financializer news A weblog highlighting financial topics making news in the international media.

equities: Through the end of last week, the S&P Total Return Index was down 3.9% for May, while the Bloomberg Barclays Aggregate U.S. Bond Total Return Index was up 0.85% leaving equities with a net 4.72 percentage point underperformance versus bonds, according to Market Watch. That means balanced funds, which keep a set division between equities and bonds, will need to adjust their positioning. Read How stock-market bulls are adjusting to the reality of a messy U.S.-China trade war Here's the setup, according to Vinay Viswanathan and Max Grinacoff, strategists at Macro Risk Advisors Historically, since 1989, when bonds outperformed the stock market by more than 4%, equities rallied by 2.1%, on average, heading into month-end. In other words, they will have to buy equities and/or sell bonds going into Friday, the analysts said. Quantitative analysts Bram Kaplan and Marko Kolanovic of J.P. Morgan, in a note last week, recalled how the stock market's large underperformance in December, which culminated in a Christmas Eve rout that marked the S&P 500's closing low for the fourth-quarter selloff, led to a sharp equity rebound from Christmas to New Year's Eve. Moreover, they noted the spread between equity and bond returns is the fifth most negative of the last five years and that the average month-end rise for equities rises to 2.9% when measured over the last 10 occurrences see table below . Macro Risk Advisors Caption outside of wrapper for normal article images Other analysts have also pointed to the market's tendency to revert to the mean at month-end. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

gulf state: A White House official said the trip, with stops in Morocco, Jordan, Israel and Europe is part of our ongoing efforts to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians but offered no specifics, according to The Japan Times. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the meetings and spoke on condition of anonymity. The White House is promoting the June 25-26 meeting in the Gulf state of Bahrain as the first phase of its long-awaited Mideast peace plan, which envisions large-scale investment and infrastructure work, much of it funded by wealthy Arab countries, in the Palestinian territories. ; But American officials say the Bahrain conference will not include the core political issues of the conflict borders of a Palestinian state, the status of Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees or Israeli security demands. The Palestinians will not attend the Bahrain meeting, rejecting the parameters of the conference, while key American allies Egypt and Jordan have not announced their plans for participation. The Saudis, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, along with host Bahrain, have accepted invitations to attend. For now, the Americans are pinning their hopes on wealthy Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia, hoping their regional influence and deep pockets can make the conference a success. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

investment: Instead, Israel-based companies are seeking to establish firm footholds in China and invest more in the country, entrepreneurs and investors told the Global Times, according to Global Times China. More than 110 Israeli start-ups attended the one-day China-Israel Investment Conference held on Tuesday in Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong Province. Photo Zhang Hongpei/GT China and Israel are developing more interest in each other, especially when it comes to advanced technology, and their cooperation isn't being affected by the China-US trade dispute. Actually, more than 200 start-ups signed up for the event in Israel, said Benjamin Peng, managing director and head of China of Cukierman & Co Investment House, an Israeli investment bank and one of the main organizers of the event. More than 1,800 Chinese investors including institutions and individuals attended the conference. There were about 90 start-ups that attended last year's conference in Foshan South China's Guangdong Province so more Israeli companies are eagerly exploring the Chinese market, Peng told the Global Times on Tuesday. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

japanese bank: The euro was at 1.1185-1186, down from 1.1196-1197, and at 122.38-38, down from 122.68-68. ; After briefly rising above 109.60 in the midmorning, the dollar fluctuated around 109.50 for the most of afternoon trading amid a dearth of fresh trading incentives, according to The Japan Times. Late in the afternoon, the dollar eased to levels around 109.40 on selling to reduce dollar-long positions against the yen, traders said. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at 109.40-41, down from 109.57-57 at the same time Monday. Investors were waiting for news, an official at a foreign-affiliated securities firm said. A strong PMI reading could send the dollar above 110, an official at a major Japanese bank said. Players are focusing on the U.S. personal consumption expenditures price index for April and China's manufacturing purchasing managers index for May, both due out Friday, traders said. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

