Category: Financial Services

Standard Life, Aberdeen Said to Hold Merger Talks, Sky Reports

Standard Life Plc and Aberdeen Asset Management Plc, two of the U.K.’s largest fund managers, have been holding talks about an 11 billion-pound merger that would create one of the world’s biggest asset managers, Sky News reported on its website, without saying how it obtained the information. The merged company would manage more than 600 billion pounds and employ more than 9,000 people, with a possible annual cost savings of 200 million pounds, Sky said.

Snap Jumps in Trading Debut After Year’s First U.S. Tech IPO

Snap Inc., maker of the disappearing photo app that relies upon the fickle favor of millennials, jumped in its trading debut after pricing its initial public offering above the marketed range. Shares opened at $24 and traded as high as $25.42 apiece Thursday, giving the company a market valuation of about $29 billion, based on the total number of shares outstanding after the offering in the deal prospectus.

Daily Dividend Report: GD, TD, CNQ, CVS, HES

The board of directors of General Dynamics today declared a regular quarterly dividend of 84 cents per share on the company’s common stock, payable May 5, 2017, to shareholders of record on April 7. The dividend represents a 10.5 percent increase from the previous quarterly dividend of 76 cents per share, and it is the 20th consecutive annual dividend increase authorized by the General Dynamics board. The Toronto-Dominion Bank today announced that a dividend in an amount of sixty cents per fully paid common share in the capital stock of the Bank has been declared for the quarter ending April 30, 2017, payable on and after May 1, 2017, to shareholders of record at the close of business on April 10, 2017.

This $1 Trillion Manager Is Paring NYC, London Property Bets

David Hunt, chief executive officer of Prudential Financial Inc.’s PGIM, said the $1 trillion asset manager is scaling back commercial real estate bets in some major markets where competition drove up property prices. “Whenever you see that kind of heating-up of demand, you have to scratch your head and say, ‘At what point does this become a little bit overblown?’ ” Hunt said Wednesday at a conference held by Citigroup Inc. “We have been selectively selling some of the big cities, so we’ve been a net seller of New York, of London, and of San Francisco.”

Australia Mortgage Lending Standards in Regulator Crosshairs

Australia’s securities regulator said Thursday it is looking at mortgage lending standards across the banking sector after taking civil court proceedings against Westpac Banking Corp. The Westpac case “sends a message to the broader sector” that the Australian Securities & Investments Commission is prepared to “take anyone on,” Chairman Greg Medcraft told a parliamentary committee. ASIC yesterday announced proceedings against Westpac, the country’s second-biggest bank, over alleged failures to properly assess whether borrowers could afford their mortgages.

SEC Advisory Committee to Question Snap’s Transparency

An investor committee that advises the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will examine if the Snap Inc.’s decision to deny shareholders voting rights will reduce Snap’s public revelations regarding executive pay and governance affairs, the head of the committee told Reuters Wednesday evening. The review is expected sometime next week.

New photos reveal what really happened backstage during the…

In the latest chapter of the Oscars best-picture fiasco known as #Envelopegate, Variety published a story on Wednesday that breaks down in photos and a timeline how PricewaterhouseCoopers accountant Brian Cullinan mixed up the envelopes that led to presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway going onstage and announcing the wrong winner for best picture. One of those photos, above, shows Cullinan holding two envelopes nearby Beatty backstage, as Beatty was preparing to present best picture.

Micron Stock Rising on Goldman Upgrade

Shares of Micron Technology are higher by 4.42% to $24.48 on Wednesday afternoon, after the chip-maker was upgraded to “buy” from “neutral” at Goldman Sachs . The firm upgraded the stock as it sees a “tactical opportunity” in the name, CNBC.com reports.

Wells Fargo Suspends Bonuses for 8 Execs, Including CEO, CFO

Wells Fargo is suspending the the cash bonuses of eight senior executives, including the CEO and CFO, as part of the company’s ongoing independent investigation into the fraudulent accounts scandal that rocked the company last year. Additionally, the share equity awards they received in 2014 that vested this year will be reduced by up to 50%.

European Stocks Gain as Banks Surge on Fed Rate Hike Speculation

European markets rose firmly higher Tuesday as bank surged on increased speculation of a March rate hike from the Federal Reserve. European markets rose firmly higher Tuesday as bank stocks surged on increased speculation of a March rate hike from the U.S. Federal Reserve and industrial stocks gained on bets that President Donald Trump will find support for his $1 trillion in infrastructure spending plans.

Exxon’s New CEO Drives Oil Giant Into Post-Tillerson Era

Woods replaced longtime Exxon chief Rex Tillerson, now the Secretary of State, beginning Jan. 1. Less than three weeks later, Exxon disclosed Tillerson’s final deal: a large acquisition of land in the fast-growing Permian Basin that will cost up to $6.6 billion. It was Exxon’s largest deal since it agreed to buy XTO Energy in 2009.

