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MP Materials (MP.N), Lynas Rare Earths (LYC.AX) and other Western rare earths companies have struggled at times to deploy it due to technical complexities and pollution concerns. "The existing rare earths refining process is a nightmare," said Isabel Barton, a mining and geological engineering professor at the University of Arizona. Fannon and several U.S. politicians have called for Western governments to create central rare earths processing hubs, a plan already being pursued by Canada. In Saskatchewan, government scientists are working to launch their own rare earths processing technology after attempts to buy Chinese technology sputtered in 2020. "These new sources for rare earths are going to be paramount if we're going to reach global net zero targets," said Steve Schoffstall of the Sprott Energy Transition Materials ETF (SETM.O), which holds shares in several rare earths companies.

Persons: Isabel Barton, Michael Schrider, Ucore, Luisa Moreno, REETec, Robert Fox, Frank Fannon, Mike Crabtree, Crabtree, Steve Schoffstall, Ernest Scheyder, Veronica Brown, Claudia Parsons Organizations: International Energy Agency, University of Arizona, U.S . Air Force, Pentagon, Defense Metals, U.S . Department of Energy's, U.S . Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, Saskatchewan Research Council, SRC, Ucore, Reuters, Thomson Locations: ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana, China, United States, U.S, American, Alaska, of New Orleans, British Columbia, South Africa, Florida, Norway, Massachusetts, U.S . Department of Energy's Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Saskatchewan

☆ Exclusive: Emirates tells Rolls-Royce: Go back to basics, put products first
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Signs for Emirates airlines are stacked to the side at Logan Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., January 19, 2022. "If you have an engine ... not performing as it should do, your costs are going to rise. Get your product right, design it to what the client wants, give it that high level of reliability. And yes, paradoxically, you can extract more value for your money for your buck in terms of your investment." He brushed aside the idea of renegotiating existing engine contracts to raise hourly pricing, saying "don't go there".

Persons: Brian Snyder, Tufan Erginbilgic, Tim Clark, Clark, I've, Royce, Erginbilgic, we're, Tim Hepher, Sharon Singleton, Mark Potter Organizations: Emirates, Logan Airport, REUTERS, Rights, Dubai's, Royce, Reuters, Airbus, Boeing, Airlines, Raytheon Technologies, Thomson Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, Dubai's Emirates, British, Dubai

SummaryCompanies Aims for aerospace margin of 15-17%Expects medium-term annual operating profit of 2.8 bln stgShares rise 6.5%LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Rolls-Royce (RR.L) aims to quadruple profit in the next five years by boosting the performance of its jet engines and bearing down on costs in boss Tufan Erginbilgic's masterplan for Britain's most prestigious engineering company. That would be driven by surge in profit margins at its civil aerospace business to 15-17% from 2.5% last year. Agency Partners analyst Nick Cunningham said the targets implied Rolls-Royce was willing to shed revenues in exchange for better profitability. "If so, that is a deeper culture change from Rolls-Royce’s traditional market share optimisation approach of past decades," he said. "We will capture market share every year, but in a profitable way," he said.

Persons: Tufan, Erginbilgic, Nadja Wohlleben, Royce, Nick Cunningham, Rolls, Paul Sandle, Barbara Lewis, Mark Potter Organizations: Royce, Airbus, Boeing, REUTERS, Agency Partners, Trent, Thomson Locations: widebodies, Royce Germany, Dahlewitz, Berlin, Germany

☆ Rolls-Royce's overhaul is deceptively ambitious
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Rolls-Royce (RR.L) boss Tufan Erginbilgic wants to push Britain's biggest aerospace company to its limit. On the face of it, Erginbilgic's targets are not overly ambitious. Analysts were already forecasting a group operating margin of 11% in 2025 on the back of an air traffic recovery, according to LSEG data, not far below Erginbilgic's goal of 13%-15%. Yet this is the same margin range of Rolls-Royce's rivals Safran (SAF.PA) and General Electric (GE.N) which make engines for short-haul flights. Rolls-Royce's engines are instead used to power so-called widebody aircraft like Airbus's A330neo, used for transatlantic flights.

