Bloomberg The Finance Ministry of the world’s biggest energy exporter has started preparing for the possibility of lower budget revenues in case global oil demand declines sooner than expected. “The peak of consumption may have already passed,” Deputy Finance Minister Vladimir Kolychev said in an interview in Moscow. “The risk is rising in the longer term” that hydrocarbon revenues could …

Bloomberg HitecVision is emerging as the frontrunner to acquire Exxon Mobil Corp’s oil assets in the UK North Sea, according to people familiar with the matter. The private equity firm is in advanced talks with Exxon about a potential deal, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information. A sale could fetch around $1 billion for Exxon, …

Bloomberg UK power prices rose to a four-year high after the UK grid operator warned that its safety buffer of supplies was almost eroded for Sunday. National Grid Plc said it’s “monitoring the situation closely” in a warning published on Twitter. The network operator stopped short of issuing an official alert called an Electricity Margin Notice, which is published when …

Bloomberg Southwest Airlines dramatically expanded its furlough warnings, telling employees that 6,828 jobs are at risk as the company and its labour unions have failed so far to agree on how to cut $500 million in costs. Pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers and other workers got notices that they may be furloughed, Southwest said. The new warnings boost the number …

Bloomberg Deutsche Lufthansa AG will expand its Christmas flight schedule after a surge in bookings from German tourists, a rare piece of good news for the carrier as it battles to recover from the coronavirus crisis. Lufthansa will add flights to southern European destinations including in Greece, Italy and Spain to meet the rising demand, the company said in a …

Bloomberg TUI AG, the world’s biggest tour operator, will see its rescue funding topped up to 4.8 billion euros ($5.8 billion) after securing a third tranche of aid from the German government and cash from private investors. The latest package of 1.8 billion euros will include 1.3 billion euros from the state — amassed from federal fund WSF, state-run lender …

Bloomberg Boutique women’s clothing chain Francesca’s Holdings Corp filed for bankruptcy after the pandemic eroded the company’s already flagging sales. The Houston-based company sought Chapter 11 protection in US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware with plans to sell the business, according to a statement. TerraMar Capital LLC or an affiliate has agreed to become the stalking-horse bidder in a court-supervised auction, …

Bloomberg The European Union’s top trade official held out the prospect of a long-sought deal with the US on aircraft subsidies before President Donald Trump leaves office. EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said “it’s possible” that both sides will reach an agreement by January 20 governing aid to Boeing Co and Airbus SE. He reiterated an offer to remove EU …

Bloomberg South Africa isn’t just in talks with potential buyers of a stake in the country’s insolvent state-owned airline, it’s also seeking partners for subsidiaries such as low-cost airline Mango and catering unit Air Chefs. The result will be a number of private-sector entities working with various parts of South African Airways (SAA) whenever it resumes operations, according to Public …

Bloomberg Voracious cash appetite among virus-strapped companies and a battered economy that makes buybacks tough to justify are warping supply and demand dynamics in the stock market, something for bulls to worry about heading into year end. While American firms normally repurchase way more stock than they sell, this year has been different, as offerings by everyone from Snowflake Inc …