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☆ India's Kotak Mahindra Bank beats expectations with 26% net profit rise in Jan-March
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, April 29(Reuters) - India's Kotak Mahindra Bank (KTKM.NS) on Saturday reported a better-than-expected 26% increase in net profit for the January-March quarter, helped by higher net interest income and strong loan growth. The private lender's standalone net profit, excluding subsidiaries, rose to 34.96 billion rupees ($427.8 million) in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year from 27.67 billion rupees in the same period last year. The result beat analysts' forecast of 29.13 billion rupees, according to Refinitiv data. Net interest income - the difference between interest earned and interest expended - increased 35% to 61.03 billion rupees from 45.21 billion rupees a year ago. Thanks to strong credit growth, large private banks such as HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank reported a double-digit profit growth for the Jan-March quarter.

☆ India's Axis Bank reports wider-than-expected Q4 loss on Citi deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Axis reported a loss of 57.28 billion rupees ($700.1 million) for the three months ended March 31, compared to a profit of 41.18 billion rupees a year earlier. Analysts had forecast the bank to report a loss of 8.06 billion rupees, according to Refinitiv IBES data. It reported a standalone operating profit, which excludes provisions and contingencies, of 91.68 billion rupees, compared to 64.66 billion rupees a year earlier. The bank's net interest income, the difference between interest earned and expended, grew 33% to 117.42 billion rupees. Provision and contingencies for the quarter stood at 3.06 billion rupees, down from 9.87 billion rupees a year ago.

☆ Japan's SMFG boosts U.S. presence via bigger stake in Jefferies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 27 (Reuters) - Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (SMBC) said it will combine its U.S. equity and M&A business with Jefferies Financial Group Inc (JEF.N) as part of a deal in which its parent, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316.T), will boost its stake in the U.S firm and its presence in the country. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) will raise its stake in Jefferies from 4.5% currently to as much as 15%, giving it the right to nominate a member to the U.S. company's board of directors, the companies said in a joint statement on Thursday. Its SMBC Nikko Securities unit, formerly Citigroup Inc's (C.N) Japanese broker and a key investment banking unit that SMFG bought in 2009, has a limited footprint abroad. SMFG's bigger domestic rival, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (8306.T), has boosted its U.S. presence through a $9 billion investment in Morgan Stanley (MS.N) in 2008, which gave MUFG some 20% ownership of the Wall Street bank. The Financial Times first reported the news on SMBC and Jefferies.

HONG KONG, April 26 (Reuters) - Standard Chartered PLC (StanChart) (STAN.L) on Wednesday said first-quarter profit jumped 21%, beating expectations, as rising interest rates buoyed income from its cash management and retail banking businesses. The earnings update showed how rising central bank rates have boosted revenue, as StanChart charged borrowers more interest while not passing all of the increase to depositors. StanChart, which earns most of its revenue in Asia, said January-March statutory pretax profit reached $1.81 billion. That compared with $1.49 billion a year earlier and the $1.43 billion average of 14 analyst estimates compiled by the bank. The bank said it saw signs of stabilisation in China's troubled commercial real estate market, with no increase in credit impairment from the previous quarter.

☆ Mortgage demand rebounds, even as interest rates hit the highest level in over a month
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The recent softening in home prices may be helping homebuyers swallow higher mortgage rates. Total mortgage application volume rose 3.7% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index. "As a result of the higher yields, mortgage rates increased for the second straight week to their highest level in over a month." Despite higher rates, mortgage applications to buy a home, which had plummeted the week before, rose 5% last week. Mortgage rates fell slightly to start this week, as investors digested news of regional bank earnings as well as concern over the debt ceiling.

☆ Asia's richest banker will loom over his successor
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Shritama Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It will also be messy and is at odds with the regulator’s own aim to improve governance across the industry. Bosses of the country’s private-sector banks are allowed to stay in their jobs for up to 15 years. It is little surprise that more than 99% of investors voted for him to stay, per exchange filings published last week. If Kotak sits on the board, his successor - expected to be an insider – will effectively continue to work with his or her long-time boss. If things go wrong at Kotak, regulators may end up wondering who to blame.

