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Frontrunning: February 6

  • The Patriots’ Insane Comeback: One for the History Books (WSJ)
  • Euro fades in face of French election risks (Reuters)
  • Legal battles to test Trump and his travel ban (Reuters)
  • Standoff Looms Over Travel Ban; Trump Rips Judge (WSJ)
  • Trump Set to Attend NATO Summit in May (WSJ)
  • Trump Administration Aims to Sever Russia’s Iran Ties (WSJ)
  • Draghi Takes the Case for QE to Brussels (BBG)
  • Tiger Hedge Funds Become Wall Street Prey (WSJ)
  • Iran's missile test 'not a message' to Trump (Reuters)
  • U.K. Business Says Brexit Already Having a Negative Effect (BBG)
  • Dodd-Frank Rollback Sets Up $100 Billion Windfall for Bank Investors (WSJ)
  • Tiffany Abruptly Drops CEO Just Before First-Ever Super Bowl Ad (BBG)
  • Mexico Teeters Between Recent U.S. Friendship and 170 Years of Hostility (WSJ)
  • Stranded migrants in Greek camp protest over living conditions (Reuters)
  • America’s Asia Allies May Face Biggest Currency Reversal (BBG)
  • The Mortgage-Bond Whale That Everyone Is Suddenly Worried About (BBG)
  • China welcomes Mattis' emphasis on South China Sea diplomacy (Reuters)
  • China protests U.S. sanction list on Iran that hits Chinese firms (Reuters)
  • ABN Amro Slashes 60% of Senior Management as Bank Shrinks (BBG)
  • The ‘Unflappable’ Guy Helping Paul Ryan Keep Peace With Trump (BBG)
  • Samsung Group to disband its corporate strategy office after probe ends (Reuters)
  • Business Luminaries Among ‘Hamilton’ Ponzi Schemers’ Victims (BBG)
  • Deleted postings about missing Chinese billionaire hint at tensions (Reuters)
  • National Bank Sets Goal to Be ‘Top 3’ Canadian Investment Bank (BBG)

 

Overnight Media Digest

WSJ

- A federal appeals court is set to rule on President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration in a decision that may have more influence-and last longer-than usual because of the longstanding vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. http://on.wsj.com/2jT9vij

- Trump administration is looking at ways to break Russia's alliance with Iran in a bid to end the Syrian conflict and bolster the fight against Islamic State. http://on.wsj.com/2jT1IBr

- President Donald Trump on Friday signed a memorandum ordering a review of the Dodd-Frank Act, the post financial-crisis regulatory overhaul that has guided regulators such as the Federal Reserve. http://on.wsj.com/2jSY36r

- The Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines slammed President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody war on drugs in a sermon read out during Sunday's services, marking its strongest opposition yet to a flagship policy that has led to the deaths of more than 7,000 people in the last seven months. http://on.wsj.com/2jT2Ogr

- Shortly after taking the helm three years ago, General Motors Co. Chief Executive Mary Barra flew to the auto make's money-losing Opel unit in Germany to tell employees they were a "vital part" of the company and profits would come by "the middle of the decade". http://on.wsj.com/2jT2Sgb

- Secretary General António Guterres urged the U.S. not to scale back its support for the United Nations, saying that any move to defund or disengage from the world body would pave the way for other nations to fill in the void. http://on.wsj.com/2jT08zj

 

FT

Premier Oil Plc is preparing to procure finance for a $1.5 billion development off the Falkland Islands, as the British oil producer refreshes strategy after its debt restructuring deal last week.

U.S. neighbourhood social network Nextdoor to acquire British social networking website Streetlife, which has 1.5 million members across the UK, according to people familiar with the matter.

Britain's biggest short-term lender Wonga to sell its German operation BillPay for about 60 million pounds ($74.87 million) to Swedish payments company Klarna to consolidate its dominant position in Germany.

