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[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the banking crisis after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank, in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. March 13, 2023. Germany's Commerzbank (CBKG.DE) fell as much as 12.7%, while Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) hit a new record low after falling more than 15%. Dowding said he did not think that a lot of the issues affecting U.S. banks would be present in European lenders. It said Silicon Valley Bank UK had loans of around 5.5 billion pounds and deposits of around 6.7 billion pounds as of March 10. U.S. banks lost more than $100 billion in stock market value late last week following SVB's failure, while European banks have now lost a similar amount, a Reuters calculation showed.

☆ Euro area bond yields tumble as SVB collapse scares investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Stefano Rebaudo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

March 13 (Reuters) - Government bond yields fell on Monday as investors rushed into safe-haven assets while assessing the possible fallout from Silicon Valley Bank's (SVB) collapse amid bets on less aggressive tightening from the U.S. Federal Reserve. The European Central Bank is not planning an emergency meeting of its banking supervisory board on Monday after the collapse of SVB, a senior source told Reuters. European stocks fell on Monday and were on course for their worst day in almost three months, as the region's banking shares continued to tumble. Fed funds futures showed traders scaled back their projections for the Fed's next rate rise, but markets still bet on a less than 50% chance of a 25 bps rate hike next week. ESTR forwards currently imply an 80% chance of a 50 bps rate hike next week.

☆ Bundesbank convenes crisis team to assess SVB fallout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FRANKFURT, March 13 (Reuters) - The Bundesbank convened its crisis team on Monday to assess the possible fallout of the collapse of U.S. lender Silicon Valley Bank on the local market, even as no emergency action was foreseen in Europe. U.S. authorities launched emergency measures on Sunday to shore up confidence in the banking system after the failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O) threatened to trigger a broader financial crisis. In the euro zone decisions are made by national supervisors for smaller banks and by the European Central Bank's Single Supervisory Board for large ones. He also noted euro zone banks generally had a more conservative mix of assets than Silicon Valley Bank, which mostly lent to risky tech startups. The source saw no direct implication of the SVB collapse for euro zone banks but cautioned this could change if the fallout in the United States extended to bigger banks, raising the risk of contagion.

Earlier in the day, Japan's Topix bank index (.IBNKS.T) lost 4%, while Singapore's largest banks also lost ground, down over 1%. The U.S. government stepped in on Sunday with a series of emergency measures to shore up confidence in the banking system following the failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) (SIVB.O), which marked the biggest U.S. bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis. Smaller banks remained under pressure with U.S. private bank First Republic Bank (FRC.N) plunging around 50% in pre market, and PacWest (PACW.O) down around 26%. U.S. banks lost over $100 billion in stock market value late last week following the collapse, while European banks lost around another $50 billion in value, according to a Reuters calculation. U.S. state regulators on Sunday also closed New York-based Signature Bank (SBNY.O), which became the next casualty of the banking turmoil after SVB.

☆ "Calm down!" EU finance ministers play down SVB contagion despite banking shares rout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies European bank shares down nearly 10% over two daysMinisters try to soothe markets as investors dump bank stocksFrance's Le Maire: "calm down!" BRUSSELS, March 13 (Reuters) - European finance ministers and the EU's economics commissioner played down the contagion risk of the collapse of U.S. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) while European bank shares saw their biggest rout since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. At the start of a Eurogroup finance ministers meeting in Brussels, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called on markets to "calm down" and European Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni stressed he did not see a risk of contagion for European banks following SVB's collapse (SIVB.O). France's Le Maire and his Belgian counterpart Vincent Van Peteghem also said they saw no specific concern for their country's banks, as investors were dumping their financial institutions' shares. Belgian finance minister Vincent Van Peteghem also poured oil on the waters.

Big investors including Kyle Bass and Bill Ackman argue the government must take quick action to avoid Silicon Valley Bank's collapse sparking more widespread withdrawals in the banking system. That could be determined by how hard the world's central banks continue to push interest rates higher. The market is signaling contagion could factor into the Fed's calculus, possibly prompting it to slow down the pace of interest rate hikes. Silicon Valley Financial Group was deeply woven into the fabric of the technology industry. Bass and Ackman separately warned that the government would have to move quickly in resolving Silicon Valley Bank to assure depositors.

The S&P 500 banks index (.SPXBK) dropped 6.6% on Thursday and was set to open lower again on Friday. The crisis at SVG was feeding growing investor concerns that banks will be vulnerable to the rising cost of money. In an unusual step, Commerzbank, one of Germany's largest banks, issued a statement, playing down any threat from SVB, saying it did not see "a corresponding risk for us". "The market is treating this as a potential contagion risk," said Antoine Bouvet, senior rates strategist at ING in London. A spike in interest rates has led to a sell-off in bonds, leaving banks exposed to potential losses on the securities they hold.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) fell 1.7% on broad-based losses, with HSBC (HSBA.L), Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE), Barclays (BARC.L), Unicredit (CRDI.MI) and Commerzbank (CBKG.DE) down between 2.7% and 7.2%. If it can happen to a U.S. bank, it could potentially happen to a bank in Europe as well." Next week, the focus is likely to be on the European Central Bank which is expected to hike its key lending rate by 50 bps. Daimler Truck (DTGGe.DE) added 3.5% on dividend payment plans after hitting its 2022 targets and forecasting higher earnings and revenue this year. Reporting by Susan Mathew and Medha Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ European banking stocks sink as Silicon Valley Bank jitters spread
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

