International News

Fiat recall causes ‘supply shock’ in palladium

Bloomberg Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s recall of 862,520 gasoline-fuelled vehicles could spur additional demand for the palladium market that’s already reeling from shortages. Replacing the catalytic converters in these vehicles would require an additional 77,000 ounces of palladium, said Miguel Perez-Santalla, sales and marketing manager at refiner Heraeus Metals New York LLC. Prices of the metal that’s used to curb ...

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Norsk Hydro set to restart systems after cyber attack

Bloomberg Norsk Hydro ASA said it made progress in securing its computer systems after the Norwegian aluminum maker was hit by a ransomware cyber attack. The company plans to restart overnight some systems in divisions that make finished metal, which should help it continue deliveries to customers. It has detected the “root cause” of the attack, but doesn’t know how ...

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Ola raises $300mn to take on Uber

Bloomberg India’s Ola is raising $300 million from Hyundai Motor Group, giving the ride-hailing startup more capital to compete for drivers and customers against Uber Technologies just as the US rival prepares for an IPO. The deal values Ola at about $6 billion, said a person familiar with the matter, asking not to be named. The Bangalore-based company will continue ...

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Hong Kong plans $80bn budget for artificial islands

Bloomberg Hong Kong’s government plans to spend $80 billion, equivalent to half its fiscal reserves, to reclaim land for artificial islands that’ll help ease its housing crunch. The price tag for the so-called Lantau Tomorrow Vision includes costs for reclamation, infrastructure and improving transportation, Michael Wong, secretary for development, said at a briefing on Tuesday. More than a third, or ...

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GE sees cash burn up to $2b as turnaround costs weigh

Bloomberg General Electric Co. will burn as much as $2 billion of cash this year as the manufacturer tries to repair its balance sheet and put its reeling power business back on stable ground. Free cash flow from the company’s industrial businesses will decline in 2019 as restructuring costs hit at least $2.4 billion, GE said in a presentation detailing ...

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Germany’s investor confidence rises as global risks subside

Bloomberg Investor confidence in Germany’s growth outlook improved for a fifth straight month as global risks subsided, suggesting Europe’s largest economy will shake off its weakness as the year progresses. A gauge measuring prospects for the next six months rose to minus 3.6 in March, the highest in a year, beating an estimate for a gain to minus 11. Despite ...

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Ex-worker’s unit head charged in Fiat scandal

Bloomberg The former head of the United Auto Workers’ unit representing workers at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV department was charged by federal prosecutors in Detroit with conspiracy to violate the Labor Management Relations Act, becoming the highest-ranked union official yet caught up in the investigation. Norwood Jewell is the latest former UAW or company official charged by the US over ...

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UK labour market defies slowdown on job gains

Bloomberg The UK labour market remained in robust health in the three months through January, despite a Brexit-induced slowdown in the overall economy. Employment hit a record high after the biggest jump in more than three years and underlying pay growth maintained its fastest pace in more than a decade as companies struggled to fill vacancies, Office for National Statistics ...

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Vale dam crisis deepens with mine closure

Bloomberg Vale SA’s shares declined as the world’s biggest iron ore producer faced continued backlash from Brazilian authorities after a deadly mining accident in January. Rio de Janeiro-based Vale was ordered on March 15 to shut its Timbopeba mine in Minas Gerais state, which produces 12.8 million tons of iron ore per year, due to safety concerns. A court ordered ...

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Vodafone invests in GAM fund making money off late payments

Bloomberg Big companies often leave their suppliers hanging for weeks without pay, but Vodafone Group Plc is taking this a step further: it’s investing in a fund that makes money off the delay. The British phone operator poured 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) into the 2.4 billion-euro fund run by beleaguered Swiss asset manager GAM Holding AG, which generates returns ...

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