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Fed Urges U.S. Ban on Wall Street Buying Stakes in Companies

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Wall Street New York Stock Exchange

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and other banks that invest in companies are officially on notice: The Federal Reserve wants that ability taken away.

Among several recommendations issued by U.S. banking regulators, one from the Fed urged Congress to prohibit merchant banking, in which firms buy stakes in companies rather than lend them money. In a report released Thursday, the agency also pushed for limits on Wall Street’s ownership of physical commodities after lawmakers accused Goldman Sachs and other banks of seizing unfair advantages in metal and energy markets in recent years.

The report — based on a multi-agency study of banks’ investment activities required by the Dodd-Frank Act — highlighted ways to fix potential risks that regulators didn’t think were handled by the law’s Volcker Rule ban on certain trading and investments. The need for Congress to pass legislation presents the greatest hurdle to the Fed’s recommendations on merchant-banking and the ability of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to operate mines, warehouse aluminum and ship oil.

“Congress has an obligation to give their recommendations serious attention,” U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, the most senior Democrat on the Banking Committee, said in a statement.

A 2014 Senate investigation into banks’ commodities businesses revealed Goldman Sachs had almost $15 billion in merchant banking investments. The firm’s most recent filings show it booked $1.2 billion in revenue through the first six months of this year in its division that houses merchant banking, with equity investments contributing $626 million of that.

Copper Investments

Another agency that participated in issuing the report, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, said it plans to restrict lenders’ holdings of the hard-to-value securities. The OCC also proposed a rule Thursday that would curtail banks’ investments in certain industrial metals including copper and aluminum.

The Fed called for the repeal of exemptions for industrial loan companies, which are lenders generally owned by non-financial firms, that allow them to operate outside of rules that affect banks. The Fed’s section of the report said its aim was to level the playing field among financial firms and “help ensure the separation of banking and commerce.”

Spokesmen for Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase & Co. — another bank that could be affected by the recommendations — declined to comment on the regulators’ report.

A coalition of financial industry associations called the recommendations “unfortunate and ill-considered” in a statement. The groups — including the Clearing House Association, American Bankers Association and Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association — said merchant banking has financed startups and fueled job growth. The groups also argued that it hasn’t been shown to pose a risk to the financial system.

Congressional Gridlock

The Fed and the U.S. Treasury Department adopted a merchant-banking rule in 2001 after the 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act gave banks the right to make such investments. But making statutory changes to merchant banking and other industry laws would require intervention from lawmakers — a tall order in a politically-divided Congress that has passed only a few significant bills affecting the financial system in recent years. That leaves any immediate impact of the report in doubt.

The Fed, OCC and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. were required by Dodd-Frank to dig into further risks from bank investments, and they were supposed to issue the report almost five years ago.

The document was called for by a provision tucked more than 200 pages into Dodd-Frank under section 620. Lenders’ government watchdogs had to review the industry’s investment activities to determine whether they “could have a negative effect on the safety and soundness” of the financial system. But the mandate was easy to lose track of next to the passage that preceded it: section 619, which is better known as the Volcker Rule.

Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan were the targets of criticism that led to the 2014 Senate review of their commodities businesses. It found lenders used their ownership of metals and other physical commodities to dominate markets and gain unfair trading advantages. The physical commodities businesses at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley were protected by grandfathering that allowed them wider abilities than most banks — an advantage the Fed is seeking to end.

Morgan Stanley sold off its oil business last year and backed away from industrial metals trading, while JPMorgan shed a big part of its physical commodities business in 2014. While Goldman Sachs dumped a coal-mining operation in 2015, Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein has maintained that commodities trading is a “core” part of his firm’s business.

Is the CEO/Founder of Investors King Limited. A proven foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Businessinsider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and many more. He has over two decades of experience in global financial markets.

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Crude Oil

Oil Prices Rise in Asian Trade as Supply Concerns Heighten Amid Russian Attacks

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Oil

Oil prices surged on Monday during the Asian trading session as concerns over global supply intensified amidst ongoing attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.

