Tag: turmoil

  • JPMorgan Chase buys First Republic in bid to end bank turmoil

    JPMorgan Chase buys First Republic in bid to end bank turmoil

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    The bank’s demise is the latest fallout from the stunning fall of SVB, which sparked runs at similar institutions, including Signature. These banks all had an unusually large number of deposits that weren’t backed by the FDIC because they catered to companies and wealthy individuals whose balances far exceeded the $250,000 deposit insurance limit.

    That led to runs as depositors worried about the solvency of these banks, which all held significant portfolios of assets that had dropped in value.

    JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon on a call with analysts said the banking system is stable, but acknowledged that “no crystal ball is perfect.”

    “Hopefully this mini-bank crisis is over,” he said.

    The Treasury Department in a statement said the banking system “remains sound and resilient, and Americans should feel confident in the safety of their deposits and the ability of the banking system to fulfill its essential function of providing credit to businesses and families.”

    The FDIC will share some of the losses from First Republic’s portfolio of residential mortgages and commercial loans, and provide $50 billion in financing for the buyer, according to a press release from JPMorgan. The agency said it expects a $13 billion hit to its deposit insurance fund, which is financed by fees from banks.

    In its release, JPMorgan said it has bought $173 billion in loans and $30 billion in securities. It will also assume $92 billion in deposits, “including $30 billion of large bank deposits, which will be repaid post-close or eliminated in consolidation.”

    On March 16 — less than a week after uninsured depositors at SVB and Signature Bank were rescued by federal banking regulators — 11 of the nation’s largest financial institutions, including JPMorgan, deposited $30 billion into First Republic in an attempt to shore up its balance sheet.

    The lender was slammed by more than $100 billion of withdrawals as panic swept across the regional banking sector last month, and the majority of uninsured deposits remaining at First Republic came from that infusion of cash.

    The deal means government officials did not have to decide whether to once again back uninsured deposits at a failed bank, as they aim to keep calm in the banking sector.

    FDIC board member Jonathan McKernan, a Republican who joined the agency in May, said he was “pleased we were able to deal with First Republic’s failure without using the FDIC’s emergency powers.”

    “It is a grave and unfortunate event when the FDIC uses these emergency powers,” he said. “The March 12 rescue of SVB and Signature’s uninsured depositors was an admission that 15 years of reform efforts have not been a success,” arguing that the agency should “avoid the temptation to pile on yet more prescriptive regulation or otherwise push responsible risk taking out of the banking system.”

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    #JPMorgan #Chase #buys #Republic #bid #bank #turmoil
    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • Yellen to meet with global regulators on banking turmoil

    Yellen to meet with global regulators on banking turmoil

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    Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen plans to tell financial regulators gathered in Washington this week that the U.S. banking system is on solid ground despite a string of failures that rattled global markets, a department official said Monday.

    The banking turmoil is just one of several big priorities that Treasury outlined in Yellen’s agenda for the IMF-World Bank spring meetings, which begin Monday.

    Yellen will hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, amid meetings with world leaders related to bolstering the global economy, revamping the World Bank and similar institutions, pushing for World Bank nominee Ajay Banga, rallying allies on Russia sanctions and tackling the indebtedness of developing countries.

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    #Yellen #meet #global #regulators #banking #turmoil
    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • Yellen seeks to calm lawmakers amid banking turmoil

    Yellen seeks to calm lawmakers amid banking turmoil

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    The Biden administration’s Sunday rescue plan for the Northern California bank’s customers, along with those of Signature — a New York institution that was shuttered that day — were essential for stemming a possible contagion that put “community banks across the country at great risk of runs,” Yellen said.

    In her prepared testimony, the former Federal Reserve chair assured lawmakers that the banking system remains sound and that “Americans can feel confident that their deposits will be there when they need them.”

    Still, lawmakers from both parties sounded alarms over the many failures that contributed to Silicon Valley Bank’s downfall.

