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☆ Johnson & Johnson forecasts as much as 6% sales growth in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 5 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) on Tuesday forecast revenue growth of 5-6% for the next year, as it banks on strong demand for cancer treatments Darzalex and Carvykti and resilient sales of blockbuster drug Stelara. The company has narrowed its focus on its drugs and medical devices business since it hived off its consumer health unit earlier this year. Sales of blockbuster psoriasis treatment Stelara in Europe are expected to come under pressure as early as next year as a key patent on the drug expires. Sales of the drug largely come from its use as a treatment for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Wolk said. J&J's 2024 revenue growth forecast excludes sales of its COVID vaccine.

Persons: Johnson, Joseph Wolk, Wolk, J, Bhanvi, Patrick Wingrove, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Johnson, Thomson Locations: Europe, United States, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Take-Two's Rockstar Games unveils 'GTA VI' trailer, to release game in 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy by Take-Two Interactive Software Inc is seen for sale in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., February 7, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 4 (Reuters) - Rockstar Games, owned by Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO.O), on Monday released a trailer of the latest installment of its best-selling "Grand Theft Auto" (GTA) videogame franchise, ending a years-long wait. "GTA VI" will be released in 2025, according to the trailer posted to the studio's YouTube channel, after a version was leaked on social media. The teaser for the game came in more than a decade after the launch of its predecessor and will coincide with the 25th anniversary of Rockstar Games. A hack last year released dozens of development videos of "GTA VI", showing footages of robberies, gunplay and open-world driving in what was one of the biggest gaming leaks.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Grant, Chandni Shah, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: Inc, REUTERS, Rockstar Games, YouTube, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Moody's cuts China credit outlook, citing lower growth, property risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] A Chinese national flag flutters at the headquarters of a commercial bank on a financial street near the headquarters of the People's Bank of China, China's central bank, in central Beijing November 24, 2014. "The outlook change also reflects the increased risks related to structurally and persistently lower medium-term economic growth and the ongoing downsizing of the property sector," Moody's said. "Moody's concerns about China's economic growth prospects, fiscal sustainability and other aspects are unnecessary," the ministry said. STRUGGLING FOR TRACTIONMost analysts believe China's growth is on track to hit the government's target of around 5% this year, but that compares with a COVID-weakened 2022 and activity is highly uneven. Analysts widely agree that China's growth is downshifting from breakneck expansion in the past few decades.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Moody's, Ken Cheung, Pan Gongsheng, COVID, Goldman Sachs, Gnaneshwar Rajan, Kevin Yao, Tom Hogue, Kim Coghill Organizations: People's Bank of China, REUTERS, Mizuho Bank, Economic Work Conference, Fitch, China's Finance Ministry, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Hong Kong, China, outflows, Bengaluru

Dec 5 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly (LLY.N) on Tuesday said its recently approved obesity treatment Zepbound is now available in U.S. pharmacies and could cost $550 a month for customers whose health insurance does not cover the drug, or half the list price. Wall Street analysts expect sales of Zepbound to reach about $2 billion in 2024, and for sales of Novo Nordisk's (NOVOb.CO) rival obesity drug Wegovy to hit around $7.5 billion. An Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical manufacturing plant is pictured at 50 ImClone Drive in Branchburg, New Jersey, March 5, 2021. When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Zepbound in November, Lilly said it would launch after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. Lilly's obesity drug has the same active ingredient, tirzepatide, as its previously approved diabetes drug Mounjaro, which has been used off-label for weight loss since its 2022 launch.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Wegovy, danuglipron, Zepbound, Lilly, Mike Segar, Eli Lilly's, Patrick Wingrove, Manas Mishra, Khushi, Arun Koyyur, Alexander Smith, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Wall Street, Novo, Pfizer, Company, REUTERS, CVS, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, U.S, Thomson Locations: U.S, Branchburg , New Jersey, Indianapolis, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Foxconn resumes iPhone assembly at Indian facility after weather disruptions
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Foxconn logo is seen in this illustration taken, May 2, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Taiwan's Foxconn (2317.TW) resumed operations on Tuesday at its Indian facility that makes Apple (AAPL.O) iPhones following weather disruptions, two sources familiar with the matter said. Foxconn and Pegatron (4938.TW) had on Monday halted production of iPhones at their factories near Chennai because of heavy rain as a severe cyclone neared, Reuters had reported. Foxconn declined to a request for comment, while Apple did not respond. Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Foxconn, Munsif, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, TW, Reuters, Apple, Thomson Locations: Chennai, Bengaluru

