Bloomberg - Evening Briefing - Wall Street passes the test

Wall Street’s biggest banks passed the Federal Reserve’s annual stress test, clearing a key hurdle for returning billions of dollars to investors. The 23 largest US lenders showed they can withstand a severe global recession and turmoil in real estate markets, the central bank said Wednesday. The exam is closely watched by the financial industry, where passing scores can give banking giants a green light to return billions of dollars to investors. But this year’s results may not quickly yield dividend and buyback announcements. Many banks have warned they’ll hold off until they get clarity on new capital requirements that have been in the works for years. The Fed is also weighing an overhaul of its supervision efforts. Still, the results bolster claims that the banking industry remains generally strong and well-capitalized. Here’s your markets wrap. —David E. Rovella

Tiger Global Management turned down hundreds of bids for its private assets in recent months because it felt the offers were too low. The firm had explored selling hundreds of millions of dollars in stakes in mid- and late-stage startups to provide cash distributions to investors in some of its older funds—at a time when other exit opportunities such as initial public offerings are scarce.

Vladimir Putin tried this week to show he was firmly in control after the dramatic attempt by Yevgeny Prigozhin to bring his heavily armed forces to Moscow. But many in the Kremlin and business elite aren’t buying it.

Observers of Russia’s mercenary mutiny are also worried the former KGB lieutenant colonel would lash out to show his strength. On Wednesday, Putin’s forces blew up a pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, reportedly filled with families. Authorities reported that the missile attack killed almost a dozen people, including three children. 

Rescue workers at the scene of a Russian missile strike in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on June 27. Photographer: Genya Savilov/Getty Images

Micron Technology gave an upbeat forecast for the current period, indicating that an industry chip glut is easing. Sales will be as much as $4.1 billion in the fiscal fourth quarter, the company said. That compares with an average analyst estimate of $3.87 billion. Like many of its peers, Micron suffered a collapse in orders for its products after sluggish demand for smartphones and personal computers led to a buildup of inventory. The company’s projection indicates customers have worked through those stockpiles.

Canadian asset management giant Brookfield has emerged as the world’s most acquisitive investment firm this year, as the big names of private equity increasingly stay on the sidelines. Brookfield has announced more than $50 billion of purchases since the beginning of January. That’s roughly triple the deal tallies of buyout firms like Apollo Global Management, EQT AB and Silver Lake Management. KKR & Co. has unveiled just one major public-company takeover bid this year. 

One senior Binance executive has managed to stay out of the global spotlight over the past six years and counting—even now as governments everywhere intensify their crypto clampdown. As a co-founder of the besieged digital-currency empire, Yi He is one of the most powerful players in the $1.2 trillion industry. She also has much to lose as the regulatory onslaught deepens. Now she’s speaking out.

Yi He Photographer: Natalie Naccache/Bloomberg

American ingenuity isn’t necessarily a thing of the past if I-95 in Philadelphia is any measure. The rapid repair of a key stretch of the East Coast highway, two weeks after a fiery, deadly crash caused an overpass to collapse, caught most people by surprise. The feat was a small miracle in many respects. Here’s how they did it.

• Switzerland blocks the sale of 100 tanks to Ukraine.
• Sweden police give permit to Koran burning near Stockholm mosque.
• Powell tells ECB conference core US inflation won’t hit 2% until 2025.
• The hunt for America’s largest catalytic converter theft ring.
• Rolex and Patek prices fall as Subdial Index nears two-year low.
• Texas Republicans take power from cities with sweeping new law.
• Qatar group seems confident of winning race for Manchester United.

Over the course of his prolific career, Hans Zimmer has composed music for more than 150 films, ranging from Dune to Gladiator to Pirates of the Caribbean. As a result, an individual’s transformation from casual filmgoer to zealous Zimmer superfan can progress along any number of cinematic routes. But often the roots can be traced back to one particular movie soundtrack, or even one particular song. For Stacey MacNaught, it happened during a car ride with one of her children.

Hans Zimmer and violinist Molly Rogers (foreground) perform at the Bercy Accor Arena venue in Paris on June 24. Photographer: AFP

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