DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ UK has little wiggle room on mortgage aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Francesco Guerrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, June 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under pressure to provide relief for mortgage borrowers buckling under soaring interest rates. The problem is that mortgage relief dilutes the Bank of England’s fight against inflation, which remained stubbornly high at 8.7% in May. The UK government is to meet mortgage lenders to discuss helping households struggling with their home loans, finance minister Jeremy Hunt told parliament on June 20. However, Hunt ruled out introducing state-backed support to help mortgage borrowers facing higher costs due to soaring interest rates. Hunt said that offering government mortgage relief would be inflationary.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, –, Jeremy Hunt, BoE, Hunt, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, UK Finance, Conservatives, Labour Party, Bank of England’s, Conservative Party, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: Spain, Poland

☆ Credibility crisis requires BoE to write new plot
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Francesco Guerrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

LONDON, June 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Since May 24, thousands of British people have had their homeowning dreams dashed by a sudden spike in mortgage rates. Unlike many other central banks, the BoE doesn’t provide its own forecasts of how consumer prices will evolve in coming years. The whiplash occurred because traders had to digest the inflation shock without any interest rate guidance from policymakers. Because most banks price home loans off those derivatives, it sent mortgage rates rocketing. The BoE announces its latest interest rate decision on June 22, with traders expecting a 25-basis-point hike, to 4.75%.

Persons: “, Paul Gascoigne, BoE, Andrew Bailey, That’s, Bailey, ”, Charles Goodhart, ’, apocryphally, Seneca, David Roberts, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Bank of England, Monetary, U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Reuters Graphics Reuters, MPC, Financial Times, Fed, Thomson Locations: policymaking, BoE’s

☆ Green alliance crisis is more than just a US drama
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Pamela Barbaglia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Back in March the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA) boasted 30 members, representing about 15% of global premium volume. Now the NZIA, a key financial forum for insurers to set decarbonisation targets and a part of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), has shrunk to just 13 companies. Even those who choose to stay in the NZIA risk losing business due to state politicians pursuing a “war on woke”. NZIA, part of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero set up by U.N. climate envoy Mark Carney, requires members to commit to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. In rapid succession Japanese insurers Sompo Holdings, MS&AD and Tokio Marine as well as Australia’s QBE Insurance quit the net-zero alliance in late May.

Persons: Beneva, Mark Carney, French reinsurer Scor, Lloyd’s, John Neal, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Global, United Nations, Zero Insurance, Glasgow Financial Alliance, Zero Banking Alliance, Alliance, European Union, Reuters Graphics Reuters, ”, Zurich Insurance, Munich Re, Hannover Re, Allianz, Axa, French, Sompo Holdings, Tokio Marine, QBE Insurance, Thomson Locations: United, United States, Germany, NZIA, Munich, Tokio, London

☆ Crypto is dead: long live crypto!
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Felix Martin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

The end of near-zero interest rates, quantitative easing and pandemic-era fiscal stimulus has sent prices crashing back to earth. Rising real interest rates have proved to be kryptonite for crypto, as for so many other speculative assets. The normalisation of interest rates may have done for crypto in its most recent incarnation as a get-rich-quick scheme. The proposition that the circulation of private currencies might be economically beneficial has also been around for a while. Nevertheless, history shows that for privately issued currencies to attain critical mass it has typically required more than just the availability of viable alternatives.

Persons: cryptocurrencies, Gary Gensler, noncompliance, Balaji Srinivasan, marc ”, Paul Krugman, Friedrich Hayek’s, Money ”, James Steuart, ”, Crypto, Long, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Coinbase, SEC, State, Brixton, counterparties, Central Bank of, Thomson Locations: Ithaca, Scottish, United States, Central Bank of Argentina

☆ Generali’s pounce may win over in-house sceptics
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The 29 billion euro Italian insurer on Thursday agreed to purchase Liberty Seguros, a group of European businesses, from U.S. insurer Liberty Mutual for 2.3 billion euros in cash. The Italian insurer’s largest acquisition since 2013 nearly exhausts its M&A firepower, which the group had assessed at between 2.5 billion euros and 3 billion euros. At 2.3 billion euros, or nearly two times its 1.2 billion euros of annual revenue, Liberty Seguros’ price tag does not look cheap. But the real price falls to 1.8 billion euros after factoring in around 500 million euros of cash expected from a sale of Brazilian assets announced earlier this year. Assuming three-quarters of these are cost cuts, they may be worth around 800 million euros once taxed at 25% and capitalised.

