Virgin Money eyes 2 billion pound stock market listing: Sky News
(Reuters) – Virgin Money [NRTRK.UL], the British financial services company partly owned by Sir Richard Branson, is in talks over a possible 2 billion pound ($3.32 billion) stock market listing as early as next month, Sky News reported on Sunday, citin…
Tantrums, concubines, hotpot burns and smog: China insurers have it covered
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Your child throws a tantrum and smashes something? Take out “naughty child insurance”. Similarly, buy cover against your bride becoming pregnant before the honeymoon, your team being knocked out of the soccer World Cup, burning yo…
Weak data to test BOJ’s rosy economic view, policy on hold
TOKYO (Reuters) – The Bank of Japan will maintain its existing stimulus policy and optimistic economic view on when it meets on Thursday, sources say, preferring to take more time to gauge whether a run of weak data is sufficient to threaten a fragile …
Britain’s Barclays to sell Spanish assets to Caixabank
MADRID (Reuters) – Barclays is selling its Spanish retail and corporate banking operations to Caixabank , the two companies said on Sunday, as the British bank starts shrinking its struggling European divisions as part of a major overhaul.
Exclusive: Norwegian Cruise nears $3 billion Prestige Cruises deal – sources
(Reuters) – Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd , the world’s third largest cruise operator, is in advanced talks to acquire peer Prestige Cruises International Inc for around $3 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
Merkel unhappy with Draghi’s apparent new fiscal focus – Spiegel
BERLIN (Reuters) – A German news magazine reported on Sunday that Chancellor Angela Merkel is unhappy with European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi for apparently proposing a greater emphasis on fiscal stimulus over austerity in order to boost growth i…
Passive funds an active threat for Europe’s fund managers
LONDON (Reuters) – Warren Buffett built a fortune of nearly $60 billion from astute stock picking, but when the 83-year-old dies, the vast majority of the money he leaves his wife will be parked in a fund that simply moves in step with an index.
French PM says ECB must do more to tackle overvalued euro
PARIS (Reuters) – French Prime Minister Manuel Valls reiterated on Sunday calls for the European Central Bank to go “further” in tackling the problem of an overvalued euro.
Swatch prefers go-it-alone route for smartwatch plans
BIEL (Switzerland) (Reuters) – Swatch Group is happy to go it alone with a launch next year of watches with “smart” features to compete with so-called wearable gadgets from the big tech companies, a market potentially worth $93 billion.
Investors’ eyes pinned on ECB as Europe’s health deteriorates
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Central Bank meeting on Thursday is the prime event for markets seeking clarity on the bank’s response to a stalled recovery, disappearing inflation and the sluggish pace of reform in the euro zone.
