A committee appointed by financial regulators has recommended an overhaul of regulatory norms governing credit rating agencies (CRAs) and sought a host of disclosures from them to make the system more transparent.

Panel seeks strict regulation of rating agencies

Business Standard

Even though the national economy is slowly picking up, banks are still seeing increased defaults in the wake of high unemployment levels.

US sees 9 banks bail in 2010; five go belly up in 1 day

Press Trust of India

US President Barack Obama phoned Senate allies as two key senators predicted that embattled Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will be confirmed for a second term.

Senators assure Bernanke will win 2nd term

Zooming inflation, a build-up of inflationary pressures and cues from global markets could impel the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to further tighten its monetary policy stance by hiking the cash reserve ratio (CRR) and policy rates, bankers said.

Inflation may prompt RBI to up CRR, policy rates

The Bajaj Group is gearing up to enter the banking business and considering applying for a licence through its financial services arm--Bajaj Finserv, a top company official said.

Bajaj Finserv eyes banking biz

The yield on government rates may show some volatility ahead of Reserve Bank of India&rsquo;s (RBI&rsquo;s) third quarter review of monetary policy.

Bond yields likely to show volatility

Dhanlaxmi Bank, a small private bank, has posted a 92.18 per cent drop in net profit for the quarter ended December 2009 at Rs 1.32 crore as against Rs 16.90 crore in same quarter last year. Its total income for the reporting quarter rose by 26.32 per cent to Rs 156.46 crore as against Rs 123.46 crore year ago.

Dhanlaxmi Bank Q3 net down

The rupee today depreciated by 4 paise against the US currency in early trade on continued outflows by foreign funds from equities amid increased dollar demand from importers.

Rupee falls by 4 paise vs $ in early trade

Japan's central government is projected to owe at least $10 trillion (973.16 trillion yen) in debt at the end of fiscal 2010, an amount that translates into roughly $84670.11 (7.63 million yen) per capita, due to increased debt issues, budgetary documents presented by the government to the Diet showed today.

Japan's public debt projected to surpass $10 trillion in '10

Bangalore-based public-sector lender Vijaya Bank has reported a 20.65 per cent decline in its net profit to Rs 124.57 crore for the third quarter-ended on December 31, 2009, compared to Rs 156.99 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. The bank has attributed the dip to low earnings from treasury and provision of Rs 113.17 crore for a non-performing asset.

Vijaya Bank net down 20.65%; margins rise

The central bank may hike CRR by 50 bps; some economists expect a rise in policy rates too.

Banks plan to keep rates steady

For the first time in four-and-a-half years, State Bank of India (SBI), the country&rsquo;s largest lender, on Monday reported a decline in its consolidated net profit.

SBI net declines 8.4 per cent

LIC Housing Finance (LICHF) reported a 14 per cent rise in net profit to Rs 153.58 crore for the quarter ended December 2009 compared with Rs 134.33 crore in the year-ago quarter.

LIC Housing Finance net up 14%

State-owned lender Andhra Bank has reported a 29.1 per cent increase in net to Rs 275 crore for the quarter ended December 2009 compared with Rs 213 crore during the same period last year. Total business was up 23.03 per cent to Rs 117,899 crore, including Rs 66,547 crore of deposits and Rs 51,352 crore of advances, during the quarter from Rs 95,822 crore last year.

Andhra Bank net up 29%

Standard Chartered Bank&nbsp;said the Reserve Bank is likely to raise the amount banks need to mandatorily park with the apex bank (CRR) by 50 basis points at its forthcoming monetary policy review.

StanChart expects 50bps hike in CRR

SBI Caps heads global loan chart; power sector dominates.

India topped project finance deals in 2009

Ahead of the Reserve Bank&rsquo;s quarterly monetary policy, global consultancy firm Ernst &amp; Young today said the central bank is likely to signal an interest rate increase to suck out liquidity from the market and check prices from spiralling further.

Reserve Bank likely to raise key rates, says E&Y

The year 2009 was a difficult year for Indian merger and acquisition (M&amp;A) deals. However, it established the supremacy of Indian investment bankers (i-bankers) by catapulting them to the top of the league table, leaving their international peers far behind.

Indian i-bankers upstage global big boys in volumes

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensitive Index is valued at 20 times estimated profits, higher than China for the first time since November 2006 and the second-most expensive among the 25 biggest markets after Japan, according to monthly data compiled by Bloomberg. Even after the Sensex sank 4 per cent last week, the most in almost three months, its stocks trade within 6.1 per cent of analysts&rsquo; average 12-month price estimates.

India hit by record low 'buys' on rate outlook

Federal Reserve policy makers are considering adopting a new benchmark interest rate to replace the one they&rsquo;ve used for the last two decades.

Fed weighs interest on reserves as new benchmark rate

Mauritius has contributed to the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow into the country at over Rs 2,00,000 crore since 2000 and up to November 2009, amid speculation that investors from other regions are also routing their money through the island nation to take advantage of the tax treaty.

FDI from Mauritius exceeds Rs 2 lakh cr

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