Finance news

• Heinz completes Kraft purchase, Buffett joins board

  02-07-2015 23:57
  
  (Reuters) - H.J. Heinz Co on Thursday completed its purchase of Kraft Foods Group Inc, creating the third largest food and beverage company in North America and fifth largest worldwide.
  
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• Days before referendum, Greek voters perplexed and undecided

  02-07-2015 23:44 via news.yahoo.com
  
  ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Costas Christoforidis hasn't decided how to vote in Sunday's referendum on a bailout deal for Greece's troubled economy. The problem is, the 37-year-old farmer isn't sure what he's voting for.
  
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• MOVES-HSBC currency strategist Robert Lynch resigns - Bloomberg

  02-07-2015 23:41
  July 2 (Reuters) - Robert Lynch, head of G-10 currency strategy at HSBC Holdings Plc in New York, has left the bank, Bloomberg reported, citing two people with direct knowledge of the matter.
  
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• MOVES-Bill Murphy joins global equities prime brokerage team at BofA

  02-07-2015 23:40
  July 2 (Reuters) - Bank of America Merrill Lynch said it made three appointments to its global equities prime brokerage division this week.
  
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• S&P downgrades Chicago Board of Education's GO debt rating to 'BBB'

  02-07-2015 23:39
  July 2 (Reuters) - Standard & Poor's Ratings Service lowered its rating on the Chicago Board of Education's general obligation bonds to 'BBB' from 'A minus', citing the board's "structural imbalance".
  
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• UPDATE 2-Pimco Total Return Fund stabilizes while Pimco Income gains

  02-07-2015 23:36
  NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - Investors pulled $3 billion in assets from Pacific Investment Management Co's flagship fund in June, compared with $2.7 billion the previous month, in another sign Pimco...
  
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• UPDATE 1-Political 'noise' in Peru dampening fragile rebound -finmin

  02-07-2015 23:34
  PARACAS, Peru, July 2 (Reuters) - Growing levels of political "noise" from squabbling parties ahead of elections in Peru next year is hurting economic growth and will likely dampen the still-fragile...
  
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• FTC approves Dollar Tree's takeover of Family Dollar

  02-07-2015 23:34
  
  (Reuters) - Dollar Tree Incwas given the go-ahead to buy Family Dollar Stores Incby the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on condition that they sell 330 Family Dollar stores, putting to rest a...
  
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• UPDATE 1-FTC approves Dollar Tree's takeover of Family Dollar

  02-07-2015 23:32
  July 2 (Reuters) - Dollar Tree Inc was given the go-ahead to buy Family Dollar Stores Inc by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on condition that they sell 330 Family Dollar stores, putting to rest a...
  
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• U.S.-based stock funds attract $64.4 bln inflows in first half '15 - Lipper

  02-07-2015 23:25
  NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - Investors in U.S.-based funds poured $64.4 billion into stock funds in the first half of the year, a fraction of the funds' $231.4 billion inflows in all of 2014,...
  
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• UPDATE 3-Truck, luxury car demand drive record June sales in Canada

  02-07-2015 23:22
  TORONTO, July 2 (Reuters) - A healthy appetite for trucks and luxury cars pushed auto sales in Canada to a record high for June, with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles the top seller, according to data...
  
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• Brazil central bank aware of currency rigging probe, cooperating

  02-07-2015 23:18
  SAO PAULO, July 2 (Reuters) - The Brazilian central bank is aware of a probe on alleged currency rigging in the country's currency market by a group of 15 international lenders, and is coordinating...
  
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• UPDATE 6-Brazil probes currency market activity of 15 global banks

  02-07-2015 23:13
  SAO PAULO/BRASILIA, July 2 (Reuters) - Fifteen of the world's largest banks are under investigation on suspicion of rigging the Brazilian currency, antitrust watchdog Cade said on Thursday, the first...
  
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• UPDATE 1-Mexico to award new digital TV channels in 2016 -regulator

  02-07-2015 23:08
  MEXICO CITY, July 2 (Reuters) - Mexico's telecoms regulator said on Thursday that a new tender process for digital TV channels will begin in the last quarter of 2015, and the winner will be announced...
  
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• Political 'noise' in Peru dampening fragile rebound -finmin

  02-07-2015 23:07
  PARACAS, Peru, July 2 (Reuters) - Growing levels of political "noise" from squabbling parties ahead of elections in Peru next year is hurting economic growth and will likely dampen the still-fragile...
  