☆ Senior Citi banker departs shortly after report of Epstein meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 25 (Reuters) - Citigroup (C.N) senior executive Paul Barrett has left the bank, it said on Tuesday, days after media reports that he met with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein while he was employed at rival JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) became public. "Until recently, Citi was unaware of Paul Barrett's association with Jeffrey Epstein, which predated his employment at our firm. Mr. Barrett is no longer employed by Citi," the bank said in a statement. JPMorgan, the largest U.S. bank, faces lawsuits seeking damages by women who claim that Epstein sexually abused them, and by the U.S. Virgin Islands, where the late financier had a home. Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru and Saeed Azhar in New York; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Indian shares set to open higher as strong earnings lift mood
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, April 24 (Reuters) - Indian shares were set to open higher on Monday as improved quarterly results from heavyweights Reliance Industries Ltd (RELI.NS) and ICICI Bank Ltd(ICBK.NS) eased some concerns over a lacklustre start to the earnings season. India's most valuable company, Reliance Industries reported 19% growth in fourth-quarter profit, aided by the strong performance in oil-to-chemicals (O2C) segment, post market hours on Friday. Private lender ICICI Bank posted a 30% jump in net profit in the March quarter, helped by improved net interest income and loan growth. The strong earnings of the two companies, which account for nearly 20% of the total weightage in Nifty 50, could improve the sentiment soured by the weak earnings and outlook of top information technology companies, analysts added. Stocks to Watch:** Yes Bank Ltd (YESB.NS): Lender's net profit slumps 45% in the March quarter on higher provisions.

☆ Dollar bonds of India's Adani Ports rise as company starts debt buyback
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUMBAI, April 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar-denominated bonds issued by India's Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSE.NS) rose on Monday, after the company commenced a cash tender offer for a buyback of securities. On Monday, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSE.NS), part of the beleaguered Adani Group, said it has floated a tender of up to $130 million of 3.375% 2024 maturity dollar-denominated bonds. The company has engaged Barclays Bank, DBS Bank, Emirates NBD Bank PJSC, First Abu Dhabi Bank, PJSC, MUFG Securities Asia Singapore Branch, SMBC Nikko Securities (Hong Kong) and StandardChartered Bank to serve as dealer managers for the offer. The dollar bonds of Adani Transmission (ADAI.NS), Adani Green Energy (ADNA.NS) and Adani Electricity Mumbai were trading mixed. However, India's market regulator is looking into Hindenburg's allegations as well as the group's related party dealings following a Supreme Court directive.

☆ India's ICICI Bank posts 30% jump in Q4 net profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUMBAI, April 22 (Reuters) - India's ICICI Bank (ICBK.NS) on Saturday reported a 30% increase in fourth-quarter net profit helped by improved net interest income and growth in loans. Standalone net profit rose to a record 91.22 billion Indian rupees ($1.11 billion) from 70.19 billion a year earlier. Net interest income, the difference between interest earned and paid, rose 40.2% to 176.67 billion rupees while the private lender's net interest margin widened to 4.90% from 4%. "At this point in time, we are very comfortable with our deposit growth," Executive Director Sandeep Batra told reporters on a conference call. "I do not think deposit growth will be a constraint to our ability to grow our assets in a risk-calibrated manner."

☆ India ICICI Bank’s net profit jumps 30% in January-March
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MUMBAI, April 22 (Reuters) - Indian private lender ICICI Bank (ICBK.NS) on Saturday reported a near 30% increase in net profit for the fiscal fourth quarter ending in March, on the back of improved net interest income and healthy loan growth. Standalone net profit for the quarter was 91.22 billion Indian rupees ($1.11 billion), up from 70.19 billion rupees in the same quarter a year earlier. Analysts had forecast the bank to report a net profit of 90.41 billion rupees, according to Refinitiv data. ($1 = 82.0300 Indian rupees)Reporting by Siddhi Nayak; editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Saudi stocks gain on rising oil prices; Qatar falls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Ateeq Shariff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 16 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's stock markets ended higher on Sunday after Friday's rise in oil prices, although the Qatari index extended losses for a second session. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) gained 0.6%, led by a 1.2% increase in Al Rajhi Bank (1120.SE), while oil giant Saudi Aramco (2223.SE) added 0.8%. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman launched on Thursday four new Special Economic Zones in Saudi Arabia, state media reported on Thursday after the market had closed, citing a statement. In Qatar, the index (.QSI) fell 0.4%, extending losses for a second session, with petrochemical maker Industries Qatar (IQCD.QA) losing 1.5%. Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan approves $13.5 bln Osaka resort, country's first casino
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The spinning wheel on a roulette table is seen at Japan Casino School in Tokyo, Japan August 4, 2018. U.S. casino operator MGM Resorts International (MGM.N) and local partner Orix Corp (8591.T) have spearheaded the Osaka IR project, with each owning a 40% stake in the company set up to manage the complex. The national government's decision came after the pro-casino Japan Innovation Party retained the prefectural governor and city mayor offices in Osaka on Sunday. Major casino operators Las Vegas Sands Corp (LVS.N), Caesars Entertainment Corp and Wynn Resorts Ltd (WYNN.O) withdrew from planned projects. The government on Friday said it would need more time to review the Nagasaki plan, led by Casinos Austria International.

