UK and Germany say EU reform must be fair to non-euro members

(Reuters) - Germany joined Britain on Thursday in calling for European Union reforms that are fair to (EU) countries outside the euro zone, bolstering British Prime Minister David Cameron's attempts to placate eurosceptics at home.

Banks Lending Like It’s 2007 Belied by $10 Trillion Hoard

For all the warnings from the Federal Reserve over excessive risk-taking as loan growth soars to levels last seen just before the crisis, bankers still have 10 trillion reasons to lend.

Hong Kong buyers send London real estate soaring

Foreign buyers are snapping up central London homes, distorting prices and forcing policymakers to levy new taxes in an attempt to control the market.

Cuba plans big tax breaks to lure foreign investors

(Reuters) - Cuba's communist government has drawn up a new foreign investment law that will cut the profits tax in half and exempt investors from paying it for eight years in an attempt to attract desperately needed capital into the economy.

New Zealand is back on the radar of international investors

A recent survey undertaken by an international organisation representing global property investors has placed New Zealand in the top ten list of investment destinations for the first time.

UK's largest hedge funds manage 82% of assets

Hedge funds manage $470 billion (£285 billion) in the UK, with 82 per cent of the assets controlled by just 20 large firms, the City regulator revealed today.

China's factory activity show further contraction

China's manufacturing sector showed further contraction in March, according to a new report which mainly tracks activity in smaller factories.

Temasek to Pay $5.7 Billion for 25% of Hutchison’s Watson

Billionaire Li Ka-shing’s Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. (13) agreed to sell a 25 percent stake in its retail arm to Temasek Holdings Pte for HK$44 billion ($5.7 billion) and pushed back plans for an initial public offering for the unit.

As Fed eyes eventual exit, policymakers spar over interest rates

(Reuters) - Two top Federal Reserve policymakers staked out diametrically opposite views on Friday about whether the U.S. central bank should be willing to risk higher unemployment in order to head off a potential financial crisis.

Russian sanctions ripple through European boardrooms

(Reuters) - A deepening economic standoff between Russia and the west over the future of Ukraine has rippled through trading floors and boardrooms with exporters scrambling to protect revenues and global financial firms halting services.

Och-Ziff Falls After Disclosing Sovereign-Related Probe

Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC (OZM), the hedge-fund firm run by Daniel Och, fell after saying U.S. regulators are investigating whether it broke bribery laws in accepting an investment from a sovereign wealth fund.

Yuan Starts Direct Trading With Kiwi Dollar in Shanghai

China started direct trading between the yuan and New Zealand’s dollar today as the world’s second-largest economy promotes usage of its currency in global trade and finance.

Temasek Shows More Committed Than Peers With Olam Offer

Temasek Holdings Pte unit’s offer to take over Olam International Ltd. (OLAM) shows Singapore’s investment firm is more active compared with other state-owned investors, according to the Sovereign Investment Lab.

Sovereign-wealth funds must move out of shadows

The need for greater transparency among emerging-market economies owning an increasing share of cross-border investments is moving slowly up the global economic agenda.

Dubai to Pay 1% on $20 Billion Owed to Abu Dhabi, Regulator

Dubai, the Persian Gulf emirate whose near default in 2009 roiled global markets, signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates’ central bank to roll over $20 billion of debt for five years.

Eyes turn to Russia on record drop in U.S. bond holdings

(Reuters) - This week's record decline in foreign holdings of U.S. Treasuries has led some to speculate that Russia has been cutting its dollar reserves ahead of possible sanctions from the West due to its role in the Ukraine crisis.

China Stimulus Decision Looms as Investment Slows

China’s weakest start to a year for investment growth since 2001 and unexpectedly slow industrial production add pressure for economic stimulus, just as Premier Li Keqiang signals he wants to avoid such a move.

GIC’s Investment in Linx Shows Confidence in Brazil’s Economy

GIC Pte, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, is buying stakes in Brazilian companies in a sign of confidence the world’s second-largest emerging market will overcome slower growth.

Fed set to ditch 'threshold' guidance under Yellen

(Reuters) - Janet Yellen's first policy-setting meeting as chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve will focus on how to finesse a rewriting of the central bank's promise to keep interest rates low without roiling financial markets.

Sovereign-wealth funds must move out of shadows

The need for greater transparency among emerging-market economies owning an increasing share of cross-border investments is moving slowly up the global economic agenda.

UK retail sales slow in February after bumper January: BRC

(Reuters) - British retail sales slowed markedly in February after a robust January as food sales stagnated, an industry survey showed on Tuesday.

Global investors' bet on Europe recovery picks up pace

PARIS, March 10 (Reuters) - After being shunned by investors for years, the euro zone is attracting global funds at the fastest pace ever as its economic recovery beckons those fleeing emerging markets.

Gold recovers modestly on fresh demand, silver slips

MUMBAI: Gold prices recovered modestly here today on fresh local buying interest in view of wedding season.

Fed officials see high hurdle for changing course on QE taper

(Reuters) - The U.S. economic outlook would have to change dramatically for the Federal Reserve to alter the pace at which it is winding down its massive bond-buying program, three top U.S. central bankers said on Thursday.

Buffett Cuts Bond Allocation as Berkshire Warns on Yields

Warren Buffett cut the allocation to bonds at Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK/A)’s insurance units to the lowest in more than a decade as the company warns that low yields will hurt results.

Zimbabwe Wealth Fund to Get Share of State Mining Revenue

Zimbabwe’s Parliamentary Legal Committee said the country’s Sovereign Wealth Fund Bill doesn’t contravene the constitution, paving the way for the adoption of legislation that could see the fund allocated as much as a quarter of mining royalties.

Goldman Sees Russia Taming Ruble Losses After Plunge

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. predicts Russia will contain losses in the ruble as policy makers pledge to curb volatility after ratcheting up interest rates and selling billions of dollars in the currency market yesterday.

In slight to Hollande, Berlin fetes Sarkozy

(Reuters) - In his first major speech since losing the French presidency in 2012, Nicolas Sarkozy weighed in on euro zone integration, the Ukraine conflict and the risks of weak leadership in Europe to an adoring crowd of fellow conservatives in Berlin.

U.S. GDP revised down, but hints of economic thaw emerge

(Reuters) - The U.S. government slashed its estimate for fourth-quarter economic growth on Friday in the latest sign of a loss of momentum, but some tentative signs emerged that suggested the worst of the slowdown may be over.

Investors Mount Attack on Norway in $20 Billion Oil, Gas Row

Allianz SE (ALV), Abu Dhabi’s wealth fund and firms including Statoil ASA (STL) have mounted a multi-pronged battle against Norway to defend revenue and oil- and gas-industry projects valued at $20 billion.

Japan’s GPIF to Invest $2.7 Billion in Infrastructure

Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund, the world’s largest pool of retirement savings, will invest as much as $2.7 billion in infrastructure over the next five years.