liverpool: There in the players he signed Danny Rose for Tottenham and Jordan Henderson for Liverpool, according to The Independent. There in the deals he lined up, like Hugo Lloris, who eventually joined Spurs after Comolli left. But when those two well-run clubs in the Champions League final in Madrid this Saturday, some of his residual influence will still be felt. But there most of all in the presence of Comolli acolytes and appointees in key decision making roles at each club. Mike Edwards and Ian Graham, Liverpool's sporting director and head of research, were both recruited by Comolli, who saw them as two of the best young data analysts in the game. Steve Hitchen, Spurs' chief scout, was taken from Spurs to Liverpool by Comolli as soon as he joined in 2010. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

cnn miller: The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the authors; view more opinion articles on CNN, according to CNN. Miller was a Middle East negotiator in Democratic and Republican administrations. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

exports: Without the funding for art, drama and music for young people then you just won't have any home-grown talent at all, said Sheeran, 28, according to The Guardian. The music industry in England is one of the most powerful things in the world and one of Britain's best and most lucrative exports. The chart-topping British singer-songwriter said many aspiring musicians, artists and actors needed subsidies to discover their talents. It just makes no sense not to support it. Alan Bishop, the chief executive of the Creative Industries Federation, said the commercial success of British fashion designers, music stars and film directors had been umbilically linked to the deep talent pool of the publicly funded arts . The report said the economic success of the creative industries which it calls the UK's fastest-growing sector would not be possible without public investment in arts and culture. His comment comes in a report from the Creative Industries Federation and Arts Council England. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

brexit: After six months of attempting to bulldoze her doomed Brexit deal through parliament May finally ran out of road last week, the pound recorded some of the steepest losses among major currencies for the month of May with the mounting threat of a new Tory leader pushing an overt no-deal Brexit agenda, according to The Guardian. Sterling has hit its lowest level in four months against the US dollar, at less than 1.27. In a reflection of Britain's rudderless political situation, the prime minister hands over an economy that has benefited from a boost in stockpiling activity and is at record levels of employment, but has been starved of longer-term investment with companies holding back from spending on capital projects and refraining from making stronger pay settlements for British workers. Writing in the Guardian, Andrew Sentance, a former member of the interest rate-setting monetary policy committee MPC at the Bank of England, said We seem to be wandering deeper into the economic jungle and whoever takes over from Theresa May will face a major challenge of putting the economy back on an even keel. To gauge the impact of Brexit on a monthly basis, the Guardian monitors eight economic indicators, along with the value of the pound and the performance of the FTSE 100. If a no-deal Brexit does materialise, that will also be a negative influence on the prospects for the UK economy. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

information: The country's centre-right National Party on Tuesday released what it said were details from the Labour-led government's highly-guarded annual national budget - due to be revealed on Thursday, although it did not disclose the source of the information, according to Nine News Australia. Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf in the evening announced the department had gathered enough evidence to conclude its systems had been deliberately and systematically hacked . The matter had been referred to police. To improve your experience update it here News WorldNZ Treasury hacked ahead of budget By AAP7 17pm May 28, 2019Facebook Tweet Mail New Zealand's Treasury department says it's been hacked after information from the government's upcoming budget ended up in the hands of opposition politicians. It was being assessed, a police spokeswoman said. It has taken immediate steps today to increase the security of all budget-related information and will be undertaking a full review of information security processed. The Treasury takes the security of all the information it holds extremely seriously, Makhlouf said in a statement. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

mr stephens: It was time for Medibank to come good with its Gold Top Hospital and Blue Ribbon Extras' cover, which was now costing him 570 a month, according to Nine News Australia. The reason you have private health insurance is for when something seriously goes wrong - if you have a terrible accident or you get really, really sick then you are going to need it, Mr Stephens, from Perth, told nine.au. To improve your experience update it here News National Terminal brain cancer patient shares painful health insurance lesson, as more Aussies ditch cover By Emily McPherson1 33pm May 28, doctors discovered a tumour bigger than a golf ball in the middle of Nick Stephens' head, he was thankful he had retained his private health cover despite paying hefty premiums for the last 30 years. I had been fit and healthy my whole life and, until then, I hardly ever used it. In his case, there was a clear winner hands down, he said. Two-and-a-half years on, Mr Stephens knows far more than he would like to about the ins-and-outs of the public and private healthcare systems having had brain surgery in both. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