Persons: Tufan Erginbilgic, Safran, Pamela Barbaglia, Julius Baer’s, Warren Buffett, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Royce, Investors, General Electric, X, Thomson

It follows the successful transatlantic crossing by a Gulfstream G600 business jet using the same fuel last week. SAF is key toward reducing those emissions, but it is costly and accounts for less than 0.1% of total global jet fuel in use today. The fuel used to power Tuesday's flight is mostly made from used cooking oil and waste animal fat mixed with a small amount of synthetic aromatic kerosene made from waste corn, Virgin Atlantic said. Yet the 2030 target looks challenging given SAF's small volumes and its high cost, right now about three to five times as much as regular jet fuel. Virgin said the engines on the flight would be drained of SAF and tested before it returns to service using regular fuel.

Persons: Virgin, Richard Branson, Shai Weiss, Mark Harper, John F, Magdalena Heuwieser, Sarah Young, Joanna Plucinska, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Boeing, Royce, Trent, Gulfstream G600, London Heathrow, Kennedy International Airport, Virgin, SAF, Boeing, BP, Aviation, British Airways, Air France, Union, Thomson Locations: London, New York, Dubai

☆ London stocks fall as investors await more data; Rolls-Royce shines
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A street cleaning operative walks past the London Stock Exchange Group building in the City of London financial district, whilst British stocks tumble as investors fear that the coronavirus outbreak could stall the global economy, in London, Britain, March 9, 2020. The exporter-heavy FTSE 100 (.FTSE) fell 0.6% touching a two-week low intraday, while the more domestically-oriented FTSE 250 midcap index (.FTMC) also shed 0.6%. Personal goods (.FTNMX402040) led declines among the major FTSE 350 sectors, with Burberry Group (BRBY.L) falling 2.7% after HSBC reduced the stock's price target. Investors will look ahead to UK mortgage data, inflation prints across the eurozone, and a Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report in the U.S. - the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge - later this week. Man Group (EMG.L) fell 3.2% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the hedge fund manager's stock to "Equal-Weight" from "Overweight".

Persons: Toby Melville, inflation's, Andrew Jones, Janus Henderson, Dave Ramsden, Jonathan Haskel, Pearson, Morgan Stanley, Shashwat Chauhan, Sonia Cheema Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, REUTERS, Royce, Burberry Group, HSBC, PT Pearson, Man, Janus Henderson Investors, Bank of England's, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ British investment managers get green light for tokenised funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kevin Coombs/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 24 (Reuters) - British investment managers have got the go-ahead to develop tokenised funds, in which assets are split into smaller tokens backed by blockchain technology, the industry's trade body said on Friday. Tokenisation, or fractionalisation, of funds will enable a fund's assets to trade more cheaply and transparently and investors to buy into a wider range of assets, industry proponents say. Funds authorised by Britain's Financial Conduct Authority can take the first steps towards offering tokenised funds, provided the investments are in mainstream assets and valuation and settlement arrangements don't change, the Investment Association said in a statement. Scrimgeour is chair of a working group which is working with the FCA and Britain's finance ministry to open up opportunities for tokenised funds. Investment managers and exchanges in the United States, Europe and Asia have already taken tentative steps in offering tokenised funds.

Persons: Kevin Coombs, tokenisation, Michelle Scrimgeour, Scrimgeour, Carolyn Cohn, Elizabeth Howcroft, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Britain's Financial, Investment Association, Legal, General Investment Management, FCA, BlackRock, Investment, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain, United States, Europe, Asia

☆ Fidelity raises $700 mln in its first bond mutual fund in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SHANGHAI/SINGAPORE, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Fidelity International has garnered 5 billion yuan ($700 million) from investors for its first fixed income mutual fund in China, deepening the asset manager's involvement in the $3.8 trillion mutual fund market. The bond fund - Fidelity's second mutual fund product in China - raised the sum mainly from institutional investors in a three-week, shortened subscription period, the money manager said. China's mutual fund industry is crowded with over 150 players, including foreign ones such as BlackRock (BLK.N), Schroders (SDR.L) and JPMorgan Asset Management. "The fundraising size is rather encouraging," due to tough competition in the local market and Fidelity's limited track record in China, said Huang, who heads Fidelity International's two-year-old China mutual fund unit. Fidelity International was formerly the international investment arm of Boston-based Fidelity Investments before being spun off.

