$ 2.15 Billion Growth Expected in Automotive Glass Market|APAC to Notice Maximum Growth|Technavio

Reuters
Huawei plans to launch new operating system for phones in June
China's Huawei Technologies said it will launch its new Harmony operating system for smartphones on June 2, its biggest move yet aimed at recovering from the damage done by U.S. sanctions to its mobile phone business. U.S. sanctions banned Google from providing technical support to new Huawei phone models and access to Google Mobile Services, the bundle of developer services upon which most Android apps are based. The new HarmonyOS will only go some way to mitigating the impact of the 2019 sanctions that also barred Huawei from accessing critical U.S.-origin technology, impeding its ability to design its own chips and source components from outside vendors.
4h ago
Bloomberg
Singapore’s Richest Property Family Warns of Cooling Measures
(Bloomberg) -- The Singapore government may step in to introduce property curbs if home prices keep rising, according to the city-state’s richest property family, marking the first time a developer has waded in on the issue.City Developments Ltd. Chairman Kwek Leng Beng “noted that the residential market has been performing well though he cautioned that if property prices continue to rise, there may be a time that further cooling measures could be introduced to control the prices,” records from the company’s annual shareholder meeting show. The gathering was held on April 30, with the notes filed at the Singapore Exchange on Monday.Singapore’s property market has rebounded sharply in recent months, making the sector a bright spot as the economy recovers from the pandemic. Prices of properties ranging from public apartments to private units and luxury bungalows have been rising, with some hitting records.That has prompted growing speculation that authorities may take steps to calm the market and prevent it from running ahead of the economy. But a recent Covid-19 outbreak may test the market’s resilience as the city-state returns to lockdown-like conditions last imposed a year ago.At the shareholder meeting, Chief Executive Officer Sherman Kwek expressed optimism about the prospects of CDL’s residential projects and office properties in Singapore.The number of home units sold in the city-state has recovered to a healthy level despite the pandemic, said Kwek, who is the chairman’s son. Transaction volume last year equaled that of 2019, with close to 10,000 units sold for the entire market. And there’s still pent-up demand, especially among buyers who are upgrading from public to private apartments, he said.“While there is uncertainty surrounding whether the government would implement new cooling measures, the overall residential market remains very stable,” the notes said, citing the CEO’s comments.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
7h ago
Bloomberg
Boom in China Firms Listing in the U.S. Comes to Sudden Halt
(Bloomberg) -- At least three Chinese companies have put their plans to list in the U.S. on hold, heralding a slowdown in what’s been a record start to a year for initial public offerings by mainland and Hong Kong firms.A bike-sharing platform, a podcaster and a cloud computing firm are among popular Chinese corporates holding off plans for a U.S. float, put off by recent market declines, souring investor sentiment toward fast-growth companies and lackluster debuts by peers like Waterdrop Inc.Hello Inc., Ximalaya Inc. and Qiniu Ltd. are postponing plans to take orders from investors, even though the three had filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission well over two weeks ago. In the U.S., companies can kick off their roadshows two weeks after filing publicly and most typically stick to that timetable.