☆ US Coast Guard Responds to Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday it was responding to an oil discharge near the Main Pass Oil Gathering (MPOG) Co's pipeline system in the Gulf of Mexico, while the main pipeline and several surrounding ones remained shut in. "The reported sheen is being investigated and has not been confirmed to be associated with the November 16 observed initial discharge," the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard had not yet identified any damage or indication of a leak after surveying the entire length of the pipeline along with 22.16 miles (36 km) of surrounding pipelines. About 3% of the Gulf of Mexico's daily oil production remained shut in after a million-gallon oil spill, the Coast Guard said last week. The main pipeline and several surrounding lines remain shut in and have not been put back into service, the Coast Guard said while leading efforts to mitigate impacts from the spill.

Persons: MPOG, Harshit Verma, Sandra Maler, Stephen Coates Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Coast Guard, Coast Guard Locations: Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi, Plaquemines Parish, New Orleans, Bengaluru

☆ India to be world's third-largest economy by 2030 -S&P Global Ratings
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Dec 5 (Reuters) - India will remain the fastest-growing major economy for at least the next three years, setting it on course to become the world's third-largest economy by 2030, S&P Global Ratings said in a report. S&P expects India, currently the world's fifth-largest economy, to grow at 6.4% this fiscal and estimates growth will pick up to 7% by fiscal 2027. However, S&P, which had raised its forecast even before the latest data, said India's growth will depend on its successful transition to a manufacturing-dominated economy from a services-dominated one. "A paramount test will be whether India can become the next big global manufacturing hub, an immense opportunity," S&P said in its Global Credit Outlook 2024 report, dated Dec. 4. India has one of the youngest working populations in the world, with nearly 53% of its citizens under the age of 30.

Persons: Narendra Modi's, Nandan Mandayam, Savio D'Souza Organizations: India, Global, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, India, Bengaluru

KHAVDA, India (AP) — Rising from the bare expanse of the large salt desert that separates India from Pakistan is what will likely be the world's largest renewable energy project when completed three years from now. The solar and wind energy project will be so big that it will be visible from space, according to developers of what is called the Khavda renewable energy park, named after the village nearest to the project site. Shifting to renewable energy is a key issue at the ongoing COP28 climate summit. Once completed, it will supply 30 gigawatts of renewable energy annually, enough to power nearly 18 million Indian homes. Given this, Virmani said there is enough land in Kutch for various renewable energy projects.

Persons: ”, KSRK Verma, Khavda, Verma, “ It’s, Vneet Jaain, Adani, Gautam Adani, Adani Green, ” Ajay Mathur, Mathur, Abi T Vanak, Vanak, Sandip, Virmani, Hirelal Rajde, “ Organizations: Associated Press, Adani Green Energy Limited, Adani, Adani Group, Hindenburg, Group, International Solar Alliance, Ashoka Trust for Research, Twitter, AP Locations: KHAVDA, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Rann, Kutch, India’s Gujarat, China, United States, Bengal, Ahmedabad, Jaain, U.S, Mundra, Gujarat, Europe, Africa, Bengaluru, Denmark, Khavda

☆ Elon Musk's AI firm xAI files to raise up to $1 bln in equity offering
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 5 (Reuters) - Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup xAI has filed with the U.S. securities regulator to raise up to $1 billion in an equity offering, according to a filing on Tuesday. In a Twitter Spaces event earlier in the year he said that rather than explicitly programming morality into its AI, xAI will seek to create a "maximally curious" AI. The billionaire, who has criticized Big Tech's AI efforts as ridden with censorship, in July launched xAI, calling it a "maximum truth-seeking AI" to rival Google's (GOOGL.O) Bard and Microsoft's Bing AI. In 2015, Musk co-founded OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, which has created a frenzy for generative AI technology around the world, but stepped down from the board in 2018. The team behind xAI, which launched in July this year, comes from Google's DeepMind, the Windows parent, and other top AI research firms.

