Finance

Fund managers adjust portfolios for "Super El Niño" impact on global markets
Fund managers are preparing their portfolios for the possibility of a stronger El Niño than previously recorded, according to Bloomberg. The phenomenon causes droughts and floods that damage crops, push up food prices and lead economists to revise inflation and deficit forecasts. Man Group warned that power grid infrastructure, metals and fertilizers could be exposed; T. Rowe Price uses custom models to protect its US$165 billion portfolio in emerging-market debt and equities. The Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute identified Indonesia, Brazil and Colombia as the most vulnerable countries.
FinanceInternationalBloomberg LíneaOct 22AI
Five major issuances move Brazil's corporate market on the B3
Brasil PCH, BSB Energética and Eletroriver issued simple bonds worth 2.1 billion reais (about 417.6 million dollars) on the B3, with Itaú BBA as lead underwriter and shared guarantees with 14 other companies in the group. The operation included the early repayment of BSB and Eletroriver debt. On the same exchange, Aço Verde do Brasil placed 250 million reais in green bonds, Trisul 100 million in commercial notes, Ambiental Metrosul 300 million and BRF 825 million in agribusiness receivables certificates.
FinanceInternationalLexLatinOct 22AI
Japan tops central bank inflation target, reinforcing bets on a rate hike
Japan's core CPI, which excludes fresh food, rose 2.1% year on year in September, in line with economists' forecasts, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. The gauge exceeded the Bank of Japan's target for the first time this year, reinforcing the case for a widely expected rate hike in December. The index excluding both fresh food and energy stood at 2.4%, and services prices rose 1.5%, the fastest pace since March.
FinanceInternationalBloomberg LíneaOct 22AI
Dollar closes at 827 pesos in Cuba's informal market as the euro reaches 915 CUP
Cuba's informal currency market closed on Thursday, October 22, 2026, with the dollar at 827 Cuban pesos and the euro at 915 CUP, both up from the previous session. The dollar rose 4 pesos on the day and has gained 29 pesos over the week, while the euro added 3.5 pesos daily and 20 over seven days. The MLC stands at an indicative value of 676 CUP. The Central Bank's official rate (Segment III) remains at 734 CUP per dollar and 824 per euro.
FinanceInternationalCiberCubaOct 22AI
L'Oréal ties part of its skincare sales momentum to the GLP-1 drug boom
L'Oréal, the world's largest cosmetics company, says the boom in GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, known by brands such as Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro, is boosting beauty and skincare sales. CEO Nicolas Hieronimus said on an investor call that GLP-1 use is "a very important phenomenon" for the company. L'Oréal reported a 7.7% rise in third-quarter sales, above analysts' expectations.
FinanceInternationalBBCOct 22AI
Spanish heavy industry warns over energy prices and paralysis ahead of the 29-N election
Spanish industries such as ceramics, paper, chemicals, steel and cement posted timid performance and even output declines in the first half of the year due to high energy costs. According to the AEGE Barometer, an equivalent electro-intensive consumer pays 34% less for electricity in France than in Spain and 12% less in Germany. The government has so far taken no direct measures, and the 29-N elections add uncertainty for the coming months.
FinanceInternationalABCOct 22AI
Asian stocks extend losses after Nasdaq slump driven by tech shares
Asian stocks extended losses after Wall Street's decline, with MSCI's regional index falling 0.3% in its second straight day of losses. The Nasdaq 100 plunged 2.9% and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index 6.7%. Doubts about the profitability of artificial intelligence investment weighed on tech companies, while Treasuries posted their biggest rally in more than two years and the yen strengthened to 156.60 per dollar.
FinanceInternationalBloomberg LíneaOct 22AI
Trump and World Liberty sued over crypto deals tied to the United Arab Emirates
J. Benjamin Greenberg, a Circle Internet Group shareholder, sued Donald Trump and World Liberty Financial in a federal court in Washington. He alleges that two World Liberty crypto transactions with the United Arab Emirates violated the Foreign Emoluments Clause and harmed Circle investors, as World Liberty competes with Circle in the stablecoin market. World Liberty says the allegations are "baseless" and that it complies with US law; Circle said it did not take part in the lawsuit.
FinanceInternationalBloomberg LíneaOct 22AI
AI investment doubts hit Wall Street: Meta plunges 7.0%
Wall Street closed lower on renewed doubts about the growing indebtedness of companies tied to artificial intelligence. The Nasdaq fell 2.60% and the S&P 500 dropped 1.21%, while the Dow Jones rose 0.02%. Meta was the hardest-hit big tech stock, plunging 7.0%, followed by Amazon (-4.47%), Nvidia (-4.40%), Alphabet (-3.15%) and Microsoft (-2.26%). Tesla fell 3.1%. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 4.96%.
FinanceInternationalEl EspectadorOct 22AI
AI mega-investments set off alarms on Wall Street as Nasdaq suffers worst drop in four months
Global stock markets fell sharply on persistent unease over the outlook for artificial intelligence. The Philadelphia semiconductor index dropped 5.6%, its lowest level since July 29, and the Nasdaq-100 was headed for a loss of nearly one trillion dollars. Meta fell 4.5% after presenting a new class of non-voting shares to fund its AI expansion; Tesla slipped 2% and Amazon and Nvidia each fell more than 4%. Investors shifted focus from results to the capital needed to build AI infrastructure.
