India's cenbank has revised its priority sector lending guidelines
The Reserve Bank of India issued revised guidelines for priority sector lending on Monday, in an effort to increase the loan limit and expand PSL coverage across all sectors. The RBI announced that the updated rules would take effect on April 1. They were based on a thorough review of current provisions and feedback from stakeholders. To increase the coverage of PSL, the central bank…
Australia shares gain for the second straight session, as energy and tech leads gains
Tuesday saw Australian shares rise for the second session in a row, boosted by energy and technology stocks. Rising oil prices, and Wall Street's positive lead, also helped to boost sentiment. By 2335 GMT, the S&P/ASX 200 Index had risen 0.6% to 7,904.2. The benchmark closed Monday 0.8% higher. The energy sub-index on the local exchange increased by 1.5%, as oil prices continued to rise due to escalating geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East.
Mexican tycoon Slim targets two of Pemex’s key fields to gain clout within the energy sector
Sources familiar with the matter say that the Mexican state energy company Pemex has been in contact with Carlos Slim, and the billionaire could be asked to help fund two of the most promising crude oil fields and natural gas deposits in the country. These negotiations, which were not previously reported, show Slim's increasing influence in Mexico's energy sector. His business empire…
UK court orders Barrick to pay Hannam $2 Million for the Randgold merger
The High Court of London ruled that Barrick Gold Canada must pay British dealmaker Ian Hannam’s firm $2 Million plus expenses for the work he did on the acquisition by Randgold Resources. Hannam, a former top rainmaker at JPMorgan, was nicknamed "the king of mining" because of his track record in brokering deals for the resources sector. This includes the merger which created BHP in 2001 and the merger between Glencore and Xstrata in 2012.
A letter from the industry says that over $13 billion worth of solar and wind investments are at risk in Vietnam.
Adani Green Energy, as well as more than two dozen other foreign and Vietnamese investors have warned that Vietnam's plans for retroactively changing rules on subsidised wind and solar prices could impact over $13 billion in investments. Investors expressed "deep concern" in a letter dated 5 March and reviewed by that the end of the favourable energy tariffs could threaten financial stability.
Libya announces the first oil exploration bid round in 17 years
Masoud Sulman, the acting chairman of the National Oil Corporation, announced on Monday that Libya will hold its first oil exploration bidding round in over 17 years. Libya is Africa’s second largest oil producer, and a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Foreign investors are wary about investing in Libya. The country has been in chaos since Muammar Gadhafi was overthrown in 2011.
US Energy Secretary attacks "sinister" net zero goals and singles out Britain
Chris Wright, the U.S. Energy secretary, called Monday's pledge to reach net zero carbon emission by 2050 "a sinister goal" and criticized British efforts to meet clean energy targets. The former president Joe Biden has set an ambitious goal for 2021: to reduce emissions to zero by 2050 in order to combat climate change. This will be achieved in part through subsidies that encourage the expansion of clean energy sources and electric vehicles.
Macquarie, Australia's Macquarie Bank, has'very little exposure' in Trump's war on green energy
Macquarie Group, the top Australian investment bank, downplayed on Tuesday its exposure to U.S. green power sector that has been disrupted by executive orders issued by President Donald Trump. It posted a flat profit for the third quarter. The bank that makes a third its profit in Americas said it has reviewed its U.S. investments and found minimal exposure since Trump signed executive orders banning or freezing government benefits for sustainable energies.
RBC is the latest Canadian lender in global climate coalition to withdraw.
A spokesperson for Royal Bank of Canada announced on Friday that the bank is leaving the global banking sector's climate coalition. This follows similar moves by its domestic banking counterparts. The Net-Zero Banking Alliance was established in 2021 by Mark Carney, former Governor of the Bank of Canada, to encourage financial institutions towards limiting climate change effects and achieving net-zero emission.
Rio Tinto shares fall on merger failure reports; banks weigh down on Australia's shares
The Australian share market fell Friday due to the fall in banking stocks, and Rio Tinto's decline on news of failed merger talks with Glencore. The S&P/ASX 200 ended the week 0.2% lower, at 8,310.4. The benchmark closed the week with a 0.2% gain. After reports that failed merger talks had taken place between the No. The world's No. 2 miner, Glencore, is one of the largest miners in coal and base metals.