Persons: Helen Huang, Huang, Neuberger Berman, ASIFMA, Li Gu, Samuel Shen, Tom Westbrook, Muralikumar Organizations: Fidelity International, Reuters, Fidelity, JPMorgan Asset Management, Fidelity Investments, Regulators, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, China, BlackRock, Boston, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ Branding’s corporate titans face moment of truth
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Aimee Donnellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Now for the first time this century, sales volumes at the big consumer goods manufacturers are falling. In the first nine months of the year, Kraft Heinz said the quantity of its sold items declined by nearly 6 percentage points year-on-year. That’s likely to allow Nestlé, Kraft Heinz and Unilever to see flat or modest increases in 2023 sales, LSEG data shows. Earlier this year, outgoing Kraft Heinz Chief Executive Miguel Patricio said the company lost market share to a branded competitor that spent more. Unilever, Nestlé and Kraft Heinz have all pointed to a slowing of price growth in the coming year.

Persons: Kraft Heinz, Nestlé, ’, Xavier Roger, Kraft, what’s, John Furner, Miguel Patricio, Mars, ”, François, EY, George Hay, Streisand Neto, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Consumer, Kraft, Unilever, Danone, ’, United Nations, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Nestlé, Kraft Heinz, Target, Reuters Graphics, Obesity, Mondelez, Walmart, “, Thomson Locations: U.S, Europe, Australia, Norway, Chocolat, London

☆ Economics and nature square off in Dubai Airshow jet engine rift
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The head of the world's largest international carrier was speaking in the midst of negotiations to buy dozens of Airbus A350-1000 jets powered by Rolls-Royce's XWB-97 engine, which have foundered for now over maintenance and pricing issues. I happen to be a service," Emirates President Tim Clark told reporters this week. INSURANCE-TYPE DEALSWhile the visible face of engine makers is technology, the way they generate much of their income resembles insurance. Rather than charge for repairs as they arise, engine makers increasingly strike long-term deals priced by the flight hour, agreeing to swallow the cost of planned and unexpected outages. To engine makers it means generating cash as soon as the engine enters service rather than waiting for shop visits.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Tim Clark, Royce's, Larry Culp, Tufan Erginbilgic, Royce, Clark, Rolls, Nick Cunningham, Tim Hepher, Alexander Cornwell, Pesha Magid, Sarah Young, Rajesh Kumar Singh, David Evans Organizations: Boeing, Emirates, Cointrin Airport, REUTERS, Rights, Airlines, Royce, Airbus, GE Aerospace, Reuters, GE, Agency Partners, Thomson Locations: Cointrin, Geneva, Switzerland, Rights DUBAI, Dubai, India, Gulf

☆ Airbus nears compromise deal after Emirates jet order row
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The Airbus A350-1000 seen in the aerial display during the media preview of the Singapore Airshow in Singapore, February 13, 2022. Industry sources said the two sides were trying to secure a compromise deal involving a switch from the A350-1000, Airbus' largest twin-engined jet which has fallen under the spotlight over the amount of downtime needed in Gulf conditions. Rolls-Royce acknowledged its engine for the A350-1000 would need more servicing than Emirates would like, but denied Clark's suggestion that the engine was "defective". However, it would still leave questions over its ability to compete with Boeing's 777X in the busy Gulf wide-body market, they added. Reporting by Tim Hepher, Alexander Cornwell and Pesha Magid; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Caroline Chia, planemaker, Tim Clark, Tim Hepher, Alexander Cornwell, Pesha, Jan Harvey Organizations: Airbus, Singapore, REUTERS, Rights, Emirates, Royce, Dubai Airshow, Dubai, Boeing, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Rights DUBAI, Dubai, U.S

☆ Emirates, Ethiopian edge towards Airbus deals after Dubai talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] Emirates airliners are seen on the tarmac in a general view of Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates January 13, 2021. Picture taken through a window. REUTERS/Abdel Hadi Ramahi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Emirates moved closer on Wednesday towards a potential agreement to buy dozens of Airbus (AIR.PA) A350-1000 jets after narrowing differences over performance and guarantees in talks with engine maker Rolls-Royce (RR.L), industry sources said. Ethiopian Airlines was set to announce an order for around 10 of the smaller A350-900 after talks with Rolls-Royce at the Dubai Airshow that focused on service pricing, they said. Reporting by Alexander Cornwell, Pesha Magid, Editing by Tim HepherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Abdel Hadi Ramahi, Royce, Alexander Cornwell, Pesha, Tim Hepher Organizations: Emirates, Dubai International, United Arab Emirates, Rights, Airbus, Royce, Ethiopian Airlines, Dubai Airshow, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Rights DUBAI

