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☆ What is surrealism and why is the art movement more relevant than ever?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Cath Pound | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Surrealism’s origins are in the collective trauma of World War I and the global flu epidemic of 1918. Marcel Mariën was a pivotal figure in the Belgian surrealism movement. Fondation Marcel Mariën/L’activité surréaliste en Belgique/Courtesy BOZARA movement with unique freedomsHaving begun as a literary movement, surrealism soon morphed into an artistic one. However, the absence of a defined aesthetic gave surrealist artists a unique freedom to express themselves in whatever way they chose. Different artists from different backgrounds can use Surrealism to explore their individual concerns,” said Francisa Vandepitte, curator of “Imagine!

Persons: René Magritte, “, Man Ray, André Breton, — Breton, ”, Xavier Canonne, Marcel Mariën, Salvador Dalí, René, Bayerische, Francisa Vandepitte, Madrid’s Fundación Mapfré, Jane Graverol, Rachel Baes, —, Leonora Carrington, Carrington, Remedios Varo, Kati Horna, Robert Zeller, Zeller, Le Bain, Cristal, Photothèque, Magritte, ” Zeller, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Bozar, for Fine Arts, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Philadelphia Museum of Art Locations: Paris, Brussels, Belgium, Belgian, Spanish, Germany, Mexico, Hungarian, Mexican, Venice

Defence Minister Yasar Guler said last week that Turkey was in talks with Britain and Spain to buy Eurofighter Typhoon jets, though Germany objected to the idea. Guler was holding talks on the issue with his British counterpart Grant Shapps in Ankara on Thursday, the source said. Turkey wants to buy the most advanced, newly built version of the Eurofighter, he added. NATO member Turkey requested in October 2021 to buy 40 Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-16 fighters and 79 modernisation kits for its existing warplanes. The Eurofighter Typhoon jets are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by Airbus (AIR.PA), BAE Systems (BAES.L) and Leonardo (LDOF.MI).

Persons: Yasar Guler, Guler, Grant Shapps, Joe Biden's, Leonardo, Tayfun Ozberk, Serhat, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer, William Maclean Organizations: Eurofighter, . Defence, Eurofighter Typhoon, British, NATO, Turkey, Lockheed Martin Corp, U.S . Congress, Airbus, BAE Systems, Biden Administration, Eurofighter Typhoons, Kadir Has University, Turkish Air Force, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, United States, Turkish, Britain, Spain, Germany, Ankara, Italy

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Italy's Leonardo (LDOF.MI) is trimming its stake in U.S. unit DRS (DRS.O) as new CEO Roberto Cingolani looks to expand the state-controlled group with major roles in European defence projects. Two sources at Leonardo confirmed that the DRS deal was part of that strategy. Cingolani, a former government minister who became CEO in May, has embraced the need to create broader European alliances to take advantage of rising defence budgets. It has pointed to its cross-border MBDA European missile company joint venture with Airbus (AIR.PA) and BAE Systems (BAES.L) as a model for the projects. Some analysts expressed surprise that the company was reducing its stake in DRS, acquired 15 years ago in a $5.2 billion deal when the Italian group was known as Finmeccanica.

Persons: Leonardo, Dado Ruvic, Roberto Cingolani, Cingolani, Intesa Sanpaolo, Leonardo's, Nick Cunningham, Giulia Segreti, Armellini, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, DRS, Global Combat Air, Leopard, Airbus, BAE Systems, Agency Partners, Thomson Locations: U.S, East, Europe, Italy, Britain, Japan, Leonardo's Milan, Italian, Rome

☆ BAE on track as orders flow amid heightened geopolitical risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People gather at the BAE Systems' booth during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. March 28, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney Orr/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - BAE Systems (BAES.L) maintained its guidance for annual earnings to rise as much as 12% as orders for military kit continued to flow at a time of heightened geopolitical risk, benefiting Britain's biggest defence company. BAE upgraded its forecast in August, guiding that earnings per share would grow by 10%-12% in 2023 after orders soared following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. Since then, Israel has invaded Gaza in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, upsetting stability in the Middle East. The group, whose biggest customers are the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia and Australia, said it had increasing exposure to "structurally growing" defence markets.