Persons: Elon Musk, Porte, Gonzalo Fuentes, xAI, Google's, Bard, Microsoft's Bing, XAI, Musk, Google's DeepMind, Akash Sriram, Jaiveer, Arsheeya Bajwa, Shailesh Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Elon, Securities and Exchange Commission, Microsoft Corp, Regulators, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Bengaluru

☆ Crypto stocks surge as bitcoin hits fresh 2023 high
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"What we have right now is a risk rally, and bitcoin is also benefiting big time from falling yields. Halving is a process designed to slow the release of bitcoin, and bitcoin prices have typically rallied following halvings. The stock rose nearly 62% in November, even as the crypto exchange reported a decline in third-quarter trading volumes. The ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF , which tracks bitcoin futures, rose 7.7% and looked set to touch an over one-year high, while the ProShares Short Bitcoin Strategy ETF that allows traders to bet on a fall in bitcoin futures fell 7.7%. However, the recent rally has sent bitcoin up more than 150% so far in 2023, on course for its best annual performance since 2020.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Bitcoin, Ipek Ozkardeskaya, Microstrategy, Sruthi Shankar, Amruta, Tasim Zahid Organizations: REUTERS, Swissquote Bank, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Japan's TDK Corp to manufacture iPhone battery cells in India - minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A man takes a video inside India's first Apple retail store during a media preview, a day ahead of its launch in Mumbai, India, April 17, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Japanese electronic parts maker TDK Corp (6762.T) will manufacture lithium ion (li-ion) battery cells for Apple (AAPL.O) iPhones in India, a minister said on Monday. loadingApple has been touting India as its next big growth driver as it looks to move some production away from China. Cells manufactured at the facility will be supplied to Apple's li-ion battery assembler Sunwoda Electronics, the report added. Apple and TDK Corp did not immediately reply to Reuters' request for comment.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, TDK, Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Manvi, Varun Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Rights, TDK Corp, Information Technology, Twitter, Business, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, iPhones, China, Wistron, Haryana, Manvi Pant, Bengaluru

☆ Foxconn halts iPhone production at India facility due to heavy rains - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BENGALURU, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Taiwan's Foxconn (2317.TW) has halted production of Apple (AAPL.O) iPhones at its facility near the south Indian city of Chennai due to heavy rains, two sources familiar with the matter said on Monday. Foxconn is yet to decide whether to resume production on Tuesday, the sources said. Apple declined a Reuters request for comment, while Foxconn did not immediately respond. Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru and Praveen Paramasivam; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Foxconn, Munsif, Toby Chopra Organizations: Apple, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Chennai, Bengaluru, Praveen

☆ UK's Petrofac looking to sell some assets; warns on cash flow
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 4 (Reuters) - Oilfield services firm Petrofac Ltd (PFC.L) said on Monday it was in discussions over the sale of its non-core assets and that it will no longer be able to meet its full-year guidance of "broadly neutral free cash flow" due to payment delays. "While the group has made progress in reaching contractual settlements and unwinding working capital, given delays in securing advance payment guarantees, it no longer expects to receive these advances before the year-end," Petrofac said in a statement. The company added it is exploring potential new financial options across all its classes of capital, and is actively engaged in discussions with investors to take a non-controlling position in certain other components of its business portfolio. Last week, shares in London-listed Petrofac dropped to a record low as analysts flagged concerns over its balance sheet due to payment delays. Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita BhattacharjeeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Petrofac, Eva Mathews, Nivedita Organizations: Petrofac, Thomson Locations: London, Bengaluru

REUTERS/Russell Cheyne/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Saudi Arabia's PIF buys into Rocco Forte hotel groupPlans to help expand luxury hotel groupItalian investor CDPE checks out of chainDec 4 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's PIF sovereign wealth fund will buy a 49% stake in luxury hotel group Rocco Forte Hotels and help to support its expansion, the owner of Britain's Balmoral hotel said on Monday. A spokesperson for Rocco Forte Hotels declined to confirm the size of PIF's stake. Rocco Forte Hotels, founded in 1996, operates across Italy, Britain, Germany, Belgium and Russia and has 20 private villas in addition to its hotels. CDPE, which owned a 23% stake in Rocco Forte Hotels, is owned by Italy's state-backed fund CDP. Rocco Forte, which was advised by Rothschild, reported revenues of around 300 million pounds last fiscal year, with a core profit of around 60 million pounds, according to a source.