netflix productions: They constitute the strongest language yet from any leading Hollywood studio since Georgia Gov, according to The Japan Times. Brian Kemp signed into law a ban on virtually all abortions. ; Sarandos said that Netflix has many women working on productions in Georgia whose rights will be severely restricted by the law. Sarandos made his remarks in a statement Tuesday, first reported by Variety. He said the company will help the American Civil Liberties Union contest the law in court. Atlanta has in recent years become a major hub of TV and film production. Netflix productions in the state will continue before the legislation is implemented. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

stockholders: Remo L tolf, Andreas R. Herzog Nominated to Meyer Burger Board DowDuPont Reports Fourth Quarter, Full Year 2018 Results Sumitomo Chemical Appoints New Chairman, New President ; 05.28.19Dow DuPont Inc. announced at its special meeting of stockholders that its stockholders approved a reverse stock split of the company's common stock, according to The Independent. With approximately 2 billion eligible votes cast, stockholders voted approximately 97% in favor of the reverse stock split. Related CONTENTDow DuPont Named in America's Most JUST Companies 2018 List Bob Levine Joins Solar Window as Director Dr. Stockholders approved the reverse stock split at a ratio of not less than 2-for-5 and not greater than 1-for-3, with an exact ratio as may be determined by the Board of Directors. The company confirmed that it will change its name from Dow DuPont Inc. to DuPont de Nemours, Inc., doing business as DuPont, on June 1 in connection with the intended Corteva distribution. The reverse stock split is intended to increase the market price of Dow DuPont's common stock in connection with the company's intended distribution of all of the shares of common stock of its wholly owned subsidiary, Corteva, Inc., which holds the company's Agriculture Business, to the holders of the company's common stock on a pro rata basis. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

trade tensions: From Japan, he said he expects a deal sometime in the future, according to Market Watch. That's pretty vague for financial markets, which will increasingly hang hopes for a deal on a G-20 meeting in June, where Trump and China President Xi Jinping are expected to get together. That's as trade tensions remained static following fresh comments from President Donald Trump which appeared to offer just mild encouragement over the China spat. Investors may want to find a distraction until then, like bitcoin perhaps. On Sunday, it hit 9,000, a level it hasn't touched in a year. While the barbecues and New York temperatures were heating up, so was that cryptocurrency. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

war: His comments show the government's attitude toward pressure from the trade war on the financial sector, according to Global Times China. The government won't use policy tools in the markets to offset the influence of the trade war, because the impact is not strong enough to damage China's self-stabilization system, said Dong Dengxin, director of the Finance and Securities Institute at the Wuhan University of Science and Technology. Photo VCG China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission CBIRC Chairman Guo Shuqing has stressed twice in interviews in the past three days that Chinese people have not panicked when domestic financial markets are burdened with pressure from the China-US trade war. The comments will help to reassure investors and further stabilize the financial markets, he told the Global Times on Tuesday. I believe the impact of the trade war on domestic financial markets will diminish further, he said in the interview. In an interview with China Central Television on Monday, Guo said that China's financial markets, including those for stocks, bonds and currencies, have been relatively stable so far this year. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

umass: It seemingly shifts the blame away from J. Keith Motley, who stepped down as UMass Boston chancellor in 2017 after 10 years at the helm of the campus amid reports of a multimillion dollar deficit, according to The Independent. Since Motley's departure, the campus has seen two interim chancellors, with the collapse of a search for a permanent leader in between. The scathing report points to UMass President Martin Meehan and the system's board of trustees as having brought about the crisis by approving a campus expansion plan without the reserves to pay for it. A new search is just now getting underway. It was unfair, said Greg Sullivan, co-author of the think tank's report and a former state inspector general. Our conclusion is that former UMass Boston chancellor Keith Motley was a scapegoat in large part for the events that happened there. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

phrase china: Marketsread more Boeing CEO says company works to regain public trust following... Boeing 737 Max planes are grounded worldwide after the two crashes since October killed a total of 346 people, according to Xinhua China. Airlinesread more The phrase China is using now that could mean the trade war will... The biggest Chinese newspaper made a warning to the U.S. by using a history-laden phrase. Market Insiderread more Weaker companies are piling on the debt, and Moody's is getting... The alert from Moody's Investors Services comes as worries mount over a looming economic downturn. Marketsread more China says US trade provocations are 'naked economic terrorism'Trade tensions between the U.S. and China escalated sharply earlier after Washington accused Beijing of having reneged on its previous promises to make structural changes to... China Politicsread more Barclays cuts Tesla's price target Barclays lowered its price target on Tesla by 22% on Thursday. Politicsread more How Best Buy came back from the brink of death and took on Amazon Best Buy was a behemoth in electronics retail that nearly suffered the fate of fallen competitors, such as Circuit City. Marketsread more Mueller reveals why he didn't clear Trump in special counsel... Special counsel Robert Mueller says If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

