MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
* Mishaal al-Usaimi, vice chairman of Kuwait's Capital Markets Authority, told Bloomberg Television that the country's stock exchange could launch an IPO in 2018. Al-Usaimi said the regulator is carrying out studies for the potential listing of Boursa Kuwait until the end of April, and plans to complete it by the end of the year.
* JPMorgan Chase & Co.
* United Arab Bank PJSC named
* The Qatar Stock Exchange yesterday listed its first exchange-traded fund, The Peninsula wrote. The ETF was created by Doha Bank QPSC and is managed by Amwal QSC.
* The board of Jordan-based Arabia Insurance Co. Ltd.
* The U.S. Supreme Court refused to take up Bank Melli Iran Inc.'s
* Central Bank of Iran Deputy Governor Akbar Komijani said the regulator has drafted a package of policies that will serve as a blueprint for regulating the monetary and foreign exchange markets, the Financial Tribune wrote.
* EFG-Hermes Holding SAE
* Delta Insurance Co. accepted private equity firm Egypt Kuwait Holding Co.'s mandatory purchase offer for 5,843,792 shares in the company for approximately 116.9 million Egyptian pounds. Egypt Kuwait Holding, which owns 32.026% of Delta, initiated the offer in January to buy an additional 66.973% stake in the company for 20 Egyptian pounds per share.
* The Banque Centrale de Tunisie raised its key interest rate to 5.75% from 5%, in a bid to "face up to the real risks of an ongoing inflation in 2018."
EAST AND WEST AFRICA
* Ethiopia's ruling coalition is expected to hold a meeting this week to select a new prime minister to succeed Hailemariam Desalegn, who resigned last month, Reuters wrote.
* National Bank of Kenya Ltd.
* Stella Kilonzo, former CEO of Kenya's Capital Markets Authority, was named head of the African Development Bank's Africa Investment Forum, according to Business Daily Africa.
* Jubilee Insurance Co. of Kenya Ltd.
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
* Standard Bank Group Ltd.
* Angolan businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, who previously headed Sonangol, rejected graft allegations made by the state oil company's current Chairman Carlos Saturnino over the transfer of some $38 million in funds from the oil firm to a Dubai-based company after she has already been dismissed last year, Reuters and Bloomberg News reported. Dos Santos also dismissed Saturnino's claims that she favored doing business with banks in which she owns shares while she was at Sonangol.
* Mozambique's parliament approved reforms aimed at bolstering money-laundering controls by giving more power to the country's Financial Information Office, Macauhub reported.
IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD
Asia-Pacific: Indian central bank fines 2 lenders; Mega Financial posts FY'17 net income
Europe: Axa agrees to buy XL Group for $15.3B; Germany's Merkel secures 4th term
Latin America: Santander Brasil-HDI JV approved; Mexico gives nod to Swiss Re local ops
North America: Senate to vote this week on bipartisan bill to ease Dodd-Frank rules on banks
North America Insurance: XL Group to be acquired by Axa; AIG to sell travel insurance on Expedia site
Leo Magno, Henni Abdelghani, Pádraig Belton, and Helen Popper contributed to this report.
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