Best Reads

“The tough measures will require prospective foreign buyers of UK companies, shareholdings or intellectual property in 17 sensitive industries to alert a new government unit about proposed transactions.” – by Jim Pickard, Helen Warrell and Daniel Thomas

“[Banks] generated enough pre-provision operating profit in the first nine months of 2020 to absorb their dud-credit charges. They also reported higher common equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital ratios for the end of September than in March.” – by Liam Proud

“A major theme for pension funds in the 2020s will be the growing influence of politics in the economy, the investment head of one of Europe’s biggest pension investors has said, telling funds they will need to learn more about how politics work.” – by Rachel Fixsen

“Donald Trump becomes the first one-term president in more than 25 years. He is fighting the outcome in court.”  Joe Biden has won the presidency, toppling Donald Trump after four years of upheaval in the White House.

“With global financial markets awash in cheap credit, Italy is issuing zero-interest bonds and hoping that it can somehow avoid fiscal calamity.” – by Desmond Lachman

“Central banks were among the biggest buyers of European common debt this week, signaling growing trust that the euro will hold its own through the pandemic.” – by Anna Hirtenstein

“With German-American relations at their lowest ebb since World War II, McCain’s frustration with German policy offers a reminder that the American transatlantic establishment’s exasperation with Germany runs deep and is bipartisan. Trump’s outrageous taunts have prompted many Germans to forget that Barack Obama also pressured Berlin to spend more on defense.” – by Matthew […]

“The chief executives of some of Europe’s biggest banks are hoping regulators will soon let them resume cash dividend payments, easing pressure on their flagging share prices.” – by Simon Clark

“The EU has been handed the right to hit almost $4bn-worth of US goods with punitive tariffs in retaliation for illegal state aid to Boeing, leading Brussels to ramp up calls for a final settlement to the two sides’ 16-year aircraft dispute.” – by Jim Brunsden, Peggy Hollinger and Aime Williams

“Another round of widespread lockdowns, for instance, could add more than $1 trillion in non-performing loans to the pile, according to the European Central Bank, and put the explosive issue of bank bailouts back on the table.” – by Marion Halftermeyer, Alexander Weber and Antonio Vanuzzo