AFP British drugs giant AstraZeneca on Wednesday agreed to sell part of its antibiotics business to US giant Pfizer for up to $1.6 billion (1.4 billion euros). The deal for the company’s small-molecule antibiotics, or those developed using traditional chemistry, is expected to complete in the fourth quarter, AstraZeneca said in a statement. The news comes days after Pfizer …

  London / AFP European stock markets mostly rose on Wednesday, shrugging off a largely downbeat session in Asia, with sentiment partly lifted by German economic growth data. Strong foreign trade and buoyant consumption drove Germany’s economy, Europe’s largest, to better-than-expected growth in the second quarter, federal statistics office Destatis said. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.4 percent between …

  Dubai / Reuters Gulf stock markets moved little in early trade on Wednesday with few positive factors to spur buying, although Saudi Arabian petrochemical shares were firm. The Saudi Arabian index was flat. Petrochemical heavyweight Saudi Basic Industries added 0.6 percent and Al Sagr Cooperative Insurance rose 2.2 percent in unusually heavy trade. Dubai’s index edged down 0.2 percent. …

  London / AFP Oil prices fell on Wednesday, with Brent stuck below $50, after data showed an increase in US crude stockpiles, adding to supply glut concerns. Data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) Tuesday showed US crude inventories rose by 4.5 million barrels last week. Rising stocks indicate weaker demand in the world’s top oil consuming nation and …

  Bloomberg Qantas Airways Ltd. announced its first dividend since 2009 and handed bonuses to 25,000 workers as Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce’s turnaround program delivered a record annual profit. Australia’s biggest carrier will pay a final dividend of 7 Australian cents a share and buy back as much as A$366 million ($279 million) of stock, according to a filing …

  Doha / AFP Qatar Airways, sponsors of FC Barcelona, have branched into a new sport signing a deal with Australian Football League team Sydney Swans, the airline announced on Tuesday. The three-year deal will allow Qatar Airways to receive “prominent branding” at Sydney’s home games and at the club’s training grounds, the airline said in a statement. “We strongly …

  Bloomberg Elon Musk and his cousins Lyndon Rive and Peter Rive are buying $100 million of solar bonds from their rooftop solar company, SolarCity Corp. Musk is personally buying $65 million of bonds, San Mateo, California-based SolarCity said in a filing. Lyndon Rive, SolarCity’s chief executive officer, and Peter Rive, its chief technology officer, are each buying $17.5 million. …

  Bloomberg Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., Asia’s biggest international carrier, applied to raise $2 billion in debt over the next 12 months. The medium term note program, arranged by HSBC Holdings Plc, is expected to take effect on Wednesday, Cathay Pacific said in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange late Tuesday. Such debt programs are offered to institutional …

  Bloomberg Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is reviewing Welspun India Ltd.’s cotton certification records after Target Corp. raised concerns that the supplier is passing off cheaper bed sheets as premium Egyptian cotton. Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, plans to hold further discussions with Welspun and “handle it appropriately” if any issues are discovered, according to spokeswoman Marilee McInnis. The chain is …

  Bloomberg Shoprite Holdings Ltd. would consider expanding outside Africa as the continent’s largest food retailer seeks additional fast-growing markets, Chief Executive Officer Whitey Basson said. “There are countries that have great potential,” Basson said in a phone interview on Tuesday, without giving a timeframe. The company would be wary of overpaying for acquisitions if it decided to use that …