Persons: Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone, Philippe Donnet, Generali, Lisa Jucca, Pierre Briancon, Oliver Taslic Organizations: MILAN, Reuters, Liberty, Liberty Mutual, Axa, Allianz, Twitter, Thomson Locations: U.S, Italian, Iberia, Spain, Portugal, Europe, Cava

☆ New L&G CEO has ways to tackle Brexit discount
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Britain’s Legal & General (LGEN.L) is betting on an outsider to offset a valuation discount against non-UK rivals. The $17 billion insurer has picked Banco Santander’s (SAN.MC) regional head of Europe António Simões as its new CEO. The unit’s non-UK assets accounted for 43% of new money last year. The arrival of the Portuguese-born banker will cost L&G 1.175 million pounds in annual basic salary, 9% more than Wilson’s base pay. That adds pressure for Simões to tackle L&G’s Brexit valuation gap.

Persons: Nigel Wilson –, –, Simões, Assicurazioni, Wilson, Pamela Barbaglia, Lisa Jucca, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Banco Santander’s, Allianz, HSBC, HK, G Capital, Twitter, Bank, Thomson Locations: Europe, Zurich, London, Hong Kong, United States, Portuguese, India

☆ Man United sale heads into messy added time: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, June 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The Premier League soccer club is in the final stages of a tense bidding war. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate the merits of offers from a Qatari suitor and chemicals tycoon Jim Ratcliffe, and what options minority investors face if they are shut out. Listen to the podcastFollow @aimeedonnellan on TwitterSubscribe to Breakingviews’ podcasts, Viewsroom and The Exchange. Editing by Oliver Taslic and Katrina HamlinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Jim Ratcliffe, Oliver Taslic, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, Premier League soccer, Twitter, Thomson

☆ Private equity risks gorging on its secret sauce
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Investors prefer pedestrian but steady management fees over the lumpy share of fund profit that is the industry’s special sauce. Private equity firms with a public listing funnel some of the carry to employees and some to shareholders. TPG (TPG.O) last year went public with a similar strategy of paying around two-thirds of performance-related revenue to employees. Assuming the general idea is to keep overall earnings steady, then higher fee-based income for shareholders must be matched by lower cash compensation for employees. It suggests that for KKR, TPG and the rest, there is a limit to just how much of their own secret sauce employees can eat.

Persons: Steve Schwarzman, Carlyle, Blackstone’s, Schwarzman, Henry Kravis, George Roberts, EQT, Blackstone, Harvey Schwartz, Rowe Price, Thoma Bravo, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Blackstone, KKR, Apollo Global Management, JPMorgan, Reuters Graphics, TPG, Apollo, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Alpha, Bain Capital, Thoma, Ares Management, Thomson Locations: BlackRock

☆ SoftBank’s Arm IPO set for double stroke of luck
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, June 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - SoftBank Group (9984.T) boss Masayoshi Son must be breathing a sigh of relief over the forthcoming float of his chip designer Arm. In April it announced plans to work with Arm to ensure that Intel’s factories can produce chips based on the UK group’s designs. The second, and perhaps more important, stroke of luck is the ongoing valuation frenzy for companies linked to artificial intelligence. Follow @karenkkwok on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSIntel is in talks with SoftBank Group’s Arm to be an anchor investor in the chip designer’s initial public offering, Reuters reported on June 12, citing a source familiar with the matter. Shares in SoftBank, which bought Arm in 2016, rose 5% to 6,310 yen on June 13.

Persons: Masayoshi, he’d, Jefferies, Arm’s, SoftBank, Liam Proud, Pranav Kiran, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, SoftBank, Intel, Nvidia, Bloomberg, Philadelphia Semiconductor, Nasdaq, Thomson Locations: U.S, New York, SoftBank

☆ Embracer’s standalone pitch hits the right buttons
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The $3 billion video-game holding company announced on Tuesday that it would slash costs and investments to achieve a more “stable future”. The new strategy is to rely on its own free cash flow, rather than partnerships or capital hikes, to fund the business. Wingefors wants to cut overhead costs by at least 10% compared to the last quarter’s annual run rate. At least Wingefors’ new standalone survival strategy gives him a stronger negotiating hand if a bid comes along. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Lars Wingefors, it’s, Wingefors, Oliver Taslic, Liam Proud, Pranav Kiran Organizations: Reuters, Investors, Twitter, Thomson Locations: India, Teck, China