European banking stocks sold off sharply in early trade Friday as jitters surrounding U.S. bank SVB Financial — which plunged 60% Thursday — spread around the world. It followed an announcement by the tech-focused lender of a capital raise to help offset bond sale losses. The Euro Stoxx Banks index was on pace for its worst day since June, led by a decline of more-than 8% for Deutsche Bank . Silicon Valley Bank caters heavily to startup firms, particularly venture-backed tech and life sciences companies in the U.S. "If private capital can't provide a solution, a highly dilutive gov't preferred bailout should be considered."

☆ Analysis: Wage catch-up to prolong Europe's inflation battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Balazs Koranyi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"Part of the wage increase is understandable," said Jens Ulbrich, chief economist at Germany's Bundesbank. Yet the rapid wage growth underway now will hamper the European Central Bank's efforts to get inflation back to its 2% target, and possibly force it to keep interest rates high for longer. "We are taking a first step, but much more is needed to reverse the years of lopsided wage growth," Kager added. "The inflation trend, food and especially energy prices are tearing deep holes in our workers' budgets," ver.di Chairman Frank Werneke said. "The high levels of wage growth projected for 2023 and 2024 can be expected to make wages an increasingly dominant driver of underlying inflation in the euro area," Lane says.

[1/2] European Central Bank and SVB (Silicon Valley Bank) logos are seen in this illustration taken March 10, 2023. SVB, which does business as Silicon Valley Bank, was not immediately available for comment. "Silicon Valley Bank is shedding light on vulnerabilities across the US banking sector, primarily in the bond holdings that many large institutions hold," said Karl Schamotta, Chief Market Strategist at Corpay. “The current liquidity run on Silicon Valley Bank is having a knock-on effect on the wider banking system," said Rick Seehra, Prudential Lead at Bovill. But banking experts said SVB's issues were unique and the worries about the broader sector were not warranted.

☆ SVB collapse a sign of pain coming from end of easy-cash era
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

LONDON, March 10 (Reuters) - The easy-cash era is over and its impact is only just starting to felt by world markets yet to see the end of the sharpest interest rate hiking cycle in decades. European banks slid on Friday after JPMorgan (JPM.N) and BofA (BAC.N) shares fell over 5% on Thursday. BofA noted European banks' bond holdings have not grown since 2015. And with defaults rising, the focus is on the less visible private debt markets, which have ballooned to $1.4 trillion from $250 billion in 2010. Reuters Graphics5/FOR SALEReal estate markets started cracking last year and house prices will fall further this year.

"(But) it feels like I should keep some dollars on hand, as the yuan will depreciate further." Others anticipating a bumpy ride ahead for the Chinese currency include China Southern Airlines (600029.SS). Such moves are perhaps not surprising given yuan volatility since Beijing suddenly unwound its zero-COVID strategy. "Overall, yuan exchange rate will remain basically stable at reasonable levels," he added at a March 3. news briefing. ($1 = 6.9009 Chinese yuan)Writing by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Vidya Ranganathan and Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Despite relief measures, energy prices in February were 19.1% higher on the year, while food prices were 21.8% higher, it said. The first one was driven by energy prices and the second one by material inputs, which are not ebbing. While energy prices were keeping headline inflation high, wage growth will show its impact in core inflation, which will remain stubbornly high, Brzeski said. "Hence, a stepdown to a 25bp pace of hikes could be delayed, which would also push the terminal rate higher." "The interest rate step announced for March will not be the last," Nagel said in a speech.

U.S. interest rates though are expected to remain higher for longer. Data showing U.S. pending home sales posting their largest gain in 2-1/2 years failed to lift the dollar, however. Traders now expect the Fed to raise interest rates to around 5.4% by the September meeting, according to pricing in rate futures markets . At the beginning of February, they envisaged rates rising to a peak of just 4.9%. "Whereas headline rates are falling, the trend of rising core inflation rates has been unbroken," he said.

☆ German companies are more resilient than most think, Commerzbank CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailGerman companies are more resilient than most think, Commerzbank CEO saysManfred Knof, CEO of Commerzbank, joins CNBC in an exclusive interview to discuss Commerzbank re-joining the DAX after four years gone from the German index.

☆ Germany's Commerzbank makes DAX comeback
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Germany's Commerzbank (CBKG.DE) rejoined the DAX index on Monday, marking a comeback for Germany's No. "We have come to stay," Commerzbank CEO Manfred Knof said before ringing the opening bell at the Frankfurt stock exchange. "The return of Commerzbank is a good signal for the German banking market." Following Wirecard's demise, Deutsche Boerse AG, which compiles the DAX index, revamped it to include 40 companies, rather than the previous 30, and made membership criteria tougher. Other members include Siemens AG, Volkswagen AG, and Allianz SE.