Persons: Cheney Orr, Charles Woodburn, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Paul Sandle Organizations: BAE Systems, Association of, United States Army, Global, REUTERS, BAE, Thomson Locations: Huntsville , Alabama, U.S, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Australia, Britain, United States, Saudi Arabia, China

☆ US Air Force's new B-21 Raider "flying wing" bomber takes first flight - Reuters witness
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

However, the Air Force has kept other price information classified, "which makes validating the proposed cost difficult," the Congressional Research Service said in a 2021 report. The Air Force plans to buy at least 100 of the planes and begin to replace B-1 and B-2 bombers. Ann Stefanek, an Air Force spokesperson said, "The B-21 Raider is in flight testing. Flight testing is a critical step in the test campaign managed by the Air Force Test Center and 412th Test Wings B-21 Combined Test Force." In early 2022, the Air Force further delayed it until 2023.

Persons: David Swanson, Ann Stefanek, Lockheed Martin, Northrop, Mike Stone, Valerie Insinna, Franklin Paul Organizations: United States Air, Northrop, Air Force, REUTERS, U.S, Air Force's, Northrop Grumman, Congressional Research Service, Pentagon, Air Force Test Center, Force, Boeing, Lockheed, Pratt, Whitney, Collins Aerospace, GKN Aerospace, BAE Systems, Franklin Paul Our, Thomson Locations: Palmdale , California, U.S, Washington

☆ Pro-Palestinian protesters block entrances to UK's BAE defence plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Susannah Ireland Acquire Licensing RightsROCHESTER, England, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters blocked the entrances to a BAE Systems (BAES.L) factory in southeast England on Friday, targeting Britain's biggest military supplier to call for an end to arms sales to Israel. BAE said it does not directly export any equipment to Israel, but the group is a tier-one supplier on the United States-made F-35 fighter jets which are flown by Israel. We operate under the tightest regulation and comply fully with all applicable defence export controls, which are subject to ongoing assessment." Israel has besieged and invaded Gaza vowing to destroy its ruling Hamas group in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel that it says killed 1,400 people. Reporting by Susannah Ireland; writing by Sarah Young, editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Susannah Ireland, Sarah Young, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: BAE Systems, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, Britain's, Israel, BAE, stevedores, Thomson Locations: BAE Systems Rochester, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Rochester , Kent, Britain, Rights ROCHESTER, England, Rochester, Kent, United States, Belgium, Spain, Barcelona, Belgian, Europe, London

☆ MBDA's British arm signs $5 bln deal to bolster Poland's air defence system
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

British Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps walks outside Number 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain, October 24, 2023. REUTERS/Hannah McKay Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - The British arm of defence firm MBDA has signed a 4 billion pound ($4.92 billion) deal to supply Poland with ground-based air defence systems, the British government said on Tuesday. Britain's Ministry of Defence said the partnership would boost Poland's Narew air defence programme and help bolster European security amid the conflict in Ukraine. "This is another crucial step forward for our historic defence ties with Poland, supplying next generation air defence capabilities to act as a clear deterrent to our adversaries," British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said. The air defence system would be able to launch missiles at air threats such as cruise missiles and fighter jets at ranges of more than 40 kilometres, the ministry said.

Persons: Defence Grant Shapps, Hannah McKay, MBDA, Grant Shapps, Mariusz Blaszczak, Italy's Leonardo, Sachin Ravikumar, Alan Charlish, William James Our Organizations: State, Defence, REUTERS, Britain's Ministry of Defence, British, Airbus, Britain's BAE Systems, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British, Poland, Ukraine, Poland's

☆ UK aims to offer military training inside Ukraine, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomes British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps before a meeting, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, in this handout picture released September 28, 2023. Britain has provided five-week military training courses to around 20,000 Ukrainians over the past year, and intends to train a similar number going forward. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, Shapps said there was scope to offer military training within Ukraine after a discussion on Friday with British military chiefs. Shapps added that he hoped British defence companies such as BAE Systems (BAES.L) would proceed with plans to set up arms factories in Ukraine. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made Shapps defence minister on Sept. 1, after the resignation of his predecessor Ben Wallace.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Grant Shapps, Shapps, Rishi Sunak, Ben Wallace, David Milliken, Daniel Wallis Organizations: British, Presidential Press Service, REUTERS, Sunday Telegraph, BAE Systems, Ukraine's, Russia, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Britain, Russia, British