Persons: Russell Cheyne, Companies Saudi Arabia's PIF, Rocco Forte, CDPE, Olga Polizzi, Forte, Rocco Forte Hotels, Al Nowaiser, PIF, Rothschild, Yadarisa, Elisa Anzolin, Keith Weir, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Companies Saudi Arabia's, Saudi Arabia's, Rocco Forte Hotels, Financial Times, Granada, Thomson Locations: Balmoral, Scotland, Edinburgh, Britain, Saudi, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Milan, Sardinia, Italy's, SAUDI ARABIA, Saudi Arabia, Bengaluru, London

☆ India's Nifty, Sensex open at new record highs
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BENGALURU, Dec 4 (Reuters) - India's benchmark indexes opened at fresh all-time highs on Monday, aided by strong domestic macroeconomic data and elevated bets of a U.S. rate cut in March, while analysts saw momentum picking up in the ongoing rally after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) victory in key state elections. The NSE Nifty 50 index (.NSEI) rose 1.65% to 20,602.50 points, notching a record high for second session in a row. The S&P BSE Sensex (.BSESN) was up 1.64% to an all-time high of 68,587.82, as of 9:16 a.m. IST. Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran; Editing by Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bharatiya Janata Party's, Bharath Rajeswaran, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Bharatiya Janata, NSE, BSE, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, U.S

☆ India's Byju's founder pledges homes for funds to pay staff- Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Byju's logo is seen in this illustration taken, June 22, 2023. The infusion of funds would help pay 15,000 employees in the embattled company's parent firm, Think & Learn Pvt., the report added. The company is facing a string of setbacks, including investors cutting its valuation and its auditor and board members quitting. Reuters reported in November that India's federal financial crime-fighting agency had issued a show-cause notice to Byju's for alleged violations worth over 93 billion rupees ($1.12 billion) under the Foreign Exchange Management Act(FEMA). ($1 = 83.3480 Indian rupees)Reporting by Ashna Teresa Britto in Bengaluru; Editing by Sohini GoswamiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Byju Raveendran, founder's, Ashna Teresa Britto, Sohini Goswami Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Bloomberg, Reuters, Foreign Exchange Management, FEMA, Thomson Locations: Indian, Bengaluru

Travelers are looking to cruises in 2024 because they are still cheaper than land-based alternatives. With occupancy levels approaching pre-pandemic levels, operators plan to hike prices in coming months. "Overall the market is extremely strong, especially the top end of the market in terms of the most high-end luxury cruises," said Bob Levinstein, CEO of cruise marketplace Cruise Compete. Even as travelers have canceled or postponed planned vacations to the Middle East, cruise bookings will still hit record levels in 2024, said Truist Securities analyst Patrick Scholes. Prior to the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, industry-wide bookings for 2024 were about 25% higher than in 2019 for bookings in 2020.

Persons: Queen Mary, Andrew Kelly, Bob Levinstein, Patrick Scholes, Scholes, Jason Liberty, Josh Weinstein, Atle, Kari Dillon, Dillon, InteleTravel, Dave Spinelli, Ben Harrell, Granth, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Cunard Line, Carnival Corporation & plc, Brooklyn Cruise, REUTERS, Travelers, Truist Securities, Cruise Lines International Association, Royal Caribbean, Liberty ., Holdings, Cruisers, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn, Brooklyn , New York City, U.S, BENGALURU, Israel, Caribbean, Oslo, North Carolina, Florida, InteleTravel, Delray Beach , Florida, Royal Caribbean, Bengaluru, Doyinsola, New York

