Top Headlines
Lloyds to Cut 3,000 Jobs as Lender Braces for Post-Brexit Slowdown – WSJ (subscription)
Lloyds Banking Group PLC is to cut 3,000 extra jobs as the British bank warned that Brexit will hit the U.K. economy in the months to come.
Households on the Hook for Italy’s Next Bailout – Bloomberg
Vincenzo Imperatore wants you to know he was just following orders: Selling risky bonds to customers seeking safe retirement nest eggs was only part of the job. When financial markets shut during the financial crisis, depositors were Italian banks’ most reliable source of funding.
Why Currency Wars Will Cause the World More Financial Pain – MarketWatch
The currency wars raging across global markets are entering a more dangerous phase. Japan and Europe are likely to further ease monetary policy in an attempt to weaken their currencies to address the lack of growth and low inflation. China, meanwhile, needs to devalue to help manage a slowing economy, property bubble, industrial overcapacity, fragile banking system and export-dependent, debt-based economic model.
How a Currency Intended to Unite Europe Wound Up Dividing It – NY Times (subscription)
It was started in the name of forging a greater sense of union among the disparate nations of Europe. It was supposed to enhance commercial ties, erode borders and foster a spirit of collective interest, furthering the evolution of former wartime combatants into fellow nations of a united Europe.
Getting Ahead of Client Demands – Profit & Loss
As client requirements evolve in response to changes in FX market structure, services providers need to be ready to adapt to these new demands, said panelists at Profit & Loss Forex Network Toronto conference last month.
IMF Amends SDR Rounding Methodology – Profit & Loss
The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has amended its rounding methodology for determining currency amounts in the Special Drawing Right (SDR) basket.
As FX Shortage Bites, Egypt’s CIB Limits Use of Bank Cards Abroad – Reuters
Egypt’s largest listed bank, Commercial International Bank (CIB), told customers on Wednesday it was reducing the amount of foreign currency customers can spend and withdraw when using their debit and credit cards abroad.
Regulatory News
Barclays ‘Cartel’ Trader Blames Bank – Profit & Loss
Former Barclays head of spot voice FX trading Chris Ashton claims he was “scapegoated” by the firm in the wake of the investigations of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) into alleged manipulation of FX rates, and that he was first “put in the line of fire” and then sacked for repeatedly blowing the whistle, an East London employment tribunal heard Tuesday.
Financial Stability Board Still Weighing Digital Currency Risks – CoinDesk
The Financial Stability Board (FSB), an international body composed of central bank officials and finance regulators, said in its latest annual report that it continues to assess opportunities and risks related to digital currencies.
Company News
Credit Suisse Posts Surprise Profit as Expenses Fall – WSJ (subscription)
Credit Suisse Group AG reported a surprise quarterly profit on Thursday as expenses fell, marking a rare bright spot for the Swiss bank that nonetheless failed to stir investor confidence.
GSK Outlook Brightens as Brexit Brings Currency Windfall – Business Insider
Demand for new medicines helped GlaxoSmithKline grow earnings in the second quarter and the drugmaker is set for big gains in the rest of 2016 thanks to a weak pound, after Britain’s vote to leave the European Union.
Shell Sees Quarterly Profits Plummet 70% as Low Oil Price Bites – CNBC
European oil majors Royal Dutch Shell and Total reported a sharp decline in profits in the second-quarter of 2016, as the low oil price continued to weigh on earnings.
Diageo Profit Hit by Currency Volatility – WSJ (subscription)
Diageo PLC reported weaker profit for the year amid currency volatility but the world’s largest spirits maker’s key U.S. business delivered strong second-half revenue and executives signaled they expect the growth to continue.
Telefónica Profit Plunges on Currency Moves –WSJ (subscription)
Spanish telecommunications giant Telefónica SA said second-quarter net profit fell by more than half from a year earlier on lower revenue and currency fluctuations.
Market Savvy
China’s Central Bank Ends Its War With Yuan Bears – Bloomberg
For traders betting on a weaker yuan, the People’s Bank of China is turning from foe to friend.
Citi Sees ‘Gradual Shift Towards Helicopter Money’ – CNBC
Citi has forecast a “gradual shift towards helicopter money” by advanced economies, as countries struggle to boost growth and inflation in uncertain geopolitical climes.
Brazilian Stocks and Currency Stable After Fed Decision – Reuters
The Brazilian real and Bovespa stock index were stable on Wednesday, after a session in which traders were attentive to a meeting of US Federal Reserve policymakers, who decided not to raise rates.