[1/2] A model of a new fighter jet of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) led by Britain, Japan, and Italy, is seen at the DSEI defence event in London, Britain, September 12, 2023. Reuters/Sarah Young/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Japan, Britain and Italy plan to choose Britain as the headquarters for their next-generation fighter program, four sources in Japan said, putting London at the forefront of a partnership that could expand to include other nations. "Discussion about the headquarters is ongoing and we are unable to comment on the location," Japan's defence procurement agency said in an email. "No final decisions have been made on the locations and we will not comment on speculation," a spokesperson at Britain's defence ministry said. Officials at the Italian defence ministry were unavailable for comment.

Persons: Sarah Young, Leonardo, LDOF.MI, Richard Berthon, Britain's, Tim Kelly, Nobuhiro Kubo, Paul Sandle, Angelo Amante, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Global Combat Air, Reuters, Rights, London, United, United Arab Emirates, Combat, Britain's Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems PLC, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Electric Corp, Royce PLC, Japan's IHI Corp, Thomson Locations: Britain, Japan, Italy, London, Saudi Arabia, United Arab, GCAP, European

☆ BAE Systems pensions appoint Goldman Sachs to manage 23 bln stg in assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The logo for Goldman Sachs is seen on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, New York, U.S., November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - The trustees of two BAE Systems (BAES.L) pensions schemes have appointed Goldman Sachs Asset Management to manage 23 billion pounds ($28.88 billion) in defined benefit pension scheme assets, the fund manager said on Wednesday. The mandate for BAE Systems Pension Scheme and BAE Systems Executive Pension Scheme is the largest outsourced chief investment officer appointment in Britain to date, GSAM said in a statement. Pension funds are looking at ways to cut costs by outsourcing parts of their business. ($1 = 0.7964 pounds)Reporting by Carolyn Cohn; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Andrew Kelly, Goldman, GSAM, Carolyn Cohn, Jason Neely Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, BAE Systems, Management, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, Britain

☆ Kremlin warns UK's BAE Systems: Ukraine base could be target for Russian military
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, Sept 1 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday it took a negative view of British defence contractor BAE Systems' (BAES.L) decision to establish itself in Ukraine, adding that any facilities producing weapons used against Russia would become targets for Moscow's military. The move would not influence the course of conflict in Ukraine, or contribute to a reduction of hostilities, he said. BAE Systems, Britain's biggest defence company, said on Thursday it had set up a unit in Ukraine and signed deals with the government to boost Kyiv's supplies of weapons and equipment. BAE has made much of the equipment provided to Ukraine by Britain and other governments as it fends off Russia's invasion. Western defence companies have been weighing opportunities to make weapons in Ukraine against the possible security risks, Reuters reported in June.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Felix Light, Kevin Liffey, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: BAE Systems, BAE, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Britain

☆ British defence firm BAE sets up Ukrainian base
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Trade visitors walk past an advertisement for BAE Systems at Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, Britain, July 17, 2018. As the UK's biggest defence contractor, BAE has manufactured much of the equipment that Britain and other governments have provided to Ukraine as it fends off Russia's invasion. Britain is a key defence supplier for Ukraine and in May became the first country to start supplying Kyiv with long-range cruise missiles. BAE, which has benefited from increased defence spending as a result of the conflict, is already providing training and repair services to Ukraine's armed forces. Western defence companies have been weighing opportunities to make weapons in Ukraine against the possible security risks, Reuters reported in June.

Persons: Toby Melville, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Charles Woodburn, Zelenskiy, BAE's Woodburn, Muvija, Sarah Young, Sachin Ravikumar, Frances Kerry Organizations: BAE Systems, REUTERS, BAE, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Farnborough, Britain, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Sweden, Swedish

☆ BAE snaps up Ball's aerospace arm for $5.6 billion in its biggest deal ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Yadarisa Shabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People gather at the BAE Systems' booth during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. March 28, 2023. Shares in BAE Systems fell as much as 4.9%, while Ball Corp rose 2.7% in premarket trading. "We see this deal as a good fit, although slightly expensive," Jefferies analysts led by Chloe Lemarie wrote in a note. He also confirmed the 1.5 billion pound ($1.91 billion) share repurchase announced with its half-year results. The Colorado-based aerospace business made $1.98 billion in revenue and accounted for 13% of Ball's consolidated net sales in 2022.