“The recent broad market selloff, combined with the correction of the IPO market since the beginning of last month when some new issuers tanked during their debuts, may make the market conditions less predictable for newcomers who are ‘physically’ ready -- meaning they have cleared all regulatory hurdles for IPO -- to get out of the door,” said Stephanie Tang, head of private equity for Greater China at law firm Hogan Lovells. “Some participants may choose to monitor the market for more stable conditions.”The delays throw a wrench in a listings flood by Chinese and Hong Kong companies in the U.S. that already reached $7.1 billion year-to-date -- the fastest pace on record -- after booming in 2020. Demand for IPOs surged as a wave of global stimulus money, ultra-low interest rates and rallying stock markets lured investors despite Sino-American tensions and the continued risk of mainland stocks being kicked off U.S. exchanges.READ: Stock Market’s Million Little Dramas Come Down to a Supply GlutThe S&P 500 Index capped its biggest two-week slide since February on Friday amid mounting investor concern over inflation and its impact on tech and other growth stocks. China’s CSI 300 Index remains in a technical correction, having fallen 10% from a February peak, while the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index, which tracks Chinese companies listed in the U.S., has slumped more than 30% from its high that month.Waiting OnHello, which offers a bike-sharing platform plus electric scooters for sale, has delayed its planned launch and is still undecided on its prospective valuation given rising investor caution about new shares, Bloomberg News has reported. It had been planning to raise between $500 million and $1 billion in the offering, although the final number will depend on valuations, according to one person with knowledge of the matter.Online podcast and radio services startup Ximalaya and enterprise cloud services provider Qiniu have put their listings on hold after beginning to gauge investor interest at the end of April, people with knowledge of the matter said, asking not to be identified as the information isn’t public.The sounding out of investors, or pre-marketing process, generally comes after filing for an IPO and before formal order-taking in a roadshow. Hello declined to comment while Qiniu didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Ximalaya’s IPO process is ongoing and the company will seek public listing at an appropriate time depending on market conditions, it said in response to questions.Weak DebutsThe poor performance of recent Chinese debutants has also sapped investor confidence. Insurance tech firm Waterdrop has plunged 38% from its offer price since going public earlier this month. Onion Global Ltd., a lifestyle brand platform, has fallen more than 8% below its IPO price.In fact, almost 59% or specifically 20 of the 34 Chinese firms that have listed in the U.S. this year are under water, data compiled by Bloomberg show, among them the two largest IPOs -- e-cigarette maker RLX Technology Inc. and online Q&A site Zhihu Inc. Of the ones that listed in 2020, just 40% are trading below their IPO prices.The recent volatility in global markets has spooked U.S. companies as well. They have also been delaying floats or facing weak debuts.For some, the current challenges faced by Chinese listing hopefuls are likely to be transitory, with the hotly-anticipated IPO of ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing Inc., which has filed confidentially for a multibillion-dollar offering, set to prove the real test of investor appetite for the China story.Apart from Hello and the two other firms that are said to delay IPO plans after kicking off their pre-marketing process, Chinese road freight transport platform ForU Worldwide Inc., which filed for a U.S. offering on May 13, and online education company Zhangmen Education Inc., which filed on May 19, are waiting in the wings though they have yet to pass the two-week hallmark.“There is a natural strong growth in China which international investors will still want to invest in over the longer term,” said Gary Dugan, chief executive officer at the Global CIO Office in Singapore.(Updates prices throughout, adds more details in the second-last paragraph.)More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
6h ago
Barrons.com
4 Little-Known Cryptocurrencies That Beat Bitcoin During the Crash
Polygon, Helium, Celsius, and Maker may not be household names, but they are being explored as potentially useful technologies.
8h ago
CoinDesk
Of Course China Is Anti-Bitcoin: Look What Happened to Jack Ma
China's assault on Bitcoin is part of a broader struggle to foster innovation while maintaining control, says our columnist.
