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☆ FTC sues to block Amgen's $27.8 bln deal for Horizon Therapeutics -statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday that it would sue to stop Amgen Inc's (AMGN.O) $27.8 billion deal to buy Horizon Therapeutics Plc (HZNP.O). The deal, which was announced in December 2022, would give Amgen two fast-growing drugs, the thyroid eye disease treatment Tepezza and gout treatment Krystexxa. Amgen hopes they can act as a bulwark against competition for its blockbuster arthritis drug Enbrel. Furthermore, other key drugs in its portfolio, such as psoriasis therapy Otezla, face loss of patents over the next few years. Reporting by Diane Bartz; editing by Tim AhmannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ FTC to block Amgen's $27.8 billion deal for Horizon Therapeutics - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is expected to file a lawsuit as early as Tuesday to block Amgen Inc's (AMGN.O) $27.8 billion deal to buy Horizon Therapeutics PLC (HZNP.O), a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Amgen struck a deal last year to buy Horizon to strengthen its rare diseases drugs portfolio. Senator Elizabeth Warren, an outspoken critic of corporate consolidation, wrote to the FTC earlier this year expressing her concerns about pharmaceutical deals including the Amgen purchase of Horizon. The Democratic Senator said both Amgen and Horizon Therapeutics "have engaged in brazen price increases," including on Amgen's Enbrel for arthritis and Horizon’s Krystexxa, a gout medication. The deal would give Amgen two fast-growing drugs, the thyroid eye disease treatment Tepezza and Krystexxa.

☆ FTSE 100 edges up as consumer stocks offset Vodafone slump
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SummarySummary Companies FTSE 100 up 0.2%, FTSE 250 adds 0.1%May 16 (Reuters) - UK's main stock index edged up on Tuesday as weakness in the sterling supported some internationally-focused consumer firms, although Vodafone slumped after it forecast a big drop in fresh cash flow. The telecom giant's stock (VOD.L) fell 4% to become the top decliner on the FTSE 100 (.FTSE) after the company announced job cuts and forecast a 1.5 billion euro ($1.65 billion) decline in free cash flow this year. However, the blue-chip FTSE 100 rose 0.2% and the mid-cap FTSE 250 (.FTMC) added 0.1%. The currency's weakness lifted shares of dollar earners like Unilever Plc (ULVR.L) and British American Tobacco Plc (BATS.L). Industrial metals miners (.FTNMX551020) slipped 0.2%, tracking easing copper prices on investor worries of patchy economic recovery in top consumer China.

☆ Ukraine authorities expose piles of cash in Supreme Court corruption probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The Ukrainian Supreme Court building is seen in central Kiev, Ukraine, March 5, 2016. REUTERS/Valentyn OgirenkoMay 15 (Reuters) - Ukrainian anti-graft authorities said on Monday they were investigating large-scale corruption in the country's Supreme Court system and shared a photograph of piles of dollars neatly lined up on a sofa. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) did not name anyone accused of corruption, but two local media organizations reported Supreme Court Chief Justice Vsevolod Kniaziev had been detained on suspicion of receiving a $3 million bribe. "NABU and SAP have exposed large-scale corruption in the Supreme Court, namely a scheme for the leadership and judges of the Supreme Court to receive bribes," the bureau said in the post. It said another 18 Supreme Court judges who heard the Ferrexpo case were now being searched.

NEW YORK, May 15 (Reuters) - At least seven top Barclays Plc (BARC.L) bankers have resigned to join to UBS Group AG (UBSG.S) in the United States in the last few days, people familiar with the matter said. The moves add to a trio of Barclays investment bankers that UBS announced internally it hired last month. Many Credit Suisse bankers are based in the United States. UBS has hired Laurence Braham, Richard Hardegree, Richard Casavechia, Ozzie Ramos, Jason Williams, Neil Meyer and Ken Tittle from Barclays, the sources said. These bankers follow Barclays ex-colleagues Marco Valla, Jeff Hinton and Kurt Anthony, whose moves to UBS were announced in April.

