Finance news

• U.S. muni bond funds post $481.3 million in inflows: Lipper

  30-04-2015 23:43
  Reuters - U.S. municipal bond funds reported $481.3 million of net inflows in the week ended April 29, compared with $534.6 million in inflows in the previous week, according to data released by...
  
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• Monsanto offers to buy Syngenta again: Bloomberg

  30-04-2015 23:35
  
  (Reuters) - Monsanto , the world's largest seed company has again approached Switzerland's Syngentain recent weeks with an offer to buy the company, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with...
  
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• Church of England divests from coal, tar sands as adopts new climate policy

  30-04-2015 23:34 via news.yahoo.com
  
  (Reuters) - The Church Commissioners and the Church of England Pensions Board said they have divested 12 million pounds ($18.42 million) from their investments in thermal coal and tar sands companies as part of an initiative aimed at promoting transition to a low carbon economy. The Church Commissioners also said they would adopt the new climate change policy recommended by the Church's Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG) that sets out how the three national investing bodies (NI
  
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• UPDATE 2-FireEye raises revenue forecast as demand for cybersecurity rises

  30-04-2015 23:25
  April 30 (Reuters) - Cybersecurity company FireEye Inc raised its full-year revenue forecast as governments and businesses increase spending to protect their networks from sophisticated cyber attacks.
  
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• Oracle CEO sees benefit if rival buys Salesforce.com

  30-04-2015 23:23
  
  REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (Reuters) - Oracle CorpChief Executive Safra Catz said her company could benefit if Microsoft Corpor another rival bought online customer relationship management firm...
  
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• UPDATE 2-Go-private offer for WuXi PharmaTech gets investors support

  30-04-2015 23:14
  * Shareholders may want bigger premium - analyst (Adds comments from investors, analysts)
  
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• Brazil takes aim at U.S. farm subsidies as Rousseff readies visit

  30-04-2015 23:06 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Alonso Soto BRASILIA (Reuters) - After finally turning the page on a dispute over spying that hampered attempts to deepen trade ties, Brazil and the United States may be headed for another clash, this time over U.S. farm subsidies. Brasilia is gathering evidence to show that the United States is increasing subsidies for soy and corn farmers, which threatens to further push down prices for the key crops grown in the South American country and hurt its already sputtering economy, four Brazilian
  
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• AIG first quarter earnings down slightly on interest rates, returns

  30-04-2015 22:59 via news.yahoo.com
  
  American International Group Inc's first-quarter earnings fell slightly as low interest rates and weaker returns from alternative investments offset improvements in its commercial insurance business. Analysts, on average, had expected earnings of $1.19 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. It was not immediately clear whether the analyst estimate was directly comparable to operating earnings. As interest rates have remained very low, bond investors - including insurers - have str
  
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• Global shares fall on weak results; dollar ends worst month in four years

  30-04-2015 22:54 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Sam Forgione NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock markets worldwide posted a second straight session of losses on Thursday after more weak earnings reports, with all three major U.S. indexes plunging more than 1 percent. The dollar fell on Thursday, to close out April as the greenback's worst month in four years, as measured against a basket of six major currencies. Celgene led a fall in U.S. biotech stocks, while shares of Harman International Industries fell 7 percent after the maker of audio sy
  
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• TSX falls as earnings reports fail to impress

  30-04-2015 22:26 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Alastair Sharp TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index fell on Thursday as investors, positioning their portfolios at the end of the month, appeared less than impressed by a host of quarterly results. Still, the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index rose 2.2 percent in April. "The TSX, like other global markets, is hitting some resistance levels," said Youssef Zohny, portfolio manager at StennerZohny Investment Partners+. Investors took a handful of le
  
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• UPDATE 3-Investor urges John Menzies to consider splitting up

  30-04-2015 21:48
  * Shares up 7.6 pct (Adds comment by Kabouter Management, updates shares)
  
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• US STOCKS-Wall St drops with tech shares; Nasdaq down for 4th day

  30-04-2015 21:18 via news.yahoo.com
  
  U.S. stocks sold off in late trading on Thursday, with the Nasdaq on track for a fourth straight day of losses, as Apple shares declined and economic data reignited concerns about the outlook for interest rates. It comes a day after the Federal Reserve pointed to weakness in the labor market and other areas of the U.S. economy. The Nasdaq biotech index dropped 3.2 percent, led by a 3.9 percent fall in Celgene, which reported lower-than-expected quarterly revenue. At 3:10 p.m., the Dow Jones indu
  
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• Liberal U.S. Senator Sanders to challenge Clinton in 2016 race

