Financials: February 2017

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Fitch Rates Lloyd's GBP300m Dated Subordinated Notes 'A-'

(The following statement was released by the rating agency)

LONDON, February 02 (Fitch) Fitch Ratings has assigned the

Society of Lloyd's

(Issuer Default Rating (IDR) A+/Stable) issue of subordinated

debt securities of

GBP300m a final rating of 'A-'.

The notes are rated two notches below the Society of Lloyd's IDR

of 'A+' to

reflect their subordination (one notch) and 'moderate' risk of

non-performance

(one notch), in line with Fitch's notching criteria.

The assignment of the final rating fo

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UPDATE 1-Sports Direct in talks to bid for Bob's, Eastern Mountain Sports -sources

Feb 2 (Reuters) - Struggling British sportswear retailer

Sports Direct is in talks to bid for Eastern Outfitters

LLC, the parent of U.S. discount chain Bob's Stores and outdoor

retailer Eastern Mountain Sports, people familiar with the

matter said.

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BRIEF-Finans Finansal Kiralama 2016 net profit up at 58.7 million lira

* FY 2016 net profit of 58.7 million lira ($15.74 million)

versus 51.6 million lira year ago

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VBS Mutual Bank to list on South African bourse

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 2 (Reuters) - VBS Mutual Bank, which made

headlines last year after it gave South African President Jacob

Zuma a loan to reimburse the state for upgrades to his personal

home, plans to list on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange, its

chairman said on Thursday.

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BRIEF-Deutsche Bank lost 600 mln in revenues due to mortgages litigation-related turmoil in Sep/Oct

Feb 2 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank CFO says on

analyst call discussing Q4 earnings

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BRIEF-Trajano Iberia buys shopping center for 100 mln euros

* Says buys shopping center Alcala Magna, located in Alcala

de Henares (Madrid) for 100 million euros ($108.2 million)

Source text: http://bit.ly/2kVpXUm

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MIDEAST STOCKS-Most of Gulf slips, Egypt rebounds from Trump-linked slide

DUBAI, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Most Gulf stock markets were weak

on Thursday but Egypt's bourse rebounded after sliding for three

days partly on concern that U.S. President Donald Trump's

policies could hurt the economy.

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Congolese police fire tear gas at protesters in Kinshasa

KINSHASA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Congolese police fired tear gas

on Thursday at more than 100 anti-government protesters gathered

near the home of late opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi in

the capital Kinshasa, a Reuters witness said.

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BRIEF-Bajaj Finance allots NCDs worth 100 mln rupees

* Says allots NCDs worth INR 100 million

Source text: (http://bit.ly/2kWBtLQ)

Further company coverage:

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In Congo, Tshisekedi's death undermines chances of 2017 transition

KINSHASA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - The death on Wednesday of

Congo's opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi leaves opponents of

President Joseph Kabila seriously weakened in their bid to force

Kabila to quit power after he defied constitutional term limits

to stay on last year.

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BRIEF-Virtu posts Q4 adjusted earnings per share $0.24

* Q4 earnings per share view $0.21 -- Thomson Reuters

I/B/E/S

Source text for Eikon:

Further company coverage:

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BRIEF-Vividion Therapeutics launches with $50 mln series A financing

* Vividion Therapeutics Inc launches with $50 million series

a financing

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BRIEF-Intesa denies talk of weekend special board meeting on Generali

* spokesman categorically denies press speculation of an

extraordinary board meeting being convened at the weekend on a

possible bid for insurer Generali

Further company coverage:

(Reporting by Milan newsroom)

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BRIEF-ALM Equity buys 50 pct in property portfolio in Enköping

* Acquires, jointly with Andersson Company Fastigheter, property portfolio in Enköping

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BRIEF-Guosen Securities' prelim 2016 profit down 67.3 pct y/y

* Says preliminary 2016 net profit down 67.3 percent y/y at

4.6 billion yuan ($668.92 million)

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BRIEF-Western Securities reprimanded by securities regulator for violation

* Says it is reprimanded by securities regulator for

violating regulations on selling asset management products

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Swiss financial watchdog FINMA sanctions Coutts for 1MDB breaches

ZURICH, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Swiss financial markets watchdog

FINMA sanctioned private bank Coutts & Co Ltd for breaching

money laundering regulations in its business relationships with

Malaysia's scandal-tainted sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.

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Property stocks lead slide in Hong Kong market, gaming shares also down

HONG KONG, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Hong Kong stocks fell on

Thursday, with property stocks leading the slide, as investors

continued to lock in gains after the U.S. Federal Reserve stuck

to its mildly upbeat economic view but gave no hint of when it

would next raise interest rates.