SBI Sees Bad Loans at India Banks Worsening on Slower Growth

India’s weaker economic growth will lead to more soured loans, even after an audit of lenders’ books pushed stressed assets in the South Asian nation to the highest among major economies, according to the head of the country’s largest bank. “There could be a few more accounts that could start showing stress mainly because the kind of growth in demand that we have been talking about still has not really come back,” State Bank of India chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Could the $1.3T of College Debt Spark the Next Financial Crisis?

As President Trump addresses Congress over tax reform and defense spending in a joint session Tuesday night, one agenda that might not be covered could very well spark the next financial crisis: student loan debt default. According to the New York Federal Reserve, U.S. student loan debt has soared to $1.3 trillion becoming the second highest consumer debt category, more than both credit cards and auto loans.

SoftBank Said to Be in Talks to Combine OneWeb With Intelsat

SoftBank Group Corp., the technology giant controlled by billionaire Masayoshi Son, is in talks to merge the satellite startup it’s backing, OneWeb Ltd., with satellite provider Intelsat SA, according to people familiar with the matter. A deal is conditioned on setting aside money to purchase Intelsat bonds from investors at a price higher than their trading prices last week, though that would still be below par value, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information.

Fidelity Slashes Fees on Stock and ETF Trades

Fidelity Investments said on Tuesday it cut the price on trades for stocks and exchange-traded funds by 38 percent for retail brokerage clients. Boston-based Fidelity’s price reduction to $4.95 from the previous commission of $7.95 a trade, will likely put pressure on the rest of the U.S. brokerage industry.

SoftBank Said to Be in Talks to Merge OneWeb With Intelsat

SoftBank Group Corp., the technology giant controlled by billionaire Masayoshi Son, is in talks to merge the satellite startup it’s backing, OneWeb Ltd., with satellite provider Intelsat SA, according to people familiar with the matter. A deal is conditioned on setting aside money to purchase Intelsat bonds from investors at a price higher than their trading prices last week, though that would still be below par value, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information.

Deutsche Boerse-LSE Deal in Danger as EU Demand Rejected

Deutsche Boerse AG’s $13 billion bid for London Stock Exchange Group Plc headed toward collapse after the U.K. market operator rejected demands by European regulators to sell one of its holdings. LSE said it couldn’t commit to sell its stake in MTS, an electronic trading platform for government bonds, and declined to submit a counter proposal after European Union officials made divesting the unit a condition for approval.

LSE Says Deutsche Boerse Deal Unlikely After Year-Long Try

London Stock Exchange Group Plc said its $13 billion tie-up with Deutsche Boerse AG is unlikely to proceed after a new regulatory hurdle signaled a potential end to the companies’ efforts to create a champion European exchange. European Union officials had requested that LSE divest MTS, an electronic trading platform for European government bonds.

Royal Bank of Canada Reviews Asia Wealth Business After Changes

Royal Bank of Canada has undertaken a strategic review of its Asian wealth operations following management changes in the region, Chief Executive Officer David McKay said. McKay declined to say whether the Toronto-based bank is seeking a buyer for the business, though previous retreats in international wealth management have come after reviews were initiated.

Aflac Starts Infrastructure Debt Investing in U.S., Japan

Aflac Inc., the largest seller of supplemental health insurance, has started betting on infrastructure debt at its U.S. and Japan businesses. The insurer, which pushed into that asset class in the fourth quarter, invested $13 million in the debt last year at its Japan operation and $2 million at its U.S. business, according to a regulatory filing Friday.

SoftBank, Foxconn Set Up $1.2 Billion Joint Venture Amid U.S. Investment Drive

SoftBank and Foxconn said Friday that the two companies have formed a joint venture that could be worth $1.2 billion as the tech group plans a series of U.S. expansions. SoftBank of Japan and Apple supplier Foxconn said Friday that the two companies have formed a joint venture that could be worth $1.2 billion as the tech group plans a series of U.S. expansions that could create tens of thousands of jobs.

Samsung rivals to set the tone at Mobile World Congress

Samsung rivals to set the tone at Mobile World Congress Samsung’s decision to hold off launching the next Galaxy phone clears the way for others. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/2mdQa1e A woman reacts as she uses a new Samsung Gear 360, a 360-degree camera, at the Mobile World Congress.

Deutsche Bank Loses Ground in Trading as JPMorgan Thrives

Deutsche Bank’s negotiations with U.S. prosecutors last year over alleged mortgage misdeeds rattled investors, leading many of the German lender’s trading partners to defect — apparently to American rivals. Deutsche Bank , the German lender hit last year by a $7.2 billion settlement with U.S. authorities over alleged mortgage misdeeds, is losing ground to American rivals in the highly profitable arena of bond and currency trading, a new report shows.