The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain, December 29, 2017. Following the data, yields on short-term UK Gilts, reflecting near-term interest rate expectations, slid, aiding a 7.0% surge in rate sensitive real estate investment trusts (.FTNMX351020). "It may well be due to potential sentiment coming ahead of tomorrow's UK CPI data, with the hope that it comes in lower as well," said Christopher Peters, trading floor manager at Accendo Markets. UK October CPI data, due on Wednesday, could throw further light on the outlook for domestic monetary policy. Reporting by Khushi Singh and Johan M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Toby Melville, Christopher Peters, Jefferies, Tim Clark, Khushi Singh, Johan M Cherian, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Alex Richardson Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, Vodafone, Federal, tomorrow's, Accendo Markets, Investors, Entain, Royce, Emirates, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, Teck, U.S, Italy, Bengaluru

Visitors stand in front of the plane Boeing 777X during the Dubai Airshow, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 14, 2021. Turkish Airlines (THY) (THYAO.IS) burst onto the show's agenda on Saturday with word from state-run Anadolu news agency that it was in talks to buy up to 355 Airbus jets. It has said it is in discussions for as many as 600 planes overall, split between Airbus and Boeing. However, speculation of a large Dubai order for narrowbody jets from the region's newest player, Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Air, as early as Dubai is premature, other sources said. Emirates is the world's largest user of wide-body jets, including Airbus A380 superjumbos and current-generation Boeing 777s.

Persons: Rula, jockeying, ForwardKeys, there's, Daniel Silke, Tim Hepher, Alexander Cornwell, Pesha, Hugh Lawson, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Boeing, Dubai Airshow, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Turkish Airlines, Hosts Emirates, Emirates, Airbus, Royce, Industry, Anadolu, Cape, Consultancy, rearm, Russia, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Rights DUBAI, Emirates, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India, Gulf, Saudi, Riyadh, Israel, Cape Town, United States, rearm Ukraine

☆ Turkish Airlines talks to Airbus about ordering 355 new jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Airbus is pictured outside the Airbus facility in Saint-Nazaire, France, November 7, 2023. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Turkish Airlines (THY) (THYAO.IS) on Saturday held talks with Airbus (AIR.PA) to discuss a potential order of 355 new aircraft, the state-run Anadolu news agency said. If the parties agree, the order will be the largest in the airline's history. In May, Turkish Airlines chairman Ahmet Bolat said the company was planning to order a total of 600 new aircraft in June and they would be delivered within 10 years. Turkish Airlines officials also held talks with Rolls Royce (RR.L) for engine maintenance services and spare engines for the wide-body A350 aircraft, Anadolu said.

Persons: Stephane Mahe, Ahmet Bolat, Rolls, Huseyin Hayatsever, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Airbus, REUTERS, Rights, Turkish Airlines, Saturday, Anadolu, Turkish, Rolls Royce, Thomson Locations: Saint, Nazaire, France, Rights ANKARA, Istanbul, Anadolu

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Unilever (ULVR.L) top-10 investor Lindsell Train welcomed its recent management changes and said it had already discussed the consumer goods company's next steps with the incoming chairman. These moves demonstrated that Unilever thinks that a "fresh perspective on all aspects of the business is necessary", Nick Train, manager of the Finsbury Growth & Income Trust and co-founder of Lindsell Train, told Reuters. A bungled attempt to buy GSK's consumer healthcare business was followed by billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz joining the board. "We maintain a productive open dialogue with the company and most recently met with the new (Unilever) chairman to hear his view on the most beneficial next steps," Train said. Matt Close, president of its ice cream business, will also leave after a more than three-decade career with Unilever.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Nick Train, Hein Schumacher, Schumacher, Alan Jope, Nelson Peltz, Ian Meakins, Nils Anderson, Hanneke Faber, Priya Nair, Matt Close, Richa Naidu, Matt Scuffham, Alexander Smith Organizations: Unilever, REUTERS, Lindsell, Income Trust, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Finsbury

☆ Morgan Stanley’s new CEO inherits rich pickings
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

A good place to start is outside Morgan Stanley’s home market. Morgan Stanley’s two last big acquisitions were chunky, at a combined $20 billion, but also filled niches. E*Trade, an online brokerage, brought millions of households and company employees that Morgan Stanley hadn’t previously served. Eaton Vance, a U.S. asset manager, peddles investment products that Morgan Stanley now funnels through sales teams in far-flung markets. CEO Jane Fraser shows no inclination to sell private banking, which for now sits within the group’s $756 billion global wealth management bucket.

