Analysts are not expecting any fireworks from the full-year numbers from Lloyds Bank on Wednesday, but the strategic review may be a different matter.The bank, which finally returned to full public ownership last year, is expected to report steady rather than spectacular underlying income growth while loans to customers are tipped to be broadly flat for the year.However, cost savings and an improv...Read More

RIGA, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Latvia's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that allegations against the central bank governor could be part of a disinformation campaign aimed at damaging trust in the government and influencing elections due in October."Regarding the previous day's events in banking sector and the detention of Ilmars Rimsevics, head of the central bank of Latvia, there is a high proba...Read More

(Adds more detail, RBS and FCA response)By Emma Rumney and Huw JonesLONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - British lawmakers on Tuesday published in full a confidential report detailing Royal Bank of Scotland's mistreatment of struggling businesses during and after the financial crisis. "The findings in the report are disgraceful," Nicky Morgan, chair of the cross-party Treasury Select Committee, s...Read More

MILAN, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Italy's Treasury said on Tuesday it would offer up to 4 billion euros over three bonds at auction on Friday.BOND TYPE 24-mth CTZ 5-yr BTPei10-yr BTPeiMATURITY Oct. 30, 2019May 15, 2022 May 15, 2028TRANCHE 9th 16th 8thCOUPON--- 0.10 pct 1.30 pctAMOUNT OFFERED1.5-2.0 1.5-2.0(bln euros)SETTLEMENT DATEFeb. 27, 2018(Reporting by Milan Newsroom)(Reporting by Milan Newsroom) Di...Read More

Late Friday, a federal judge reversed a jury order requiring Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) to pay Merck (MRK) $2.54 billion in a hepatitis C patent infringement case. In response, RBC hiked its GILD price target to $94 from $92, and the stock is up 0.8% to trade at $81.36. RBC's lofty new price-target represents territory GILD stock has not seen since April 2016. Nevertheless, the equity boa...Read More

(Kitco News) - Gold prices have dropped to sharply lower levels on the day at middayTuesday. Solid gains in the U.S. dollar index, which is trading near its dailyhigh, and a move in U.S. stock indexes up from their daily lows are puttingdownside price pressure on the gold and silver markets. The gold futures marketis also seeing some fresh selling interest from the shorter-term traders, assell sto...Read More

Erik Henau, chief executive of Concepta PLC (LON:CPT), discusses with Proactive the launch in China of the myLotus app.The app accompanies their myLotus fertility aid.Beijing Jiayou (AppInChina) will manage the app on Android systems throughout the country.Through AppInChina, Concepta will market the app through the top 5 Chinese Android app stores.  Meet Medusa Mining, Cora Gold, Group Eleve...Read More

The end is nearThe doomsayers have been calling for recession for years. Mainstream economists laughed at them, painting a rosy picture. However, the recent plunge in the stock market strengthened the pessimists' hand. They interpret the dive as a signal of a coming recession. Is the end of the stock market boom really near?What lies ahead?The recent stock market turmoil brought traders to their k...Read More

* Walmart drops after holiday-qtr profit misses estimates* Consumer staples biggest drag on S&P* S&P 500 comes off best week in 5 years* Dow off 0.53 pct, S&P down 0.19 pct, Nasdaq up 0.39 pct (Changes comment, adds details, updates prices)By Sruthi ShankarFeb 20 (Reuters) - A steep fall in Walmart's shares put the skids on the S&P 500 and the Dow's six-day winning streak, but gain...Read More

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is in danger of snapping its six-session win streak, pressured by a negative earnings reaction for big-cap retailer Walmart (WMT). Stocks are also reacting surging bond yields and a strengthening U.S. dollar ahead of a Treasury Department auction of short-term notes. Nevertheless, the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) are clinging to a modest ga...Read More

(Adds details, background)By Chijioke OhuochaLAGOS, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Nigerian short-term treasury bill yields fell 50 basis points on Tuesday on expectations the government will sell less debt at auction in the second quarter after raising $2.5 billion from a Eurobond.The government has been working to lower its borrowing costs, particularly as inflation fell for the 12th time in a row in Janua...Read More

NEW YORK, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday sold record amounts of three-month and six-month bills at the highest interest rates for these maturities at auctions in more than nine years, Treasury data showed.The Treasury sold $51 billion of three-month bills at an interest rate of 1.63 percent and $45 billion of six-month bills at an interest rate of 1.82 percent.<^^^^^...Read More

* Draghi may be succeeded by more "hawkish" ECB chief* Euro zone yields edge back towards multi-year highs* U.S. auctions put upward pressure on yields* Euro zone periphery govt bond yields (Updates prices)By Abhinav RamnarayanLONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Euro zone government bond yields edged up on Tuesday as market speculation swirled over the next European Central Bank chief at a time w...Read More

FRANKFURT, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Stefan Quandt has become BMW's largest single shareholder, giving him a big enough stake to block any potential takeover of the Bavarian carmaker, a regulatory filing showed on Tuesday.The 51-year-old German entrepreneur's direct ownership increased with shares inherited from his mother, giving him a so-called "blocking stake" of 25.83 percent, worth 13.4 bi...Read More

SEOUL -- In a move to make its battery-related operations a major part of its business, South Korean steelmaker Posco is forming a partnership in ChinRead full newsRead More

* Under pressure from ECB, PTSB kicks off bad loan sale* Analysts say political opposition could lower sale price By Padraic HalpinDUBLIN, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Ireland could consider boosting protection for borrowers whose loans are sold to unregulated funds, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Tuesday, amid political opposition to a planned sale by majority state-owned permanent tsb (PTSB) .Irish...Read More

(Bloomberg) - BHP Billiton Ltd. is accelerating plans to exit its $10 billion U.S. shale unit, flagging that deals could be announced before the end of the year.The company, which has opened a data room for the Fayetteville field and will open others before the end of March, expects initial bids for the assets in the June quarter, according to a statement Tuesday. As recently as November it had s...Read More

(Bloomberg) - BHP Billiton Ltd.'s top executive will meet with major critic Elliott Management Corp. this week to discuss demands for a business overhaul that the activist group argues could deliver more than $22 billion in value.BHP's first-half results missed analysts' expectations and the shares fell 4.6 percent, on pace for the biggest daily drop since April. The world's biggest mining compan...Read More

* U.S. to sell record amounts of 3-month, 6-month bills* U.S. to auction $55 bln 1-month bills, $28 bln 2-year notes By Richard LeongNEW YORK, Feb 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury yields rose on Tuesday with the benchmark 10-year yield hovering near a four-year peak as investors made room for this week's deluge of $258 billion of government debt supply.The Treasury Department has ramped up its borrow...Read More

DAR ES SALAAM, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Foreign-owned banks, insurance companies and law firms could be locked out of Tanzania's mining sector as part of tough new regulations that aim to limit foreign ownership of mining-related activity.Africa's fourth-largest gold producer is seeking to take more of the profits from its vast mineral resources by overhauling the fiscal and regulatory regime of its min...Read More