DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Brenntag to reshuffle divisions amid investor calls for break-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 5 (Reuters) - German chemicals distributor Brenntag (BNRGn.DE), which has come under pressure from activist investors to break up its businesses, on Tuesday said it would reshuffle its units to drive "independence and autonomy" of its two global divisions. The company will transfer all pharmaceutical activities from its essentials divisions to its specialities arm, while moving water treatment and finished lubricants businesses along with some semi-speciality products in the opposite direction. Brenntag is the latest in a series of old and famous German companies, such as Bayer (BAYGn.DE) and Thyssenkrupp (TKAG.DE), that have been targeted by activist investors to divest part of their business to improve profitability. It said the "operational and legal disentanglement" of the specialities and essentials divisions would create optionality and make Brenntag ready for next strategic steps by 2026. Reporting by Tristan Veyet and Matteo Allievi in Gdansk; editing by Milla NissiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tristan Veyet, Matteo Allievi, Milla Nissi Organizations: Bayer, Thomson Locations: Gdansk

The logo of Spanish telecoms firm Telefonica is seen atop the company's building in Madrid, Spain, September 6, 2023. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMADRID, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Telefonica told unions on Monday it was seeking to cut around 5,100 jobs in Spain by 2026 in an effort to reduce costs and adapt the company's size to the current market, a UGT union spokesperson said. The company based the decision on productivity, organization and technical reasons, the union spokesman said as Telefonica and the unions started negotiating the layoffs. In a statement Telefonica confirmed the labour "adjustment", but declined to say how many jobs it intended to axe. The company will negotiate the extent of the job cutting with the union, so that the actual cuts could be fewer than the 5,100 ones targeted by the company, UGT spokesperson Diego Gallart said.

Persons: Violeta Santos Moura, Diego Gallart, Inti Landauro, Matteo Allievi, Jakub Olesiuk, Andrei Khalip, Jan Harvey Organizations: Telefonica, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain

☆ Factbox: European countries imposing windfall taxes on banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But he and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire have ruled out the possibility of a windfall tax. HUNGARYHungary's government has tweaked windfall taxes imposed on key sectors of the economy in a decree published in June, saying banks can reduce their 2024 windfall tax payments by up to 50% if they increase their Hungarian government bond purchases. ITALYItaly approved on Aug. 8 a one-off 40% tax on profits banks reap from higher interest rates and it plans to use the proceeds to help mortgage holders. LITHUANIALithuania's parliament approved in May a windfall tax on the banking industry's net interest income for 2023 and 2024 following a sharp rise in European Central Bank interest rates. It is expected to raise 6 billion Swedish crowns a year.

Persons: Ralph Orlowski, Emmanuel Macron, Bruno Le Maire, Christian Lindner, Alessandro Parodi, Matteo Allievi, Olivier Sorgho, Silvia Aloisi, Tom Sims, Holger Hansen, Marta Frąckowiak, Alexander Smith Organizations: Germany's Deutsche Bank, REUTERS, Finance, HUNGARY Hungary's, European Central Bank, Swedish Government, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Italy, CZECH REPUBLIC, Czech, France, GERMANY, HUNGARY, ITALY Italy, LITHUANIA, SPAIN Spain, SWEDEN, Britain

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) ended 0.6% higher, extending gains to the fifth straight day, its longest winning streak in nearly three months. Rate-sensitive technology stocks (.SX8P) were the top gainers on STOXX 600, jumping 1.7%, with IT provider Softcat (SCTS.L) advancing 5.3% after Citi raised it to "buy". Also supporting STOXX 600 were miners (.SXPP) rising 1.7%, as commodity prices won support from a weaker dollar. [MET/l]A faster-than-expected slowdown in U.S. inflation reinforced bets that the Fed could end its rate hikes soon after July. Shares of Swatch (UHR.S) rose 6.9% after the watchmaker reported record growth in the first half of the year.

