MOSCOW, RUSSIA – Russia's central bank held interest rates unchanged on Friday as Moscow's military offensive on Ukraine has led to stubbornly high inflation and labor shortages. The central bank raised rates to 16 percent in a series of hikes last year to cool the pace of price rises. Analysts are...

Istanbul, Turkey--The commodity markets saw supply concerns and rises by optimism from China, despite the negative impact of the Fed's announcements, sanctions, and ongoing geopolitical risks. Uncertainties as to when the Fed will start cutting interest rates persist, and the minutes of last week's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting...

Doha, Qatar--The Qatar Chamber (QC) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) discussed bilateral cooperation relations in the fields of labor, research, training, and ways to achieve the common interest of business owners and workers. This came during the meeting of Acting General Manager of the Qatar Chamber Ali Bu Sherbak...

The British bank's net profit jumped to US$5.5bn in 2023.

DUBAI, UAE - The total M&A market dropped 15 percent, to US$3.2 trillion, the lowest level in a decade, as dealmakers grappling with high interest rates, regulatory scrutiny and mixed macroeconomic signals had to be more selective about which deals to pursue in 2023. But the biggest obstacle was the...

DOHA, QATAR - The Qatar Central Bank issued treasury bills and sukuk with maturities of one week, one month, three months, six months and nine months totaling US$686 million (QR 2.5 billion). In a statement posted on the social media platform "X" on Thursday, QCB said that the issuance was...

The bank has proposed record cash dividend of 44.38 fils per share.

The latest batch of data show higher borrowing costs starting to slow down consumption -- a key goal of the central bank. Turkey's gross domestic product rose by just 0.3 percent between July and September. It had risen by 3.3 between April and June.

Beijing, China - China's central bank and several government agencies unveiled 25 new measures Monday to support private economy. These initiatives aim to diversify financial avenues for private businesses, marking a continued effort to bolster the sector crucial for the country's economic progress. According to Global Times, these measures represent...

Stock markets were mostly in wait-and-see mode as investors eyed the release this week of key US inflation data that could guide Federal Reserve plans for interest rates. Oil prices slid nearly two percent before cutting their losses as dealers awaited a delayed meeting of OPEC and its allies to...

The UAE's central bank has kept its Base Rate for the Overnight Deposit Facility (ODF) unchanged at 5.40 percent. It is closely tied to the US Federal Reserve's Interest on Reserve Balances (IORB), reflecting the general stance of the CBUAE's monetary policy. Qatar Central Bank too has maintained its current...

The Federal Reserve will likely announce it is holding interest rates at a 22-year high on Wednesday, as it looks to tackle inflation without damaging the resilient US economy. Analysts and traders parsing recent Fed speeches overwhelmingly expect the US central bank to hold rates steady for the second meeting...

The bank's operating income rose 23% to US$3.32 billion.

The bank’s revenues rose 22 percent to US$39.9 billion.

MANAMA, BAHRAIN – This week’s US$186 million (BD 70 million) issue of Government Treasury Bills has been oversubscribed by 270 percent. The bills, carrying a maturity of 91 days, are issued by the CBB, on behalf of the Government of Bahrain. The issue date of the bills is October 4,...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--UAE stock markets Thursday continued to capitalize on improved investor sentiments, defying US Fed's decision to keep interest rates steady on Wednesday, while projecting an increase by year-end. Blue-chip real estate, banking, and energy stocks lead the gainers in the Capital's bourse, as giant property Emaar drove DFM...

According to the credit rating agency, a combination of higher interest rates and production cuts by the OPEC is expected to restrain near-term growth prospects for major GCC economies. However, non-oil growth is anticipated to bolster the region's economies, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

According to a report by asset management firm Janus Henderson, payouts to shareholders are expected to grow further in spite of economic uncertainty. During the second quarter payments by the 1,200 biggest public companies rose more than expected, increasing by 4.9 percent compared to the same April-to-June period last year.

The US Federal Reserve is prepared to raise interest rates higher - and hold them there - to bring down above-target inflation, chairman Jerome Powell said. "We are prepared to raise rates …. until we are confident that inflation is moving sustainably down toward our objective," he told the Jackson...

The builder has accumulated debts of more than $150bn.

European stocks rebounded but Asian markets ended mixed after a Chinese rate cut failed to reassure investors. At midday, Paris stocks were up by more than one percent, with both Frankfurt and London also pushing higher. Market sentiment has taken a hammering this month by a string of weak data...

Net profit was affected by higher interest rate.

The company’s EBITDA in H1 2023 was US$178 million.

Doha, Qatar--Qatar National Bank (QNB) Group foresees a recession in the US economy during the upcoming 12 months, pointing out that the US economy continues to demonstrate its resilience despite significant headwinds from high inflation, tighter financial conditions, and an uncertain global environment. In its weekly commentary, QNB added that...

Asian equities wobbled at the end of a draining week as fresh US jobs data put revived bets on two more Federal Reserve interest rate hikes, adding to ongoing worries about China's economy. Investors have largely been on the back foot since Beijing announced a big miss on second-quarter growth.

The rise attributed to increase in net interest and non-interest income.

Firm in profit despite high inflation, rising interest rates.

Results of large US banks released underscored the boon from higher interest rates, as executives described the world's biggest economy as "resilient" but facing risks. JPMorgan Chase, Citi and Wells Fargo all enjoyed the benefits of being able to charge higher rates on loans, while not suffering much from elevated...

