Business
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Amundi profits surge as inflows double market expectations
Europe’s largest fund manager, Amundi, reported net inflows of €24.4 billion in the second quarter, doubling analyst forecasts. This performance, bolstered by a 29% jump in adjusted net income to €431 million, underscores the firm's resilience as it navigates a landscape dominated by American giants like BlackRock and Vanguard.
Societe Generale hits record profit as retail rebound offsets trading slump
Societe Generale posted a record quarterly profit of €1.79 billion, a 23% increase that defied expectations and underscored the effectiveness of CEO Slawomir Krupa’s ongoing turnaround strategy. The French lender’s performance was bolstered by a resurgent retail banking division and disciplined cost controls, shielding the firm from a persistent slide in trading revenue.
Robinhood Profits Surge as Market Volatility Drives Trading
Market turbulence fueled by geopolitical tensions and shifting interest-rate expectations has proven lucrative for Robinhood Markets, which reported a sharp rise in second-quarter profit. As investors scrambled to rebalance portfolios amid global uncertainty, the brokerage saw a significant jump in transaction-based revenue and overall trading volume.
Goldman Sachs ordered to pay £1.45 million in parental leave bias case
A London employment tribunal has ordered Goldman Sachs to pay £1.45 million to a former senior compliance officer who faced sex discrimination after taking parental leave. Jonathan Reeves, once a top-performing veteran at the firm, successfully argued that his dismissal and the ensuing legal battle effectively derailed his career path.
BBVA Overhauls Executive Ranks to Accelerate AI Integration
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria is restructuring its senior leadership and streamlining internal reporting lines, a strategic pivot aimed at accelerating the bank’s digital transformation and mitigating the disruptive influence of artificial intelligence on traditional retail banking and customer service operations.
Lebanese banker faces legal probe over Netanyahu dinner
A group of Lebanese lawyers filed a formal complaint Wednesday against prominent banker Antoun Sehnaoui, alleging he violated national law by co-hosting a Washington dinner attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The petition, submitted to the state’s top prosecutor, accuses the financier of communicating with an enemy state.
European Banks Extend Rally as Earnings Beat Forecasts
The STOXX Europe Banks index has climbed to its highest level since late 2007, marking a 143% surge since early 2024. Deutsche Bank, UBS, and Standard Chartered are the latest lenders to post second-quarter earnings that surpassed analyst expectations, signaling a sustained recovery for the sector despite the region's broader economic stagnation.
Jim Leaviss, the bond market's unlikely storyteller, dies at 55
A former Bank of England official who transformed the dry world of fixed-income trading into a vibrant, accessible narrative, Jim Leaviss has died at 55. As the architect of M&G Investments' global bond operation, he became a fixture in the City of London by humanizing the complex mechanics of fiscal policy.
Senators Challenge Trump Media Over Paid Access to Presidential Posts
Democratic senators Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff have petitioned the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Trump Media’s new premium data feed violates federal law. The service, which offers trading firms priority access to Donald Trump’s social media updates, has sparked concerns over market fairness and potential conflicts of interest.
Sberbank Weighs Loan-Loss Reserves After Wildberries Drone Strikes
Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Wildberries warehouses have triggered a ripple effect across Russia’s retail sector, forcing Sberbank to evaluate higher loan-loss provisions. With roughly 300 companies now scrambling to restructure their debt, the lender is assessing the long-term financial stability of vendors caught in the crossfire of the conflict.
Grant Thornton to Acquire CBIZ for $5 Billion
A 17.8% premium is driving a $5 billion acquisition deal as Grant Thornton Advisors moves to absorb CBIZ Inc. The transaction, announced Wednesday, positions the combined entity as the fifth-largest professional services provider in the United States, challenging the long-standing dominance of the Big Four accounting firms.
Burnham links assisted dying debate to social care overhaul
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signaled that the contentious legislative push for assisted dying must take a backseat to the country’s crumbling social safety net. Addressing the issue days after taking office, he insisted that a national conversation on end-of-life choices remains premature until fundamental care systems are stabilized.
Investors turn to insurance as AI debt risks mount
The AI boom is hitting a wall of skepticism, as investors rush to purchase credit default swaps for tech giants. With billions of dollars in debt fueling the sector's rapid expansion, the rising cost of insuring against potential defaults signals growing anxiety over when these massive capital outlays will finally pay off.
SK Hynix Slump Signals High Stakes for US Tech Earnings
A sharp 10% slide in South Korean chip giant SK Hynix has rattled global markets, underscoring the unforgiving threshold for performance as investors brace for high-profile earnings from Microsoft and Meta. This volatility arrives just as the Federal Reserve prepares for one of its most anticipated policy decisions in years.
Intesa Sanpaolo Raises Profit Target After Strong Second Quarter
With second-quarter net income climbing to €2.8 billion, Italy's largest lender, Intesa Sanpaolo, has surpassed market expectations and lifted its annual profit forecast. The bank, which recently initiated a €34.5 billion bid for Monte dei Paschi di Siena, now expects to exceed its previous €10 billion profit target for 2026.