Persons: Barratt, Pierre Veyret, Chris Zaccarelli, Matteo Allievi, Shreyashi Sanyal, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Janane Venkatraman, William Maclean Organizations: Federal, Citi, ActivTrades, Independent, Alliance, Swatch, Thomson Locations: Tech, U.S, Gdansk, Amruta, Bangalore

☆ European shares edge higher, but mixed data limit gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 13 (Reuters) - European shares edged higher on Thursday as U.S. inflation data fuelled hopes that the Federal Reserve was on the brink of ending its post-pandemic tightening cycle, although a raft of mixed economic data limited further upside. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) edged up 0.1% by 0708 GMT. Keeping a lid on risk sentiment was weak trade data from China, while on the other hand, Britain's economy contracted less than expected in May. Industrial stocks (.SXNP), which are sensitive to China-related news, were the biggest drags in the index. Reporting by Matteo Allievi in Gdansk and Amruta Khandekar in Bangalore; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Barratt, Matteo Allievi, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: Federal, Swatch, Thomson Locations: China, Gdansk, Amruta, Bangalore

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed 1.5% higher, extending gains to the fourth straight day. U.S. consumer prices advanced 3.0% in June - their smallest year-on-year increase since March 2021 - after 4% growth in May. Gains in the lenders lifted UK's FTSE 100 index (.FTSE) by 1.8%, leading gains among European peers and pushing the European banks index (.SX7P) up 1.9%. European shares have performed better than UK stocks so far this year, amid economic resilience and signs of cooling inflation in the euro zone, with focus now shifting to the upcoming earnings season. Data showed Spanish national consumer prices rose 1.9% in the 12 months through June, down from a 3.2% rise in the period through May.

Persons: Daniel Casali, Evelyn, Jefferies, Vincent Chaigneau, Matteo Allievi, Shreyashi Sanyal, Sohini Goswami, Nick Zieminski Organizations: U.S, Jefferies, Federal, Evelyn Partners, Lloyds, Barclays, HSBC, Bank of England, Miners, ASM International, Infineon, Generali Investments, Air France, KLM, Deutsche Bank, Thales, Cobham Aerospace Communications, Spanish, Thomson Locations: United States, U.S, Gdansk, Amruta, Bangalore

☆ European shares gain ahead of key US inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 12 (Reuters) - European shares edged higher on Wednesday in the run-up to the release of key U.S. inflation data which will determine whether the Federal Reserve is nearing the end of its monetary policy tightening. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) was up 0.3% by 7:07 GMT. The U.S. data, scheduled to be released at 1230 GMT, is expected to show the consumer price (CPI) index moderated to 3.1% year-on-year in June after May's 4% rise. A sharp slowdown in inflation could fuel bets that the Fed might end its market-punishing rate hikes after July. Reporting by Matteo Allievi in Gdansk and Amruta Khandekar in Bangalore; Editing by Sohini GoswamiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jefferies, Matteo Allievi, Sohini Goswami Organizations: Federal Reserve, May's, Technology, ASML, Infineon, Thomson Locations: U.S, Gdansk, Amruta, Bangalore

The pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) ended 0.7% higher, rising for the third straight session. Irish stocks (.ISEQ) jumped 2.1%, leading the advance among its continental peers. Irish stocks were boosted by gains in Kingspan (KSP.I) which jumped 15.7% after forecasting record profit for the first half of the year. Shares of China-exposed luxury firms including LVMH (LVMH.PA), Hermes (HRMS.PA) and Richemont (CFR.S) rose between 2% and 2.3% while industrial stocks (.SXNP) also sensitive to China advanced 1.0%. Mercedes-Benz Group (MBGn.DE) shares rose 0.7% after sales in the second quarter rose 6% year-on-year on the back of demand for all-electric and top-end vehicles.