Persons: Ted Pick’s, Morgan Stanley, Pick, James Gorman, Morgan, Gorman, Germany’s, Britain’s, Morgan Stanley’s, Morgan Stanley hadn’t, Eaton Vance, Smith Barney, watchdogs, Jane Fraser, It’s, Noel Quinn’s, Ping, Colm Kelleher, Ted Pick, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Credit Suisse, McKinsey ., Morgan, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Infrastructure, Citi, U.S, HSBC, HK, UBS, Thomson Locations: U.S, American, Asia, Pacific, Japan, India, China, French, Europe, Switzerland, HK, Swiss

A view of the turbines at Orsted's offshore wind farm near Nysted, Denmark, September 4, 2023. Orsted, the world's largest offshore wind developer, said in August it may see impairments of 16 billion Danish crowns ($2.3 billion) on its U.S. offshore developments due to supply chain problems, soaring interest rates and a lack of new tax credits. Norway's Equinor (EQNR.OL), BP's partner on those New York offshore wind developments, booked a $300 million impairment on the projects on Friday. In Massachusetts, two offshore wind developers, SouthCoast Wind and Commonwealth Wind, agreed to pay local utilities to terminate deals that would have delivered around 2,400 MW of energy. Avangrid also canceled a contract to sell power in Connecticut from its proposed 804-MW Park City offshore wind farm.

Persons: Tom Little, Denmark's, Joe Biden, Orsted, Jacob Pedersen, Portugal, France's, Avangrid, Scott DiSavino, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Ron Bousso, Jonathan Oatis, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, BP, U.S, Analysts, Reuters, Commonwealth, Shell, Energias, Thomson Locations: Nysted, Denmark, U.S, Danish, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, In Massachusetts, Commonwealth, Spanish, Copenhagen, London, Bengaluru

☆ Unilever to freeze new CEO's fixed pay for two years
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The company logo for Unilever is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., February 17, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Shareholders rejected resolution to adopt directors' pay in MayCEO's fixed pay level to be reviewed in 2026Oct 30 (Reuters) - Consumer goods company Unilever (ULVR.L) said on Monday its board had decided to freeze CEO Hein Schumacher's fixed pay for the next two years, after his initial pay package was rejected by shareholders in May. The pay deal for Unilever’s directors, including Schumacher, was rejected at its annual general meeting with a near 60% majority. Schumacher, who took up the role in July, will not be eligible for a fixed pay increase in 2024 and 2025. The compensation committee will review his fixed pay level in 2026.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Hein Schumacher's, Schumacher, Nelson Peltz, Alan Jope’s, Anchal Rana, Devika Syamnath, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Unilever, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Consumer, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ New-look Unilever retains its old-style opacity
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Unilever logo is displayed on Dove soap boxes in this illustration taken on January 17, 2022. Back in 2017 Unilever fought off a Kraft Heinz (KHC.O) takeover approach by pledging a 20% operating margin; now there just isn’t a target. But it leaves a question mark over Unilever’s long-term direction. And it might leave long-term critics like fund manager Terry Smith still griping about opacity. In January Smith complained that Unilever had revealed the price tag on only three of 27 acquisitions in its Beauty and Wellbeing division over eight years.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Hein Schumacher’s, Kraft Heinz, Alan Jope, Terry Smith, Smith, Schumacher, George Hay, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Unilever, REUTERS, Reuters, Kraft, X, Thomson

☆ Morning Bid: ECB on hold, five's alive in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows the European Central Bank (ECB) flag and the flag of the European Union in front of the ECB Building in Frankfurt, Germany, September 14, 2023. All 85 economists polled by Reuters last week expected the European Central Bank to stay on hold. Israel bombarded Hamas targets as it prepared for a ground invasion, with Russia warning the conflict could spread beyond the Middle East. Russia said it successfully tested its ability to deliver a massive retaliatory nuclear strike by land, sea and air. Reuters GraphicsKey developments that could influence markets on Thursday:Economics: European Central Bank meeting, U.S. GDPEarnings: Unilever, Mercedes, Standard Chartered and, after market close, AmazonReporting by Tom Westbrook.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Tom Westbrook, Mike Johnson, Trump, Ted Pick, James Gorman, Morgan Stanley, Pick, Israel, Sam Holmes Organizations: European Central Bank, European Union, REUTERS, Reuters, Unilever, Mercedes, Treasury, Nasdaq, Republican, United Auto Workers, Ford, Standard Chartered, Amazon, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Asia, U.S, Louisiana, Ukraine, Russia, East