FinanceInternationalAmbitoOct 22AI
Norway's sovereign wealth fund loses 0.5% in the third quarter on bond slump
Norway's sovereign wealth fund, valued at US$2.3 trillion, posted a 0.5% loss in the third quarter, dragged down by its fixed-income portfolio, Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) reported. A 0.5% return on equities did not offset a 3.5% loss in fixed income, hit by rising interest rates. Deputy CEO Trond Grande said growing global public debt is a concern and that NBIM proposed cutting its government bond holdings from 70% to 50%.
FinanceInternationalBloomberg LíneaOct 22AI
Sepi refuses to write off debt in Tubos Reunidos insolvency, chilling investors
Sepi's refusal to write off Tubos Reunidos' debt, backed by a European Commission analysis, has chilled the investors still in the Basque steelmaker's insolvency proceedings. Basque Industry minister Jauregi acknowledged the report was a "surprise" for bidders, whose offers assumed the disappearance of that 150 million euro liability. He announced a meeting with Sepi to seek an agreement and called for "flexibility". The company warned staff about November and December payroll.
FinanceInternationalEl CorreoOct 22AI
What to know about the Tesla-SpaceX merger proposed by Elon Musk
Elon Musk said SpaceX and Tesla have formed special committees to study a possible merger. The resulting entity would be worth about 3.5 trillion dollars, according to the report, and would be the largest corporate deal in history. SpaceX is valued at close to 2 trillion and Tesla at around 1.5 trillion. Musk holds about 82% of voting rights at SpaceX and around 20% at Tesla. The deal requires the backing of a majority of Tesla shareholders.
FinanceInternationalFrance 24Oct 22AI
Peter Thiel bet on Vista Energy with $76 million and his stake is now worth $82.4 million
Through his Thiel Macro fund, Peter Thiel acquired 1,189,792 shares of Argentine oil company Vista Energy, a position valued at about $75.9 million as of June 30, according to the filing with the SEC. The investment accounted for 18.13% of the fund's equity portfolio and was the only non-US company among its disclosed holdings. With Vista trading near $69 per share, the stake is estimated at $82.4 million, an 8.6% gain.
FinanceInternationalAmbitoOct 22AI
Tubos Reunidos says European report on SEPI debt write-off is not binding
Tubos Reunidos argues that the European report suggesting a write-off of its 150 million euro debt with SEPI would not be possible "is not binding" and does not represent the European Commission's definitive position. The insolvency administration classifies the loan as "subordinated", meaning it should not be transferred with the productive units, something the potential buyers are demanding. The company told its workforce that in the first 20 days of October it booked orders worth about 15 million euros, 105% more year-on-year, though it does not rule out delays in payroll and extra payments.
FinanceInternationalORAINOct 22AI
Argentina's exchange gap widens: MEP and contado con liqui spread closed at 5.2%
The gap between the MEP dollar and the contado con liqui (CCL) exceeded 7% on Thursday and closed at 5.2%, above the 3.5%-4% range it held throughout the year. The implicit cost of dollarizing on the local exchange ended at AR$1,549.42 and the cable at AR$1,630.81. Analysts attribute the move to greater CCL demand, MEP stability due to official interventions and an imbalance between supply and demand for cable dollars.
FinanceInternationalBloomberg LíneaOct 22AI
Official dollar rose 5 pesos and closed at 1,550 in Banco Nación, a new high
The official retail dollar rose 5 pesos this Thursday, October 22, and closed at 1,550 for sale at Banco Nación, a new high, while the wholesale rate ended at 1,528. The blue dollar remained stable and closed at 1,565, and financial exchange rates also ended higher. Country risk surpassed 700 points again. Finance Secretary Federico Furiase ruled out exchange-rate and interest-rate volatility for 2027 and attributed the rise in country risk to the international crisis.
FinanceInternationalTNOct 22AI
Mexican peso falls 0.22% against the dollar after October inflation data
The Mexican peso depreciated 0.22%, equivalent to 4.20 centavos, and the exchange rate stood at 18.71 pesos per dollar, according to Banco de México data. The decline came amid greater global risk aversion due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and after October inflation came in higher than expected, reducing room for Banxico to cut its rate again, according to Gabriela Siller of Banco Base. At bank windows the dollar is quoted at 19.18 pesos.
FinanceInternationalEl FinancieroOct 22AI
Bovespa falls 1.15% three days before Lula-Flavio Bolsonaro runoff in Brazil
Three days before Brazil's presidential runoff, the Bovespa index fell 1.15% to close at 204,120 points, with Vale dropping 4% and CVC and CSN among the biggest losers. The real depreciated 0.22% against the dollar, to 5.037 reais for buying. The next president will face a fiscal deficit of 9.48% of GDP, public debt of 82.9% and a Selic rate of 13.75%, amid a campaign marked by cross-complaints before the Superior Electoral Court.
FinanceInternationalClarin.comOct 22AI
Investar Holding reports $0.74 diluted EPS for the third quarter and a 3.73% NIM
Investar Holding Corporation reported net income of $11.1 million for the third quarter of 2026, with diluted EPS of $0.74 versus $0.61 in the second quarter of 2026. The net interest margin stood at 3.73% and basic adjusted EPS at $0.77. According to the company's release, the results reflect the benefits of integrating the WFB agreement and balance sheet optimization.
FinanceInternationalTradingViewOct 22AI