9h ago
Bloomberg
PG&E to Sell San Francisco Headquarters for $800 Million
(Bloomberg) -- PG&E Corp. has reached a deal to sell its iconic San Francisco headquarters to real estate joint-venture Hines Atlas for $800 million as the utility giant moves to cut costs after it emerged from bankruptcy last year.PG&E, which plans to move to Oakland next year, needs approval from state regulators to sell the 1.7 million-square-foot (158,000-square-meter) complex, which includes 77 Beale Street and 245 Market Street, according to a statement Monday.The sale comes as office markets around the globe have been battered by the coronavirus pandemic. One broker estimated in 2019 that PG&E’s headquarters could bring in more than $1 billion. The utility giant is one of the most high-profile companies to leave San Francisco for Oakland, a less expensive city located across San Francisco Bay.Nearly a dozen bids were submitted for the property, according to a person familiar with the matter. That level of interest suggests real estate investors are willing to bet on a rebound for office demand in the city.“It’s a fantastic bet on San Francisco,” said J.D. Lumpkin, executive managing director at commercial real estate brokerage Cushman & Wakefield in San Francisco, who wasn’t involved in the deal. “While San Francisco has taken its lumps through Covid, perhaps more than other cities, there’s a lot of evidence that we will rebound over the next two or three years.”PG&E didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the bids. The company’s shares rose as much as 2.1% Monday.Unlike some other large property sales in San Francisco since the pandemic, the complex will require a substantial amount of renovation. It also doesn’t have a tenant in place, so the buyers will have to fill it in a few years once the redevelopment is finished.Also See: KKR Said to Buy $1.08 Billion San Francisco Dropbox OfficesSan Francisco’s overall office vacancy rate in the first quarter shattered the previous record high hit during the dot-com bust at the turn of the century, according to CBRE Group Inc. That’s pushed rent down and weighed on the value of buildings.The sale price is about $200 million less than expected, Citigroup Inc. utility analyst Ryan Levine wrote in a research note Monday. That raises the prospect that PG&E may need to raise equity this year, he said.Offset BillsPG&E intends to distribute about $400 million from its gain on the sale to customers over five years to offset bill increases as it invests in safety and operational improvements. In an added benefit, most PG&E workers will have shorter commutes to their new office, the company said.CBRE’s San Francisco Capital Markets team brokered the deal.PG&E filed for bankruptcy in early 2019 after collapsing under liabilities from wildfires sparked by its equipment. Though the company exited Chapter 11 last year, it remains burdened by about $42 billion of debt, raising concerns about its financial durability and ability to make the investments required to fire-proof its grid.Hines is one of the biggest private real estate investors and managers in the world, according to its website. Hines Atlas is a joint venture between Hines and another investor, a Hines spokesman said. He declined to name the other investor.(Adds details of bid beginning in fourth paragraph.)More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
16h ago
FX Empire
Stocks Move Higher As Bullish Momentum Remains Strong
Meanwhile, cryptocurrencies rebound after weekend sell-off.
20h ago
Reuters
Singapore clears LSE deal for Refinitiv after FX pledge
Singapore's competition authority has approved the London Stock Exchange Group's $27 billion acquisition of data and analytics company Refinitiv provided the bourse continues to offer certain foreign exchange benchmarks to rivals. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS)gave the conditional approval after examining whether the deal, which transforms the 300 year old bourse into a one-stop shop for data, trading and analytics, threatened competition in the currency market. The LSE has committed to making Refinitiv's WM/Reuters foreign exchange benchmarks available to existing and future customers to provide index licencing services or clearing services in Singapore, CCCS said in a statement, adding that the commitment, effective from Monday, was for 10 years.
23h ago
Reuters
Lim family's global assets on radar after Singapore court move
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -A Singapore court has approved a freeze on up to $3.5 billion of assets of the family behind collapsed Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd, boosting the prospect of debt recovery from the former oil trading empire that counts some of the world's biggest banks among its creditors. Hin Leong was wound up in March after failing in a year-long effort to restructure more than $3 billion in debts after the COVID-19-led oil crash laid bare huge losses. Founder Lim Oon Kuin admitted in a court document last year to directing the company not to disclose hundreds of millions of dollars in losses over several years.
