Europe’s banking woes are inherently political October 3, 2016 We live in a time of political absurdity. At home, the opposition is led by an unreconstructed 1970s-style Marxist who spent the last three decades as a backbench irrelevance. Throughout continental Europe, extremist parties remain worryingly popular. And across the pond, there is a genuine threat that Donald Trump, a dangerously reactionary authoritarian megalomaniac, could get [...]
Deutsche Bank’s woes signal the fall of the House of Merkel October 3, 2016 “And the deep and dank tarn closed silently over the fragments of the House of Usher.” – Edgar Allan Poe With mighty Deutsche Bank, the largest lender in Germany and symbol of the country’s economic might, in dire straits, Germans are belatedly waking up to the nightmarish reality that the supposedly masterly inactivity of their wildly [...]
Fresh rumours emerge about bailout-ability of Deutsche Bank October 2, 2016 Fresh speculation over whether the German government could feasibly offer aid to Deutsche Bank has emerged in the country's media over the weekend. The bank's shares plummeted last week after reports emerged suggesting German Chancellor Angela Merkel would not be prepared to provide state assistence, even as the lender faced a potential fine of $14bn [...]
“Forces in the market want to weaken us”: John Cryan seeks to reassure Deutsche Bank staff September 30, 2016 Deutsche Bank shares edged back over the €10 mark in mid-morning trading after chief executive sought to reassure staff in a company-wide memo. In the document, Cryan suggested the bank was strong and hit out at "speculators" for causing wild swings in the company's share price. "Our bank has become the object of heavy speculation – renewed rumours [...]
Deutsche Bank US share price plunges after reports suggest funds have lost faith in the lender September 29, 2016 Troubled financial giant Deutsche Bank saw its shares plummet again in New York last night, dragging Wall Street into the red. The German lender's New York-listed stock dived after reports emerged that several key funds have slashed their exposure to the bank. The news sent shivers through banking sector equity markets, with the S&P 500's financial [...]
Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open September 29, 2016 Oil has given up some of its gains after the first Opec deal to curb supply in eight years sent it higher last night and it's not just Deutsche Bank that's in trouble as Commerzbank announces nearly 10,000 jobs are set to go. Here's what you need to know before the US market open at 2:30pm [...]
Chancellor Philip Hammond to close Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme at end of 2016 September 29, 2016 Chancellor Philip Hammond has confirmed that he will be closing the Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme at the end of this year. In a letter to Bank of England governor Mark Carney, he said the scheme's purpose has been "successfully achieved" and he will close it to new loans at the end of 2016. [...]
The number of mortgage completions made through Help to Buy fell year-on-year in June September 29, 2016 The number of mortgage completions made with the government's Help to Buy scheme has fallen by eight per cent year-on-year in June, according to figures from the Treasury. Completions made through Help to Buy reached 3,118, a monthly increase of 27 per cent. Read more: Government Help to Buy Scheme under fire over deposit clauses [...]
Bank of England announces latest details of landlord crackdown September 29, 2016 The Bank of England's crackdown on landlords kicked up a notch this morning, with a set of tough new lending restrictions for buy to let mortgages. Threadneedle Street's banking supervision arm, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), has long been concerned with the risks the UK's buy-to-let sector poses to financial stability and has again tightened [...]
Commerzbank announces nearly 10,000 jobs up for the chop September 29, 2016 German lender Commerzbank has today announced it will be slashing just shy of 10,000 jobs, while also halting dividend payouts to cover the cost of the latest stages of its business overhaul. Around 9,600 full-time jobs will be shed from the bank over the course of the next four years, as it starts to close down [...]