HSBC Said to Be Focus of Criminal Probe Sought by U.K. Lawmaker

HSBC Said to Be Focus of Criminal Probe Sought by U.K. Lawmaker

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – HSBC Holdings Plc is the unnamed bank that is the focus of a senior British lawmaker’s demand for a criminal probe into a relationship with South Africa’s Gupta family, according to two people with knowledge of the allegations. Peter Hain, a Labour Party member of the House of Lords, asked the authorities to investigate a U.K. bank for “possible criminal complicity,” after it allegedly failed to take action on…

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UniCredit $21 Billion Bad-Loan Sale Said to Draw ECB Review

UniCredit $21 Billion Bad-Loan Sale Said to Draw ECB Review

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – The European Central Bank is examining UniCredit Spa’s landmark bad-loan sale of 17.7 billion euros ($20.6 billion) to assess if the price the bank reported is inflated by fees that should be stripped out, according to people familiar with the matter. Some of the commissions the Italian bank will pay to the buyers to manage the loans over coming years could affect the price, the people said, asking not to…

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Tanzania Leader Appoints Tax Specialist Central Bank Chief

Tanzania Leader Appoints Tax Specialist Central Bank Chief

DAR ES SALAAM (Capital Markets in Africa) – Tanzanian President John Magufuli named Florens Luoga, a tax-law expert, as the new head of the central bank as the East African nation’s leader seeks to overhaul the country’s natural-resources industry. In July, Magufuli appointed Luoga as chairman of the Tanzania Revenue Authority board. He’s been a deputy vice chancellor at the University of Dar es Salaam since 2014, according to the academic institution’s website. “We had a…

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United Kingdom Manufacturing Sums Up Interest-Rate Dilemma for the BOE

United Kingdom Manufacturing Sums Up Interest-Rate Dilemma for the BOE

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – For a picture book example of the dilemma facing Bank of England policy makers, look no further than the U.K. manufacturing industry. On the downside for the economy, demand and confidence at factories is declining and investment is weakening, according to a survey from the Confederation of British Industry. But, in a sign of a potential squeeze that could intensify price pressures, the percentage of firms operating below capacity is the…

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For Stocks Pumped by Draghi’s Stimulus, The Only Way May Be Down

For Stocks Pumped by Draghi’s Stimulus, The Only Way May Be Down

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Ahead of this week’s European Central Bank meeting, investors mostly see the region’s equities weathering President Mario Draghi’s tapering signals. But in the short term, there are signals aplenty that the shares may be ripe for a pullback, particularly if the euro resumes its rally. Strategists on average now expect the Euro Stoxx 50 to decline by year-end. Here are five charts that indicate overheating in the stock market. Euro-area stocks are no longer…

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Moody’s Sees Angola as No-Go Zone for U.S. Banks as Risks Remain

Moody’s Sees Angola as No-Go Zone for U.S. Banks as Risks Remain

LUANDA (Capital Markets in Africa) – Angola is still a long way off from tempting U.S. banks into resuming dollar-clearing services despite making progress in combating money laundering, according to Moody’s Investors Service. “American banks are unlikely to come back to Angola anytime soon,” Akin Majekodunmi, a London-based senior analyst at Moody’s, said in an interview on Wednesday. “This industry, if you like, doesn’t make much commercial sense for them anymore.” Bank of America Corp….

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BOE’s November Rate Hike Isn’t Set in Stone After Crunch Week

BOE’s November Rate Hike Isn’t Set in Stone After Crunch Week

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – After a crucial week for the Bank of England, a November interest-rate increase no longer looks like a sure thing. Inflation may have hit 3 percent, but for some policymakers at the central bank, the domestic price pressures that justify raising now aren’t there. That view was backed up by data Wednesday that showed wage growth slowing. Dave Ramsden, the Monetary Policy Committee’s newest member, had said a day earlier that…

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