1d ago
Bloomberg
Erdogan Reshuffles Central Bank Again With New Deputy
(Bloomberg) -- Sign up for the New Economy Daily newsletter, follow us @economics and subscribe to our podcast.Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appointed a new deputy governor at the country’s central bank, tapping an economist and long-serving member of the institution in his latest leadership rejig.While Erdogan’s previous sudden decisions to swap out senior positions at the central bank jolted markets, this time the lira steadied to trade 0.1% stronger against the dollar as of 10:05 a.m. local time, following only a brief drop.Semih Tumen, a labor economist and professor of economics at Ankara-based TED University, was named to the role early on Tuesday, replacing Oguzhan Ozbas, according to a decree published in the Official Gazette.Read more: Erdogan Ousts Central-Bank Head, Installs Interest-Rate AllyThe move comes two months after Erdogan fired Naci Agbal, the bank’s third governor in less than two years, sending Turkish markets into a nosedive. Erdogan, who holds unorthodox theories about monetary policy and its impact on inflation, also replaced deputy governor Murat Cetinkaya in March.Tumen has worked in different roles at the central bank for 16 years until 2018, leaving the monetary authority after serving as a director general in charge of the structural economic research department. Since then, he’s been an adviser at the Turkish presidency’s human resources office.Four of seven members of Turkey’s rate-setting committee now have less than a year of experience at their jobs, including new Governor Sahap Kavcioglu.The decision to fire Agbal, who had sought to restore the central bank’s credibility, had set off a swift reversal of investor enthusiasm. The new governor has pledged policy continuity after his appointment and kept interest rates unchanged for a second month in May.Inflation, LiraStill, annual inflation is near a two-year high and the lira has lost about 14% against the dollar since Agbal was ousted. Public support for Erdogan’s ruling AK Party meanwhile hit a record low last month, according to prominent pollsters, amid disenchantment with the government’s handling of the economy.Ozbas, the most recently ousted deputy governor, was appointed in July 2019, when Erdogan’s son-in-law Berat Albayrak was overseeing the economy as treasury and finance minister.Last November, he criticized the central bank policies under former Governor Murat Uysal after working as his deputy, saying backdoor policy tightening toward the end of last year was “unnecessarily complicating the monetary stance.”(Updates with market reaction in second paragraph)More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
25m ago
Reuters
China crypto mining business hit by Beijing crackdown, bitcoin tumbles
SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Cryptocurrency miners, including HashCow and BTC.TOP, have halted all or part of their China operations after Beijing intensified a crackdown on bitcoin mining and trading, hammering digital currencies amid heightened global regulatory scrutiny. It was the first time China's cabinet has targeted virtual currency mining, a sizable business in the world's second-biggest economy that some estimates say accounts for as much as 70% of the global crypto supply. Cryptocurrency exchange Huobi on Monday suspended both crypto-mining and some trading services to new clients from mainland China, adding it will instead focus on overseas businesses.
1d ago
Reuters
Fed's Brainard says central bank stepping up exploration of digital dollar
(Reuters) -Growing digital currency options could lead to a "fragmentation" of the payment system that poses financial risks for households and businesses, Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard said on Monday in a speech that outlined the major policy questions the Fed will need to address as it explores the potential development of a digital version of the U.S. dollar. As the holder of the world's reserve currency, the United States must be highly involved as digital payments become more common and other countries develop digital currencies that can be used to send money across borders, Brainard said. "The Federal Reserve is stepping up its research and public engagement on a digital version of the U.S. dollar," Brainard said in remarks made during a virtual conference organized by CoinDesk.
