Regional banks have had a rough go of it over the past two months. The State Street SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (NYSEMKT: KRE) reached $74 earlier in February. Since then, it has pulled back to the $63 range, in large part due to geopolitical risks and the volatility in yields. Regional bank stocks were up about 13% year to date at one point in February. The investment case was that lower antici...
Regional banks have had a rough go of it over the past two months. The State Street SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (NYSEMKT: KRE) reached $74 earlier in February. Since then, it has pulled back to the $63 range, in large part due to geopolitical risks and the volatility in yields. Regional bank stocks were up about 13% year to date at one point in February. The investment case was that lower anticipated interest rates could expand yield spreads and improve profit margins, loan activity was slowly picking up, and the rotation away from growth and tech stocks could provide an additional boost. Then the war in Iran happened. Inflation risk has picked up and has priced out almost any possibility of a rate cut in 2026. Multiple key data points, including GDP growth and non-farm payrolls, paint the picture of a slowing U.S. economy. And the question arises of whether regional banks are the opportunity they once were a couple months ago. Continue reading
Germany's Merz Expects 80% Of Syrians To Return Home Within 3 Years Via Remix News, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) met with controversial Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former jihadi terrorist, in Berlin on Monday afternoon. Among the topics discussed, one of the most prominent was the fact that Merz wants 80 percent of the Syrians currently living in Germany to return home. “In the longer pers...
Germany's Merz Expects 80% Of Syrians To Return Home Within 3 Years Via Remix News, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) met with controversial Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former jihadi terrorist, in Berlin on Monday afternoon. Among the topics discussed, one of the most prominent was the fact that Merz wants 80 percent of the Syrians currently living in Germany to return home. “In the longer perspective of the next three years, it is the wish of President al-Sharaa that around 80 percent of the Syrians in Germany should go back into their homeland,” said Merz, before adding: “We need a reliable repatriation option, cooperation with Syria.” Merz said he supported that, saying many of them “are needed at home.” The chancellor also made clear that protection statuses would be reassessed. “Those who have no claim will leave Germany again,” he said — particularly those who “abuse our hospitality.” He balanced this with an acknowledgment that “we are pleased about the many Syrian skilled workers who have integrated.” Merz reflected on how, roughly a year ago, the dictatorship in Syria “was shaken off,” and reaffirmed that Germany had always stood by the Syrian people, despite the new government being accused of a number of atrocities against minorities, including Christians and Druze. Merz described reconstruction as an “enormous effort,” stressing that stability and economic performance would be essential for it to succeed. A German delegation is set to travel to Syria “in a few days” to advance cooperation on that front. The Syrian head of state opened by expressing his “deep gratitude” to Germany, declaring that “Syria is an important country for Europe” and that the country could “come back stronger,” adding: “We want to rebuild our country.” He noted that 1.3 million Syrians currently live in Germany, including 6,000 doctors who could make a significant contribution to Syria’s recovering economy. 🇸🇾🇩🇪 German politicians are spreading misleading information about Syr...
Service Properties Trust (SVC ) priced an underwritten public offering of 416.7M shares at $1.20 per share. The total gross proceeds to SVC are expected to be $500M. The settlement of this offering is expected to occur on or about April 2, 2026. The underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 62.5M common shares. Net proceeds will repay all or part of SVC's $100M 4.95% senior...
Service Properties Trust (SVC ) priced an underwritten public offering of 416.7M shares at $1.20 per share. The total gross proceeds to SVC are expected to be $500M. The settlement of this offering is expected to occur on or about April 2, 2026. The underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 62.5M common shares. Net proceeds will repay all or part of SVC's $100M 4.95% senior notes due 2027 and $450M 5.50% senior notes due 2027, aiding debt management. More on Service Properties Trust Service Properties Trust: Debt Crisis Overshadows Strategic Pivot Service Properties Trust (SVC) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Service Properties Trust launches $500M equity offering Small-Cap real estate stocks ranked by quant ratings after earnings season Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Service Properties Trust
Good morning . Donald Trump signals an end to the war with Iran in two to three weeks. We dive into Malta’s crypto clash with the EU. And Italy fails to qualify for the third World Cup in a row. Listen to the day’s top stories . Donald Trump said he foresaw ending the Iran war within two to three weeks, suggesting the US had largely accomplished its military goals and would leave it to other count...