☆ Glencore’s Teck coal approach sends two signals
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 12 (Reuters Breakingviews) - At first sight, the latest Teck Resources (TECKb.TO) chess move by Glencore (GLEN.L) is slightly confusing. While that approach still stands, Glencore on Monday said it has now also submitted a cash offer to buy only Teck’s coal unit. Teck’s coal arm is expected to make $2.9 billion of EBITDA in 2024, according to analysts’ estimate polled by Refinitiv, which on the 3 times multiple at which its steelmaking coal peers trade implies an $8.5 billion valuation. Yet Glencore is already offering cash for the coal arm in its punt for the whole company. One is to try to encourage Teck’s board to engage in discussions, given the coal arm has already received interest from Nippon Steel (5401.T) and billionaire Pierre Lassonde.

Persons: Glencore, Gary Nagle’s, Pierre Lassonde, Bunge, Nagle, Karen Kwok, Xavier Niel, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Teck Resources, Refinitiv, Nippon Steel, Twitter, Brookfield, Thomson Locations: China

☆ Stellantis SPAC deal has suitably decent airbags
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 12 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Carmakers are in a race to lock in battery metals like lithium. For shareholders, the risk is that they tie up capital in expensive supply deals, or mines in far-flung locations with poor governance. Stellantis’s (STLAM.MI) investment in a London-based special purpose acquisition company deal looks like a neat fix to those challenges. In a complex deal, halfway between an IPO and a SPAC takeover, it will buy the Serrote and Santa Rita mines in east Brazil for $1.1 billion. Besides the original SPAC investors, the bulk of that will likely come from a public offering, and new anchor investors like Stellantis.

Persons: Nat Rothschild’s Vallar, Artem Volynets, Neil Unmack, Xavier Niel, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Twitter, Brookfield, Thomson Locations: London, Santa, Brazil, Teck, China

☆ Berlusconi invented the entrepreneur as politician
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Though his Forza Italia party and business empire are already weakened and unlikely to regain much prominence after his death, his unorthodox political methods spawned imitators across the West. Italy’s four-time and longest-serving prime minister, who often quipped he would live until 120, passed away on Monday. Ex-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also became popular by portraying himself as an eccentric outsider. As Italy’s traditional parties collapsed under countless graft charges in the 1990s, he used his media popularity and image as a can-do entrepreneur to exploit Italy’s political void. Follow @LJucca on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSFormer Italian prime minister and broadcaster Mediaset founder Silvio Berlusconi died on June 12, aged 86.

Persons: Silvio Berlusconi, Donald Trump ., Boris Johnson, Berlusconi, Beppe Grillo outdid Berlusconi, Vladimir Putin, Giorgia Meloni, MediaForEurope, Neil Unmack, Oliver Taslic Organizations: MILAN, Reuters, Forza Italia, U.S, Donald Trump . Ex, British, Milan soccer, RAI, Star Movement, Thomson Locations: Italian, Italy

☆ Lessons from the original Industrial Revolution
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Edward Chancellor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

These are brilliantly described by Martin Hutchinson, a former Breakingviews columnist, in his new book “Forging Modernity: Why and How Britain Developed the Industrial Revolution”. In fact, several pioneers of the Industrial Revolution were self-taught. The Industrial Revolution can be viewed as the world’s first successful energy transition. The task of financing the Industrial Revolution fell to banks that were scattered across the country, some 800 in all. We are so accustomed to the economic growth sparked by the Industrial Revolution that we tend to view economic expansion as pretty much inevitable.

Persons: Martin Hutchinson, King Charles I, Charles, Duke, Bridgewater, Hutchinson, Josiah Wedgwood, Trent, Samuel, Richard, Adam Smith, William Pitt the Younger, Lord Liverpool, Smith, ”, “, Adam Smith’s, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Royal Society, Industrial, Nations, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Government, Dudley, Thomson Locations: Britain, England, British, Manchester, Birmingham, Bridgewater, Mersey, Samuel Whitbread’s, West Indies, Netherlands, United Kingdom

☆ UBS’s state aid is a disaster insurance policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Sergio Ermotti has a taxpayer safety net, but it only kicks in if things get really bad. The state will eat 9 billion Swiss francs ($10 billion) of losses on certain assets once UBS has swallowed an initial 5 billion Swiss francs. The actual contract, despite being 94 pages long, is missing the most important number: how many assets are covered by the agreement. UBS in mid-May said it would write down the value of Credit Suisse’s assets by $10 billion. To breach its initial loss threshold, the assets would have to fall 11% below their already discounted value.