☆ British chemicals producer Venator files for U.S. Chapter 11 protection
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 14 (Reuters) - British chemicals producer Venator Materials Plc (VNTR.N) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States, the company said in a court filing late on Sunday. Venator has estimated both assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion to $10 billion, according to a filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Venator undertook a strategic review of its business earlier this year in an attempt to strengthen its liquidity after one of its top investors, J&T MS 1 SICAV, criticised the British company's poor financial performance. Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Cramer's Lightning Round: I am not a believer in Coinbase
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Chewy's year-to-date stock performance. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Enterprise Products Partners year-to-date stock performance. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Coinbase Global's year-to-date stock performance. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Amgen's year-to-date stock performance. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Snowflake's year-to-date stock performance.

The moves add to a trio of Barclays U.S. investment bankers that UBS announced it hired last month. Many Credit Suisse bankers are based in the United States. Sources told Reuters last month that UBS plans to retain only a small number of Credit Suisse senior bankers with strong client relationships. At Barclays, Braham was global chair of investment banking for technology, while Hardegree served as vice chair and head of technology M&A. Williams, Meyer and Tittle were managing directors in the investment banking group.

☆ Berkshire invests in Capital One, sheds four stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Buffett's company made its disclosures in a regulatory filing listing its U.S.-traded stocks as of March 31. Capital One shares rose 5.7% in after-hours trading following Berkshire's disclosure of a 9.92 million share stake worth about $954 million. In Monday's filing, Berkshire also revealed a new $41.3 million stake in Diageo Plc (DGE.L), the maker of alcoholic beverages including Johnnie Walker and Guinness. BERKSHIRE BUYS MORE APPLE, BANK OF AMERICADespite the selling, Berkshire still invests in several financial services companies. Berkshire also has dozens of operating businesses including the BNSF railroad, Geico car insurance, and many energy, manufacturing and consumer units.

☆ Can the UK afford to host Ukraine’s Eurovision? It can’t afford not to
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

watch nowThe U.K. will host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest on May 13. What is the Eurovision Song Contest? The U.K. is hosting the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, as the war remains ongoing in Ukraine, 2022's winners. For one, the competition can be a great advert for the host city — and country — which can endure well after the party is over. Electro-pop duo Tvorchi is representing Ukraine in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

☆ Klaviyo files confidentially for U.S. IPO -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Echo Wang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, May 12 (Reuters) - Data and marketing automation firm Klaviyo Inc confidentially submitted paperwork on Friday with U.S. regulators for an initial public offering (IPO) in New York, according to people familiar with the matter. While terms of the IPO have not yet been set, the Boston-based company is mulling a raise of at least $750 million in the listing, one of the sources said. The Wall Street Journal had reported in April that Klaviyo was preparing for an IPO. With the IPO registration, Klaviyo becomes the second high-profile name in recent weeks to press ahead with an offering, even as stock market volatility and economic uncertainty has put many other IPO hopefuls off. SoftBank Group Corp's (9984.T) Arm Ltd filed confidentially for its stock market listing in April, Reuters reported.

☆ Mitsubishi Heavy expects record defence orders as Japan pours money into military
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, May 10 (Reuters) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (7011.T) on Wednesday said it expects to book record defence equipment orders this business year as Japan embarks on its biggest military expansion since World War Two. His company said it expects defence orders to jump by around a half to as much as 850 billion yen ($6.29 billion) in the first year of Japan's five-year $318 billion military build up which began in April. The maker of missiles, tanks, submarines and other defence equipment is Japan's biggest defence contractor, with military work accounting for around a tenth of overall revenue. Many other military contractors in Japan, however, have been hesitant to invest in defence businesses as they often represent a much smaller share of sales. Mitsubishi Heavy, which makes products ranging from air conditioners to nuclear reactors expects overall operating profit for the business year to increase by a half to 300 billion yen.

