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Maintaining confidence in the system relies on trust that leaders — those selected for their competence and character to set the course for the rest of us — are well informed, able to communicate with others at their level and take decisions that serve the interests of those they lead. -
Never mind the fact that Italian banks are unable to fund themselves economically. If a few can demonstrate access to the Obbligazioni Bancarie Garantite market, the European Central Bank’s impending third targeted long term refinancing operation (TLTRO) might look less like a bailout.
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Italian banks are paying up for funding, both a cause and effect of financial stress in the country. It shows why the European Central Bank is likely to continue with TLTRO (targeted longer-term refinancing operations), and why the Italian government has less leverage over Europe than meets the eye.
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Europe’s already enfeebled rules around bank failures would be dealt a crushing blow if the Italian state were allowed to use public money to prolong the life of Banca Carige.
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Borrowers flocked to the sterling bond markets this week, at possibly greater pace than the usual January rush. Some of that seemed to be an attempt to get ahead of a crucial Brexit vote in the UK parliament later this month. But if anyone expects clarity on the UK’s future relationship with Europe after that date, they’re delusional.
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The European Central Bank is giving Banca Carige yet more time to boost its capital. If the lender cannot turn itself around, authorities will regret dithering while the private sector walked away.
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2019 is likely to be another year where the independent mandate of central bankers comes under pressure from populist politicians in democracies. It is easy for those in the market to sympathise with the quiet technocrats over the loud-mouthed headbangers, but scrutiny is deserved.
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Financial markets are often seen as cold, calculating machines for making money. That is part of their function. But increasingly, people are talking of markets’ broader social purpose — that they exist to serve humanity and make its existence healthier and more sustainable. Toby Fildes argues that, 10 years on from the crisis, this new ethos will govern the markets’ future.
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Rising hopes that the UK can escape the nightmare of Brexit are misplaced. A second referendum would carry huge risks, and even if the outcome were Remain, it would leave an unstable Britain with a damaged relationship with the rest of the EU.
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The sustainable finance movement, when looking at banks and insurance companies, has so far focused mainly on assets rather than liabilities. But insuring or offering deposits for a particular activity is just as important as lending to or investing in it.