quentin fottrell: By Quentin Fottrell Personal Finance Editor American journalism is losing its objectivity, according to MSNBC. That's according to a new analysis on news discourse. ETShare U.S. news has shifted to opinion-based content that appeals to emotion; newspapers have shifted less than TV has window.video Domain Market Watch photo illustration/Getty Images, iStockphoto Tumultuous news cycles have made an impact on global opinions regarding media, according to a new global survey. In the study, released this month, researchers found a major shift occurred between 1989 and 2017 as journalism expanded beyond traditional media, such as newspapers and broadcast networks, to newer media, including 24-hour cable news channels and digital outlets. RAND is a nonprofit nonpartisan think tank based in Santa Monica, Calif. Notably, these measurable changes vary in extent and nature for different news platforms, it found. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

renault: Renault said it would study the friendly proposal . The French government owns 15% of Renault's shares, meaning the 32.6bn 28.8bn merger hinges on its approval, according to The Guardian. FCA said it expected 5bn 4.4bn in annual cost savings from the proposed tie-up and they would be achieved by sharing the huge investment burden in autonomous driving and electrification technology rather than politically painful job losses. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles FCA on Monday revealed a planned merger of equals between the two companies, which would create the third-largest global car manufacturer, behind Germany's Volkswagen and Japan's Toyota. But the prediction has stirred concern among French officials that some of those savings could put French jobs and facilities in the crosshairs. This is the first guarantee that I requested from Mr Senard on the opening of these negotiations with Fiat, Le Maire said. France's finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, speaking on RTL radio, asked the Renault chair, Jean-Dominique Senard, for a guarantee on the preservation of jobs and industrial sites in France and a commitment that no factory would be closed in the country. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

fiat: If completed, the merger would create the world's third largest carmaker behind Volkswagen VLKAF and Toyota TM . General Motors GM would fall to fourth in the global rankings, according to CNN. Renault RNLSY stock surged more than 15% in Paris on Monday, while Fiat Chrysler shares jumped around 11% in Milan. The French automaker said Monday that it would study with interest a proposal from Fiat Chrysler that would give its shareholders 50% ownership of a combined business with annual vehicle sales of 8.7 million. The companies had been discussing ways to cooperate on products and new technologies, but Fiat Chrysler said in a statement outlining its proposal that more could be gained from a merger. Fiat Chrysler owns brands including Jeep, Dodge, Alfa Romeo and Maserati. Read More These discussions made clear that broader collaboration through a combination would substantially improve capital efficiency and the speed of product development, the Italian-American company said. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

twitter var: Ethan Miller/Getty Images2020 elections Why is Kamala Harris running for president In a POLITICO interview, the Democratic hopeful says she wants quick action to put more money in people's pocketbooks and suggests she's not interested in big, systemic overhauls, according to MSNBC. By CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO05/28/2019 06 28 PM EDTShare on Facebook Share on Twitter var Spoken Layer window. Kamala Harris said she's pitching herself as the kitchen-table realist of the field, who eschews lofty speeches and understands the day-to-day financial struggles of regular Americans. Spoken Layer function ; new Spoken Layer ; Joe Biden is offering a return to normalcy. Bernie Sanders wants a political revolution. Elizabeth Warren aims to bring big corporations to heel and prop up the working class. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