☆ McDonald's raises China bet, bucking Western firms' derisking trend
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] A woman sits on a swing attached to a giant sign of McDonald's, outside its themed exhibition in Beijing, China December 4, 2023. One advantage for McDonald’s: its majority partner in the China business, CITIC, provides top-level political cover, said Jason Yu, greater China managing director of market research firm Kantar Worldpanel. McDonald's China, Carlyle Group and CITIC declined to comment. Other consumer-facing U.S. firms, including Starbucks (SBUX.O), Apple (AAPL.O), Coach owner Tapestry (TPR.N) and sportswear giant Nike (NKE.N), have remained similarly dedicated to the China market. Although the McDonald's China menu would be familiar to U.S. consumers, there are nods to local tastes, including taro pie, rather than apple.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, McDonald's, Jason Yu, Kantar, Yu, Carlyle, Wallace, Greg, Euromonitor, Ben Cavender, Casey, Kane Wu, Deborah Sophia, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Group, Carlyle Group, Starbucks, Apple, Nike, Research, Investment, China Market Research, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, U.S, Hong Kong, Macau, Yum China, Russia, Shanghai, Bengaluru

☆ Cloud-based software provider Five9 considers options for sale - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 4 (Reuters) - Call center software firm Five9 (FIVN.O) is weighing options for a sale, more than two years after a buyout by Zoom Video Communications (ZM.O) failed, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. Five9 declined to comment while Zoom did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Deliberations were ongoing and there is no certainty they will result in a sale, the report added. Virtual meeting company Zoom abandoned its $14.7 billion acquisition of the company in October 2021 after Five9's shareholders voted against the deal. What would have been Zoom's biggest acquisition ever was terminated after proxy advisory firms Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis had cited growth concerns and advised Five9 shareholders against the deal.

Persons: Five9, Glass Lewis, Arsheeya, Shinjini Ganguli, Maju Samuel Organizations: Zoom Video Communications, Bloomberg, Services, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Ford's US vehicle sales slip 0.5% in November
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 4 (Reuters) - Ford Motor (F.N) posted a 0.5% drop in U.S. new vehicle sales for November on Monday, as the automaker worked to restart some of its key plants following a lengthy workers' strike that impacted vehicle production. Ford reached a deal with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union in late October, ending an over month-long strike the company said will cost it $1.7 billion. Ford's CFO John Lawler said in October restarting the plants would be complicated after the deal, which UAW workers ratified in November. Sales of Ford's electric vehicles jumped 43.2%, to 8,958 units from a year ago, the automaker said on Monday. The company reported total sales of 145,559 vehicles in November, compared with 146,364 units last year.

Persons: David, Dee, Delgado, Ford, John Lawler, Nathan Gomes, Pooja Desai Organizations: New York, REUTERS, Ford, United Auto Workers, UAW, Detroit Three, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Twilio to cut about 5% of total workforce
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of communication company Twilio is displayed at the Collision conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada June 23, 2022. Picture taken June 23, 2022. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 4 (Reuters) - Cloud communications platform Twilio Inc (TWLO.N) said on Monday it will lay off about 5%, or 295, of its total workforce by the first quarter of 2024 to achieve profitable growth. The company expects to incur about $25 million to $35 million associated with the restructuring in the last three months of 2023. Earlier this year, Twilio cut 17% of its staff and closed some of its offices.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Twilio, Tanya Jain, Krishna Chandra Organizations: REUTERS, Twilio, Tech, Spotify, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, San Francisco, Bengaluru

☆ Hawaiian Airlines' parent surges on $1.9 bln buyout deal with Alaska Air
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Ananta Agarwal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Hawaiian Airlines airplanes sit idle on the runway at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport due to the business downturn caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. April 28, 2020. REUTERS/Marco Garcia/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 4 (Reuters) - Shares of Hawaiian Holdings (HA.O), the parent of Hawaiian Airlines, nearly tripled on Monday after Alaska Air Group (ALK.N) agreed to acquire it for $1.9 billion, including debt. Hawaiian Holdings hasn't reported an adjusted profit in three yearsAlaska and Hawaiian said on Sunday the deal, valued at $929.4 million on an equity basis, will expand their networks and offer more choices to passengers. The deal will enable Alaska to grow in the lucrative Asia Pacific market, while Hawaiian customers can travel non-stop to the U.S. mainland, Becker added. Shares of Seattle-based Alaska Air were down 17.6%.

