Bloomberg McDonald’s Corp. shrugged off Brexit by announcing plans to switch its non-U.S. tax base to the UK, ditching tiny Luxembourg where its fiscal arrangements are under attack from European Union regulators. In an apparent vote of confidence in the U.K., the hamburger giant said it’s creating a new international holding company based in Britain, which decided in June ...
Read More »Alaska Air wins US approval for Virgin America takeover
Bloomberg Alaska Air Group Inc. won U.S. antitrust approval for its acquisition of Virgin America Inc., a takeover that extends years of consolidation in the industry and expands Alaska Air’s access to the lucrative cross-country market. Under an agreement with the Justice Department announced, Alaska Air must reduce the scope of a marketing accord that allows it to sell ...
Read More »Global airline profits set to slide back from record
Bloomberg Global airline earnings are set to decline next year after reaching a record in 2016 as higher oil prices clip margins, according to the industry’s main trade group. Net income across the sector is likely to total $29.8 billion in 2017, the International Air Transport Association said. That’s 16 percent lower than the $35.6 billion forecast for this ...
Read More »Wells Fargo seeks quiet end to fake-accounts scandal
Bloomberg Wells Fargo & Co.’s attempt to force aggrieved customers into closed-door arbitration over its fake-accounts scandal is drawing a legislative backlash in its home state of California and risks subjecting the bank to another round as a public punching bag. Following pledges at Capitol Hill hearings and in advertisements that it would rebuild customer trust, the San Francisco-based ...
Read More »ECB denies Monte dei Paschi more time to find funding
Milan / AFP Italy’s Monte dei Paschi di Siena saw its stock tumble more than 12 percent over reports the ECB had denied it more time to raise the cash it needs to avoid being wound down. The world’s oldest bank had asked the European Central Bank for two more weeks to find the funds, saying political instability created ...
Read More »Bundesbank lifts German growth outlook for 2016, 2017
Berlin / AFP Europe’s largest economy Germany is “on a sound upward path” for faster-than-expected growth in 2016 and 2017, its central bank said, but remains at risk from Donald Trump and Brexit. Germany’s “main driver is buoyant domestic demand, which is being bolstered by the favourable situation in the labour market and by rising household income,” Bundesbank president ...
Read More »Banks in UK plan Paris move on Brexit
London / AFP International banks have enquired about switching operations from London to Paris following Britain’s vote in favour of exiting the European Union, according to a senior official at France’s markets regulator. “Large international banks… have already undertaken real due diligences and we have received a lot of practical questions regarding the way they are going to be ...
Read More »Rupee carry appeal boosted by India rate surprise before Fed
Bloomberg Here’s a silver lining for India’s bond bulls stung by losses after the central bank’s surprise decision not to cut benchmark interest rates — better rupee outlook. Analysts say the Reserve Bank of India panel’s move to hold rates, which caused the benchmark 10-year yield to jump the most since 2013, could revive overseas demand for rupee debt ...
Read More »Microsoft unveils Windows 10 for Qualcomm chips
Bloomberg Microsoft Corp. is creating a version of the Windows 10 operating system that will run on laptops powered by Qualcomm Inc. chips, a move that could erode Intel Corp.’s dominance in PCs and help the software maker gain a bigger foothold in mobile computing. Chips from Qualcomm, the largest maker of semiconductors used in phones, are designed to ...
Read More »Samsung, Google, Fb & Sony join forces to drive VR development
Relaxnews Acer Starbreeze, Facebook Oculus, Google, HTC Vive, Samsung and Sony Interactive Entertainment have announced the formation of an international non-profit organization, called the Global Virtual Reality Association (GVRA), to research and foster virtual reality technology and bring together all the players in this global industry, including consumers. Together, partners in the alliance hope to shape the future of ...
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