☆ UK's Melrose Industries to focus on aerospace after automotive spin-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The company also said it expects annual revenue between 3.35 billion pounds ($4.23 billion) and 3.45 billion pounds, while analysts are expecting a revenue of 3.4 billion pounds, according to company-compiled estimates. Melrose also said it will not seek acquisitions of "an unrelated industrial business or, in the near term, a material aerospace business," as it shifts its strategy to focus on aerospace. In April, Melrose listed shares in the former automotive division of British engineer GKN on the London Stock Exchange. Newly created Dowlais (DWL.L), which encompasses GKN's Automotive, Powder Metallurgy and Hydrogen businesses, was spun off to existing Melrose shareholders. It is still holding on to GKN's Aerospace division, which manufactures airframe and engine structures and interconnection systems for the aerospace industry.

☆ Eurovision: The coronation may have passed off peacefully. But song contest could be a bigger headache
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

London CNN —Britain’s security services are quietly relieved that the coronation of King Charles III passed without major incident – save for some accusations of heavy-handed policing. On the face of it, the stakes associated with the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest would not appear to be particularly high. For that reason, British security officials are more exercised than they might otherwise have been about a kitschy musical competition. “On one hand you have thousands of people enjoying the nightlife, which means potential of physical targets and organized crime. This year’s event is, at its heart, a partnership between the UK and Ukraine, two major thorns in the Kremlin’s side.

☆ UK's Smiths Group names Alcoa's Williams as next chair
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 10 (Reuters) - British industrial technology company Smiths Group Plc (SMIN.L) on Wednesday named Steve Williams as its next chairman to succeed George Buckley, who is retiring at the end of the company's annual general meeting in November. UK-born Williams, who is currently chair of U.S. aluminum producer Alcoa Corporation (AA.N), started his career at ExxonMobil. His appointment at Smiths Group is subject to his election as non-executive director at the company's AGM. He will be appointed to the board as an independent non-executive director and as chair designate in September, Smiths Group said. Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Investors will look for clues on whether inflation is continuing to ease following the Labor Department's consumer price index (CPI) report on Wednesday. Shares of PayPal Holdings (PYPL.O) dropped and pressured the benchmark S&P 500 after the company cut its margin forecast. Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., May 4, 2023. Under Armour Inc (UAA.N) fell 5.66% as the sports apparel maker forecast its annual sales and profit below street expectations. The S&P 500 posted 14 new 52-week highs and 14 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 77 new highs and 171 new lows.

TORONTO, May 9 (Reuters) - Pierre Lassonde, a Canadian mining industry veteran, has made an offer to invest in Teck Resources Ltd's (TECKb.TO) coal business, in a bid to thwart Glencore Plc's (GLEN.L) hostile attempt to merge with Teck. Vancouver-based Teck has rebuffed Swiss mining company Glencore's $22.5 billon offer to combine the two companies and is instead pursing plans to separate its copper and coal business. Teck last month pulled its initial business separation plan at the last minute after failing to secure enough shareholder support. Glencore has offered a cash component for Teck's coal business worth C$8 billion ($5.98 billion). A source close to the matter said that an alternative offer for Teck's steelmaking coal business might push the Swiss conglomerate to finally make an improved offer.

Shares of PayPal Holdings (PYPL.O) dropped 12% and led declines on the benchmark S&P 500 index (.SPX) after the company cut its margin forecast. They were also among the top drags on the Nasdaq Composite index (.IXIC). Shares of other Apple suppliers including Qualcomm (QCOM.O), Broadcom (AVGO.O), Qorvo (QRVO.O) and Corning (GLW.N) fell between 1.2% to 2%. The action-packed week will see the release of the much-awaited inflation data on Wednesday. The S&P index recorded 13 new 52-week highs and 12 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 52 new highs and 130 new lows.

[1/2] The logo of battery recycler Li-Cycle Holdings Corp is displayed on their offices in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. June 30, 2022. REUTERS/Ernest ScheyderMay 9 (Reuters) - Battery recycler Li-Cycle Holdings Corp (LICY.N) said on Tuesday it planned to develop a recycling hub in Italy along with Swiss miner and commodity trader Glencore Plc (GLEN.L) to produce battery materials including lithium. Canada-based Li-Cycle had earlier announced in March that it would be building a French battery processing facility amid rising demand for lithium due to its key role in transition towards net zero. The two companies are expected to complete a joint feasibility study for the project by mid-2024, Li-Cycle said. Once the companies make a final investment decision on the project, commissioning of the hub in Portovesme, Italy, is expected to commence in late 2026 to early 2027.