Persons: Daniel K, Marco Garcia, TD Cowen, Helane Becker, Becker, Craig Jenks, Biden, Ananta Agarwal, Shivansh, Krishna Chandra Eluri Organizations: Airlines, Inouye, REUTERS, Hawaiian Holdings, Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Air Group, Airbus, Alaska Air, Holdings, Sunday, Asia, Airline, Aircraft, U.S . Justice, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines, Thomson Locations: Honolulu , Hawaii, U.S, Maui, Alaska, Asia Pacific, New York, premarket, Seattle, Bengaluru

☆ LaPorte, Texas, Issues Shelter in Place After Altivia Plant Leaks Toxic Gas
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Altivia Chemical was working to contain a toxic gas leak from its LaPorte, Texas, plant on Monday, as the city's emergency management agency ordered some nearby residents and five neighboring facilities to shelter in place out of caution. Halliburton's Multi-Chem Bayport site, Stepan's Pasadena facility, and three others belonging to Kuraray Americas, Evonik, and NCTI, were sheltering in place after the offsite release of a toxic gas called phosgene, according to community alerts. Located about 30 miles (48 km) east of Houston, La Porte's Office of Emergency Management (LPOEM) said the city issued a cautionary shelter-in-place until the amount of phosgene released is determined. "A chemical emergency has occurred and residents south of Fairmont between Bay Area and S. 16th Street need to immediately shelter in place," LPOEM said on X, formerly Twitter. Exposure to phosgene may cause vomiting, breathing difficulty, chest pain and, when liquid, frostbite.

Persons: LPOEM, Altivia, Chris Reese, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, Kuraray, Porte's, Emergency Management, U.S . Centers for Disease Control Locations: LaPorte , Texas, Pasadena, Kuraray Americas, Houston, Fairmont, Bay, Bengaluru

A view shows signage on a branch of Barclays Bank in London, Britain, March 17, 2023. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 4 (Reuters) - Qatar Holding is looking to sell around 510 million pounds ($643.72 million) of shares in Barclays (BARC.L), one of the banks acting on the deal said on Monday, cutting back on its crisis-era investment in the British bank. The deal is set to price at 141 pence per share, or a discount of about 1.4% to Barclays' closing share price on Monday. The share sale comes as Barclays is striving to revive its share price, which has halved since Qatar first invested in 2008. Qatar has previously cashed in on warrants acquired through the capital injection.

Persons: Peter Nicholls, Pablo Mayo, Juby Babu, Anil D'Silva, Jane Merriman, Josie Kao Organizations: Barclays Bank, REUTERS, Barclays, Qatar, Venkatakrishnan, Reuters, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Qatar, British, Germany, Bengaluru

☆ Verizon announces Netflix, Max streaming bundle for customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Netflix logo is shown on one of their Hollywood buildings in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 4 (Reuters) - Verizon Communications (VZ.N) said on Monday it would offer streaming subscriptions to Netflix (NFLX.O) and Warner Bros Discovery-owned (WBD.O) Max platforms as a bundle to its customers. Verizon "myPlan" subscribers can opt for the ad-supported plans for Netflix and Max for a combined $10 a month starting Thursday. It is the latest bundle Verizon has added to its "myPlan" package, which allows users to subscribe to services such as Apple Music, Walmart+, Walt Disney's streaming services, among others, each for $10 a month. Telecom providers are increasingly tying up with streaming platforms to make their plans more attractive for consumers, while streamers are looking at these partnerships as ways to attract viewers.

Persons: Mike Blake, Max, Yuvraj Malik, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Netflix, REUTERS, Verizon Communications, Warner Bros Discovery, Verizon, Apple Music, Walmart, Telecom, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Bengaluru

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