Persons: Cheney Orr, Tom Arseneault, Chloe Lemarie, Charles Woodburn, Yadarisa Shabong, Chandini, Susan Mathew, Subhranshu Sahu, Jason Neely, Sharon Singleton Organizations: BAE Systems, Association of, United States Army, Global, REUTERS, Ball Corp, Jefferies, Reuters, Blackstone Inc, Veritas Capital Fund Management, BAE, General Dynamics Corp, Textron, Shore Capital, Britain's, British, Thomson Locations: Huntsville , Alabama, U.S, Ukraine, Colorado, Bengaluru

Cisco Systems (CSCO.O) gained 2.2% in premarket trading after the networking equipment maker's fourth-quarter results beat estimates, and its CEO talked up artificial intelligence opportunities. Traders' bets of a rate hike pause from the Fed in September slipped to 86.5% from about 89% a week earlier, according to CME Group's Fedwatch tool. Walmart results follow stronger-than-expected earnings from Target (TGT.N) and Home Depot (HD.N) earlier this week, marking an upbeat second quarter for major U.S. retailers. ET, Dow e-minis were up 37 points, or 0.11%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 16 points, or 0.36%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 72.5 points, or 0.49%. Reporting by Amruta Khandekar and Shristi Achar A in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Thomas Martin, Oppenheimer, Amruta Khandekar, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Cisco, Dow, Nasdaq, U.S, U.S . Federal, Cisco Systems, Globalt Investments, Traders, Fed, Nvidia, Rosenblatt Securities, Walmart, Target, CVS Health Corp, Dow e, Ball Corp, BAE Systems, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S ., U.S, Bengaluru

☆ BAE Systems snaps up Ball Corp's aerospace arm for about $5.55 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Yadarisa Shabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People gather at the BAE Systems' booth during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. March 28, 2023. Shares in BAE Systems were down 3% by 0730 GMT. "We see this deal as a good fit, although slightly expensive," Jefferies analysts led by Chloe Lemarie wrote in a note. The proposed deal would be treated as an asset purchase for federal tax purposes, BAE said. ($1 = 0.7856 pounds)Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Cheney Orr, Chloe Lemarie, Charles Woodburn, Morgan Stanley, Yadarisa, Subhranshu Sahu, Jason Neely Organizations: BAE Systems, Association of, United States Army, Global, REUTERS, Ball Corp, Jefferies, Reuters, Blackstone Inc, Veritas Capital Fund Management, BAE, General Dynamics Corp, Textron, Britain's, Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Huntsville , Alabama, U.S, Colorado, Bengaluru

☆ FTSE 100 falls at open on BAE drag, hawkish Fed minutes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Signage for the London Stock Exchange Group is seen outside of offices in Canary Wharf in London, Britain, August 3, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies FTSE 100 down 0.4%, FTSE 250 off 0.3%Aug 17 (Reuters) - UK's FTSE 100 fell at open on Thursday driven by declines in defence stocks after BAE Systems slipped, while global sentiment turned cautious after minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve's July meeting were perceived to be hawkish. The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) was down 0.4% by 0711 GMT, while more domestically focussed FTSE 250 (.FTMC) dropped 0.3%. Shares of BAE Systems (BAES.L) fell 3% after the British defence group said it agreed to buy Ball Corp's (BALL.N) aerospace business for about $5.55 billion in cash. Precious metal miners (.FTNMX551030) fell 0.9% as gold prices touched five-month lows on a stronger dollar and rise in bond yields.

Persons: Toby Melville, Siddarth, Nivedita Organizations: London Stock Exchange, REUTERS, BAE Systems, U.S, U.S . Federal, Bank of Georgia, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain, U.S ., Bengaluru