☆ London stocks slip as downbeat earnings weigh
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain, December 29, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies FTSE 100 down 0.8%, FTSE 250 off 0.6%Oct 26 (Reuters) - The UK's FTSE 100 edged lower on Thursday as Standard Chartered led a slide in bank stocks and Unilever led a drop in consumer shares after the two blue-chip companies posted disappointing earnings. The FTSE 100 (.FTSE) declined 0.8% by 0709 GMT, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 (.FTMC) dipped 0.6%, extending losses to a third straight day. Shares of Standard Chartered (STAN.L) dropped 12.8%, the most on the FTSE 100, after the UK lender flagged a 33% drop in pre-tax profit in the third quarter. The Dove soap maker's shares fell 3.1%, while the personal care, drug and grocery stores index (.FTNMX452010) lost 1.9%.

Persons: Toby Melville, Khushi Singh, Savio D'Souza Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, Chartered, Unilever, FTSE, Standard Chartered, WPP, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ French food group Danone raises sales goal as Q3 beats forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Dominique Vidalon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dairy products of French food group Danone are seen in a supermarket in Nice, France, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Oct 26 (Reuters) - French food group Danone (DANO.PA) raised its 2023 revenue growth forecast after its third-quarter sales beat analysts' estimates, as higher prices helped offset lower volumes. Overall, Danone increased its prices by 6.6% during the quarter while sales volume declined 0.3%, a sequential improvement led by Essential Dairy and Plant-based. Danone, like its rivals Nestle (NESN.S) and Unilever (ULVR.L), has increased prices to cope with higher commodities and supply chain costs. Last week, Nestle (NESN.S) posted lower-than-expected nine-month sales growth as higher product prices made shoppers balk.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Antoine de Saint, Affrique, Dominique Vidalon, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Danone, REUTERS, Rights, Evian, Essential Dairy, Nestle, Unilever, Investors, Thomson Locations: Nice, France, Europe

☆ Unilever's new CEO lays out plans to simplify business, shares fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Klondike, a brand of Unilever, is seen on display in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., March 24, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Unilever's (ULVR.L) new chief executive Hein Schumacher on Thursday laid out long-awaited plans to simplify the business after admitting it had underperformed in recent years, but shares fell as some investors were unimpressed. Unilever reported a 5.2% rise in underlying sales, meeting analysts' average forecast, a company-provided consensus showed. Underlying price growth for the third quarter was 5.8% while underlying volumes were down 0.6%. The company also announced a senior executive shake-up, naming Fernando Fernandez, currently president of the beauty and wellbeing business, as its new chief financial officer.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Hein Schumacher, Schumacher, Richard Saldanha, Alan Jope, Nelson Peltz, we've, Graeme Pitkethly, Fernando Fernandez, Richa Naidu, Mark Potter, Jason Neely Organizations: Unilever, REUTERS, Aviva, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Europe

☆ Nestle, Volvo among 130 companies urging COP28 agreement to ditch fossil fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Tommy Wilkes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Companies including Nestle (NESN.S), Unilever (ULVR.L), Mahindra Group and Volvo Cars are urging political leaders to agree a timeline at the upcoming U.N. climate summit to phase out fossil fuels. "Our businesses are feeling the impacts and cost of increasing extreme weather events resulting from climate change," the companies wrote in the letter, which was coordinated by the non-profit We Mean Business Coalition, which is pushing for greater climate action globally. "To decarbonise the global energy system, we need to ramp up clean energy as fast as we phase out the use and production of fossil fuels," they wrote. The speed at which countries should phase out fossil fuels will be one of the thorniest issues. Reporting by Tommy Reggiori Wilkes; Editing by Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: COP28, Tommy Reggiori Wilkes, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Companies, Nestle, Unilever, Mahindra Group, Volvo, Business Coalition, Bayer, Heineken, IKEA, Thomson Locations: Dubai, Paris, Europe

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