Persons: Michael Hewson, Richard Flax, Matteo Allievi, Shreyashi Sanyal, Rashmi Aich, Nivedita, Emelia Organizations: Miners, U.S . Federal Reserve, LVMH, CMC Markets, tomorrow's U.S, Nordic Semiconductor, Daimler, Benz Group, Thomson Locations: China, Kingspan, Europe, U.S, tomorrow's, Britain, Gdansk, Amruta, Bangalore

☆ European shares gain on hopes of end to Fed rate hikes, China stimulus
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 11 (Reuters) - European shares rose on Tuesday as investors hoped the U.S. Federal Reserve was closing in on the end of its interest rate hiking cycle, while China's policy measures to prop up its battered real estate sector also boosted sentiment. On Monday, China extended until the end of 2024 some policies in a November rescue package to shore up the real estate sector. Markets also digested comments from several Fed officials signalling the U.S. central bank was nearing the end of its rate hiking cycle. Daimler Truck (DTGGe.DE) rose 1.1% after the German automaker raised its profit and revenue guidance on easing of supply chain constraints. Reporting by Matteo Allievi in Gdansk and Amruta Khandekar in Bangalore; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Matteo Allievi, Rashmi Organizations: U.S . Federal, Daimler, Nordic Semiconductor, Thomson Locations: China, Gdansk, Amruta, Bangalore

☆ European shares slip as China data sparks disinflation concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 10 (Reuters) - European shares slipped on Monday after logging big weekly losses as weak inflation numbers from China stoked concerns about sluggish demand, while investors awaited U.S. inflation data as well as corporate earnings due later this week. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) dipped 0.3% by 0720 GMT, with China-exposed miners (.SXPP) and automakers (.SXAP) leading the losses. The benchmark STOXX 600 posted its worst week in almost four months on Friday after hawkish messages from central bank policymakers and resilient U.S. economic data fuelled concerns that interest rates will remain elevated for longer. Kering (PRTP.PA) slipped 0.3% after the Financial Times reported that the owner of Gucci paid 3.5 billion euros ($3.83 billion) for acquiring high-end French fragrance label Creed in June. Reporting by Matteo Allievi in Gdansk and Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gucci, Matteo Allievi, Sruthi Shankar, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: Bayer, Financial Times, Thomson Locations: China, Gdansk, Bengaluru

The STOXX 600 (.STOXX) rose 0.1% by 1615 GMT, turning positive midway through the session after data showed the U.S. economy added the fewest jobs in 2-1/2 years in June. However, persistently strong U.S. wage growth pointed to still tight labour market conditions that cemented bets the Fed will resume raising interest rates, later this month. Traders stuck to bets the Fed will raise its benchmark interest rate this month to a 5.25%-5.5% range, but were sceptical of further hikes beyond that. The STOXX 600 fell 3.1% for the week, its worst performance since mid-March. Comments from European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will be monitored later in the day.

Persons: Candice Tse, Christine Lagarde, Matteo Allievi, Shubham Batra, Shreyashi Sanyal, Ankika Biswas, Janane Venkatraman, Shinjini Ganguli, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Federal, Traders, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Reuters, Coca Cola HBC AG, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, Gdansk, Bangalore

☆ European shares inch lower ahead of US jobs report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 7 (Reuters) - European shares edged lower on Friday, following sharp losses in the previous session, after U.S. data that showed a still strong labor market, while investors await a key U.S. jobs report due later in the day for more clues on interest rate outlook. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) fell 0.4% by 0710 GMT, set for its worst week since mid-March, led by declines in utilities shares (.SX6P), which slid 1.2%. European equities took a hit on Thursday after private payrolls in the United States surged far more than expected in June, suggesting the labor market remained solid despite growing risks of a recession. Investors will be hawkeyed on the American non-farm payrolls report, due at 8:30 a.m. The report is expected to show a drop in number of jobs created in the U.S. in June compared to a month earlier.

Persons: Matteo Allievi, Shubham Batra, Janane Organizations: Shell, Thomson Locations: U.S, United States, Gdansk, Bangalore

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) deepened losses by the close to fall 2.3% to its lowest level since late March, while the EURO STOXX 50 index (.STOXX50E) plunged 2.9%. Germany's two-year bond yield , which is highly sensitive to interest-rate expectations, rose its highest since autumn 2008, also pressuring equities. Technology stocks (.SX8P) fell 3.0%, while the real estate sector (.SX86P), which are often treated as bond proxies, tumbled 4.2%. German industrial orders rose significantly more than expected in May, due to large scale orders of ships, spacecraft and military vehicles. Embracer (EMBRACb.ST), the top loser on the STOXX 600, fell 13.8% after the gaming group raised 2 billion crowns ($182 million) in a share issue directed to institutional investors.