☆ BAE’s stratospheric space deal has sound logic
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People gather at the BAE Systems' booth during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. March 28, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney Orr/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 17 (Reuters Breakingviews) - BAE (BAES.L) is showing off its deep pockets. On Thursday, the $37 billion maker of war ships and armored vehicles said it will splurge over $5.5 billion in cash on Ball Corp’s (BALL.N) aerospace arm. BAE CEO Charles Woodburn beat off private equity bidders including Blackstone (BX.N) to seal the deal, which bulks up his exposure to civil and military space surveillance solutions. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Cheney Orr, Ball, Charles Woodburn, Woodburn, Woodburn’s pricey, Aimee Donnellan, EY’s loveless, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: BAE Systems, Association of, United States Army, Global, REUTERS, Reuters, BAE, Blackstone, Ball Aerospace, Twitter, TPG, Thomson Locations: Huntsville , Alabama, U.S

Cisco Systems (CSCO.O) gained 4.6% after the networking equipment maker's fourth-quarter results beat estimates, and its CEO talked up artificial intelligence opportunities. The S&P 500 health sector (.SPXHC), down 0.2%, was among the few major sectors in the red. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.91-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.16-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded one new 52-week high and 12 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 11 new highs and 95 new lows. Reporting by Amruta Khandekar and Shristi Achar A in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Dow, Thomas Martin, Amruta Khandekar, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Cisco, Dow, Nasdaq, U.S, U.S . Federal, Cisco Systems, Globalt Investments, Traders, Fed, Walmart, Target, CVS Health Corp, . Energy, Dow Jones, Ball Corp, BAE Systems, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S ., U.S, Bengaluru

☆ BAE snaps up Ball's aerospace arm for $5.6 bln in its biggest deal ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Yadarisa Shabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People gather at the BAE Systems' booth during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. March 28, 2023. The war in Ukraine has led to new demand for those in munitions supply chains, Tom Arseneault, head of BAE's U.S. business, told analysts. Shares in BAE Systems fell as much as 4.9%, while Ball Corp rose 2.7% in premarket trading. "We see this deal as a good fit, although slightly expensive," Jefferies analysts led by Chloe Lemarie wrote in a note. The Colorado-based aerospace business made $1.98 billion in revenue and accounted for 13% of Ball's consolidated net sales in 2022.

Burps are the top source of methane emissions from cattle. The company this spring began marketing semen with the methane trait in 80 countries. Selecting for the low methane trait could lock in lower and lower emissions for successive generations, she said. Semex is not initially charging extra for the methane trait, said Michael Lohuis, Semex's vice-president of research and innovation. Juha Nousiainen, senior vice-president at Valio, a Finnish dairy, warned that breeding cattle to burp less methane could create digestive problems.

Persons: Nathan Frandino, Loewith's, Loewith, Drew Sloan, Frank Mitloehner, University of California Davis, Mitloehner, Lactanet, Christine Baes, Baes, Michael Lohuis, Burger, Lohuis, Juha Nousiainen, Rod Nickel, Caroline Stauffer, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: Johann, REUTERS, University of California, University of Guelph, University of Alberta, biosciences, Canadian, Ottawa, Nestle, Burger King, Restaurant Brands, Thomson Locations: Fresno , California, U.S, WINNIPEG , Manitoba, Lynden , Ontario, Semex, Britain, US, Slovakia, United States, New Zealand, Valio, Winnipeg , Manitoba

☆ UK's FTSE 100 opens lower after surprise U.S. credit rating cut sours mood
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | 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 PhotoSummaryCompanies FTSE 100 down 0.8%, FTSE 250 off 0.6%Aug 2 (Reuters) - UK's FTSE 100 opened lower on Wednesday, as global risk sentiment took a hit after ratings agency Fitch cut the United States' credit rating, while BAE Systems shares jumped after the defence company raised its full-year guidance. By 0709 GMT, the bluechip FTSE 100 index (.FTSE) fell 0.8%, touching a two week low, while the more domestically-focussed FTSE 250 midcap index (.FTMC) lost 0.6%. BAE Systems (BAES.L) added 4.7% after Britain's biggest defence company upgraded its guidance for 2023, forecasting annual earnings per share would grow 10-12%. ConvaTec Group (CTEC.L) jumped 4.0% after the technology firm raised its full-year guidance.