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• Wall St. edged down on Greece worries, tepid U.S. data

  02-07-2015 22:56 via news.yahoo.com
  
  (Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed down slightly on Thursday after the International Monetary Fund warned Greece ahead of its Sunday referendum that it faces a huge financial hole, and mixed jobs data dampened the U.S. economic outlook.
  
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• US STOCKS-Wall St edged down on Greece worries, tepid U.S. data

  02-07-2015 22:55
  * Indexes down: Dow 0.16 pct, S&P 0.03 pct, Nasdaq 0.08 pct (Updates with market close, commentary)
  
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• Exclusive: Sycamore Partners in bid to buy Belk for more than $3 billion - sources

  02-07-2015 22:48
  (Reuters) - Sycamore Partners is preparing an offer for Belk Inc that could value the U.S. department store chain at between $3 billion and $3.5 billion, including debt, and become the buyout firm's...
  
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• Dollar off after data, stocks flat; Greek vote eyed

  02-07-2015 22:44 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Rodrigo Campos NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar index fell from a three-week high on Thursday as a weaker than expected U.S. payrolls report lowered chances of a U.S. interest rate hike come September, while Wall Street and world stock markets ended little changed after a volatile week. Bank shares were hit the most in New York on the expectation of lower rates for longer, while utilities, favored when Treasuries yield relatively low rates, outperformed. The effect on financial markets wa
  
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• US stocks end lower after mixed jobs report

  02-07-2015 22:37 via news.yahoo.com
  
  New York (AFP) - Wall Street stocks closed a holiday-shortened week slightly lower Thursday following a mixed US jobs report and as investors awaited Greece's weekend referendum over its economic fate.
  
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• Health insurer Centene adds muscle with $6.3 billion Health Net deal

  02-07-2015 22:11
  (Reuters) - U.S. health insurer Centene Corp will buy smaller rival Health Net Inc for $6.3 billion, underscoring the healthcare industry's rush to bulk up to negotiate better prices with suppliers...
  
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• UPDATE 3-Health insurer Centene adds muscle with $6.3 bln Health Net deal

  02-07-2015 22:09
  * Deal to create leader in government health insurance programs
  
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• Wall St. edges lower on Greece fears; indexes down for week

  02-07-2015 22:08 via news.yahoo.com
  
  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended slightly lower on Thursday after the International Monetary Fund warned that Greece faces a financial hole ahead of its Sunday referendum, and as muted jobs data dampened the U.S. economic outlook.
  
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• Regulatory rebuffs could force GE to seek other deals, more buybacks

  02-07-2015 21:58
  
  (Reuters) - U.S. and European regulatory resistance could force General Electric Coto seek another buyer for its appliances business and different paths to expand its industrial operations in an...
  
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• Hedge funds see more demand fuelled by solid first half returns

  02-07-2015 21:57 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Nishant Kumar BOSTON/LONDON (Reuters) - Hedge funds will likely attract billions of dollars in new money in the next six months after posting solid returns in the first half even as Wall Street's sell-off, sparked by Greece's debt drama, took a bite out of some managers' June returns. Hedge funds that bet mainly on stocks could take in as much as $14 billion (9 billion pounds) in fresh cash in the second half, roughly double what came in during the first five months of
  
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• Hedge funds see more demand fueled by solid first half returns

  02-07-2015 21:44
  BOSTON/LONDON (Reuters) - Hedge funds will likely attract billions of dollars in new money in the next six months after posting solid returns in the first half even as Wall Street's sell-off, sparked...
  
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• Yelp temporarily decides not to pursue a sale: Bloomberg

  02-07-2015 21:37
  
  (Reuters) - Yelp Inc, operator of consumer review website yelp.com, had temporarily decided not to pursue a sale, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter.
  
