Financial Services Conglomerate News

China aims to establish a free trade zone in Hainan by 2020 and will encourage multinationals to set up their international and regional headquarters in the province, state news agency Xinhua reported citing a government document. The guidance was jointly issued by the ruling Communist Party and State Council, Xinhua said. It comes after President Xi Jinping announced on Friday that the country would grant foreign firms greater economic freedom in the southernmost province. Known for its sandy beaches and resort-lined coast…

Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc, one of the world's top five offshore rig contractors, reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit as it cut drilling costs and hiked prices, sending its shares up as much as 10.5 percent. The company - owned 50.4 percent by hotel, energy and financial services conglomerate Loews Corp - also said it would pay a special cash dividend of 75 cents per share on top of its regular quarterly dividend of 13 cents. Diamond Offshore, which has one of the oldest fleet of rigs…

Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc, one of the world's top five offshore rig contractors, reported a 17 percent drop in quarterly profit as demand fell for rigs used in deep water drilling. Contract drillers face a tough year as vessels ordered during boom times are delivered just as energy companies are tightening spending on offshore exploration. Diamond Offshore, whose competitors include Ensco Plc , Transocean Ltd and Helmerich & Payne Inc , has two rigs due for delivery in 2014 but has yet to land contracts for them. While the fall in rig demand and utilization is likely to affect the entire sector, analysts expect Diamond Offshore to fare worse than rivals, given the age of its fleet.

Shipowners are known for having distinct differences of opinion, but the one thing that all agree on is the importance of having access to capital. In an industry in which assets are generally big-ticket items and operating margins can be thin, access to proper financing serves the dual purposes of fleet growing the generation of healthy operating returns. Most shipowners would also agree that financing for maritime assets generally isn't easy to find. There are various reasons for this. One reason is that few lenders focus exclusively on marine finance and a result most lending institutions are not familiar enough with marine assets to feel comfortable financing them.

Cummins Inc. and CitiCapital have reached an agreement to promote a co-sponsored marine finance program. Under the agreement customers who purchase Cummins engines for various commercial vessels will receive exclusive finance products provided by CitiCapital. This agreement demonstrates the cooperative efforts of both companies by bringing together the premier manufacturer of marine engines and the world's largest financial services conglomerate. The agreement will initially cover the U.S. "Financing solutions are critical with any marine projects, whether it's a new vessel or a major repower. Cummins Marine customers deserve the very best in products and services.