19h ago
Bloomberg
China Braces for $1.3 Trillion Maturity Wall as Defaults Surge
(Bloomberg) -- Even by the standards of a record-breaking global credit binge, China’s corporate bond tab stands out: $1.3 trillion of domestic debt payable in the next 12 months.That’s 30% more than what U.S. companies owe, 63% more than in all of Europe and enough money to buy Tesla Inc. twice over. What’s more, it’s all coming due at a time when Chinese borrowers are defaulting on onshore debt at an unprecedented pace.The combination has investors bracing for another turbulent stretch for the world’s second-largest credit market. It’s also underscoring the challenge for Chinese authorities as they work toward two conflicting goals: reducing moral hazard by allowing more defaults, and turning the domestic bond market into a more reliable source of long-term funding.While average corporate bond maturities have increased in the U.S., Europe and Japan in recent years, they’re getting shorter in China as defaults prompt investors to reduce risk. Domestic Chinese bonds issued in the first quarter had an average tenor of 3.02 years, down from 3.22 years for all of last year and on course for the shortest annual average since Fitch Ratings began compiling the data in 2016.“As credit risk increases, everyone wants to limit their exposure by investing in shorter maturities only,” said Iris Pang, chief economist for Greater China at ING Bank NV. “Issuers also want to sell shorter-dated bonds because as defaults rise, longer-dated bonds have even higher borrowing costs.”The move toward shorter maturities has coincided with a Chinese government campaign to instill more discipline in local credit markets, which have long been underpinned by implicit state guarantees. Investors are increasingly rethinking the widely held assumption that authorities will backstop big borrowers amid a string of missed payments by state-owned companies and a selloff in bonds issued by China Huarong Asset Management Co.The country’s onshore defaults have swelled from negligible levels in 2016 to exceed 100 billion yuan ($15.5 billion) for four straight years. That milestone was reached again last month, putting defaults on track for another record annual high.The resulting preference for shorter-dated bonds has exacerbated one of China’s structural challenges: a dearth of long-term institutional money. Even before authorities began allowing more defaults, short-term investments including banks’ wealth management products played an outsized role.Social security funds and insurance firms are the main providers of long-term funding in China, but their presence in the bond market is limited, said Wu Zhaoyin, chief strategist at AVIC Trust Co., a financial firm. “It’s difficult to sell long-dated bonds in China because there is a lack of long-term capital,” Wu said.Chinese authorities have been taking steps to attract long-term investors, including foreign pension funds and university endowments. The government has in recent years scrapped some investment quotas and dismantled foreign ownership limits for life insurers, brokerages and fund managers.But even if those efforts gain traction, it’s not clear Chinese companies will embrace longer maturities. Many prefer selling short-dated bonds because they lack long-term capital management plans, according to Shen Meng, director at Chanson & Co., a Beijing-based boutique investment bank. That applies even for state-owned enterprises, whose senior managers typically get reshuffled by the government every three to five years, Shen said.The upshot is that China’s domestic credit market faces a near constant cycle of refinancing and repayment risk, which threatens to exacerbate volatility as defaults rise. A similar dynamic is also playing out in the offshore market, where maturities total $167 billion over the next 12 months.For ING’s Pang, the cycle is unlikely to change anytime soon. “It may last for another decade in China,” she said.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
1d ago
The Telegraph
Battered Bitcoin claws back losses as oil rallies on recovery hopes
