Financial Regulatory Forum

   By Kevin Drawbaugh
WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) – The Obama administration made gains on Tuesday in its push for U.S. financial reform, unveiling a landmark bill to tackle systemic risk in the economy and winning congressional committee approval for a measure to expose hedge funds to more government scrutiny.The systemic risk bill would grant vast powers to a new systemic risk regulatory council, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp to monitor and address risks to economic stability posed by shaky financial holding companies.

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By Kevin Drawbaugh and Rachelle Younglai
WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) – U.S. regulators would be able to peer into the secretive world of hedge funds and private equity funds under a bill passed by a key congressional committee on Tuesday.
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FRANKFURT, Oct 13 (Reuters) – The German government completed the nationalisation of stricken lender Hypo Real Estate on Tuesday, setting the stage for a prolonged legal battle with minority shareholders, including J.C. Flowers.

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LONDON, Sept 21 (Reuters) – A controversial EU draft law on hedge funds and private equity could initially cost the two sectors between 1.3 billion euros ($1.9 billion) and 1.9 billion euros, while investor returns could also suffer, a survey says.
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By Karey Wutkowski

WASHINGTON, Aug 25 (Reuters) – U.S. regulators are set to buttress their defenses this week against a slew of sick banks still facing closure and the risks to the dwindling fund that protects depositors.

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By Karey Wutkowski

WASHINGTON, Aug 19 (Reuters) – The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp will meet next week to vote on its policy for private equity investments in failed banks, according to an agenda posted to its website. The FDIC proposed the private equity guidelines in July. Investors and some regulators criticized them as too harsh.

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By George Chen, Asia Private Equity Correspondent

HONG KONG, Aug 17 (Reuters) – China’s $200 billion sovereign wealth fund, which lost big on its ill-timed 2007 Morgan Stanley and Blackstone bets, plans to invest up to $2 billion in U.S. mortgages as it eyes a property market rebound, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said Monday. (more…)

By Joel Dimmock
LONDON, Aug 4 (Reuters) – British pension funds have begun exerting pressure to change proposed European Union rules that would impose new regulations on the hedge fund and alternative investment sector.

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By Megan Davies
NEW YORK, Aug 3 (Reuters) – A U.S. bank regulator is expected to move quickly in finalizing guidelines on private equity investments in failed banks, possibly easing one of its most controversial proposals, sources said on Monday. (more…)

By Patrick Rucker
WASHINGTON, July 22 (Reuters) – Jeffrey Goldstein, an executive at a New York private equity firm, has been tapped as President Barack Obama’s choice for Treasury undersecretary for domestic finance, two officials said on Wednesday. (more…)