Persons: Chris Beauchamp, Janet Yellen's, Matteo Allievi, Shubham Batra, Shreyashi Sanyal, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Varun, David Evans Organizations: CAC, U.S, Technology, Treasury, Thomson Locations: U.S . Federal, U.S, China, British, Gdansk, Bengaluru

☆ European shares drop as hawkish Fed, US-China tensions weigh
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 6 (Reuters) - European shares slumped nearly 1% on Thursday as heightened concerns about an economic slowdown and further rates hikes globally dented risk sentiment, while an escalating trade battle between China and the United States also weighed. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) dropped 0.8% by 0717 GMT, led by losses in the construction and materials index (.SXOP), which fell more than 1%. German industrial orders rose significantly more than expected in May, due to large scale orders of ships, spacecraft and military vehicles. Embracer (EMBRACb.ST), the top loser in the index, fell 0.8% after the gaming group raised 2 billion crowns ($182 million) in a share issue directed to institutional investors. Reporting by Matteo Allievi in Gdansk and Shubham Batra in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Janet Yellen's, Matteo Allievi, Shubham Batra, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: Treasury, Thomson Locations: China, United States, U.S, Gdansk, Bengaluru

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) dropped 1.2%, led by losses in travel and leisure (.SXTP) and retail index (.SXRP), which fell 2.3% and 2.0%, respectively. Embracer (EMBRACb.ST), the top loser on the STOXX, fell 13.8% after the gaming group raised 2 billion crowns ($182 million) in a share issue directed to institutional investors. "Now the gap between the two main central banks is closer than two months ago as Fed has moved more towards the position of the European Central Bank (ECB)." German industrial orders rose significantly more than expected in May, due to large scale orders of ships, spacecraft and military vehicles. Reporting by Matteo Allievi in Gdansk and Shubham Batra in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Varun H KOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: hawkish, Stuart Cole, Janet Yellen's, UK's, policmaker Joachim Nagel, Matteo Allievi, Shubham Batra, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Varun Organizations: CAC, Equiti, Fed, European Central Bank, Treasury, policmaker, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, British, Gdansk, Bengaluru

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) dipped 0.2%, reversing gains of some 0.4%, to kick off the first day of the second half of the year on the back foot. The broader healthcare index (.SXDP) fell 2.0%, leading falls among sectors. The moves helped Italy's financials-heavy benchmark FTSE MIB (.FTMIB) climb 0.8%, a bright spot among other bourses in the region. The broader STOXX 600 had gained 8.7% in the first half of the year, largely due to strong gains early into 2023. "A muted atmosphere prevails across stock markets this afternoon," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG.

Persons: Assicurazioni, Delfin, Italy's, Chris Beauchamp, Amruta Khandekar, Shreyashi Sanyal, Matteo Allievi, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Janane Venkatraman, Conor Humphries Organizations: Miners, AstraZeneca, Generali, British, MIB, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: China, Bengaluru, Gdansk

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed 1.2% higher. European shares still advanced 8.7% in the first six months of the year. Miners (.SXPP) were a big drag this quarter, down 9.2% as worries around top metals consumer China weighed heavily on metal prices. The real estate sector (.SX86P) rose 1.7%, buoyed by 4.3% gains in shares of LEG Immobilien (LEGn.DE) after the German firm raised its 2023 outlook. Shares in Adidas (ADSGn.DE) and Puma (PUMG.DE), which had fallen earlier on Nike's (NKE.N) dour forecast, reversed course to rise 2.5% and 3.3%, respectively.

Persons: Melanie Debono, Hubert de, Amruta Khandekar, Matteo Allievi, Varun H, Eileen Soreng, David Evans Organizations: European Central Bank, Pantheon, ECB, Capital Economics, MIB, Miners, Adidas, Puma, Thomson Locations: Europe, U.S, Hubert de Barochez, China, Bengaluru, Gdansk

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed 0.1% higher. That made Spain the first among the euro zone's large economies to have inflation fall below 2%. This followed hawkish comments from U.S. and European central bank policymakers at a European Central Bank meet-up in Sintra on Wednesday, where the underlying theme was that rates are likely to stay higher for longer. Adding to recent hawkish messages from central banks globally, Sweden's central bank raised its policy rate by a quarter percentage point as expected and forecast at least one more rate hike this year. The stock was the top gainer on France's blue-chip index (.FCHI), which rose 0.4% and also helped the automaker sub-index (.SXAP) climb 1.3%.

