Halister News

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. National Crime Agency said it’s ‘willing to consider’ helping Moldovan authorities with a $20 billion Russia money-laundering investigation after media reports that $740 million was processed by banks in Britain.

• $740 million figure reported by Guardian Monday from banking records handed to newspaper by Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
• “The NCA remains willing to consider any formal request for assistance from the Moldovan authorities in connection with their investigation, and will consider whether information provided by the Guardian or other media sources would allow the progression of an investigation,” the NCA said in an emailed statement Tuesday
• NCA said when it looked at the case, known as the ‘Laundromat,’ previously, the bank accounts involved were mostly outside the U.K.
• NCA said investigating money laundering is a ‘complex matter’ and discovering source of money is ‘dependent on cooperation from the jurisdiction in which the funds originate’

Link to Guardian story: British banks handled vast sums of laundered Russian money

--MARIAJOSE VERA

(Bloomberg) -- The following news may affect European financial shares today: COMPANY NEWS

• BNP Sees Upside to 2020 Goals, Seeks to Grow Investment Bank
• Geneva’s GS Banque Seeks Wealth-Management Deals: L’Agefi
• HSBC Bought Back 3.10m Shares at Avg 658.20 Pence Each March 20
• Nordea, Danske Linked to Money Laundering Cases: Berlingske
• Partners Group Increases Full-Year Profit 41%; Raises Dividend
• Co-Op Doesn’t Fit Into Sabadell Strategy, Chairman Tells Cinco
  • Co-Op Bank Senior Creditors Jumping Ship as Repayment Date Nears
• UBS to Face French Tax Trial After Settlement Talks Fail

SECTOR NEWS

• U.K. Banks Seen Facing Losses From Scottish Independence: Chart
• What the Biggest Banks Are Planning as May Sets Brexit Timing
• Laundered Russian Cash Went Through Big Banks, Guardian Says
• Goldman Sachs Set to Hire Developer to Work on New Robo- Adviser

ANALYST ACTIONS

• Frexit Unlikely; Macquarie Weighs Scenarios for European Banks
• Munich Re Downgraded as Upside Potential Limited, Bernstein Says
• Munich Re Cut to Underperform at MedioBanca, PT EU180
• Esure Cut to Neutral at Citi, PT 235p
• Generali Cut to Hold at Equita SIM, PT EU16
• Hastings Rated New Outperform at Credit Suisse, PT 290p
• Swiss Re Raised to Outperform at MedioBanca, PT CHF103.50

BLOOMBERG INTELLIGENCE

• FRANCE INSIGHT: Le Pen or Not -- Economic Challenges Lie Ahead
• Danske’s Capital Build Supports Dividend, Buyback, Growth Goals
• Danske Recovering Mortgage Lending, Margins in Denmark Drive NII
• Further Staff Reductions Lie on the Horizon for Monte Paschi
• Monte Paschi Securitization May Not Need Atlante Replacement
• Monte Paschi: What to Expect When You’re Expecting (A Roadmap)
• Monte Paschi Faces $2.4 Billion of Further Pain Without Atlante
• ECB Focus on Banks’ Interest Rate Sensitivity Is Perfectly Timed

PEOPLE

• Banca Generali Names Gian Maria Mossa CEO
• Castlelake Said to Hire Goldman’s Armstrong for Distressed Debt
• Henderson’s Roger Thompson Named CFO in Combined Group w/ Janus
• Strategic Value Partners Said to Hire BBVA Loan-Sales Head Roca
• Barclays Risk Chief Venkatakrishnan Sells Almost GBP1m of Shares

(Bloomberg) -- Here’s a roundup of Indian co. debt-rating changes.

• To get this story sent to your inbox real-time, run NI INRATINGS , click on Display & Edit, then Set Alert Delivery

DOWNGRADES

• Metro Exporters
  • Fund-based limits cut to BBB- from BBB+ at ICRA
  • Cites sharp decline in operating income

• Pioneer Globex
  • Working capital term loans cut to D from C+ at ICRA
  • Cites continued delays in the company’s debt servicing

UPGRADE

• Abhi Engineering
  • Cash credit raised to BBB from BBB- at ICRA
  • Cites healthy augmentation in order book position

--ASHUTOSH JOSHI