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM -  Eurozone economic activity worsened in June to a five-month low, hit hard by a fall in industrial production, a keenly watched survey showed on Friday. The eurozone entered a technical recession at the start of the year, according to official figures published earlier this month. But inflation remains...

A senior US Federal Reserve official said that additional interest rate hikes are needed to tackle historically high inflation. "I believe that additional policy rate increases will be necessary to bring inflation down to our target over time," Fed governor Michelle Bowman told a conference in Cleveland, Ohio, according to...

LONDON, UK -  The Bank of England on Thursday lifted its key interest rate by a half-point to five percent to tackle stubbornly high UK inflation despite such a move worsening a cost-of-living crisis. The higher-than-expected hike to a 15-year high was the 13th increase in a row. "There had been...

GCC banks see continued growth on the back of innovation, tech focus and sustained government support. TRENDS Special Report analyzes factors that shape the sector.

Stock markets jumped after data showed US inflation slowed further in May, raising hopes the Federal Reserve will pause its interest rate-hike campaign. Wall Street indices advanced at the open while European markets climbed after official figures showed US consumer prices rose by 4.0 percent year-on-year in May, compared to...

The Bank of England lifted its key interest rate to the highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, noting inflation remained stubbornly high but that the economy would now avoid recession this year. The BoE hiked the rate by a quarter-point to 4.5 percent with UK annual inflation stuck above...

Kuwait City, Kuwait--The Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) has announced the latest allocation of issuance of bonds and tawarruq valued at $1.05 billion. In a statement, the CBK said that the value of the first issuance amounted to KD 160 million (about USD 528 million) for three months with a...

FRANKFURT, GERMANY - More eurozone interest rate increases will be appropriate to tame high inflation if conditions remain as expected, the European Central Bank's chief economist said Wednesday. The ECB has hiked rates by 3.5 percentage points since July last year in an unprecedented campaign of monetary tightening to bring soaring...

Stock markets traded mixed as last week's optimism gave way to worries that central banks may wait longer than expected to end their policy of raising interest rates. After the Paris CAC 40 reached a fresh record-high at 7,552 points, profit-taking set in and the French index was flat in...

US consumer inflation slowed in March lessening the pressure on the Federal Reserve to maintain its aggressive posture to cool the economy. The rate of inflation year-over-year fell to 5.0 percent last month from 6.0 percent in February, the smallest 12-month increase since May 2021, as per the Bureau of...

In the wake of the fall of Silicon Valley Bank, the US Federal Reserve should be cautious in setting interest-rate policy. Chicago Fed president Austan Goolsbee said at a conference in Chicago that caution should be exercised until "we see how much work the headwinds are doing for us in...

Washington, United States--US lawmakers accused regulators Tuesday of failing to do enough to prevent the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank earlier this month, despite knowing it was over-exposed to the risk of rising interest rates. The Senate Banking Committee grilled senior Federal Reserve, Treasury and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) officials...

US consumer inflation edged down in February but remains elevated, according to government data, adding pressure to the Federal Reserve as it balances its inflation fight with financial stability concerns. The central bank has been on an aggressive campaign to tame inflation, raising interest rates eight times since early last...

Wall Street rose but European stock markets fell as investors brace for US jobs data that they fear could prompt the Federal Reserve to ramp up interest rate hikes. Markets were rocked this week by Fed chief Jerome Powell's warning that interest rates could rise should the economy show no...

AMMAN,  JORDAN -   The Speaker of Jordan's Senate Faisal Fayez met with Arab Parliament Speaker Adel Abdulrahman Al-Asoomi and discussed the ways and means to activate parliamentary work and diplomacy to address the region's common interest. During the meeting, attended by Jordan's ambassador to Egypt Amjad Adaileh, the two sides...

Abu Dhabi, UAE-- The UAE and Jordan have resolved to draw on each other's experiences in order to combat corruption, and increase competence in the field of auditing. In this regard, a delegation from the UAE, headed by the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) and participants from Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority...

US interest rates will likely peak at a higher level than previously anticipated due to economic data that came in stronger than recent trends suggested, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said. He said that January figures for employment, consumer spending, manufacturing production and inflation pointed to a partial reversal of...

FRANKFURT, GERMANY - More interest rate increases may be needed beyond the one coming later this month, European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde said Thursday, as inflation in the eurozone remains stubbornly high. "At this point in time, it's possible that we continue on that path," Lagarde told Spain's Antena 3...

US and European stocks dipped as dealers fretted that the Federal Reserve would push interest rates higher than expected and for longer as it battles high inflation. The euro moved up against the dollar as strong inflation data in France and Spain sparked concerns that the European Central Bank will...

Turkey was already battling runaway inflation and relying on wealthy allies to keep its economy afloat when the massive earthquake on February 6 killed more than 43,000 people, razed entire cities and left millions needing urgent help.

Stock markets largely steadied and the dollar rose with traders forecasting US interest rates to keep climbing following last week's blockbuster American jobs report. Oil prices extended gains after Iraqi Kurdistan suspended crude exports through Turkey as a precaution after a deadly earthquake rocked its northern neighbor and Syria.

Hours after the US Federal Reserve upped its target interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point, many central banks in the GCC region followed suit, raising their respective interest rates. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain hiked it by 25 basis points while the central bank of Qatar...