  30-04-2015 20:52 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Emily Stephenson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, launched a long-shot bid for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, a move likely to pressure Hillary Clinton from the left on issues from income inequality to corporate governance. "How do we create an economy that works for all of our people, rather than a small number of billionaires?" The 73-year-old, second-term senator faces long odds against the fund-raising mig
  
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• Time Warner Cable, Charter held deal talks with Bright House: WSJ

  30-04-2015 20:45 via news.yahoo.com
  
  (Reuters) - Time Warner Cable Inc and Charter Communications Inc separately held acquisition talks with Bright House Networks, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources. The talks are preliminary, the Journal said. Charter, which lost out on a bid for Time Warner Cable last year, said in March it would buy Bright House. The Charter deal for Bright House was contingent on the expiration of Time Warner Cable's "right of first offer" for Bright House.
  
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• UPDATE 1-Bahrain central bank puts Iran-linked bank, insurer into administration

  30-04-2015 20:45
  MANAMA, April 30 (Reuters) - Bahrain's central bank said on
  Thursday it had placed two Iran-linked companies, Future Bank
  and Iran Insurance Co, into administration to protect the rights
  of...
  
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• Shares fall on weak results, dollar pares losses

  30-04-2015 20:40 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The latest batch of lacklustre corporate results weighed down shares on Wall Street. Weak quarterly earnings from Celgene led a fall in U.S. biotech stocks, while shares of Harman International Industries fell over 7 percent after the maker of audio systems cut its 2015 profit forecast. Apple was the biggest drag on the Dow, S&P 500 and the Nasdaq indexes. The drop came after a Wall Street Journal report said supplies of the company's much-anticipated new Apple Watch were limited at the
  
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• RPT-UPDATE 2-Stronger dollar forces Colgate to cut profit forecast again

  30-04-2015 20:33
  April 30 (Reuters) - Colgate-Palmolive Co cut its profit forecast for the full year again, indicating price rises will not be able to completely offset the impact of a stronger dollar.
  
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• CORRECTED-UPDATE 2-GrubHub quarterly revenue, costs rise

  30-04-2015 20:10
  April 29 (Reuters) - GrubHub Inc reported an 50.6 percent rise in quarterly revenue and the online food order company spent heavily to build its food-delivery network.
  
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• U.S. second-quarter GDP on track to grow 0.9 percent: Atlanta Fed

  30-04-2015 20:03 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The U.S. economy is on course to expand 0.9 percent in the second quarter, a forecast model from the Atlanta Federal Reserve showed on Thursday, after the government's estimate on first-quarter growth came in at a paltry 0.2 percent. The Atlanta Fed's GDPNow program had projected gross domestic product likely grew 0.1 percent in the first three months of the year.
  
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• UPDATE 2-Cost cuts help New York Times profit beat estimates

  30-04-2015 19:59
  * Shares rise as much as 7.3 pct (Adds CEO comment, details from conf call, share movement)
  
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• Comedy at work: From menial, low-paid jobs comes laughter

  30-04-2015 19:31
  
  (Note offensive language in fourth and fifth paragraphs of Kathleen Madigan section)
  
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• Bahrain central bank puts bank, insurer into administration

  30-04-2015 19:29
  MANAMA, April 30 (Reuters) - Bahrain's central bank said on
  Thursday it had placed Future Bank and Iran Insurance Co into
  administration, and would act as administrator for the two
  companies to...
  
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• London close: Stocks edge higher despite mixed earnings, data

  30-04-2015 19:17 via news.yahoo.com
  
  UK stocks managed to erase earlier losses to settle in positive territory on Thursday as investors picked up bargains following heavy losses over the last two sessions.
  
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• European equities rise as eurozone exits deflation

  30-04-2015 18:49 via news.yahoo.com
  
  European stocks posted gains Thursday as the euro hit a nine-week dollar high on weak US data that dimmed the chances of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike in early summer. London's benchmark FTSE 100 index closed 0.21 percent higher at 6,960.63 points. Friday is a business day in London, with markets shut only on Monday for a bank holiday. "Of course, the slowing pace of growth in the world’s largest economy matters for the stock market too because it is one of the main export des
  
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• UPDATE 2-Stronger dollar forces Colgate to cut profit forecast again

  30-04-2015 18:48
  * Organic sales growth slow to 4 pct (Adds analyst comment, details on competitors; updates shares)
  
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• UPDATE 2-Strong dollar mutes Harman's forecast

