Customers Bancorp hit with Fed action for risk-management deficiencies

By Pete Schroeder WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Reserve announced on Thursday it had imposed an enforcement action against Customers Bancorp for “significant deficiencies” around the bank’s risk-management and anti money-laundering practices. The bank’s stock fell by more than 20% after the Fed announced the action, but pared losses to close 13.3% lower at $47.01…

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Brazil’s Lula renews criticism of central bank for ‘unreal’ interest rates

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday renewed his criticism of the country’s central bank, dubbing current borrowing costs “unreal,” and saying the recent weakness of the local currency was related to “speculation.” WHY IT’S IMPORTANT Lula, a leftist, has constantly bashed central bank chief Roberto Campos Neto, a…

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Slovak PM shooting could add political risk to credit rating – Moody’s

LONDON (Reuters) – A “disorderly evolution” of the situation in Slovakia following an attempted assassination of Prime Minister Robert Fico could raise the political risk level for the country’s credit rating, Moody’s said on Wednesday. Fico was in a life-threatening condition having been shot in the central Slovak town of Handlova. Moody’s, which rates Slovakia…

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Fed’s Goolsbee says US interest rates are ‘relatively restrictive’

(Reuters) – Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee on Friday said he believes U.S. monetary policy is “relatively restrictive,” meaning that borrowing costs are putting downward pressure on inflation. Increased supply, including on the labor side, makes it difficult to interpret if strong job gains and economic growth indicate any worrisome overheating, he said at…

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Investment platform Linqto to go public via $700 million SPAC deal

(Reuters) – Investment platform Linqto has agreed to go public through a merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Blockchain Coinvestors Acquisition in a deal valued at $700 million, the companies said on Tuesday. San Jose, California-based Linqto, which has more than 750,000 users in 110 countries, allows users to make investments in unicorns –…

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