Brent crude oil, against which Nigerian oil is priced, climbed by 47 cents to $85.81 a barrel while the U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose by 49 cents to $81.53 a barrel.

The market’s bullish sentiment was largely influenced by recent attacks on Russian refineries, which added $2-$3 per barrel of risk premium to crude last week.

These attacks persisted over the weekend, further heightening concerns about supply disruptions.

One of the strikes ignited a brief fire at the Slavyansk refinery in Kasnodar on Saturday. This refinery processes approximately 8.5 million metric tons of crude oil annually, equating to 170,000 barrels per day.

Consequently, a Reuters analysis revealed that these attacks have idled around 7% of Russian refining capacity in the first quarter of the year.

The impacted refining complexes play a crucial role in processing and exporting crude varieties to various markets, including China and India.

The escalating tensions in the Middle East also contributed to market unease. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed plans to push into Gaza’s Rafah enclave, disregarding pressure from Israel’s allies.

This move raised concerns about regional stability, amplifying geopolitical risks in the oil market.

Investors are closely monitoring the outcome of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s two-day meeting scheduled to conclude on Wednesday.

The Fed’s decision regarding interest rates could provide further clarity on market direction, potentially impacting oil prices in the near term.

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Commodities

Commodity Trading Industry Hits $100 Billion Profit, Second-Best Year on Record

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Zambian economy

The global commodities market has reported $100 billion in profits despite facing challenges and disruptions, making its second-best year ever. 

According to analysis from consultancy firm Oliver Wyman LLC, while earnings have dipped slightly from the record-breaking levels of 2022, this year’s profits easily surpass previous highlights, including those seen during the global financial crisis of 2008-2009.

Consultant Adam Perkins attributes this success to favorable margins driven by ongoing supply-demand dynamics, despite the volatility seen in various sectors.

While specific financial results for many players within the industry are yet to be made public, the report indicates that major independent trading houses are expected to show an average drop of over 30% from the record levels of 2022.

However, disruptions in supply chains and shortages of diesel and fuel oil have somewhat offset the decline in volatility related to Russian crude oil.

These profits have enabled commodity trading firms to bolster their positions as key providers of energy, metals, and food resources on a global scale.

With significant investments in oil refineries, storage facilities, power plants, and acquisitions of other trading companies, these firms are solidifying their roles in shaping global supply chains.

Moreover, the windfall profits have led to executives and partners within these firms becoming multi-millionaires, facilitating a generational shift in leadership as seasoned traders retire.

Despite the pressure to uphold legacies and navigate increased scrutiny, the influx of new leadership presents opportunities for innovation and growth within the commodity trading sector.

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Crude Oil

Oil Prices Surge as IEA Boosts Demand Forecasts and Trims Non-OPEC Supply Projections

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Crude Oil

Oil prices skyrocketed following the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) adjustments to its demand and supply forecasts.

The IEA’s latest report, released Thursday, sent shockwaves through financial markets as it unveiled a robust upward revision in global demand estimates while simultaneously trimming projections for non-OPEC oil supply.

With unparalleled confidence, the IEA bolstered first-quarter global demand growth forecasts, citing improved outlooks in the United States and heightened bunkering demand due to extended voyages circumventing geopolitical hotspots.

This unexpected surge in demand projections has injected a newfound sense of optimism into an industry grappling with uncertainties amid a shifting geopolitical landscape.

Moreover, the IEA’s decision to slash its projections for non-OPEC supply further fueled market exuberance.

Factoring in recent cuts from the OPEC+ coalition and reduced output from non-OPEC nations, the agency’s revised supply forecast sent a clear signal to investors: the tide is turning in favor of tightening supply dynamics.

This monumental shift in market sentiment was reflected in Brent crude futures, which surged by 0.86% to $84.75 a barrel, marking a significant milestone in the oil market’s recovery.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude followed suit, climbing 1.04% to $80.55 a barrel, as traders reacted swiftly to the IEA’s bullish outlook.

As the energy landscape undergoes a paradigm shift, industry experts anticipate a sustained rally in oil prices, driven by robust demand growth and tightening supply dynamics.

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