☆ European shares kicks off week on solid footing, all sectors rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The blue-chip index (.STOXX) added 0.9%. It fell 1.4% last week after hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data fuelled bets that the Federal Reserve would continue to raise rates. European retailers (.SXRP) rose 1.1%, led by a 3.1% increase in shares of Hennes & Mauritz (HMb.ST). Mould highlighted that consumer spending has been buttressed by gas prices coming down and help from government-support schemes across the single-currency bloc. Dechra Pharmaceuticals (DPH.L) tumbled 15.5%, to the bottom of the STOXX 600, as the veterinary drugs maker warned its full-year operating profit would be at the lower end of analysts' expectations.

☆ German inflation remains high at start of year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Maria Martinez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Compared with December, prices increased by 0.5%, it added, confirming preliminary data on both a monthly and annual basis. "Following a slowdown at the end of last year, the inflation rate thus remains at a high level," said Ruth Brand, president of the German statistics office. Excluding energy prices, the inflation rate stood at 7.2% in January. "The rate of food price increase thus was more than twice the overall inflation rate again," the statistics office said. Prices of goods were up 12.7% on year in January and services prices increased 4.5% on year.

Pliant is a Berlin fintech that provides businesses with corporate credit cards. The startup just raised a $28 million Series A, which was led by SBI Investment. Pliant is a Berlin fintech that offers small and midsize businesses corporate credit cards. The company now has a five-figure number of credit cards in circulation across more than 1,500 small and midsize businesses, Rau added. It recently raised a $28 million Series A financing round, which was led by the Japanese venture-capital firm SBI Investment.

☆ In comeback, Commerzbank to join Germany's DAX blue-chip index
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A company logo is pictured at the headquarters of Germany's Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt, Germany, February 13, 2020. REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski/File PhotoFRANKFURT, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Germany's Commerzbank (CBKG.DE) will rejoin the DAX index on Feb. 27, Deutsche Boerse (DB1Gn.DE) announced late on Friday, marking a comeback for Germany's No. "This shows that we are on the right track with our restructuring - and spurs us on to continue with the same energy," Commerzbank AG said on Twitter in response to the announcement. Following Wirecard's demise, Deutsche Boerse AG, which compiles the DAX index, revamped it to include 40 companies, rather than the previous 30, and made membership criteria tougher. Other members include Siemens AG, Volkswagen AG, and Allianz SE.

The bank said it would aim for a 2023 result that is "well above" 2022, helped by higher interest rates, despite "another demanding year in view of the challenging environment". Reuters GraphicsNet profit of 472 million euros ($505.3 million) in the quarter was higher than 421 million euros a year earlier. It was well above average analyst expectations of 350 million euros, according to a consensus forecast published by Commerzbank. For the full year, Commerzbank generated net profit of 1.435 billion euros, up from 430 million euros a year earlier, and better than expectations for around 1.359 billion. Commerzbank forecast net interest income "well above" 6.5 billion euros for 2023, "with clear additional upside potential".

☆ German EU-harmonised January consumer prices rise 9.2% y/y
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Maria Martinez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Harmonised German consumer prices in Jan rise 9.2% y/yDownward trend in inflation expected to continue - CommerzbankCore inflation forecast to remain high, economists sayBERLIN, Feb 9 (Reuters) - German consumer prices, harmonised to compare with other European Union countries, rose by a less-than-anticipated 9.2% on the year in January, preliminary data from the federal statistics office showed on Thursday. According to non-harmonised standards, German consumer prices rose 8.7% on year in January and 1.0% on the month. "Because core inflation will remain high in 2023, a fundamental easing of inflation is not in sight," said Alexander Krueger, chief economist at Hauck Aufhaeuser Lampe Privatbank. The final results for January and all results recalculated from January 2020 onwards using the new 2020 base year will be published by the statistics office on Feb. 22. The statistics office offers a breakdown for January's figures on its website.

☆ Dollar rally pauses ahead of Powell speech; Aussie lifted by hawkish RBA
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of six rivals, made a brief breach of Monday's one-month highs, and was last trading at 103.52, roughly flat on the day. Sterling was last 0.1% higher against the dollar at $1.20275, after tumbling to a one-month low of $1.2006 in the previous session. In Asia, the Japanese yen attempted to make back Monday's losses, with the dollar-yen pair down 0.6% at $131.78, moving away from Monday's one-month low of 132.90 per dollar. A newspaper report on Monday said Japan's government has sounded out Bank of Japan (BOJ) Deputy Governor Masayoshi Amamiya to succeed incumbent Haruhiko Kuroda as central bank governor. Reporting by Rae Wee and Susan Mathew; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Kenneth Maxwell and Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Turkey's lira slips to fresh record low, stocks tumble
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Turkey's lira hit a fresh record low and its stock markets tumbled on Monday as a major earthquake added to pressures from a strong dollar, geopolitical risks and surprise inflation readings out of the country. The lira slipped to 18.85 , in early trade before retracing most of its losses. More than 500 people were killed and thousands injured on Monday, after a major earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck central Turkey and northwest Syria. But Turkey is feeling additional pressures. "A new window of FX volatility could be around the corner."

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