  30-04-2015 18:47
  * Shares fall as much as 15 pct (Adds CEO comments, details; updates shares)
  
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• U.S. data suggest economy picking up steam after weak Q1

  30-04-2015 18:39 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits tumbled to a 15-year low last week and consumer spending rose in March, signs the economy was regaining momentum after stumbling badly in the first quarter. "This morning's reports all point to an economy that is doing a lot better than the near-stagnation in first-quarter GDP suggests," said Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics in Toronto. Initial claims for
  
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• Wall Street falls on mixed economic data; Apple weighs

  30-04-2015 18:19 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Wall Street was lower in midday trading on Thursday as Apple weighed on major indexes and investors digested a mixed batch of economic data. The Nasdaq biotech index dropped 1.8 percent. Apple fell as much as 2.5 percent to $125.45 and was the biggest drag on the Dow, S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. The company limited availability of the Apple Watch after a key component was found to be defective, according to a report.
  
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• Wall St falls on mixed economic data; Apple weighs

  30-04-2015 18:15 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The Nasdaq biotech index dropped 1.8 percent. Apple fell as much as 2.5 percent to $125.45 and was the biggest drag on the Dow, S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. The company limited availability of the Apple Watch after a key component was found to be defective, according to a report. Investors were also digesting a mixed bag of economic data which came in a day after data showed that the U.S. economy slowed to a crawl in the first quarter.
  
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• Friday preview: Lloyds earnings to be hit by PPI and TSB disposal

  30-04-2015 18:12 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Lloyds Banking Group is expected to report a slide in first quarter earnings on Friday, reflecting provisions for payment protection insurance and TSB disposal costs.
  
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• US STOCKS-Wall St falls on mixed economic data; Apple weighs

  30-04-2015 18:11 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Wall Street was lower in midday trading on Thursday as Apple weighed on major indexes and investors digested a mixed batch of economic data. The Nasdaq biotech index dropped 1.8 percent. Apple fell as much as 2.5 percent to $125.45 and was the biggest drag on the Dow, S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.
  
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• Global shares fall on weak results, dollar pares losses

  30-04-2015 18:10 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Weak quarterly earnings from Celgene led a fell in U.S. biotech shares, while shares of Harman International Industries fell over 7 percent after the maker of audio systems cut its 2015 profit forecast. Apple was the biggest drag on the Dow after a Wall Street Journal report said a key component of the Apple Watch was found to be defective. Technology stocks in Europe sold off after disappointing numbers from Nokia . The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was set to post its biggest w
  
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• Exclusive: Pfizer is mystery bidder for rare disease drugmaker Sobi - sources

  30-04-2015 18:08
  
  NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Pfizer Incis the mystery bidder for Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB , the rare disease specialist which disclosed this week that a potential buyer had made a preliminary...
  
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• U.S. data suggest economy picking up steam after weak first-quarter

  30-04-2015 18:08 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits tumbled to a 15-year low last week and consumer spending rose in March, signs the economy was regaining momentum after stumbling badly in the first quarter. "This morning's reports all point to an economy that is doing a lot better than the near-stagnation in first-quarter GDP suggests," said Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics in Toronto. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 34,000
  
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• Britain's FTSE ends higher, Royal Mail supports

  30-04-2015 18:06
  LONDON, April 30 (Reuters) - Britain's top equity index closed slightly higher after setting a three-week low on Thursday, with Royal Mail gaining on the prospect of lower competition and energy...
  
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• Japan sees rising business interest in Cuba with thaw

  30-04-2015 17:57 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Japanese business interest in Cuba is likely to intensify because of the thaw in US-Cuban relations, Japan's foreign minister said in an interview published Thursday. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida was to arrive in Havana Thursday for a visit that is scheduled to include a meeting with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez. Kishida said Japan "supports and welcomes" the start of negotiations between Washington and Havana, which he said would "positively influence relations wi
  
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• Nigeria's forex reserves fall 1 pct to $29.5 bln by end-April

  30-04-2015 17:57 via news.yahoo.com
  
  LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigerian forex reserves fell 1 percent month-on-month to $29.5 billion by April 28, from $29.8 billion a month earlier, the central bank said on Thursday. The reserves of Africa's biggest economy were down 22.6 percent year-on-year when they stood at $38.14 billion. Nigeria's central bank has used its forex reserves to support the local currency in the wake of falling global oil prices.
  
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• Oil crash forces Endeavour to seek sale, abandon bankruptcy plan

  30-04-2015 17:56
  April 30 (Reuters) - Weak energy prices have forced bankrupt
  oil-and-gas company Endeavour International Corp to abandon a
  deal with bondholders to cut its debt by $568 million and
  instead seek...
  