Shares of PayPal Holdings (PYPL.O) dropped 10.5% and led declines on the benchmark S&P 500 index (.SPX) after the company cut its margin forecast. They were also among the top drags on the Nasdaq Composite index (.IXIC). Shares of other Apple suppliers including Qualcomm (QCOM.O), Broadcom (AVGO.O), Qorvo (QRVO.O) and Corning (GLW.N) fell between 0.9% to 2%. That weighed on shares of high-growth companies, including Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), which fell about 0.3% each. The S&P index recorded six new 52-week highs and 10 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 20 new highs and 54 new lows.

☆ UK insurer Direct Line expects motor claims to hit 2023 earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 8 (Reuters) - Direct Line Insurance Group Plc (DLGD.L) said on Tuesday it expected more adverse claims in motor, especially in relation to damage, to pressure its earnings in 2023, sending the British insurer's shares 8% lower in early trade. The motor and home insurer posted a 9.7% rise in quarterly gross written premiums to 805.7 million pounds ($1.02 billion), helped by price increases to cope with a challenging motor insurance market. "2023 earnings outlook continues to be challenging," acting CEO Jon Greenwood said in a statement, adding that the company's focus was to improve its motor insurance claim margins. Shares in Direct Line fell 8% and fellow motor insurer Admiral dropped nearly 4% by 0714 GMT. ($1 = 0.7923 pounds)Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

UBS says it sees "the sun shining bright from the bottom of the pool" on Pentair . The analyst thinks that the pool business is nearing a trough in demand in the third quarter. "Nearer-term, we see the guided ~20% pool volume decline this year as sufficient to de-risk the business, which should start shifting investor focus to the 2024 demand recovery. PNR should see healthy margin uplift from operating initiatives paired with volume growth post-'23," Karas said. PNR YTD mountain Pentair PLC stock —CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.

☆ Bet365 must pay compensation to Danish soccer star Eriksen and others, court finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The owner of Bet365, Malta-based Hillside Plc, was ordered to pay 4.7 million Danish crowns ($697,000) to the athletes, including badminton player and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, football player Simon Kjaer and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. Manchester United midfielder Eriksen, whose image was used the most frequently according to the plaintiffs, was awarded the largest sum amounting to 1.45 million crowns, the verdict showed. While Bet365 had argued that its use of names and images should be regarded as editorial content, and was therefore not subject to payments, the court found instead that it amounted to marketing that required consent. Reuters was not immediately able to reach the company or its lawyers for comment. ($1 = 6.7433 Danish crowns)Reporting by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, editing by Terje Solsvik and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The buyout consortium has turned to other private equity firms to help fund the deal as direct lenders, one of the sources added. There is no certainty that Warburg Pincus and Advent will successfully complete negotiations to acquire the unit and Baxter may still opt to sell to another bidder or keep the business, according to the sources. Baxter, Warburg and Advent did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Baxter's biopharma solutions unit supports drugmakers in the formulation, development and commercialization of drugs typically given by infusion or injection, such as biologics and vaccines. The company said dialysis operations, which are a part of Baxter's renal care unit, had become a drag on its margin.

☆ Fire burns for third day at Shell Texas chemical plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Erwin Seba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HOUSTON, May 7 (Reuters) - A fire burned for a third day on Sunday at Shell Plc's (SHEL.L) chemical plant in the Houston suburb of Deer Park, Texas, a company spokesperson said. The fire initially ignited on Friday afternoon in an explosion in an olefins unit, used to make plastics and rubber. The fire was extinguished for a few hours on Saturday morning before it reignited around 3 p.m. CDT (2000 GMT), said Shell spokesperson Curtis Smith. Water runoff has exceeded the chemical plant's wastewater capacity and is being diverted into the Houston Ship Channel, Smith said. Olefins units are the central units in petrochemical complexes, producing ethylene, butadiene and propylene from hydrocarbon feedstocks.

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