    “Nerves are certainly frayed at this moment,” Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said at the start of the hearing.

    Markets have been jittery over the last week amid fears the crisis could spread beyond regional banks. Investors dumped shares of institutions that may be facing a financial crunch with rising interest rates. Moody’s earlier this week downgraded its outlook for the entire U.S. banking industry, citing a “rapid and substantial decline in bank depositor and investor confidence.”

    The bank run that sparked Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse on Friday left thousands of depositors — an overwhelming majority of whom weren’t covered by the FDIC’s deposit insurance limit of $250,000 — panicked that they wouldn’t be able to access their funds when banks opened on Monday morning.

    Republicans who have scrambled to chart a united response to the Biden administration’s handling of the crisis criticized regulators for failing to intervene.

    Sen. Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican and possible 2024 presidential candidate, said a “lax regulatory environment” and deficient bank examiners allowed the failures of the SVB’s management team to slip through the cracks. Others, like Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), said the implosion was a byproduct of a Biden-era economy that’s been stymied by soaring inflation and rising interest rates.

    Yellen bristled at questions from Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) about the potential long-term consequences of the rescue plan. The plan backstopped the banks’ uninsured depositors and made cash loans from the Fed available to lenders in exchange for safe collateral — an action that in theory would allow banks to handle deposit withdrawals of any amount for up to a year.

    While Democrats are also urging federal agencies to examine regulatory shortfalls, many have also seized on the crisis as an opportunity to toughen standards around capital requirements and oversight.

    “We certainly need to analyze carefully what happened to trigger these bank failures and reexamine our rules and supervision and make sure they’re appropriate for the risks banks face,” Yellen said.

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    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • Bev Priestman considers future as Canada coach amid pay turmoil

    Bev Priestman considers future as Canada coach amid pay turmoil

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    The Olympic gold medal-winning Canada head coach, Bev Priestman, is understood to be considering her future with the national team as the impasse between the players and federation over pay equity issues and budget cuts rumbles on.

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    Priestman, who led the Canada women’s national team to a first major tournament victory at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, is considering her options for beyond the World Cup, which kicks off in July. It is believed that the 36-year-old, who was assistant to Phil Neville when he was head coach of England’s Lionesses, is considering a move into club football and that a number of clubs have expressed an interest.

    The situation between the players and Canada Soccer has deteriorated in recent weeks, with the Canadian Soccer Players’ Association (CSPA) releasing a statement on Friday which said they are “outraged and deeply concerned” by reported funding cuts. The team captain and most capped player in the world, Christine Sinclair, tweeted “enough is enough” and said she could not represent the federation on the pitch until the situation is resolved. The decision of the players to step back prompted Canada Soccer to threaten legal action against them.

    Players said Canada Soccer threatened to “not only take legal action to force us back to the pitch but would consider taking steps to collect what could be millions of dollars in damages from our players association and from each of the individual players currently in camp” if they did not commit to playing in the SheBelieves Cup hosted by the US this month.

    The England captain, Leah Williamson, expressed solidarity with the Canadian players before the Arnold Clark Cup kicks off on Thursday. “One of the main issues for women’s football, for women’s sport in general, is the lack of security there is,” she said. “We’ve got to a place in England where we have progressive conversations all the time, it’s not about just being content with where we’re at. First and foremost, there’s an open conversation all the time and if we believe that we’re missing out on something or if we believe that our circumstances could be better then we’d be able to voice them. That’s most important.

    “I feel like there’s a communication breakdown across women’s sport, but how can we have those progressions without it? I’m obviously grateful to be part of the FA and the way that we’ve had communication and been able to move forward to a place where we can perform. That’s all women athletes are asking for, to have the right amount of resources to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. We stand with those players. Every time those issues come up it’s not just one team, it’s a collective discussion and fight for equality.”