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• No breakthrough at Iran nuclear talks, ministers push for deal soon

  02-07-2015 21:31 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Parisa Hafezi and Arshad Mohammed VIENNA (Reuters) - Tehran and world powers were still shy of a breakthrough at nuclear talks on Thursday as foreign ministers flew in to help push for a swift deal and resolve disputes over how sanctions could be lifted and how Iran's compliance would be monitored. Iran is in talks with the United States and five other powers - Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia - on an agreement under which it would curtail its nuclear program in exchange for re
  
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• Germany says new reports of U.S. spying harm security ties

  02-07-2015 21:20 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Michael Nienaber and Lesley Wroughton BERLIN/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Germany is taking seriously the latest reports about U.S. spying on senior government ministers and they are putting strains on vital security cooperation between the two countries, Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said on Thursday. German media have reported that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) bugged several senior government members, including the economy and finance ministers, as well as Merkel. The repor
  
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• Dollar falls after data, stocks slip; Greece angst lingers

  02-07-2015 20:19 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Rodrigo Campos NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar index fell from a three-week high on Thursday as chances of a U.S. interest rate hike as soon as September took a hit following a weaker-than-expected U.S. payrolls report, while Wall Street and world stock markets also ticked down. Bank shares were hit the most in New York on the expectation of lower rates for longer, while utilities, favoured when Treasuries yield relatively low rates, outperformed. The effect on financial markets was view
  
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• Sanders Showing Some Mojo as He Moves Up on Clinton in Iowa

  02-07-2015 20:14 via news.yahoo.com
  
  With the unkempt look of a college professor and his relentless attacks on Wall Street and the country’s wealthy elite, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has been drawing huge crowds across the country in his long-shot pursuit of the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. Roughly 10,000 admirers turned out in the liberal college town to cheer Sanders on as he touted his progressive agenda of tuition-free college, a higher minimum wage, the breakup of big banks and economic equality for the midd
  
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• UPDATE 2-K+S rejects Potash Corp's takeover approach as too low

  02-07-2015 20:12
  * K+S says 41 eur/shr offer disregards value of new Canadian mine
  
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• Ministers convene at Iran talks but breakthrough not yet in sight

  02-07-2015 20:11 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Parisa Hafezi and Arshad Mohammed VIENNA (Reuters) - Tehran and world powers were still shy of a breakthrough at nuclear talks on Thursday as foreign ministers flew in to lend heft to negotiations that focused on how soon sanctions would be lifted and how Iran's compliance with a deal would be checked. Iran is in talks with the United States and five other big powers - Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia - on an agreement under which it would curtail its nuclear program in exchang
  
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• CORRECTED-Yelp temporarily decides not to pursue a sale - Bloomberg

  02-07-2015 20:06
  July 2 (Reuters) - Yelp Inc, operator of consumer review website yelp.com, had temporarily decided not to pursue a sale, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter.
  
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• Wall Street falls on simmering Greece worries, tepid data

  02-07-2015 19:56 via news.yahoo.com
  
  U.S. stocks extended losses on Thursday after the International Monetary Fund warned Greece may need a large debt writeoff, and muted U.S. jobs data dampened the economic outlook. IMF's warning comes as Greece readies for a Sunday referendum on an international bailout deal that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has urged voters to reject. "The market seems to be paying more attention to what may happen with Greece as well as whether or not wage growth will pick up," said Omar Aguilar
  
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• 'Every day is Sunday' for struggling Greek businesses hit by bank shutdown

  02-07-2015 19:42 via news.yahoo.com
  
  ASPROPYRGOS, Greece (Reuters) - The ANTYMET car-recycling company northwest of Athens was already down on its luck after six years of one of the worst economic crises of modern times. Then the Greek government closed the banks.
  
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• Wall Street Weekahead - Low earnings forecasts may mean profit beats, market boost

  02-07-2015 19:38 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Caroline Valetkevitch NEW YORK (Reuters) - With analysts' expectations for second-quarter U.S. earnings at rock-bottom levels, many companies may well beat forecasts, possibly setting up the stock market for gains in the coming weeks. Analysts' estimates for second-quarter U.S. earnings have been dialed down sharply since the start of the year, amid concerns a strong dollar will crimp the profits of U.S. multinationals and expectations energy company earnings will drop for a third s
  
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• U.S. says relationship with Germany remains strong despite spy reports

  02-07-2015 19:22 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The United States' relationship with Germany remains deep and strong, the State Department said on Thursday after the U.S. ambassador met in Berlin with a top German official to discuss the latest revelations about NSA spying. "Our desire is not to have any strain on the relationship," State Department spokesman John Kirby said at a news briefing. In the latest twist in a scandal over U.S. spying in Germany, media reported the National Security Agency bugged several senior government members in
  
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• European stock markets close mixed

  02-07-2015 18:45 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Europe's main stock markets were mixed at Thursday's close amid tepid US jobs data, and ahead of Greece's weekend referendum on its bailout. Wall Street stocks were also mixed in late morning trade Thursday, after the Labor Department reported the US economy added 223,000 jobs in June -- a positive but somewhat lower figure than anticipated. While the headline US jobs number came in above the key 200,000 benchmark, the overall report was mixed.
  