acreage perspective: As one of one of the best capitalized companies in the industry, Canopy Growth CGC, 0.50%WEED, -0.12% has introduced a creative structure to potentially gain a foothold in the United States, the most lucrative global cannabis market, Hawkins wrote in a letter to his own investors, according to Market Watch. From an Acreage perspective, it now has 58 million shares of Canopy Growth injected in the company to continue to make strategic acquisitions and expand across the country. Matt Hawkins, managing partner of Cresco Capital Partners LLC, said Thursday that the 3.4 billion proposed deal is the most significant as well as the biggest deal in the sector so far, and brings a much needed infusion of capital to an industry that is starved of cash. In an industry where capital still costs a premium, this infusion is a tremendous differentiator. Marcato owns a 2.7% state in Acreage's subordinated voting shares. Hawkins was responding to the biggest critic of the deal, activist shareholder Marcato Capital Management LP, which came out against it immediately after its initial announcement by saying it substantially undervalues Acreage Holdings. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

climate: A 2C rise in global average surface temperature above pre-industrial levels will reduce GDP by about 3 per cent, according to The Independent. However, the difference with climate change is that economic analyses have helped to inform recommendations by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and decisions made by the international community, such as the Paris agreement. Recent reports estimate that, without action, by 2050 resistance to antimicrobial drugs will cause up to 10 million deaths a year globally and reduce gross domestic product GDP by 2 to 3.5 per cent These dire warnings are similar to those for climate change. We believe the antibiotic resistance debate must also include these sorts of analyses. You can form your own view. ISOCountry Groups euro at be cy ee fi fr de gr ie it lv lt lu mc mt nl pt sk si sm es va uk gb us us variants 1 33.4, 2 33.3, 3 33.3 We'll tell you what's true. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

consumer group: People who have transferred large sums of money to fraudsters have faced never seeing it again because they have authorised their bank to make the payment, according to The Independent. ISOCountry Groups euro at be cy ee fi fr de gr ie it lv lt lu mc mt nl pt sk si sm es va uk gb us us variants 1 33.4, 2 33.3, 3 33.3 We'll tell you what's true. According to consumer group Which 674 is typically lost every minute to this devastating crime with victims having faced a gruelling battle to get their money back in the past. You can form your own view. Subscribe now By contrast, with scams where money is stolen from people's bank accounts without their knowledge, victims can generally expect to be refunded. From 15p 0.18 0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

exchanges volatility: On Monday, the Shanghai Composite Index was up 1.38 percent to 2,892.38 points, while the Shenzhen Component Index rose by 2.31 percent to 8,979.83 points, according to Global Times China. According to FTSE Russell, in this stage, 1,097 Chinese stocks, or roughly 20 percent of A shares, will be included in the indexes, drawing an expected 10 billion from passive investors. A move like this, and the incremental capital that will flow in as a result, will reduce the exchanges' volatility, which is caused by shortage of long-term funds, one expert said. FTSE Russell will add 40 percent of A shares to its indexes in September and another 40 percent in March next year. The move followed a decision in March to increase the inclusion factor of A-shares to 20 percent in a three-step process in May, August and November, each time raising the representation of Chinese large-cap stocks by five percentage points. Recently, MSCI announced a decision to double the inclusion factor of A shares in the MSCI indexes to 10 percent. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

india opportunity: India has invested heavily in Afghanistan over the years, gaining more soft power in the country, according to Global Times China. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan was overthrown in 2001, and the Northern Alliance, which is supported by India, occupied a dominant position under the new regime, leading to India's rising influence. With the launch of the US' Indo-Pacific Strategy, India is another pillar of US President Donald Trump's new Afghanistan strategy, which provides India the opportunity to take the lead and consolidate its geopolitical advantages. India participated in Afghanistan's reconstruction and increased its impact through soft power in the country. Before 2011, aid from India was focused on infrastructure, social security and education. As of 2011, India provided a total of 1.5 billion in relief funding to Afghanistan with almost 4,000 Indians assigned to the aid project, making India the fifth largest financial aid source to Afghanistan. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

percent growth: Bangladesh has achieved 6.5 percent economic growth over the last decade, is expecting 8.13 percent growth this year and is aiming for double-digit growth soon, according to The Japan Times. Based on the success of Vision 2021, we now aspire to become a developed country by 2041. Our people-centric development model based on leaving no one behind has been the key to achieving this miracle. Transforming our young generation into valuable human resources for the global supply chain will be a key component to realizing this target. We have planned to set up 100 special economic zones, including one for Japanese investors. ; Japan and Bangladesh have always enjoyed a close relationship based on mutual trust and cooperation. We have undertaken major infrastructure development schemes to ensure energy security, food security and a better standard of living for our people. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.