Persons: Sergio Ermotti, Liam Proud, Xavier Niel, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, UBS, Credit Suisse, Finance, Suisse’s, Twitter, Toyota, Thomson

☆ Telegraph’s $750 million price implies vanity contest
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Pamela Barbaglia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

That’s the only way to explain a possible 600 million pound ($748 million) price tag for the Britain’s Telegraph Media Group (TMG). EBITDA hit 40 million pounds, up 5%, based on UK filings, while borrowings were minimal. Lloyds reckons the price tag could be as high as 600 million pounds, according to media reports. On that basis, TMG’s value including debt would be just over 100 million pounds. Japanese media group Nikkei bought the Financial Times in 2015 for 2.5 times the previous year’s revenue.

Persons: Liz Truss, Hannah McKay, Nick Hugh, EBITDA, Barclay, Sir Frederick Barclay, David, TMG, AlixPartners, Italy’s Agnelli, B.UK, Liam Proud, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Sunday Telegraph, British, Conservative Party, REUTERS, Reuters, Britain’s Telegraph Media, Spectator, Lloyds Banking Group, Lloyds, Daily, Nikkei, Financial Times, Economist Group, Telegraph Media, Telegraph, Sky News, Thomson Locations: Birmingham, Britain, Bermuda

☆ Saudi oil cuts collide with investor scepticism: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Aimee Donnellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, June 8 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The Gulf state is slashing oil production in July and convinced OPEC+ to extend cuts to the end of 2024. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain how these restrictions may still not be enough to convince investors to stop worrying about recession. Listen to the podcastFollow @aimeedonnellan on TwitterSubscribe to Breakingviews' podcasts, Viewsroom and The Exchange. Editing by Oliver TaslicOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Twitter, Thomson

☆ Yacht maker’s Italy pivot shows the way for Prada
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Yawen Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, June 8 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Chinese-owned yacht maker Ferretti is testing uncharted waters. Prada shares have been trading exclusively in the Asian financial centre since the company’s 2011 initial public offering. For Ferretti, Hong Kong has provided a helpful springboard. Ferretti shares trade at 12 times expected net earnings of 78 million euros this year, lower than Milan-listed rival Sanlorenzo’s (SNL.MI) 15 times multiple. In Hong Kong many shares still exist as physical certificates; these are traded electronically only after being deposited in a centralised system.

Persons: Ferretti, Riva speedboats, Prada, Miuccia Prada, Patrizio, Alberto Galassi, Sanlorenzo’s, Lorenzo Bertelli, Lisa Jucca, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Hollywood, Weichai Group, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Weichai, Ferretti International Holding SpA, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Milan, Italy, China, China’s

☆ Telegraph’s $750 mln price implies vanity contest
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Pamela Barbaglia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

That’s the only way to explain a possible 600 million pound ($748 million) price tag for the Britain’s Telegraph Media Group (TMG). EBITDA hit 40 million pounds, up 5%, based on UK filings, while borrowings were minimal. Lloyds reckons the price tag could be as high as 600 million pounds, according to media reports. Japanese media group Nikkei bought the Financial Times in 2015 for 2.5 times the previous year’s revenue. Follow @pamela_msg on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSReceivers chosen by Lloyds Banking Group could put the Telegraph Media Group up for sale after its Bermuda-based parent company B.UK failed to repay bank loans.

Persons: Nick Hugh, EBITDA, Barclay, Sir Frederick Barclay, David, TMG, AlixPartners, Italy’s Agnelli, B.UK, Liam Proud, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Britain’s Telegraph Media, Sunday Telegraph, Spectator, Lloyds Banking Group, Lloyds, Daily, Nikkei, Financial Times, Economist Group, Conservative Party, Telegraph Media, Telegraph, Sky News, Thomson Locations: Bermuda

☆ UBS’s $10 bln state guarantee is a useful fantasy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, June 7 (Reuters Breakingviews) - UBS (UBSG.S) and the Swiss government have negotiated a state backstop that neither side wants to use. The scheme, designed to sweeten the Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) rescue, would see the government cover $10 billion of losses on former Credit Suisse assets after UBS swallows the first $6 billion. One option could be for the state to guarantee only a limited subset of former Credit Suisse assets – just the ones that UBS plans to get rid of, for example, like fixed-income derivatives. The government could also insist on dividend or buyback restrictions if the Swiss bank ever taps the scheme. The guarantee would only kick in after UBS has swallowed 5 billion Swiss francs ($6 billion) of losses.