 

Canada

** Sunshine Silver Mining & Refining Corp is auditioning investment banks for starring roles in an IPO on the Toronto Stock Exchange, according to sources pitching the company. https://tgam.ca/2laiT6h

NATIONAL POST

** The Liberal party's electoral reform exercise cost a minimum of C$4.1 million, according to an analysis of government expenses. http://bit.ly/2jReXHE

** Canada's financial consumer agency is investigating complaints that banks are signing up customers for credit cards without their express consent. http://bit.ly/2l0eR0y

 

Britain

The Times

Amazon hunts for London shops

Amazon.com Inc has begun searching for high street locations in prime areas of central London ahead of the potential launch of a checkout-free grocery chain later this year. The move suggests it is stepping up plans to bring futuristic convenience stores to Britain. The online retail giant is testing its first Amazon Go store near its base in Seattle, where the firm's employees are able to buy goods without queuing at a till. (http://bit.ly/2kDbPyC)

The Guardian

Rolls-Royce faces civil service inquiry over UK state funding

Civil servants are carrying out an internal inquiry to establish whether the engineering giant Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc fraudulently obtained financial support worth hundreds of millions of pounds from the government. The inquiry was launched after the multinational manufacturer admitted last month it had used multimillion-pound bribes to secure export orders across the world over four decades. (http://bit.ly/2ld9F5t)

RBS boss to unveil more cuts after receiving pay worth £3m in 2016

Ross McEwan, chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, is preparing to unveil further cost cutting measures after receiving pay of around 3 million pounds ($3.75 million) in 2016. The cost-reduction measures - which will be unveiled alongside the bank's ninth consecutive annual loss later this month - are expected to coincide with confirmation of his pay deal for the 2016 financial year. McEwan could be paid more than 3 million pounds after 2.7 million pounds of salary and allowances are topped up with bonuses. (http://bit.ly/2ldcqU5)

The Telegraph

Barclays sparks job cuts fears with bank office overhaul

Barclays Plc is revamping its back office operations in a wide-ranging restructuring that has spurred speculation the bank is preparing to cut jobs. The lender is setting up a new internal company that will manage all back office services such as human resources, marketing, compliance, and IT support for the rest of the bank's businesses. (http://bit.ly/2kDblsg)

Booker woos shopkeepers over Tesco merger

Booker Group Plc bosses will launch a charm offensive this week in an attempt to convince Britain's shopkeepers of the merits of its shock 3.7 billion pound Tesco Plc merger, amid rising concerns that the deal will strangle competition in the convenience store market. (http://bit.ly/2kwx7v8)

Sky News

Wonga strikes 60 mln stg deal to sell European unit to Swedish suitor

Wonga, Britain's best-known payday lender, will this week announce the sale of a big chunk of its European operations, underlining its continuing international retrenchment in the wake of a torrid period for the business. Wonga will confirm that it has decided to sell BillPay to Klarna, a Swedish provider of e-commerce solutions for about 60 million pounds. (http://bit.ly/2l8vJ5c)

RBS to pay 340 mln stg bonus pot as it posts ninth successive loss

The state-backed Royal Bank of Scotland is finalising plans to pay about 340 million pounds in bonuses to employees for last year, even as it prepares to announce one of its biggest annual losses since its 2008 bailout. RBS, which is just over 70 percent-owned by the government, has disclosed proposals for the bonus pot during recent discussions with UK Financial Investments, which manages the taxpayer's stake in the bank. (http://bit.ly/2kzurPX)

The Independent

Brexit: Germany's Finance Minister says EU 'should not punish Britain' to keep City benefits

The EU should offer Britain a "reasonable" Brexit deal because financial services offered by the City of London benefit Europe as a whole, Germany's Finance Minister has said. Wolfgang Schaeuble told German newspaper Tagesspiegel London's financial centre "serves the whole European economy", so it was preferable to "keep Britain close to us". (http://ind.pn/2jOykfA)