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• Shire shares shoot up as earnings surge 20%

  30-04-2015 17:56 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Earnings at Shire surged 20% in the first quarter as sales at the Dublin-headquartered drug company overcame a sharp drop in its Intuniv attention deficit disorder drug and dollar headwinds.
  
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• Exclusive: EU regulators to clear Orange deal to buy Jazztel - sources

  30-04-2015 17:41
  
  BRUSSELS/MADRID (Reuters) - French telecoms group Orangeis set to secure European Union approval for its 3.4-billion-euro ($3.79 billion) deal to acquire Spanish fixed line network operator Jazztel...
  
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• US stocks drop as investors assess corporate earnings

  30-04-2015 17:29 via news.yahoo.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks traded lower Thursday as investors assessed the latest corporate earnings. Harman International, which makes audio systems for cars, and Yelp, an online listings company, fell sharply after posting weak earnings reports.
  
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• Britain's FTSE steadies after 3-week low, Royal Mail gains

  30-04-2015 17:21
  LONDON, April 30 (Reuters) - Britain's top equity index steadied after setting a three-week low on Thursday, with gains recorded by firms like Royal Mail on the prospect of lower competition...
  
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• Ex-U.N. nuclear chief Blix cautious on Iran deal hopes

  30-04-2015 17:18 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Karin Strohecker and Marc Jones LONDON (Reuters) - Hans Blix, former chief of the UN nuclear watchdog, said he was cautious about the chances of a final deal being clinched between Iran and major world powers aimed at reining in Tehran's nuclear program. Following more than a decade of brinkmanship, eight days of marathon talks in Lausanne this month ended with an outline deal to scale back Iran's program for at least a decade. The tentative agreement clears the way for negotiations on a fina
  
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• Egypt plans smart card system for fuel from mid-June

  30-04-2015 17:09 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Egypt will begin rolling out a smart card system for subsidised fuel from June 15, the head of the firm overseeing the project said, part of plans to reduce costly energy subsidies over time. Fuel subsidies have long weighed on Egypt's state budget and contributed to the economic stagnation that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi promised to tackle when he took office last May. The government cut fuel subsidies last summer, raising prices by up to 78 percent, in a move lauded by economists but
  
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• FTSE 100 movers: Shire surges on earnings growth, RBS hit by weak revenues

  30-04-2015 17:08 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Shire surged after reporting that earnings rose 20% in the first quarter as sales at the Dublin-headquartered drug company overcame a sharp drop in its Intuniv attention deficit disorder drug and dollar ...
  
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• Wall Street opens lower as Apple, Celgene weigh

  30-04-2015 16:53 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Wall Street opened lower on Thursday as Apple weighed on the major indexes and Celgene led a fall in biotech stocks, more than offsetting encouraging economic data. The Nasdaq biotech index dropped 1.7 percent. Apple fell 2.3 percent to $125.70 and was the biggest drag on the Dow, S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. The company limited availability of the Apple Watch after a key component supplied by a Chinese company was found to be defective, according to the Wall Street Journal.
  
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• Canada economy stalls in February, but stronger than foreseen

  30-04-2015 16:52 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Leah Schnurr OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian economy stalled in February as a pickup in the retail sector was offset by a decline in manufacturing and a steep drop in support activity for the mining and energy sectors, data showed on Thursday. The country's gross domestic product was unchanged in February from the month before, Statistics Canada said, though that topped economists' expectations for a decline of 0.1 percent. January was revised down to a decline of 0.2 percent. Econo
  
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• US STOCKS-Wall St opens lower as Apple, Celgene weigh

  30-04-2015 16:39 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Wall Street opened lower on Thursday as Apple weighed on the major indexes and Celgene led a fall in biotech stocks, more than offsetting encouraging economic data. The Nasdaq biotech index dropped 1.7 percent.
  
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• Russian cuts key rate in bid to haul economy out of recession

  30-04-2015 16:38 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Russia's central bank on Thursday cut its key interest rate by 1.5 percentage points to 12.5 percent, in a bid to lift the economy out of recession. The economy had contracted by 2.2 percent in the first three months, hit by a collapse in crude prices and Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict. Thursday's rate cut is the third this year following an emergency hike by a massive 6.5 percentage points in December to a prohibitive 17 percent as the bank sought then to stop a sharp dep
  
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• See how your neighborhood ranks as a place to age

  30-04-2015 16:29
  
  (The writer is a Reuters columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)
  
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