Persons: Sergio Ermotti, Karin Keller, Sutter, Ermotti, that’s, ”, Neil Unmack, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, UBS, Swiss, bank’s, Credit Suisse, Switzerland’s Social, –, RBC, AG, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Thomson Locations: Swiss

☆ Stingy European savers will help the ECB, not LVMH
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Francesco Guerrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

LONDON, June 6 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Pandemic-era lockdowns and government stimulus have left euro zone citizens with 1 trillion euros in extra savings. That will leave consumer goods giants like $445 billion LVMH (LVMH.PA) downcast, but the European Central Bank pretty pleased. Euro zone citizens put as much as 1 trillion euros – or 8% of GDP – in their piggy banks since the health emergency, according to Oxford Economics’ estimates. Finally, euro zone savers have been favouring the higher returns offered by illiquid assets instead of sticking with easily accessible cash. These investments account for 33% of euro zone citizens’ total financial assets, compared to 30% before the pandemic.

Persons: can’t, –, lockdowns, Christine Lagarde, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, European Central Bank, Oxford Economics, White House, –, Federal Reserve Bank of San, San Francisco Fed, Walmart, United Airlines, American Airlines, U.S, U.S . Federal, Allianz, BMW, stingy, Thomson Locations: U.S, Ukraine, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, U.S ., Europe, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, That’s, Asia

☆ Greece’s reform labours are only half complete
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Greece’s large current account deficit and domestic corruption undermine its attraction as an investment destination. The issue, rather, is whether Greece will be able to attract investment in the quantities needed for it to fulfil its potential. What’s more, investment is still only 14% of national income, even though this measure expanded during Mitsotakis’ first term as prime minister. Well-designed tax and benefit reforms could even reduce the country’s unemployment rate, which is currently 12%, thereby increasing its productive potential. All this would provide a buffer if Greece or the world economy is hit by further shocks in coming years.

Persons: Hercules, Mitsotakis, Bruegel, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Union, International Monetary Fund, Bank of, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Twitter, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Greece, Mitsotakis ’, Bank of Greece, Mitsotakis

☆ Syngenta’s bumper IPO will test Chinese appetite: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Aimee Donnellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, June 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The seeds-to-pesticides group is planning a $9 bln stock market float in Shanghai this year. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain how investors need to get comfortable with its high debt levels and use of toxic chemicals that could hurt its valuation. Subscribe to Breakingviews’ podcasts, Viewsroom and The Exchange. Editing by Oliver TaslicOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Shanghai

☆ ECB’s crisis tool works best if it’s never used
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Rebecca Christie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

BRUSSELS, May 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - In the euro zone bond market, unlimited backstops are the cheapest. The European Central Bank has been trumpeting its ability to buy member states’ debt if it comes under attack from investors. The danger here is that too much divergence would lead the euro zone to fracture, creating a powder keg for crisis. The central bank has been deliberately quiet about exactly when and how it might activate the crisis tool, except to say it will be ready if necessary. They have noted that the euro zone central bank has a new instrument to combat any sharp increase in the differential between yields of euro zone government bonds.

Persons: Christine Lagarde, –, Lagarde, Fabio Panetta, hasn’t, there’s, Nils Redeker, Berlin’s Jacques Delors, Philip Lane, Francesco Guerrera, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, European Central Bank, ECB, Italy, Reuters Graphics Reuters, ECB won’t, Reuters Graphics, U.S . Federal, Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, ”, European Union, Twitter, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Frankfurt, Italy, Spain, Greece, Lithuania, Silicon, EU, Ukraine

☆ Using frozen Russian money for Kyiv is barmy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

European officials are still discussing options to use the proceeds of Russia’s frozen funds to help Ukraine. Yet funnelling the money to the war-torn country, which looks justifiable on moral grounds, would set a bad precedent. Euroclear, the Belgium-based settlement house, is sitting on some 180 billion euros of Russian central bank reserves – part of the 280 billion euros Ukraine’s allies froze last year after Russia’s invasion. The clearing firm also holds another 17 billion euros from sanctioned Russian individuals. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Search resuls for: "Oliver Taslic"

25 mentions found