Bloomberg Monsanto Co., the world’s largest seed company, reported record fiscal second-quarter earnings amid signs that US farmers are preparing to sow record acreage with soybeans this year. Profit excluding one-time items was $3.19 a share in the three months through February, St. Louis-based Monsanto said in a statement, beating the highest of 16 analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. ...
Read More »Kraft’s failed bid jolts Unilever chief into protective revamp
Bloomberg Unilever Chief Executive Officer Paul Polman is channeling an aborted takeover coup by Kraft Heinz Co. into some shock therapy of his own. Acknowledging that the failed $143 billion bid had energized his company, Polman announced his most sweeping overhaul of the consumer-goods giant in a bid to protect its independence after being caught off guard by the ...
Read More »7-Eleven to buy Sunoco shops in record $3.3 billion US bet
Bloomberg Seven & i Holdings Co. agreed to pay $3.3 billion for some Sunoco LP shops and gasoline retailers in an ambitious push by the 7-Eleven convenience chain owner to expand its US footprint with its largest deal on record. The purchase by the Japanese retailer’s 7-Eleven Inc. unit will add 1,108 gas stations and convenience stores in Texas ...
Read More »GOP plays blame game as health deal prospects fade
Bloomberg Let the blame game begin — again — with House Republicans saying they still can’t reach a deal on reviving their health-care bill, likely delaying any chance of action until at least May. “And this time, we’ll have two weeks to let this all fester,†said Representative Dennis Ross of Florida, referring to the two-week recess that starts ...
Read More »Michigan would take ‘hardest hit’ from border-tax plan
Bloomberg Michigan, a state critical to Donald Trump’s presidential win, would be the hardest hit by a proposed 20 percent tax on US companies’ domestic sales and imports, according to a study released by conservative groups associated with billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch. The report, which used federal tax, labor and census data, was commissioned by Freedom Partners ...
Read More »Manhattan townhouse fetches $79.5 million, setting price record
Bloomberg A home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side sold for $79.5 million, according to property records made public, making it the highest price ever paid for a townhouse in the borough. The 20,500-square-foot property, at 19 E. 64th St., had been owned by the Wildenstein family, billionaire art dealers whose gallery was located at the site for more than ...
Read More »Stocks markets fluctuate, dollar rises amid policy bets
Bloomberg Investors turned attention to Washington to gauge the prospects for sweeping policy changes a day after the Federal Reserve roiled markets with talk of shrinking its balance sheet. The S&P 500 Index fluctuated as a rally in crude boosted energy shares, while banks stumbled after White House economic adviser Gary Cohn was said to support separating their business ...
Read More »Dubai insurance rises on Q1 expectations, Gulf stocks mixed
DUBAI / Reuters Gulf shares were marginally lower on Thursday amid caution from investors ahead of companies reporting first quarter results. Dubai insurance companies made strong gains by the close, lifted by investor bets on good results from the sector and market speculation on consolidation. Dar Al Takaful Insurance jumped 14.84 percent at the closing bell, while Dubai Islamic ...
Read More »Fed’s quantitative tightening looms over Asia
Bloomberg Asian emerging markets were among the biggest beneficiaries of the Federal Reserve’s massive balance-sheet build-up over the past decade. So it’s tempting to conclude the Fed’s coming asset wind-down bodes ill for bonds and equities from South Korea to Taiwan. The key gauge to watch may not be the pace at which the US central bank’s balance-sheet contracts ...
Read More »YouTube TV looks to attract millennials
NEW YORK / AP YouTube TV, Google’s new streaming package of about 40 television channels, is the tech industry’s latest bid to get cable-shunning millennials to pay for live TV over the internet. It offers intriguing advantages over rivals, but it remains hobbled by a limited channel selection. Don’t confuse the YouTube service, with Netflix, Amazon Prime and other ...
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