Fed Revives M2 Monitoring to Sharpen Inflation Outlook
Kevin Warsh has quietly reintroduced money supply metrics into Federal Reserve deliberations, marking the first formal acknowledgement of M2 in a decade. While the move signals a shift toward a broader mosaic of data, the central bank remains divided over whether these indicators offer reliable signals or merely historical noise.
Microsoft options signal $190 billion swing as AI scrutiny peaks
Options traders are bracing for a 6.6% volatility swing in Microsoft shares when the tech giant reports earnings Wednesday, a move representing roughly $190 billion in market value. This anticipation reflects a shift in investor sentiment from speculative AI enthusiasm to a demand for concrete financial returns on massive capital expenditures.
Santander Brasil Profit Slumps as Loan Provisions Mount
Banco Santander Brasil posted a second-quarter net profit of 3.01 billion reais, a 17.6% decline that fell significantly short of the 3.9 billion reais analysts projected. The results underscore a difficult stretch for the lender, which continues to grapple with a challenging credit landscape and shifting portfolio strategies.
Bafin expands oversight of AI systems in German finance
German financial regulator Bafin has secured new legislative authority to police the deployment of artificial intelligence across the nation's banking and insurance sectors. Starting this week, the watchdog will scrutinize how companies utilize automated systems to ensure compliance with transparency standards and the protection of fundamental consumer rights.
Prime Minister Burnham Pledges Long-Delayed Social Care Overhaul
For decades, British governments have avoided the toxic politics of social care reform, leaving families to shoulder costs that can top £100,000. Prime Minister Andy Burnham now aims to break that cycle, inviting opposition leaders to negotiate a funding model that prevents the potential collapse of the National Health Service.
Bank of Singapore Deploys Agentic AI to Halve Onboarding Time
Bank of Singapore has launched an agentic AI platform designed to slash account opening timelines for wealthy clients from over 30 business days to 15. The initiative, aimed at accelerating due diligence and credit risk assessments, positions the private banking arm of OCBC at the forefront of the regional push toward automated financial services.
UBS Profits Surge as Bank Targets $3 Billion in New Buybacks
Switzerland’s largest lender posted a 17% jump in second-quarter profit to $2.8 billion, comfortably beating analyst expectations of $2.39 billion. Bolstered by record trading performance and wealth management inflows, the bank now plans to repurchase at least $1 billion in shares over the coming three months.
Deutsche Bank profit climbs 10% on investment banking surge
Defying widespread analyst forecasts of a quarterly decline, Deutsche Bank reported a 10% rise in net profit on Wednesday. The German lender’s performance, anchored by a robust showing in its global investment banking division, pushed earnings to 1.64 billion euros, comfortably outpacing the 1.377 billion euro consensus estimate.
UBS Posts $2.8 Billion Profit as Integration of Credit Suisse Advances
Surpassing analyst projections by nearly half a billion dollars, UBS Group reported a net profit of $2.8 billion for the second quarter. The results underscore a period of stabilization for the Swiss banking giant as it continues the complex absorption of its former rival, Credit Suisse.
Caixabank Beats Profit Estimates as Lending Income Climbs
Spain’s largest domestic lender, Caixabank, reported a 10.1% increase in second-quarter net profit, reaching €1.63 billion. The result outperformed analyst expectations of €1.55 billion, as gains in interest income successfully absorbed a sharp rise in loan loss provisions during the April-June period.
Standard Chartered Profit Climbs to $4.78 Billion
Standard Chartered reported a 9% rise in first-half pretax profit, reaching $4.78 billion as the emerging markets-focused lender capitalized on surging revenue across its wealth management, global banking, and financial markets divisions. The result comfortably outpaced the $4.52 billion average estimate projected by analysts.
Russian government weighs rescue package for fire-hit Wildberries
Ukrainian drone strikes have crippled Russia’s largest online retailer, destroying 10% of its storage capacity and leaving thousands of small businesses in financial ruin. As the company struggles to process losses, the Kremlin and state-backed lender VTB are exploring emergency measures to prevent a broader market collapse.
BIS Warns AI Boom Complicates Central Bank Inflation Strategy
The artificial intelligence boom is creating a dual-sided economic shock, forcing central banks to navigate a landscape where technology simultaneously boosts demand and supply. According to the Bank for International Settlements, this convergence threatens to obscure traditional inflation signals and complicates the delicate calibration of global interest rates.
Wildberries Pays Compensation Following Deadly Warehouse Drone Strikes
Families of the deceased and workers wounded during Ukrainian drone strikes on Wildberries logistics centers have received 40 million roubles in initial compensation. The retailer confirmed the disbursements began on July 21, just three days after the first major assault on its infrastructure resulted in eight worker fatalities.
Visa to Cut 2,600 Jobs in Major Efficiency Drive
Visa is eliminating 7% of its global workforce, amounting to roughly 2,600 positions, as the payments giant shifts resources toward high-growth sectors. The reduction, which targets technology and product divisions, reflects a broader industry trend of reallocating capital to prioritize AI-driven productivity over traditional headcount expansion.