Good morning . Donald Trump signals an end to the war with Iran in two to three weeks. We dive into Malta’s crypto clash with the EU. And Italy fails to qualify for the third World Cup in a row. Listen to the day’s top stories . Donald Trump said he foresaw ending the Iran war within two to three weeks, suggesting the US had largely accomplished its military goals and would leave it to other countries to resolve issues with the Strait of Hormuz. The president will address the nation at 9 p.m. in Washington (2 a.m. in the UK on Thursday) . Asian stocks and European equity futures jumped . Lufthansa is readying plans to ground planes in case demand drops amid the conflict in the Middle East, with Europe’s biggest aviation group assigning teams to develop crisis plans that differ in severity. Europe is expected to have enough jet fuel to avoid shortages in April , though the situation could change in May, according to people directly involved in the aviation fuel market. UK Could Be Facing a Jet Fuel Shortage, Says Soc Gen’s Haigh Watch the video Greece’s stock market was upgraded to developed-market status by MSCI. The reclassification will be made during an index review in May 2027. The move comes more than a decade after the country was demoted at the height of its sovereign debt crisis in 2013 — the first time a developed nation had been downgraded. When Meg O’Neill takes over BP today, Big Oil’s first female CEO will benefit from a war-driven surge in prices — but also inherit the industry’s toughest cleanup job . The company’s first outsider CEO faces a list of challenges that cost her predecessor his job and raised questions about the future of the more than century-old firm. Corporate roundup: OpenAI raised $122 billion at an $852 billion valuation, its largest funding round yet , with most of the capital coming from Amazon, Nvidia and SoftBank. William Hill plans to close about 200 betting shops in the UK, following a crackdown on the gambling sector. Nike’s s...
I had grown up dreading introductions, with the inevitable mangling of my name. Suddenly, in India, we were both getting the respect we deserved I had five names on the day of my Hindu naming ceremony, but my given name was Priti, a name that came to shape me. Like most children with “unconventional” names, I dreaded the first day of each school year. I would squirm in my chair as my new teacher w...
I had grown up dreading introductions, with the inevitable mangling of my name. Suddenly, in India, we were both getting the respect we deserved I had five names on the day of my Hindu naming ceremony, but my given name was Priti, a name that came to shape me. Like most children with “unconventional” names, I dreaded the first day of each school year. I would squirm in my chair as my new teacher worked their way through the class register, and my stomach would drop as they attempted to say my full name: Priti Ubhayakar. I would be sitting there thinking: “If the first name doesn’t get you, the last name will.” Continue reading...
Insight with Haslinda Amin, a daily news program featuring in-depth, high-profile interviews and analysis to give viewers the complete picture on the stories that matter. The show features prominent leaders spanning the worlds of business, finance, politics and culture. (Source: Bloomberg)
Insight with Haslinda Amin, a daily news program featuring in-depth, high-profile interviews and analysis to give viewers the complete picture on the stories that matter. The show features prominent leaders spanning the worlds of business, finance, politics and culture. (Source: Bloomberg)
(RTTNews) - WeRide Inc. (WRD, 0800.HK), an autonomous driving technology company and Grab Holdings Ltd. (GRAB, GRABW), a Singapore-based technology company, on Tuesday announced the launch of Singapore's first autonomous public ride-hailing service, Ai.R or Autonomously Intellige
(RTTNews) - WeRide Inc. (WRD, 0800.HK), an autonomous driving technology company and Grab Holdings Ltd. (GRAB, GRABW), a Singapore-based technology company, on Tuesday announced the launch of Singapore's first autonomous public ride-hailing service, Ai.R or Autonomously Intellige
The Malaysian government has entered “crisis mode” in response to the ongoing global energy supply disruption, its transport minister has warned. “This is not a laughing or joking matter. It is a very, very serious matter,” Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Tuesday, as quoted by the New Straits Times newspaper. “For the past month, energy costs have risen by more than 100 per cent.” Accordin...
The Malaysian government has entered “crisis mode” in response to the ongoing global energy supply disruption, its transport minister has warned. “This is not a laughing or joking matter. It is a very, very serious matter,” Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Tuesday, as quoted by the New Straits Times newspaper. “For the past month, energy costs have risen by more than 100 per cent.” According to news website Free Malaysia Today, Loke said: “Even though at this moment our lights are still...
European stock futures jumped on Wednesday morning, tracking a rally on Wall Street after President Donald Trump said he foresaw ending the war on Iran within two to three weeks. Contracts on the Euro Stoxx 50 were up 2% as of 7:31 a.m. in Paris with futures for regional benchmarks such as Germany’s DAX and London’s FTSE also rising. Oil edged higher . Trump’s comments suggested the US had largely...
European stock futures jumped on Wednesday morning, tracking a rally on Wall Street after President Donald Trump said he foresaw ending the war on Iran within two to three weeks. Contracts on the Euro Stoxx 50 were up 2% as of 7:31 a.m. in Paris with futures for regional benchmarks such as Germany’s DAX and London’s FTSE also rising. Oil edged higher . Trump’s comments suggested the US had largely accomplished its military goals and would leave it to other nations to resolve issues with the Strait of Hormuz. It remains unclear how firm Trump’s timeline is, while the US has also moved additional troops into the region, preserving the option of further escalation. Since the hostilities in the Middle East started Feb. 28, the pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 has fallen 8%, its biggest monthly drop since 2022. Vincent Juvyns , chief investment strategist at ING in Brussels, cautioned that while the tone of both the US and Iranian presidents had softened, there was yet no guarantee that the conflict was about to end. “It’s premature to dive in back to the market, let’s wait and see what happens, to what I can see the Ormuz Straight is still closed”, he said. “We had a neutral stance when it came to stocks, and we’re keeping that position for the time being until there’s a concrete agreement”, he added. Read more: Trump Says US Will Leave Iran Within Two to Three Weeks Stocks Climb, Oil Falls on Hopes War Is Near End: Markets Wrap