☆ Japan approves Osaka as site of country's first casino
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The spinning wheel on a roulette table is seen at Japan Casino School in Tokyo, Japan August 4, 2018. Put forth by the city and Osaka prefecture, the project aims to open a casino, conference centre and other facilities in 2029 with 1.8 trillion yen ($13.5 billion) of initial investment. MUFG Bank (8306.T) and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (8316.T) will provide 550 billion yen in project financing for the resort, the document showed. The national government's decision came after the pro-casino Japan Innovation Party retained both the office of prefectural governor and city mayor in Osaka on Sunday. Japan's casino plans have faced a number of obstacles such as the coronavirus pandemic and a bribery scandal.

☆ U.S. banks that shored up First Republic pushed to boost reserves - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 11 (Reuters) - Several major U.S. banks who contributed a significant portion of the $30 billion in deposits to aid First Republic Bank (FRC.N) last month, are now planning to bolster their reserves by setting aside around $100 million each, Bloomberg reported. Banks' decision to strengthen their reserves is driven by accounting regulations that require provisions to be set aside for potential losses across various assets, the report addded. First Republic, Citi Bank and JPMorgan declined to comment on the report. Bank of America and Wells Fargo did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for a comment. Eleven lenders, including the eight members of the Financial Services Forum, threw First Republic a lifeline of a combined $30 billion in deposits last month.

TOKYO, April 10 (Reuters) - Japan's Mitsubishi Corp (8058.T) on Monday said that it and other shareholders of the Monsoon wind power project in Laos have raised $692 million in financing for the wind farm. Mitsubishi, Thai renewable energy firm BCPG Pcl, and other stakeholders secured the financing package from the Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and other lenders, the Japanese firm said. The project, which is set to sell power to Vietnam under a 25-year deal, will have 600 megawatts of installed capacity and should be launched in 2025. Its total costs stand at $950 million, according to Monsoon's website. Reporting by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Varun H KOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Top Wall Street analysts expect these five stocks to fetch attractive returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Tipranks.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Meta PlatformsWeakness in digital ad spending due to macro pressures has hit social media giant Meta Platforms (META) over the recent quarters. SoFi TechnologiesNext on our list is fintech firm SoFi Technologies (SOFI), which offers digital financial services to over 5.2 million members. The acquisition is expected to drive SoFi's mortgage growth and operational efficiencies and broaden its mortgage product offerings. (See SoFi Insider Trading Activity on TipRanks)PVHApparel company PVH (PVH), which owns popular brands like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, delivered better-than-expected results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022. The analyst sees "an attractive risk reward profile" in PVH stock based on the company's earnings growth potential and current valuation.

☆ A nonprofit just joined forces with a major student-loan lender in asking a federal court to end the payment pause, saying the relief has limited the 'financial incentive' to work in public service
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A nonprofit filed a lawsuit on Thursday to end Biden's student-loan payment pause and prevent another extension. It comes after SoFi Bank filed a lawsuit last month to end the payment pause. The lawsuit targets Biden's continued extensions of the student-loan payment pause, and it asks the federal court in the Eastern District of Michigan to end the current pause and prevent Biden from issuing a further extension. As a result, Biden extended the student-loan payment pause, with waived interest, through 60 days after June 30, or 60 days after the Supreme Court issues a final decision on the relief's legality, whichever happens first. The bank cited revenue loss that is said was directly caused by the continued payment pause extensions.

