BNP Paribas beats quarterly expectations as equity trading rebounds France’s BNP Paribas on Friday reported a better-than-expected first-quarter profit, helped by lower provisions for pandemic-related bad loans and a rebound in its equity trading business that the bank aims to expand. The euro zone’s biggest listed lender said net profit rose 37.9% to 1.77…
Investors have put more money into stocks in the last 5 months than the previous 12 years combined. More money has gone into stock-based funds over the past five months than the previous 12 years combined, according to Bank of America. In raw numbers, $569 billion has flowed into global equity funds since November,…
Are We Witnessing the Start of a New Commodities Supercycle? “Governments and private companies are increasingly pledging carbon reduction measures, heightening demand for certain metals.” “A weakened U.S. dollar, zero interest rates and pent-up demand may be contributing to the second supercycle this century.” Commodity super cycles are decade-long periods in which commodities…
Dollar holds advantage on economic optimism, euro looks vulnerable The dollar traded near multi-month highs against most major currencies on Friday, supported by a wave of optimism due to improving US economic data, the rollout of coronavirus vaccines, and rising Treasury yields. The euro was in focus ahead of data on German business sentiment…
Sustainable investment boom sees huge surge in ESG funds With the rising popularity of ESG funds, investors have to be careful not to fall foul of greenwashing. Proposed EU regulations may help them to do just that 2020 was a watershed year for ESG funds. Investment strategies that take environmental, social and corporate governance…
Hedge fund manager Hohn pays himself $479m Pay-out marks one of the biggest ever in the UK after his firm’s profits surge “Christopher Hohn described himself as ‘an unbelievable moneymaker’ in 2014 court testimony during his divorce” Billionaire hedge fund manager Sir Christopher Hohn has paid himself a dividend of $479m, one of the…
Amsterdam ousts London as Europe’s top share trading hub UK’s departure from the EU prompts shift in dealing of stocks and derivatives Amsterdam surpassed London as Europe’s largest share trading centre last month as the Netherlands scooped up business lost by the UK since Brexit. An average €9.2bn shares a day were traded on…
Boomers Are Going to Drive a Silver Surge Companies tend to neglect older generations, focusing instead on millennials and Gen Z. Such a strategy will be costly this year. Companies long to partner with the Kardashians. Over the past couple of years, we have seen beauty leader Coty Inc., for example, strike cosmetics deals with both Kim Kardashian…
2 short sellers admit defeat, bail out at huge loss as GameStop share surge hits 1000% Short sellers Andrew Left and Melvin Capital take huge losses to cover their bad bets “Prominent short seller Andrew Left, has admitted he has taken a 100 per cent loss on his bet against GameStop” In the David…
European firms improve diversity scores in pandemic year, study finds The number of major European companies with high participation of women in leadership positions has doubled over the past year, but there was less progress on top jobs, a study by a EU-sponsored non-profit organization showed on Thursday. Brussels-based association European Women on Boards,…
