained against the euro after the European Central Bank eased its pace of rate hikes, a day after the Federal Reserve hiked rates by 25 basis points and indicated that it may pause further increases. The Fed on Wednesday dropped from its policy statement language saying that it "anticipates" further rate increases would be needed. The dollar index was last up 0.30% on the day at 101.52. The greenback was last down 0.17% against the Norwegian crown at 10.73 after Norway's central bank raised interest rates by 25 basis points as expected. ========================================================Currency bid prices at 10:18AM (1418 GMT)Reporting by Rae Wee Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ SNAPSHOT Wall St opens lower as PacWest woes offset Fed optimism
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 4 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks opened lower on Thursday after PacWest Bancorp's move to explore strategic options deepened concerns about the health of regional banks, countering optimism from the Federal Reserve signaling a likely pause in interest rate hikes. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) fell 66.46 points, or 0.20%, at the open to 33,347.78. The S&P 500 (.SPX) opened lower by 8.20 points, or 0.20%, at 4,082.55, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) dropped 27.99 points, or 0.23%, to 11,997.34 at the opening bell. Reporting by Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Euro falls after dovish ECB
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Alun John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The ECB eased the pace of its interest rate hikes on Thursday with a 25-basis-point increase to its three policy rates, the smallest since it started lifting them last summer. "The ECB is clearly striking a more balanced tone and the market is pricing a bit of that, the euro is depreciating and pricing for interest rate hikes at future meetings is coming down, but just a little bit." The Fed has guided markets away from the possibility of rate cuts this year, though markets are pricing them in nonetheless. The Norwegian crown took a short trip after Norway's central bank raised interest rates by 25 basis points as expected. It initially softened sharply against the euro and dollar, but recovered.

The narrowing rate differentials between the U.S. and Europe, as markets price in more European rate increases than in the U.S., has been boosting European currencies in recent months. The Fed has guided markets away from the possibility of rate cuts this year, though markets are pricing them in nonetheless. The European Central Bank announces its rate decision later in the day. "So I think central banks, including the Fed, are at or very near the peak in their cash rates." The Norwegian crown took a short trip after Norway's central bank raised interest rates by 25 basis points as expected.

In theory, that should be welcome news for stocks and other so-called risk assets, which wilted under the barrage of hikes last year. Yet some investors worry this year's 6.5% rebound in the S&P 500 has made equities expensive. Many are also wary that the Fed's rate hikes may precipitate a recession later this year. Stocks fell on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 ending down 0.7%, after the Fed's latest policy decision in which the central bank also raised rates by 25 basis points, as markets expected. Friday's U.S. employment report and next week's consumer price index data may give investors a sense of how deeply the Fed's rate hikes have seeped into the economy.

☆ US regional bank PacWest says in talks with potential partners, investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 4 (Reuters) - PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) said on Thursday that it has been approached by several potential partners and investors, and that those talks are ongoing as it continues to evaluate all options to maximize shareholder value. The Los Angeles-based lender said it has explored strategic asset sales, including moving its $2.7 billion lender finance loan portfolio to held-for-sale. PacWest said its cash and available liquidity remains "solid" and has exceeded its uninsured deposits, representing 188% as of May 2. The bank said it has not experienced out-of-the-ordinary deposit flows following the sale of First Republic Bank to JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N). PacWest's core customer deposits increased since March 31, with deposits totaling $28 billion as of May 2, the company said in a statement.

Search resuls for: "T Bancorp"

25 mentions found