☆ A major student-loan lender is 'actively working to harm' millions of borrowers by trying to block Biden's debt relief, Elizabeth Warren and Ayanna Pressley say. They're demanding answers about this '
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In March, SoFi Bank filed a lawsuit to end the latest extension of the student-loan payment pause. SoFi argued in its complaint that it has suffered financial harm directly resulting from the payment pause. "Indeed, your company has thrived during the pandemic payment pause, and you have been richly rewarded. "SoFi's lawsuit against ED is a dangerous and cynical ploy to prevent millions of borrowers from obtaining relief," they added. Additionally, as Warren and Pressley referenced, the lawsuit was not entirely unexpected — Noto said in February that the latest payment pause extension will "subsidize people that don't need it."

☆ Analysis: Israel's tech sector reels from SVB collapse, proposed judicial reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

In an industry of around 400,000 there are currently around 6,000 vacant tech jobs, according to government data. More than half of the country's startups held an account with SVB, companies and venture capital investors said, in some cases their only U.S. banking facility although the amounts involved are not fully known. Tech companies and investors alike said SVB was a rarity in the banking industry, familiar with Israel's tech ecosystem and offering loan terms unmatched by other banks. Citing the judicial reforms, Adam Fisher, a partner at investment firm Bessemer Venture Partners, said fewer American banks may be willing to lend to Israeli companies, which means less competition and more onerous terms. Israel's tech companies are therefore likely to flock to register as U.S. companies, while keeping R&D back home, said Yaron Samid, managing partner of the TechAviv Founder Partners fund.

☆ HSBC spinoff: Bank's top execs face tense shareholders in Hong Kong calling for a breakup
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Quinn addressed those complaints head-on Monday, saying “our profits in Hong Kong and the UK are no longer being dragged down by underperformance elsewhere. Mark Tucker, chairman of HSBC, left, and Peter Wong, chairman of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, departing following the bank's shareholders meeting in Hong Kong on Monday. They argue that if the lender cordoned off its activities in Asia, it would no longer have to expose Hong Kong shareholders to requests in other jurisdictions. Christine Fong, a district council member in Hong Kong, said she represented about 500 small shareholders who had been affected by the dividend cancellation. An HSBC bank branch in Hong Kong last July.

☆ 'Sell into rallies': Morgan Stanley names the stocks to navigate current European banking jitters
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In the wake of recent market volatility and steep share price falls, Morgan Stanley cautioned that the European banking sector is "not as attractive as it was." Morgan Stanley strategists cautioned that although the banking sector is now cheaper, news flow surrounding earnings upgrades and cash return expectations may fade or reverse. On a top-down basis, Morgan Stanley recommended the following overweight-rated (a buy equivalent rating) stocks to navigate this environment with a defensive exposure. Stocks in traditionally defensive sectors, such as health care and utilities, are being recommended by Morgan Stanley. However, Morgan Stanley said the banking sector's problems have shifted this perspective, as the outperformance of European banks has been closely tied to the broader European market.

☆ Saudi National Bank chair resigns just days after Credit Suisse comments sparked sell-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Saudi National Bank (SNB) headquarters beyond the King Abdullah Financial District Conference Center in the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022. Saudi National Bank Chairman Ammar al-Khudairy resigned his post on Monday, days after his comments exacerbated the share collapse of troubled bank Credit Suisse . Al-Khudairy is stepping down "due to personal reasons," the bank said. The then-SNB chairman said the Saudi bank would not intercede "for many reasons outside the simplest reason, which is regulatory and statutory." The comments fueled investor panic, sinking Credit Suisse shares 24% during that session, despite effectively reiterating SNB's previous position that it did not intend to expand its holdings beyond its then 9.9% interest as Credit Suisse's largest shareholder.

☆ Credit Suisse investor’s exit will zip some lips
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The fate of Saudi National Bank’s (1180.SE) chairman may persuade other investors to maintain radio silence for a while. Asked by a television interviewer whether Saudi National Bank would invest more money into Credit Suisse, Al Khudairy replied “absolutely not”. Although SNB lost more than $1 billion on its Credit Suisse investment, Gulf investors are unlikely to stop investing in banks globally. Indeed, the Saudi bank was part of an investor group that proposed injecting around $5 billion into Credit Suisse as an alternative to the UBS deal, the Wall Street Journal reported. But big bank investors may avoid appearing on live television for a while.

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