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Wednesday, February 1, 2017

BRIEF-Korean Reinsurance says annual cash dividend for FY 2016

* Says it will pay annual cash dividend at 325 won/share for

FY 2016

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BRIEF-Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance says annual cash dividend for FY 2016

* Says it will pay annual cash dividend at 1,350 won/share

for FY 2016

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BRIEF-Otkritie FC Bank increases stake in PIK Group

* Says increases its shares held in PIK Group to 17.3

percent from 4.4 percent

Source text - http://bit.ly/2jXU9KA

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BRIEF-Promsvyazbank increases stake in PIK Group

* Says increases its stake in PIK Group to 13.07

percent from 9.23 percent

Source text - http://bit.ly/2kuxqIW

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BRIEF-Public Bank Bhd flags Q4 net profit of 1.48 billion RGT

* Q4 net interest income 1.80 billion RGT versus 1.65

billion RGT

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SE Asia Stocks-Largely up after Fed stands pat; Vietnam hits 9-yr high

By Geo Tharappel

Feb 2 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets were

higher on Thursday in line with Asian peers, after the U.S.

Federal Reserve stuck to its mildly upbeat economic view but

gave no hints of rate hikes.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan

rose as much as 0.6 percent at one point to hit

its highest since mid-October.

"It was already priced in... Everybody was expecting that

there would be no rate hikes," said Mikey Macanaig, an analyst

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BRIEF-Muscat Finance recommends stock and cash dividend for 2016

* Board recommends stock dividend of 7 percent and cash

dividend of 10 percent for year 2016

Source: (http://bit.ly/2jFBQIP)

Further company coverage:

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SE Asian ride-hailing firm Grab to invest $700 mln in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian ride-hailing firm

Grab on Thursday said it will invest $700 million to expand in

Indonesia over the next four years, marking its biggest-ever

investment in any country.

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UPDATE 2-Australia's Tabcorp disappoints as British startup's costs grow

* Tabcorp pursuing competition approvals for Tatts merger

(Recasts throughout, adds CFO comments and market reaction)

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Morning News Call - India, February 2

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FACTORS TO WATCH

11:30 pm: S&P Global Ratings analysts to discuss impact of Union Budget via

conference call in Mumbai.

2:00 pm: Moody's & ICRA webcast on impact of Union Budget in Mumbai.

LIVECHAT-

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BRIEF-J. Crew Group says takes legal action to assert rights under term loan agreement

* Says takes legal action to assert rights under term loan

agreement

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UPDATE 2-Medical group urges protection for doctors, patients after U.S. travel ban

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The largest U.S. physician

group urged President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday

to protect international doctors and seriously ill patients from

an executive order that suspends travel from seven

Muslim-majority countries.

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BRIEF-Sino-Ocean Group's unit enters capitalisation and subscription deal

* On 27 January 2017, unit as subscriber entered into

capitalisation and subscription agreement with Gemini

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BRIEF-Chuou International Group buys back 1,500 shares in January

* Says it repurchased 1,500 shares for 495,000 yen in total

in January

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UPDATE 1-Gundlach's Doubleline Total Return Fund posts $1 bln outflow -Morningstar

NEW YORK, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The DoubleLine Total Return Bond

Fund posted an estimated net outflow of $1 billion in

January, its third straight net cash withdrawal after it bled

$3.5 billion the previous month, data from research firm

Morningstar showed on Wednesday.

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UPDATE 2-Trump golf club must pay $5.77 mln to former members -judge

Feb 1 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Florida on Wednesday directed a golf club owned by U.S. President Donald Trump to pay $5.77 million to former members who claimed it wrongfully refused to refund their deposits after Trump took over in 2012.

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UPDATE 1-Remittances to Mexico hit record in 2016 in wake of Trump win

MEXICO CITY, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The amount of money sent home

by Mexican migrants living abroad rose to a record high in 2016,

driven by a slump in the peso as well as concerns that U.S.

President Donald Trump could block transfers to pay for his

planned border wall.

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Blackstone to invest $500 mln in overhaul of Chicago's Willis Tower

CHICAGO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Blackstone Group LP said

on Wednesday it will invest $500 million to renovate Chicago's

Willis Tower, upgrading amenities for tenants and adding new

dining and entertainment space in a building that was once the

world's tallest.