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    #Bev #Priestman #considers #future #Canada #coach #pay #turmoil
    ( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )

  • Adani speaks for first time since turmoil as stock rout continues

    Adani speaks for first time since turmoil as stock rout continues

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    New Delhi: Embattled billionaire Gautam Adani on Thursday spoke publicly for the first time since his ports-to-energy conglomerate publicly battled a short seller’s accusation of stock manipulation and accounting fraud, saying the abrupt move to withdraw a fully-subscribed share sale at his flagship firm was due to market volatility.

    His group continued to lose on the stock market, with the cumulative rout now nearing USD 108 billion in a week — one of the biggest wipeouts in India’s history.

    “After a fully subscribed follow-on public offering (of Adani Enterprises Ltd), yesterday’s decision of its withdrawal would have surprised many. But considering the volatility of the market seen yesterday, the board strongly felt that it would not be morally correct to proceed with the FPO,” Adani said in a video message to investors.

    The company decided to refund the money to investors.

    Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) closed at Rs 1,564.70 on the BSE on Thursday, less than half the price at which shares were offered to investors in the follow-on public offer (FPO) that closed on January 31.

    Sources close to the group said it was felt that investors may feel cheated for investing in AEL shares in a price band of Rs 3,112-3,276 when the stock is available in the open market at a much lesser rate.

    The offer price of the Rs 20,000 crore FPO was at a discount to the trading price when it was first announced last month. But the US-based short seller’s report triggered a selldown in stocks of all 10 group companies and the cumulative loss of value is now close to USD 108 billion.

    “In my humble journey of over 4 decades as an entrepreneur I have been blessed to receive overwhelming support from all stakeholders, particularly the investor community… For me, the interest of my investors is paramount and everything is secondary. Hence to insulate the investors from potential losses, we have withdrawn the FPO,” Adani said.

    US-based short seller Hindenburg Research’s report and the stock rout figured in Parliament on Thursday, with opposition parties seeking a discussion and a probe by a joint parliamentary committee (JPC).

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also asked banks for details of their exposure to the Adani Group.

    Adani said the decision to withdraw the FPO will not have any impact on the group’s existing operations and future plans. “We will continue to focus on timely execution and delivery of projects.”

    “The fundamentals of our company are strong. Our balance sheet is healthy and assets, robust. Our EBITDA levels and cash flows have been very strong and we have an impeccable track record of fulfilling our debt obligations. We will continue to focus on long term value creation and growth will be managed by internal accruals,” he said.

    The share sale plans will be considered once the market stabilises.

    “Once the market stabilises, we will review our capital market strategy,” he said.

    Adani group, he said, has a strong focus on ESG and every business will continue to create value in a responsible way. “The strongest validation of our governance principles comes from several international partnerships we have built across our different entities.”

    Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Co., which invested about USD 400 million in AEL’s FPO as anchor investor, said the funds have been returned.

    It was among 33 investors who poured in close to Rs 6,000 crore on January 24 — the day Hindenburg came out with its report.

    State-run insurance behemoth Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) took 5 percent of the anchor portion. It already holds a 4.23 percent stake in AEL and has exposures in other group companies as well, including a 9.14 percent stake in Adani Ports and 5.96 percent in Adani Total Gas.

    The FPO opened to the public on January 27 and managed to get fully subscribed on the last day on January 31 after non-retail investors poured in money even though the offer price was higher than the stock’s trading price on the bourses.

    Adani, who last year became the world’s second-richest man with a USD 147 billion fortune, has seen his own personal wealth plummet by around USD 57 billion since then.

    The January 24 report accused Adani Group companies of “brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud”. The group has denied all allegations, calling the report “bogus” and full of lies, and has threatened legal action.

    Citigroup Inc’s wealth arm as also Credit Suisse Group AG have stopped accepting securities of Adani Group firms as collateral for margin loans as banks ramp up scrutiny of the conglomerate’s finances.

