Some smaller Chinese lenders cut interest rates for time deposits over the weekend, following a similar move by their larger rivals last year, after several lending rate reductions by policy makers started to squeeze their margins, Bloomberg News reported. Rural lenders in provinces including Henan and Hubei lowered deposit rates by as much as 45 basis points on some tenors, according to their announcements. After the adjustment, these lenders will pay an annual 1.9% for one-year deposits, down from the previous 2.25%.
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Growth in sales of China's passenger vehicles was flat in March from a year earlier, industry data showed on Monday, as more price cuts by auto brands and the rollout of incentives by local governments helped to support demand, Reuters reported. Car sales in March were 1.61 million units, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) said. In the first three months, sales had fallen 13.4% to 4.33 million units, it added.
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Mt Gox has issued notice stating that the deadline for the Selection and Registration has expired, and now, the rehabilitation creditors cannot make changes without the approval of the Rehabilitation Trustee, beincrypto.com reported. The deadlines were extended multiple times, first to Mar. 10 and then eventually to Apr. 6, 2023. The Trustee will work towards making the Base, Intermediate, and Early Lump-Sum repayments by Oct. 31, 2023. However, the notice reads that the deadline might get extended due to various circumstances with the permission of the Tokyo District Court.
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Lenders of debt-ridden Reliance Capital (RCap) may consider extending the deadline for completing the resolution process till May 30 this year, the Economic Times reported. The current deadline ends on April 16. Considering the fact that the second round of auctions is yet to take place, it is not possible to wrap up the resolution process within the current deadline. Earlier this week, lenders postponed the second auction to April 11. The deadline to complete the resolution process of RCap has been extended multiple times in the past.
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Philippine central bank Governor Felipe Medalla has signaled that pausing from policy rate increases may be an option when the monetary board meets in May, after inflation eased last month, Bloomberg News reported. Medalla, in a mobile-phone message late Saturday, said Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas could pause on rate hikes if April’s month-on-month inflation “is low, like February and March.” The central bank chief earlier said that it may be “too early” to keep the policy rate unchanged in the next meeting unless prices fall.
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Asian shares were trading mixed Wednesday following a decline on Wall Street after reports on the U.S. economy came in weaker than expected, the Associated Press reported. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 1.3% in morning trading to 27,931.00. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 stood little changed, inching down less than 0.1% to 7,235.80. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.2% to 2,485.21. Trading was closed in Hong Kong and Shanghai for the Qingming Festival, a holiday. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 dropped 0.6% to 4,100.60, breaking a four-day winning streak.

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Raghuram Rajan — the former International Monetary Fund chief economist who predicted the global financial crisis more than a decade ago — warned that the banking system is headed for more turmoil after the rescues of Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse, Times of India reported. Rajan, who was also governor of Reserve Bank of India, said a decade of easy money and a flood of liquidity from central banks has caused an “addiction” and a fragility within the financial system as policy makers tighten policy.

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Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group has created a fund investing in loans for leveraged buyouts, the first of its kind in Japan, anticipating growing demand for such financing as mergers and acquisitions gain steam, Nikkei Asia reported. The roughly 16 billion yen ($121 million) fund has lined up a dozen or so investors, including life insurers and regional banks. MUFG plans to have three such funds by fiscal 2024, with a total of up to 100 billion yen in assets.

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Asian shares were trading mixed Wednesday following a decline on Wall Street after reports on the U.S. economy came in weaker than expected, the Associated Press reported. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 1.3% in morning trading to 27,931.00. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 stood little changed, inching down less than 0.1% to 7,235.80. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.2% to 2,485.21. Trading was closed in Hong Kong and Shanghai for the Qingming Festival, a holiday. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 dropped 0.6% to 4,100.60, breaking a four-day winning streak.

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