Top Headlines
Dollar Steady vs Yen, Traders Wary Over Global Trade Tensions – Reuters
The dollar held steady against the yen, taking a breather after last week’s rally and as it treads cautiously amid lingering concerns over a US-China trade spat.
Bitcoin’s First-Quarter Play: Falling Back to Earth – Wall Street Journal (subscription)
The digital currency posted its second-worst quarter ever, part of a broader selloff in the cryptocurrency market.
CME Rules Out Asset Sales After Nex Deal – Financial Times (subscription)
CME Group does not expect to sell any assets after its £3.9bn purchase of the UK’s Nex Group to satisfy antitrust regulators or meet cost savings targets, according to chief executive Terry Duffy.
- Why Banks Will Cheer CME Snapping Up NEX – Wall Street Journal (subscription)
- Should the London Stock Exchange Gatecrash the CME’s Party? – The Telegraph
Will the FX Global Code Gain Traction in Mexico? – Profit & Loss
A new survey from Bloomberg suggests that authorities in Mexico may face an uphill struggle when promoting the FX Global Code of Conduct amongst the local market.
Libor-Rigging Judge’s Musings Raise Doubt About US Prosecution – Bloomberg
A judge voiced skepticism of a US case against two former Deutsche Bank traders charged with rigging the Libor interest-rate benchmark, questioning whether the government will be able to present sufficient evidence to convict the pair.
Big Banks on Notice as Tech Groups Ramp Up Pressure – Financial Times (subscription)
Technology companies are set to take a big chunk of customers from banks, as they intensify their challenge to traditional lenders across a range of mass-market financial services, say industry executives and analysts.
Regulatory News
Return of Volatility Is a Healthy Resetting of Markets – Financial Times (subscription)
Probability is that more normal conditions are returning but risks must be monitored.
Washington Leak Culture Meets Wall Street’s Insider-Trading Cops – Bloomberg
The federal prosecutors who sent Wall Streeters to prison for trading on insider information are taking on Washington’s culture of leaks in a first-of-its-kind trial next week.
China’s Financial Regulatory Troika – Wall Street Journal (subscription)
‘Liu He is the strategist, Yi Gang is the implementer, and Guo [Shuqing] is the enforcer,’ analyst says.
Company News
Almost Half of Fund Allocators Don’t Know What to Make of Crypto – Bloomberg
Almost half of the more than 400 institutional allocators, such as pensions, sovereign wealth funds and family offices, surveyed at a Context Summits conference in Miami said they don’t know what to make of cryptocurrencies.
Investment in Capital Market Fintech Falls by More Than Half – Financial Times
Capital markets fintech ventures attracted less than half as much equity funding last year as they did in 2015 and 2016, according to a study from the Boston Consulting Group.
Market Savvy
Emerging Markets Get Thumbs Up After Staring Down Tough Quarter – Bloomberg
Mexican peso, yuan, won seen most vulnerable to trade wars.
Japan Business Sentiment Dips on Stronger Yen – Financial Times (subscription)
Closely watched Tankan index falls but solid growth continues.
Bitcoin Just Grabbed Its Biggest Slice of the Crypto Pie Since Last Year – Business Insider
Bitcoin’s share of the crypto market reached its highest level of 2018, according to CoinMarketCap data.