Bloomberg Britain’s five-decade dominance of wing construction for Airbus SE jets is under threat from rival countries playing up the uncertainties surrounding Brexit to pitch for a share of the high-value, manufacturing work. Airbus has been approached by at least seven governments looking to poach future wing production after the company raised concerns about Britain quitting the European Union, stirring ...
Read More »H&M’s biggest profit drop in six years puts CEO under pressure
Bloomberg Hennes & Mauritz AB reported its biggest drop in profit in six years, adding pressure on Chief Executive Officer Karl-Johan Persson, who is trying to right the ailing Swedish clothing chain after recent slipups. Operating profit fell 14 percent to 20.6 billion kronor ($2.6 billion) in the 12 months through November, H&M said in a statement. Analysts expected 20.4 ...
Read More »Swatch sweeps up share as quartz market reels
Bloomberg Swatch Group AG reported an increase in profit for the first time in four years as Switzerland’s largest watchmaker boosted its share in the intensely competitive low-end timepiece market thanks to growth at Tissot and its namesake plastic brand. Swatch said it has had a “massive gain†in market share in the basic and midrange segments. The company sells ...
Read More »Amazon’s next move could disrupt healthcare industry
Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc.’s foray into health care won’t be the first time it has disrupted an entire industry by starting with an effort inside the company. Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos is teaming up with fellow billionaires Warren Buffett and Jamie Dimon to revamp health care for the 2.4 million workers and dependents of the companies they run. The ...
Read More »Fear over oil correction impairs crude’s best rally in seven years
Bloomberg Oil’s sinking back down to earth. Euphoria that’s driven the longest monthly rising streak in almost seven years is giving way to concern that US stockpiles will rebound as the rally encourages American drillers. That’s sparked a 3.1 percent drop in New York futures this week, marring crude’s best January since 2013. The sour sentiment is bleeding into equities, ...
Read More »IEA: End of OPEC cuts in June would be surprise
Bloomberg OPEC-led production cuts will last for the rest of the year, and an early termination in June would be a surprise to the market, the International Energy Agency’s markets division head said. The oil market will move from surplus into a small deficit after the first quarter but it will be fairly balanced overall this year, the IEA’s Neil ...
Read More »Iraq loosens oil shackles for premium prices
Bloomberg OPEC’s second-biggest producer is relinquishing some control over its prized oil in exchange for better prices. In a rare move, Iraq is allowing buyers to load its crude without saying where the cargo will finally end up. They will only have to let the Middle East producer know about the destination two weeks after the shipment’s bill of lading, ...
Read More »Ethiopia $4bn refinery spawns Asian interest
Bloomberg Ethiopia’s fast-growing economy has Asian investors lining up to build a new $4 billion oil refinery, even as a Blackstone Group LP-backed fuel pipeline project is shelved. The proposed 120,000 barrels-a-day plant has generated interest from Japanese, South Korean and Indian investors, said Zemedeneh Negatu, chairman of US-based Fairfax Africa Fund. The refinery in Awash, east of the capital ...
Read More »Unions oppose Norway power export drive
Bloomberg Norway’s vast resources of Europe’s cheapest and greenest electricity has helped its energy-intensive industry gain an edge and produce everything from aluminum to chemicals and tankers. But now the nation’s powerful unions are objecting to plans by grid managers and utilities to get in on the act by spending more than $6 billion on cables to profit from selling ...
Read More »Saudi Aramco mulls expansion to India
Riyadh / Reuters Saudi Aramco, the state oil company of Saudi Arabia, is considering entering India as part of its Asian expansion, Nikkei said, citing Aramco’s CEO who said that plans for an Indian refinery are crystallising. “Saudi Aramco is looking at additional investments in China, and India is also a very important destination which we are giving great consideration, ...
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