Hapoalim provides $1.5 billion to Dalia Energy for a new power plant
Dalia Energy, an Israeli company, announced on Thursday that it had signed a loan agreement with Bank Hapoalim for 5.3 billion Shekels ($1.5billion) to fund the construction of a brand new power plant. The deal, which is non-binding, is intended to fund the construction of a new power plant with a capacity of up to 850 megawatts at the site of Ashdod's current Eshol Power Station. The plant will be paid 0.065 Shekel per kilowatt-hour for the first 20 years of its operation.
MUFG Americas CEO: AI data centres will boost renewable energy demand, even under Trump
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, the largest Japanese banking group, has said that the U.S.'s shift to renewable energy will continue under Donald Trump. Kevin Cronin, chief executive officer of MUFG Americas, said in an interview that the anti-renewables rhetoric of President-elect Trump has not led to a change in MUFG Americas' strategy. Cronin stated that the new administration would be more positive on fossil fuels but this does not mean that renewables will disappear.
Banks assist in the recovery of Australian shares; energy and miners lag behind
The Australian share market ended its five-day loss streak on Tuesday, as gains in the banking sector outweighed losses in mining and energy stocks. Investors around the world pondered whether U.S. policy will ease beyond this week. By 2335 GMT, the S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 0.2% to 8264.9. The benchmark index ended Monday 0.6% lower. The Financials subindex topped the benchmark index by 0.4%. Shares of the "Big Four banks" rose between 0.2% to 0.4%.
Lazard hires Miller from Citigroup in its energy investment banking drive, sources claim
People familiar with the matter said that Lazard hired Citigroup veteran investment banker Chris Miller to lead its dealmaking efforts within the energy sector. Miller, who was based in Houston, and had the title of vice-chairman of energy investment banking for Citigroup, recently resigned his position with the Wall Street bank and will begin his new role at Lazard early in 2025, after a period gardening leave, according to the sources.
Norway's wealth fund will probe shoemakers and crypto firms in 2025 for ethics
Next year, the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund will investigate the potential ethical violations of shoemakers, crypto-firms and gambling operators that the fund holds, leading it to sell its holdings. Norway's Parliament has set ethical guidelines for the world's biggest sovereign wealth fund. It owns 1,5% of all listed shares in 8,700 companies around the globe. The Council on Ethics…
Tokyo Gas president: Asset sales will boost capital efficiency by Tokyo Gas
Tokyo Gas wants to increase capital efficiency through the sale of underperforming assets including real estate. This was announced by its president on Thursday following disclosures that activist investor Elliott Management had invested 5% in Tokyo Gas. Elliott took a 5.03% share in Tokyo Gas earlier this month. The company is trying to get Japan's largest city gas provider to increase shareholder value.
Wall Street welcomes Trump's comeback, but with trepidation
Wall Street executives praised the prospect of business friendly regulations and a flurry of deals, as they analysed the implications of Donald Trump’s reelection. However, some were uneasy over his unpredictable nature. Executives from banks and private equity firms said that Trump's return will likely ease some of the regulatory pressures that existed under Biden's administration.
FinecoBank predicts record revenue in 2024 on the back of rising commissions
FinecoBank, an online bank and brokerage in Italy, forecast record revenues this year. The company also pledged a higher dividend for its 2024 results. As interest rates decline, banks are turning to brokerage and net fee products to generate revenue and compensate for the falling contribution of their lending business. Fineco expects to see a small double-digit increase in annual investing revenues.
Sources say that Brazil is aiming to attract foreign investment through a green development platform.
Brazil will launch a new platform on Wednesday to attract more foreign investment into sustainable development. The platform will highlight $8 billion worth of promising private sector projects, and look to triple this portfolio within a year. Four Brazilian officials who spoke anonymously about the program before a Washington launch event, held on the sidelines the meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank…
Financial Times - Oct 16
These are the most popular stories from the Financial Times. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports. BBC, the British broadcaster, has announced plans for 155 job cuts across its news operations. This is part of a larger cost-cutting plan worth 700 million pounds (915 million dollars). Woodside Energy, an Australian oil and natural gas company…