Persons: Germany's DAX, year's, Claus Vistesen, Daniela Hathorn, Amruta Khandekar, Matteo Allievi, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Rashmi Aich, Conor Humphries Organizations: Pantheon, U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Capital.com, Renault, Belgian, Severn Trent, Thames, Semiconductor, Citigroup, Thomson Locations: Spain, Sintra, Severn, Bengaluru, Gdansk

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed 0.7% higher, tracking overnight gains in Wall Street. Shares of Sage Group Plc (SGE.L) gained 5.1% to a 23-year high after J.P. Morgan upgraded its rating on the stock to "overweight" from "neutral". Shares of chip equipment maker ASML Holding (ASML.AS) rose 2.3% while Nordic Semiconductor (NOD.OL) jumped 6.4%, making technology (.SX8P) among the top European sectoral gainers. Semiconductor shares were in focus after a report stated the U.S. was considering new restrictions on exports of artificial intelligence chips to China. Also boosting the STOXX 600, Roche Holding (ROG.S) gained 1.5% after the U.S. health regulator declined to approve Regeneron's (REGN.O) Eylea drug.

Persons: Christine Lagarde, Jerome Powell, what's, Danni Hewson, AJ Bell, Morgan, Hewson, Roche, Morgan Stanley, Christian Klein, Matteo Allievi, Subhranshu Sahu, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Alex Richardson Organizations: Sage Group, UBS, CS, . Federal, ASML, Nordic Semiconductor, Semiconductor, Carrefour, Credit Suisse, SAP, Thomson Locations: Wall, U.S, China, Swiss, Gdansk, Amruta, Bangalore

☆ European shares rise as US data soothes economic slowdown fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 28 (Reuters) - European shares climbed on Wednesday after robust U.S. data soothed concerns about a steep economic slowdown, while investors awaited commentary from central bankers at a forum later in the day for further policy direction. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) was up 0.5% by 0810 GMT, tracking Wall Street's gains overnight after data showed a rise in new orders for key U.S.-manufactured capital goods and heightened consumer confidence in June. Investors are keenly watching a panel discussion of central bankers in Sintra, including European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda. French supermarket chain Carrefour (CARR.PA) gained 3.1% after Morgan Stanley initiated coverage with an "overweight" rating. Reporting by Matteo Allievi in Gdansk and Amruta Khandekar in Bangalore; Editing by Subhranshu SahuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Christine Lagarde, Jerome Powell, Kazuo Ueda, Morgan Stanley, Matteo Allievi, Subhranshu Sahu Organizations: Roche, Investors, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Carrefour, Thomson Locations: Sintra, Gdansk, Amruta, Bangalore

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed 0.1% higher, snapping its six-day losing streak. "Markets are expecting either the data to improve from China or stimulus to increase from the government. "This realization is dawning among investors yet again, that the inflationary fight is far from over." The healthcare sector has been declining in recent weeks and is down nearly 2.9% so far this month. Reporting by Amruta Khandekar, Siddarth S and Matteo Allievi in Gdansk; Editing by Rashmi Aich, Sonia Cheema, William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: ECB's Lagarde, Christine Lagarde, Li Qiang, Giles Coghlan, Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown, Streeter, Goldman Sachs, Amruta Khandekar, Siddarth, Matteo Allievi, Rashmi Aich, Sonia Cheema, William Maclean Organizations: European Central Bank, HSBC, Prudential Plc, Hargreaves, Siemens Energy, Thomson Locations: China, Russia, U.S, Gdansk

☆ Factbox: Companies invest in EV battery factories in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Below are recent investments announced by companies:GERMANYSweden's Northvolt said on May 13 it will invest 3-5 billion euros ($3.3-5.5 billion) in an EV battery plant in Heide in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein as long as subsidies are approved. Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) plans to build six battery factories in Europe totalling 240 gigawatt (GWh) of capacity by 2030. Production at its first battery plant, "SalzGiga", in Salzgitter in the Lower Saxony region will start in 2025. Slovakian battery manufacturer InoBat said last October it had signed a declaration of intent with the Spanish government to set up an EV battery factory in central Spain's city Valladolid, expected to cost 3 billion euros. POLANDLG Chem EV battery in Wroclaw started production in the second half of 2017, with a capacity of 100,000 batteries per year.