Consumer-related stocks helped tip London markets into the green, following two weeks of drops, helped by a weekend of Covid restrictions being eased. “It seems investors have had a good weekend and have realised how many other people have also been enjoying newly reinstated opportunities,” said Danni Hewson, financial analyst at AJ Bell. “From cinemas to restaurants, shops to bingo halls, real life has translated into share gains for companies like Primark owner Premier Foods, The Restaurant Group and the Rank Group.” The domestically-focused FTSE 250 index added 84.31 points to close at 22,483. Gambling company Rank Group led the leaderboard, rising 14.2p to 196.2p, followed by Mr Kipling’s parent Premier Foods, which gained 6p to 107.6p. Joining them in the top 10 was Frankie & Benny’s owner The Restaurant Group, which added 6.4p to 128.4p, as well as pub chain Wetherspoon. Similar types of blue-chip companies helped push the FTSE 100 to close in positive territory, though gains were tempered by miners which mostly fell after China’s commodity price warnings. Meanwhile, stocks globally struggled for momentum as investors awaited key US inflation readings for guidance on monetary policy. London’s benchmark FTSE 100 edged up 33.54 points to close at 7,051.59 Catering company Compass Group led the charge, up by 43p at £15.82. Gambling firms Entain and Flutter Entertainment also finished in the top 10, gaining 35.5p to £16.14 and 270p to £13.20 respectively. They were followed by hotel owners Intercontinental Hotels Group and Whitbread, which rose 98p to £49.22 and 59p to £31.50, respectively. Heavyweight oil stocks also performed well as oil prices extended Friday’s rally and climbed higher after Iran said that gaps remain in negotiations aimed at reaching a deal to end US sanctions on its crude. Iran said there are still differences around the timing of when countries will return to compliance with the original 2015 nuclear agreement, allaying some concern about a rapid ramp-up in the Persian Gulf nation’s output. While the market is anticipating the Islamic Republic’s supply will pick up again by late summer, the demand recovery will be strong enough to absorb it, according to Goldman Sachs. The bank expects Brent futures to hit $80 (£57) a barrel in the next few months. Royal Dutch Shell added 10.4p to £13.50, while BP rose 4.2p to 316.4p. Dominating the bottom of the rankings and dragging on the index, however, were miners including Fresnillo, Antofagasta, BHP and Evraz. RBC also cut its price target on Chilean miner Antofagasta. Elsewhere among companies, shares of FTSE 250 software firm Kainos fell 25p to £13.87 despite saying its annual pre-tax profit more than doubled in an eleventh consecutive year of growth, surging 124pc to £57.1m in the year through March. Revenue grew by 31pc to £234.7m while booking rose 6pc.
2d ago
Bloomberg
Korea Consumer Confidence Hits 3-Year High as Recovery Quickens
(Bloomberg) -- South Korea’s consumer confidence strengthened to a high of almost three years in May, fueling optimism that the economy is on track for a strong recovery from the pandemic slump.The consumer sentiment index rose for a fifth straight month to reach 105.2, the highest since June 2018, the Bank of Korea said in a statement Tuesday. A reading above 100 indicates optimism outweighs pessimism.The improvement was driven by stronger-than-expected economic growth in the first quarter, a positive exports performance, progress in vaccinations and better jobs data, according to the central bank.Alongside a 53% surge in exports so far this month, the stronger sentiment reading will likely figure among recent data the BOK board will review Thursday for its rate decision and growth projections. All economists surveyed see the BOK keeping its main rate on hold. Most of them also expect a significant upgrade to the current forecast for a 3% expansion this year.Korea has so far staged an export-led recovery, but rising confidence bodes well for private consumption amid signs of an uptick.Among the components of the headline index, households’ assessment of the current economy contributed most to the increase, followed by their views on the economy and spending going forward.Households’ inflation expectations for the next 12 months edged up to 2.2%, a two-year high. Their outlook for interest rates reached 118, the strongest since early 2019, indicating that more people expect rates to go up than down.The survey of 2,298 households was conducted May 10-14.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
11h ago
Reuters
Exclusive: China launches antitrust probe into Tencent-backed property broker KE - sources
China's market regulator has begun an investigation into suspected anti-competitive practices by KE Holdings, the country's biggest housing broker whose top backer is Tencent Holdings, two people who know of the matter said. The investigation is the latest into China's big so-called "platform" companies that match sellers and buyers, several of which have been accused by regulators of exploiting consumers. KE Holdings, which operates housing platforms Lianjia and Beike in China, was warned last month by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), along with dozens of internet companies, against any abuse of market dominance and told to conduct self-inspections.