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• Wall Street turns negative as IMF warns on Greece

  02-07-2015 18:34 via news.yahoo.com
  
  U.S. stocks turned negative after the International Monetary Fund warned Greece may need a further large debt writeoff, and weak U.S. jobs data dampened the economic outlook. IMF's warning comes as Greece readies for a Sunday referendum on an international bailout deal that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has urged voters to reject. "The market seems to be paying more attention to what may happen with Greece as well as whether or not wage growth will pick up," said Omar Aguilar, chi
  
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• UPDATE 2-Creditors of wind park firm Prokon reject bid in favour of own plan

  02-07-2015 18:29
  * Utility EnBW's takeover ambitions thwarted(Adds background, detail on EnBW plans)
  
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• Berlin takes reports about U.S. spying attacks seriously: spokesman

  02-07-2015 18:23 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The German government is taking the latest reports on U.S. spying attacks on senior government officials seriously and authorities are analyzing their contents, a government spokesman said on Thursday. Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff told the U.S. ambassador in Berlin during a meeting that German law had to be respected and violations must be punished, Steffen Seibert said in a statement. In the latest twist in an ongoing scandal over U.S. spying in Germany, media reported that the Nat
  
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• Average US rate on 30-year mortgage rises to 4.08 percent

  02-07-2015 18:14 via news.yahoo.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates rose this week, reaching high levels for the year.
  
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• Factbox: BP settlement payouts to coastal states in 2010 oil spill

  02-07-2015 18:04 via news.yahoo.com
  
  (Reuters) - BP Plc's agreed to pay out $18.7 billion to the U.S. government and five coastal states to settle damages claims from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico spill. The following are details of the payouts and reaction from officials in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas: THE BP PAYOUT: $4.9 billion to resolve the states' economic claims over 18 years. $7.1 billion over 15 years to resolve natural resource damage claims under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
  
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• Analysis: For Fed, a muddled jobs report even as U.S. employment continues to expand

  02-07-2015 18:01 via news.yahoo.com
  
  A mixed U.S. jobs report on Thursday may not give Fed chair Janet Yellen the "decisive evidence" of labor market recovery she wants to see before raising interest rates. The June employment report showed a modest jump in jobs but no wage growth, a renewed fall in the labor force participation rate, and no improvement in some of the weak corners of the economy that Yellen watches closely. The number of people involuntarily stuck in part time jobs, for example, was little changed from th
  
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• Commodity and BP shares help FTSE to close higher

  02-07-2015 17:58
  LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - Britain's top share index ended higher on Thursday as oil major BP rose after reaching an $18.7 billion settlement with the U.S. government and commodity stocks tracked...
  
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• The case for Greece: when it forgave Germany's debt

  02-07-2015 17:47 via news.yahoo.com
  
  LONDON (AP) — Forgiving debt, if done right, can get an economy back on its feet.
  
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• 'Ballers' depicts wealth advisers, HBO-style

  02-07-2015 17:44
  (Reuters) - The trailers for the new HBO show “Ballers” may be the wealth management industry's best tool for recruiting new advisers.
  
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• IMF says Greece needs 36 bn euros more from EU

  02-07-2015 17:33 via news.yahoo.com
  
  In a new report on Greece's financing needs, the International Monetary Fund also cut the country's economic growth prospects for this year to zero percent from 2.5 percent forecast in April. "Greece faces a significantly larger financing need going forward than we thought last year," a senior IMF official told journalists.
  
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• IMF warns Greece needs debt extension, may require writedown

  02-07-2015 17:27 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The International Monetary Fund warned on Thursday that Greece would need an extension of its European Union loans and a potentially a large debt writeoff if it grows more slowly than expected and economic reforms are not implemented. The IMF warning in a preliminary draft of its latest debt sustainability report came as Greece readies for a Sunday referendum on an international bailout deal that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has urged voters to reject. The Washington-based institution, which is
  
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