Persons: Helena Soderpalm, GERMANY Sweden's Northvolt, China's CATL, Germany's, Mercedes Benz, Elon Musk, Berclau, Taiwan's ProLogium, Jean, Luc Monfort, Mata, BASQUEVOLT, InoBat, China's BYD, AEHRA, Poland's, Alessandro Parodi, Tiago Brandao, Matteo Allievi, Barbara Lewis, Milla Nissi Organizations: REUTERS, Volkswagen, EV, Germany's BASF, Automotive Cells Company, ACC, Stellantis, Tesla, FRANCE Joint, France, Renault, Basque Country, Spanish, India's Tata Group, ITALY Joint, POLAND LG, European Commission, SWEDEN Northvolt's Skelleftea, Thomson Locations: Vasteras, Sweden, Europe, Asia, United States, GERMANY, Heide, Schleswig, Holstein, Salzgitter, Lower Saxony, China, Erfurt, Thuringia, Schwarzheide, Brandenburg ., Ludwigsfelde, Berlin, Kaiserslautern, Rhineland, Palatinate, Gigafactory, FRANCE, Billy, France, Dunkirk, Douai, Ruitz, Ergué, Quimper, Montreal, SPAIN Spain, Europe's, Germany, Navalmoral de, Extremadura, Sagunto, Valencia, Spain, Basque, Slovakian, Spain's, Valladolid, Britain, ITALY, Termoli, POLAND, Wroclaw, HUNGARY

☆ Spain gives Vivendi approval to raise stake in media group Prisa
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Spanish government has given authorisation for Vivendi to exchange the Prisa convertible bonds it acquired in February into equity, Prisa said in a statement. Heavily-indebted Prisa had sold 130 million euros ($143 million) worth of convertible bonds in a move to reduce its debt. Prisa said if Vivendi were the only bondholder to convert its bonds into equity, its stake would rise to 15%. Vivendi had built its stake in Prisa by first acquiring a 7.89% stake from HSBC for 52 million euros ($57.25 million). Prisa's largest single shareholder is activist fund Amber Capital, led by French investor Joseph Oughourlian, with a 29.57% stake, Refinitiv Eikon information shows.

May 4 (Reuters) - French IT consulting group Capgemini (CAPP.PA) on Thursday reported weaker revenue growth in the first quarter of 2023, compared with the year-ago period, citing a tense economic environment with clients adopting a "wait-and-watch stance". Still, the company's quarterly revenue reached 5.73 billion euros ($6.35 billion), 10.9% above the first three months in 2022. The Paris-based company reiterated its outlook for 2023, pointing to revenue growth in a range between 4% and 7% in constant currency terms, down from a 21.1% increase in 2022, and an operating margin between 13.0% and 13.2%. "The economic context remains tense (...) It's all about postponements, but our clients' agenda hasn't changed, digital transformation remains their priority", Ezzat added. Growth in new hires remains strong in tech products, the CEO specified, including research on generative AI.

☆ Spain inflation falls more than expected to 3.3% in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 30 (Reuters) - Spain's consumer price inflation slowed to 3.3% in March, its weakest annual rate since August 2021 and down from 6.0% in February, preliminary data from the National Statistics Institute showed on Thursday. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a rate of 3.8%. This drop is mainly due to the fact that electricity and fuel prices increased in March 2022 and decreased this month, the statistics agency said. Core inflation, which strips out volatile fresh food and energy prices, was 7.5% year-on-year, slightly below the 7.6% recorded in February, the data showed. Spain's European Union-harmonised 12-month inflation was 3.1%, down from 6.0% in February and below the 4.0% expected by analysts polled by Reuters.

Search resuls for: "Matteo Allievi"

25 mentions found