December, 2020

• 29 December

  Orix to buy Spanish energy firm Elawan

  

  Bloomberg Orix Corp. agreed to buy Spain’s Elawan Energy, the Japanese financial conglomerate’s first deal to acquire a majority stake in an overseas renewable power company, people with knowledge of the matter said. Tokyo-based Orix is purchasing an 80% stake in Elawan from its management and Spanish industrial company Acek, said the people, who asked not to be identified before …

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• 28 December

  Global stocks, equity futures climb; dollar edges lower

  

  Bloomberg US equity futures and global stocks pushed higher on Monday after President Donald Trump signed a coronavirus stimulus package. S&P 500 contracts climbed after Trump backed down from last-minute demands and approved the combined $2.3 trillion Covid-19 relief and government funding package. Germany’s DAX Index climbed to a record and the MSCI Asia Pacific Index was up 0.4%. The …

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• 28 December

  India stocks advance to fresh records on steady foreign inflows

  

  Bloomberg India stocks rise as inflows from foreign investors headed for a record quarter. The S&P BSE Sensex climbed 0.8% to 47,353.75 in Mumbai. The NSE Nifty 50 Index advanced 0.9%. Both gauges closed at fresh all-time highs. Indian equities have surged as part of a global shift by investors into emerging markets as countries begin rolling out vaccines. The …

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• 28 December

  South African stocks slide

  Bloomberg South Africa’s main equities index fall, led by Naspers Ltd and its Prosus NV unit after Hong Kong-listed Tencent Holdings slumped amid a widening Chinese antitrust probe of the technology sector. With a stake of about 31%, Prosus is Tencent’s largest shareholder. The benchmark FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index falls 0.8% to 58,721 in Johannesburg, with cyclical sectors including …

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• 28 December

  Benefits lapse for millions as Trump fails to approve economic relief bill

  

  Bloomberg Millions of Americans will see their unemployment benefits lapse, at least temporarily, after President Donald Trump let it the night pass without signing a bipartisan stimulus package containing various pandemic aid. While the president dug in over the size of direct checks to be sent to many Americans, the $900 billion stimulus accord contains numerous other measures, including extended …

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• 28 December

  Fast-food boom drives rebound in meat sales for US packers

  

  Bloomberg American meatpackers are benefiting from one bright spot in the restaurant industry during the pandemic: fast-food sales. With most restaurants closed or operating at reduced capacity, customers have flocked to places including McDonald’s and Burger King, where they can simply drive through to grab food. That’s helped Cargill Inc.’s protein sales to food-services business to return to near normal, …

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• 28 December

  Philippines extends ban on UK flights

  

  Bloomberg Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte extended the ban on UK flights by two weeks and said he’s open to reinstating tighter movement curbs if coronavirus infections spike. Returning to some form of a lockdown “is a possibility if the severity in numbers will demand that we take corrective measures immediately,” the president said at a meeting of the task force …

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• 28 December

  Return of UK air travel slowed by demand for Covid-19 test

  

  Bloomberg Air travel from Britain to France resumed, though eligibility restrictions and a new Covid-19 testing requirement limited the number of people able to board. A British Airways flight to Paris departed at 9:24 am from London Heathrow, followed by one to Nice, according to the airport’s website. Both were delayed, and an earlier Air France departure was canceled, reflecting …

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• 28 December

  Online shoppers drive US holiday retail sales to 3%

  

  Bloomberg US holiday season sales beat low expectations for the pandemic year as online shopping surged. Total retail sales grew 3% over the extended 75-day holiday period, versus a forecast of 2.4%, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks online and in-store retail sales across all payment methods. The number is far better than the 3.5% drop recorded during 2008, the …

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• 28 December

  American Air poised to recall workers

  Bloomberg American Airlines Group Inc. will begin recalling furloughed employees as soon as US lawmakers approve a relief package with payroll funds for airlines, Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker said. The first paychecks were issued to workers who had been sent home, Parker and American’s president, Robert Isom, said in a memo to employees. Pay and benefits would be retroactive …

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