Persons: Toby Melville, Fitch, Shashwat Chauhan, Rashmi Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, BAE Systems, AAA, Smurfit Kappa, ConvaTec, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, United States, London, Bengaluru

FILE PHOTO-People gather at the BAE Systems' booth during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. March 28, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney Orr/File PhotoSummaryCompanies First-half EPS up 17%Sees full-year EPS 10%-12% higher, previous forecast 5%-7%Lifts interim dividend by 11%Shares up 5%LONDON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Britain's biggest defence company BAE Systems (BAES.L) upgraded its guidance for 2023, forecasting annual earnings growth of 10%-12%, as governments spend more on military equipment in "an increasingly uncertain world". BAE Systems said its good operational performance plus the demand from its customers, the biggest of which are the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia and Australia, meant its full-year results would be better than expected across the board. Shares in BAE Systems jumped 5% in early deals. For 2023, BAE said earnings per share would grow 10%-12%, compared to the 5%-7% increase it had forecast in February, while it also lifted sales guidance to 5%-7% growth from 3%-5%.

Persons: Cheney Orr, Charles Woodburn, Woodburn, Hargreaves, Aarin, Sarah Young, Paul Sandle, Kate Holton Organizations: BAE Systems, Association of, United States Army, Global, REUTERS, BAE, Thomson Locations: Huntsville , Alabama, U.S, United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Russia, Ukraine, Asia, Pacific, Europe, Czech Republic, Poland, Qatar, Christian

☆ Thales cyber push meets investor shoulder shrug
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 25 (Reuters Breakingviews) - France's Thales (TCFP.PA) is doubling down on cybersecurity with its $3.6 billion purchase of U.S. firm Imperva. Thales's boss Patrice Caine briefly considered buying Atos's (ATOS.PA) cybersecurity arm last year, but didn’t go through with it. The purchase values the Thoma Bravo-backed group at 17 times forecast 2024 operating profit, according to Thales. Meanwhile Caine’s push into the racy cyber sector doesn’t seem to register in the group’s valuation. That means investors are sceptical that Thales’s efforts to crack the war against hacking will work out for shareholders.

Persons: Patrice Caine, Thoma, Caine’s, Refinitiv Datastream, Pamela Barbaglia, Liam Proud, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Thales, Thoma Bravo, BAE Systems, Twitter, Thomson Locations: U.S, Spain

NEW YORK, July 7 (Reuters) - Private equity firms Blackstone Inc (BX.N) and Veritas Capital Fund Management LLC are competing against large defense companies to acquire the aerospace business of Ball Corp (BALL.N), according to people familiar with the matter. The unit, which accounted for 13% of Ball's consolidated net sales in 2022, provides aerospace and national defense hardware, such as sensors and antennas. In June, Ball said it was considering options for its aerospace unit, after Reuters reported on the sale process. Blackstone owns Arka Group, an aerospace and defense technologies firm whose clients include the U.S. military, while Veritas owns companies including CAES Space Systems, which is a supplier of advanced electronic systems for aerospace and defense. Ball could incur a hefty tax bill of over $1 billion if the aerospace unit is sold for $5 billion or more, according to analysts at Jefferies.

Persons: Ball, Blackstone, David Carnevali, Mike Stone, Daniel Wallis Organizations: YORK, Blackstone Inc, Veritas Capital Fund Management, Ball Corp, BAE Systems, General Dynamics Corp, Textron Inc, Reuters, Blackstone, Veritas, Arka Group, U.S ., CAES, Systems, Bae Systems, Textron, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin Corp, Rocketdyne Holdings, L3Harris Technologies, Jefferies, Thomson Locations: New York, Washington

☆ German coalition at odds over fighter jet sale to Saudi Arabia, Welt am Sonntag reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, July 1(Reuters) - Germany's coalition government is at odds over whether to bow to British pressure and approve the production of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets for Saudi Arabia, the newspaper Welt Am Sonntag reported on Saturday, citing anonymous sources. A third of the components for the jets come from Germany, industry sources told Reuters at the time. Since the rapprochement of Saudi Arabia and Iran, which could end their proxy war in Yemen, the British have argued that Germany cannot block the export of Eurofighter jets to third parties. A spokesperson for the Chancellery declined to comment to Welt am Sonntag. Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Writing by Victoria Waldersee; Editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Christian Lindner, Jamal Khashoggi, Angela Merkel, Sabine Siebold, Victoria Waldersee, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Eurofighter Typhoon, BAE Systems, Reuters, Social Democrats, Finance, Greens, SPD, Eurofighter, Welt, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Yemen, Saudi, Germany, United States, France, Britain, Iran

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