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BRIEF-Western Investment Company of Canada announces increase to bought deal financing

Feb 1 (Reuters) - Western Investment Company Of Canada

Limited -

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BRIEF-AGNC Investment files to say it entered into separate sales agreements with each of Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and Wells Fargo Securities

* AGNC Investment files to say it entered into separate

sales agreements with each of Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and Wells

Fargo Securities

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UPDATE 2-Prosecutors investigate Deutsche Boerse CEO's 2015 share purchase

* Deutsche Boerse says cooperating with investigation

(Adds chairman comment, further details)

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BRIEF-Capricorn Business Acquisitions to re-price previously announced private placement

* Capricorn Business Acquisitions Inc. provides update to

private placement

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UPDATE 1-U.S. fines Mastercard, UniRush $13 mln for prepaid card breakdowns

WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on

Wednesday fined Mastercard Inc and UniRush $13 million

for a failure with prepaid cards that in 2015 left tens of

thousands of people unable to pay bills and access cash.

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BRIEF-Exito Energy II Inc. Enters into amended and restated arrangement agreement

* Exito Energy II Inc. Enters into an amended and restated

arrangement agreement

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Fitch Downgrades El Salvador's IDR to 'B'; Outlook Revised to Negative

(The following statement was released by the rating agency)

NEW YORK, February 01 (Fitch) Fitch Ratings has downgraded El

Salvador's

Long-Term Foreign and Local Currency Issuer Default Ratings

(IDRs) to 'B' from

'B+'. The Rating Outlook was revised to Negative from Stable.

The issue ratings

on El Salvador's senior unsecured Foreign and Local Currency

bonds are also

downgraded to 'B'. The Country Ceiling is downgraded to 'BB-'

from 'BB'. The

Short-Term Foreign Currency IDR is affirmed at 'B

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Puerto Rico to miss some Feb. 1 debt payments

Feb 1 (Reuters) - Puerto Rico's government said it will miss

some debt payments due on Wednesday, including general

obligation bonds backed by the U.S. territory's constitution,

debt at its public finance and infrastructure agencies, and $279

million owed by its Government Development Bank.

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UPDATE 2-Ghana government says inherits budget deficit of around 10 percent

ACCRA, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Ghana's new government has

inherited a budget deficit of around 10 percent of economic

output, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta told Reuters on

Wednesday, double the 2016 target set by the previous

government.

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BRIEF-Atenor sells building in Budapest to private hungarian investors

* Sells building A of Vaci Greens (Budapest) to group of private Hungarian investors

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BRIEF-Unibail-Rodamco FY recurring net profit rises to 1.11 billion euros

* FY recurring net profit EUR 1.11 billion versus EUR 1.03

billion year ago

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UPDATE 2-World First closes FX options business

LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Currency broker World First is

closing its corporate options business, it said on Wednesday, in

a move that will affect up to 50 staff at the UK-based company.

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GLOBAL ECONOMY-Momentum and risk: world economy enters 2017 with winds fore and aft

* Japanese manufacturing growth fastest in almost three

years

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MIDEAST STOCKS-Top banks weigh on Abu Dhabi, other Gulf markets move little

* Egypt's CIB falls on concern over rising bad loans,

margins

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Capital hike needed for M&A where assets exceed $20 bln- Julius Baer CEO

ZURICH, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Julius Baer would need to

raise capital from the market to fund acquisition of banks with

assets under management of more than 20 billion Swiss francs

($20.15 billion), Chief Executive Boris Collardi said on

Wednesday.

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Emerald abandons Punch bid, leaving Heineken unrivaled in pubs takeover

LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Emerald Investment Partners said

on Wednesday it is not planning to make a takeover offer for

Punch Taverns, reversing course and leaving Heineken

unrivaled in its bid to buy and break up the company.

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BRIEF-Wallenstam will be an anchor developer for Barkarbystaden IV

* Municipal executive board in Järfälla municipality has

decided to choose Wallenstam as one of two anchor developers for

Barkarbystaden IV

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UPDATE 1-Brazil Petrobras's CEO says has no timetable to leave

SAO PAULO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Pedro Parente on Tuesday said

he has no timetable to step down as chief executive officer of

Petróleo Brasileiro SA, vowing his commitment to a

long-term turnaround of Brazil's state-controlled oil company.

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UPDATE 2-Health insurer Anthem's profit, revenue beat estimates

Feb 1 (Reuters) - Anthem Inc, which is waiting for

a ruling on the U.S. government's lawsuit to block its deal to

buy Cigna Corp, reported better-than-expected quarterly

profit and revenue on Wednesday, helped by strength in its

government business.

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