45m ago
Bloomberg
Reddit Traders Help Chinese Billionaire Exit AMC With Gain
(Bloomberg) -- Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin’s Dalian Wanda Group Co. was facing headwinds on its AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. investment as the movie chain was hit hard by the pandemic.Then the retail investor army from Reddit’s WallStreetBets forum stepped in, helping send AMC shares up as much as 839% in January.Wanda has taken advantage of the rally, cutting its stake to just 0.002% from 6.8% in an April 9 disclosure, according to a filing Friday. The company has gained about $675 million, including dividends, from its investment since 2012, according to a Bloomberg analysis.Wanda bought AMC in May 2012 and took the company public the following year. It started to trim its position from 2018 as the conglomerate, which had accumulated large debts after acquiring overseas trophy assets, contracted its investments outside China.AMC shares lost more than 70% of their value last year as the company struggled with the coronavirus pandemic. It considered options including a potential bankruptcy to ease its debt load, Bloomberg reported in October, citing people familiar with the matter.Then day traders who congregated on Reddit’s WallStreetBets forum gave AMC and Wang more room to breathe, inspiring a turnaround in the stock. While the company has fallen from its high in January, the stock has still jumped to $13.47 from $2.12 at the end of last year.The stock gained 12% as of 1:48 p.m. in New York on Monday as posters on a Reddit forum cheered on the news. ”The second coming is upon us! Been holding since January,” one Redditor wrote, while another posted “my AMC is green! Welcome back! Now to the moon please.” Despite the gain, Wang’s fortune has continued to decline and he’s now worth $9.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, down $5.9 billion this year.A spokesman for Wanda cited an earlier AMC statement saying the group’s film unit and AMC will enter into a long-term strategy and cooperation agreement.(Updates with Reddit traders activity in eighth paragraph)More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
14h ago
Bloomberg
Central Banks Running Out of Options as Recovery Falters in Asia
(Bloomberg) -- Sign up for the New Economy Daily newsletter, follow us @economics and subscribe to our podcast.Asia’s surging coronavirus infections and slow pace of vaccinations is testing the limits of what central banks can do to further support what, until recently, had been the world’s stand out economic recovery.With interest rates already low, the likely policy response will center on more government borrowing, relegating central banks to a supporting role. That backdrop will overshadow decisions this week where policy makers are expected to keep rates on hold -- Indonesia, South Korea and New Zealand.“In my view, there is little room for further monetary policy stimulus, at least in terms of traditional policy levers like interest rate cuts,” said Tuuli McCully, head of Asia-Pacific economics at Scotiabank. “I expect additional fiscal stimulus to play a key role in helping economies.”In Jakarta, the finance ministry has offered more tax cuts to spur economic activity and plans to stick with its $84 billion-net bond issuance target this year, even as borrowing costs climb. Bank Indonesia is expected to keep rates unchanged Tuesday.South Korea’s economy is being cushioned by soaring exports even as rolling social distancing restrictions damp consumer spending -- prompting the government to pledge more fiscal spending to create jobs. The Bank of Korea is also expected to remain on hold when it meets Thursday.New Zealand’s economy continues to recover, amid a low case count, after contracting at the end of last year. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is expected to hold steady Wednesday after the government’s annual budget last week included the biggest increase in welfare payments in more than a generation as part of measures to support growth.India is the global epicenter of the latest virus surge, and even other economies that had kept infections under control -- such as Singapore and Taiwan -- are also battling flare ups. Japan continues to struggle with spreading cases and even China is seeing an uptick in infections.The region is also lagging in the vaccination roll out, with Singapore having inoculated around 30% of its population, followed by China at around 15% and the others well behind.“The region’s relatively slow vaccine roll out is increasingly proving to be a drag, including for the more developed economies whose hitherto successful strategy to more emphasize contact tracing, rapid testing and social distancing, is being challenged by the recent surge in cases,” according to Sameer Goel, Deutsche Bank AG head of emerging market research.The Reserve Bank of India will be central to how India responds to the crisis, given the government has only limited fiscal space with a budget deficit of 6.8% of gross domestic product in the year to March 2022, down from an estimated 9.5% last year. Benchmark rates have remained unchanged for a year amid sticky inflation.Next month the RBI’s monetary policy committee is likely to keep rates unchanged, but Governor Shaktikanta Das could expand a quantitative easing program for the second straight quarter to keep borrowing costs under check.Other Asian central banks are supporting their nations’ fiscal policies. Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said last week he will continue with powerful monetary easing, indicating his yield curve control program will keep government bond yields low to help additional fiscal spending. China’s central bank is also continuing to ensure borrowing costs are kept low for those parts of the economy that need it, while keeping an overall disciplined approach to the volume of its stimulus.“Monetary policy is not as effective compared to fiscal policy in responding to the current virus wave,” said Khoon Goh, head of Asia research at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. “Extension of fiscal support is what is needed.”More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
11h ago
Bloomberg
Gupta Plans to Sell U.K. Plants Amid Credit Suisse Debt Talks
(Bloomberg) -- GFG Alliance is putting seven of its U.K. plants up for sale as it seeks to reach an agreement with Credit Suisse Group AG to stave off insolvencies of some of its units.Owner Sanjeev Gupta made “significant progress” in weekend talks with the Swiss lender’s asset-management arm to resolve GFG’s exposure with Credit Suisse, the metals group said in an emailed statement Monday.GFG has been seeking to raise new financing to replace some of the $5 billion of loans provided by Greensill Capital since the London-based financial firm collapsed in March. Meanwhile, Credit Suisse, which is trying to recover claims on loans it had made via Greensill, has sought to wind up some of GFG’s British and Australian businesses in court.As part of a restructuring plan for its U.K. operations, GFG will look to sell its Liberty Steel aerospace and special alloys business in Stocksbridge, which supplies customers including Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc, as well as the Aluminium Technologies and Pressing Solutions units. Alvarez & Marsal will run the sale processes, according to the statement.Liberty also said it’s in “advanced discussions” with Credit Suisse to reach a debt standstill for its Australian primary metals unit ahead of a refinancing that would repay the Swiss bank in full.A Credit Suisse spokesman declined to comment.Read more: Credit Suisse Seeks Insolvency for Gupta Trading Unit GFG had been in negotiations to obtain new funding from investment fund White Oak Global Advisors, which said last week it was continuing efforts to refinance the Australian primary metals business “subject to financial due diligence and acceptable governance.”Read more: Gupta Loan Effort Ongoing Despite SFO Probe, White Oak SaysU.K PlantsGupta’s British plants that are being put up for sale employ about 1,500 people. The fate of the plants has been closely watched by politicians, suppliers and unions since funding to GFG dried up earlier this year.“Stocksbridge and its downstream plants are strategically important businesses vital to our country’s defense, energy and aerospace sectors,” union representatives for the National Trade Union Steel Coordinating Committee said in a statement. “The trade unions will hold Sanjeev Gupta to his promise that none of our steel plants will close on his watch.”Gupta bought his first steel mill in the U.K. eight years ago, and is now the country’s third-biggest producer with a dozen sites. Many of his Liberty Steel plants provide products tailored to local manufacturers, potentially leaving customers exposed if they shut down, especially given Brexit trade upheaval.A spokesperson for aerospace trade body ADS said the industry was monitoring the situation and that “a successful sale that secures continuity of supply would be a positive outcome.”Pressure on Gupta was dialed up further this month after the U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office said it was investigating GFG for possible fraud and money laundering, including its Greensill financing.The Bank of England revealed on Monday that it had notified the National Crime Agency and the SFO more than a year ago about its concerns over Wyelands Bank, Gupta’s banking arm in the U.K.Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England, told a parliamentary committee that the banking regulator had first identified problems in late 2018 or early 2019 relating to “a lack of transparency particularly around connected lending in the context of the ultimate beneficial owner, who was Mr. Gupta.”He said that “further concerns” came to light in October-November 2019, triggering a new phase of investigations and leading to the regulator setting out its concerns to the SFO in February 2020.A spokesman for GFG didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.Wyelands Bank said this month it would be wound up if it can’t find a buyer.(Updates with details on U.K. plants, union and trade body comments; BOE comments at the bottom.)More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
15h ago
Yahoo Finance
St. Louis Fed's Bullard: Most cryptocurrencies are 'worthless'
St. Louis Fed President James Bullard told Yahoo Finance that among the thousands of private cryptocurrencies out there, 'most of them are worthless.'
13h ago

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Gupta Plans to Sell U.K. Plants Amid Credit Suisse Debt Talks

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