London hedge fund bets big against Commerzbank October 6, 2016 Marshall Wace – a London-based hedge fund – has revealed a multi-million euro bet that shares in Germany’s second largest lender Commerzbank will fall. German filings showed the fund’s short position increased to 0.72 per cent of the bank’s outstanding shares, up from 0.63 per cent earlier in the week. The price at which the [...]
The new centre ground: The full text of Theresa May’s Conservative Party conference speech October 5, 2016 In the speech which closed the Conservative Party conference, Theresa May spoke of a country in transition, and new opportunities. The full 7,600 words is below – although if you'd rather a cut-down version, her best quotes are here – or you can read how businesses reacted. The new centre ground: May's speech in full When [...]
About turn: Deutsche Bank shares leap in New York as rumours of a DoJ settlement swirl September 30, 2016 New York-listed shares in Deutsche Bank have jumped on reports the giant bank could be about to agree a $5.4bn (£4.2bn) settlement with US regulators after a dramatic day of trading on European markets. Shares jumped 14 per cent in lunchtime trading in the US, as rumours circulated suggesting it will pay significantly less than the [...]
“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 [...]
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 [...]
As you might imagine, there isn’t one just reason why Deutsche Bank is in trouble – here are the key issues it faces September 28, 2016 Anyone that has picked up a newspaper recently will know that Deutsche Bank isn’t having a great time of things at moment. Its share price has tanked, there are talks of the German government intervening, parallels to Lehman Brothers and concerns that a whole new financial crisis could be sparked if Germany’s largest bank goes [...]
Deutsche Bank: Where did it all go wrong? September 28, 2016 The German government could be considering a bailout for Deutsche Bank as the lender's share price falls to its lowest level since the mid-1980s and speculation over a rights issue or buyout swirl. The latest trigger has been the Department of Justice's claims for a $14bn settlement over Deutsche Bank's role in the underwriting of [...]
As a beleaguered Deutsche Bank faces a $14bn fine, Angela Merkel has ruled out state aid, but could a bailout be on the cards? September 27, 2016 Recent discussion of possible European bank bailouts has focused on Italy. Saddled with €360bn of souring loans and enfeebled by a stagnant, over-regulated economy, a number of Italian lenders face a very real risk of insolvency. In July, the country’s third largest, Monte dei Paschi di Siena, failed a stress test set by the European Central [...]
Number of mortgage approvals down by over a fifth in August September 26, 2016 House purchase approvals dropped by more than a fifth in August, according to figures from the BBA. The number of approvals was down by 21 per cent as compared to August 2012. In the first eight months of this year, approvals were two per cent lower than in the same period of 2015. Read more: [...]
House prices rebounded in September after the Brexit vote lull September 19, 2016 UK house prices are rebounding from the lull that immediately followed the Brexit vote, according to data from Rightmove. Asking prices have increased 0.7 per cent month-on-month, Rightmove said. In the weeks after the Brexit vote, Rightmove found that prices fell by 0.9 per cent. But first-time buyers are finding it increasingly difficult to get on [...]