    Hindenburg in its report said Adani companies had “substantial debt” and that shares in seven listed companies have an 85 percent downside due to what it called “sky-high valuations”.

    Adani Group has maintained that its companies have “consistently de-levered”.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • UAE hints at huge investment in Pakistan amid economic turmoil

    UAE hints at huge investment in Pakistan amid economic turmoil

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    Islamabad: United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has dropped clues that his government is planning to broaden its investment footprint in Pakistan as the country drastically needs foreign inflows to prop up its deteriorating economy.

    The royal dignitary arrived in Pakistan on a private visit and held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who received the UAE President at the Chandna Airport along with other government functionaries, Geo News reported.

    “Be prepared, the UAE will make a huge investment in Pakistan,” the sources quoted the UAE president as saying during a cordial meeting with the premier at the airport.

    Shehbaz recalled his recent visit to the gulf country and emphasised that both countries would work on the understanding reached between the two leaders in various fields, during his visit to the UAE.

    The UAE President said that the brotherly relations between the two countries went back many decades and his father, who had immense love for Pakistan and its people, laid the foundation of their bilateral ties.

    The President also assured the Prime Minister that the UAE would always stand by Pakistan, Geo News reported.

    Taking to Twitter, the premier wrote: “Extremely delighted to receive my brother His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed on his arrival in Pakistan, which is his second home. Building on our last meeting, we discussed ways (and) means to further strengthen our brotherly relations.”

    The President expressed warm affection towards the prime minister on his arrival in Pakistan and took the premier to his personal jet, sources told Geo News.

    The premier also met the family members of the president and held conversations with his children in the English and Arabic language, the sources added.

    The UAE, on January 12, agreed to lend $1 billion to Pakistan and roll over an existing $2 billion loan, the country’s information minister had said, as the country’s central bank foreign reserves fell to just three weeks’ worth of imports.

    The UAE’s financial support offered some respite to the country that is still reeling from devastating nationwide floods that have caused more than $30 billion of damage, Geo News reported.

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    #UAE #hints #huge #investment #Pakistan #economic #turmoil

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • UAE hints at huge investment in Pakistan amid economic turmoil

    UAE hints at huge investment in Pakistan amid economic turmoil

    [ad_1]

    Islamabad: United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has dropped clues that his government is planning to broaden its investment footprint in Pakistan as the country drastically needs foreign inflows to prop up its deteriorating economy.

    The royal dignitary arrived in Pakistan on a private visit and held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who received the UAE President at the Chandna Airport along with other government functionaries, Geo News reported.

    “Be prepared, the UAE will make a huge investment in Pakistan,” the sources quoted the UAE president as saying during a cordial meeting with the premier at the airport.

    Shehbaz recalled his recent visit to the gulf country and emphasised that both countries would work on the understanding reached between the two leaders in various fields, during his visit to the UAE.

    The UAE President said that the brotherly relations between the two countries went back many decades and his father, who had immense love for Pakistan and its people, laid the foundation of their bilateral ties.

    The President also assured the Prime Minister that the UAE would always stand by Pakistan, Geo News reported.

    Taking to Twitter, the premier wrote: “Extremely delighted to receive my brother His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed on his arrival in Pakistan, which is his second home. Building on our last meeting, we discussed ways (and) means to further strengthen our brotherly relations.”

    The President expressed warm affection towards the prime minister on his arrival in Pakistan and took the premier to his personal jet, sources told Geo News.

    The premier also met the family members of the president and held conversations with his children in the English and Arabic language, the sources added.

    The UAE, on January 12, agreed to lend $1 billion to Pakistan and roll over an existing $2 billion loan, the country’s information minister had said, as the country’s central bank foreign reserves fell to just three weeks’ worth of imports.

    The UAE’s financial support offered some respite to the country that is still reeling from devastating nationwide floods that have caused more than $30 billion of damage, Geo News reported.

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    #UAE #hints #huge #investment #Pakistan #economic #turmoil

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )