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☆ Teck approached by other companies while fending off Glencore offers -Globe and Mail
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A vote on Teck's plan to fully separate the copper and zinc business Teck Metals from the steelmaking coal Elk Valley business is scheduled on April 26. These approaches from international miners come as the Vancouver-based miner is fending off unsolicited bids from Glencore Plc (GLEN.L) that would involve combining and spinning off the thermal and steelmaking coal businesses of both companies. The Swiss mining company has offered Teck shareholders 24% of the combined metals group and up to $8.2 billion in cash for those who may not want exposure to thermal coal. Two proxy shareholder advisory firms have recommended that Teck Resources shareholders vote against the planned split. On Saturday, Bloomberg News reported that Glass Lewis also asked Teck Resources shareholders to vote against Teck's plan to spin off its coal business.

☆ Big copper deals to take centerstage in Santiago as demand heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Lundin Mining Corp (LUN.TO) is paying nearly $1 billion for control of Chile's Caserones copper mine despite ongoing political uncertainty in the country. "The green transformation theme remains a strong tailwind for copper, the king of green metals," Saxo Bank strategist Ole Hansen told Reuters. Global copper demand expected to reach 53 million tonnes annually by 2053 - more than double current levels - but supply is still expected to fall short, according an S&P Global (SPGI.N) study. And Hudbay Minerals Inc (HBM.TO) last week said it would pay $439 million for rival Copper Mountain Mining Corp (CMMC.TO). Neighboring Peru, the world's second-largest copper producer, also expects to boost production this year.

☆ Edward H. Meyer, Who Turned Grey Ad Firm Into a Global Player, Dies at 96
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( James R. Hagerty | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Edward H. Meyer with his wife, Sandra Meyer, in an undated photo. Edward H. Meyer, who built what became Grey Global Group into one of the world’s top 10 advertising companies before selling it to Britain’s WPP Group PLC for about $1.75 billion in 2005, died Tuesday at his home in Manhattan. In his 35 years as chief executive, Mr. Meyer transformed Grey from a minor U.S. ad agency into a giant with operations in more than 80 countries. He also diversified it into a broader array of services, including direct marketing and public relations.

☆ Britain eyes development roles in Japan offshore wind -official
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Katya Golubkova | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The UK is one of the world's largest offshore wind markets, with more than 10 GW of installed capacity. Japan has launched a second major round of public auctions to select operators for four new areas capable of generating 1.8 GW of offshore wind power. It wants to install up to 10 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and up to 45 GW by 2040. Shapps did not specifically mention the offshore wind power auctions but said there were "very broad areas of cooperation between UK and Japan" in offshore wind development. He also noted the targets set by G7 on solar and offshore wind generation were "overall" for the group.

☆ Glass Lewis recommends 'No' vote on Teck's coal business spinoff, Bloomberg reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 15 (Reuters) - Advisory firm Glass Lewis said Teck Resources Ltd (TECKb.TO) shareholders should vote against Teck's plan to spin off its coal business, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday. The move follows another influential proxy adviser, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), which also advised shareholders to reject Teck's restructuring plan this week. The takeover would involve combining and spinning off the thermal and steelmaking coal businesses of both companies. Teck has rejected the offer and made changes to its own proposed restructuring plan to allow for a potentially shorter path to fully separate the copper and zinc business Teck Metals from the steelmaking coal Elk Valley business. A vote on Teck's own plan is scheduled for April 26.

NEW YORK, April 14 (Reuters) - Societe Generale SA (SOGN.PA) agreed to pay $105 million to settle U.S. investor litigation accusing the French bank of violating antitrust law by conspiring with rivals to rig Euribor, a key European interest rate benchmark. A preliminary settlement was filed late Friday with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, and requires a judge's approval. Societe Generale denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle, court papers show. The case is Sullivan et al v. Barclays Plc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, Editing by Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NEW YORK, April 14 (Reuters) - Societe Generale SA (SOGN.PA) agreed to pay $105 million to settle U.S. investor litigation accusing the French bank of violating antitrust law by conspiring with rivals to rig Euribor, a key European interest rate benchmark. A preliminary settlement was filed late Friday with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, and requires a judge's approval. If approved, the accord would mean investors have obtained $651.5 million of settlements with seven banks. Societe Generale denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle, court papers show. The case is Sullivan et al v. Barclays Plc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

☆ Banknote printer De La Rue's chairman steps down
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 14 (Reuters) - British banknote printer De La Rue Plc (DLAR.L) said on Friday chairman Kevin Loosemore has resigned from his role and will leave office on May 1. Loosemore's resignation comes weeks after its third-largest shareholder Crystal Amber Fund Limited (CRSL.L) had called for a general meeting to oust the company's chairman. Crystal Amber has nominated Pepyn Dinandt as a candidate. Earlier this week, De La Rue, which designs paper and polymer banknotes for government and central banks across the world, warned on its 2023 profits as demand for cash hit its lowest in over two decades. Crystal Amber was concerned that going concern doubts, which were raised by the company in November, could hurt De La Rue's ability to win new contracts and retail existing ones.

[1/4] Head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, meets with Saudi and Omani delegations at the Republican Palace in Sanaa, Yemen April 9, 2023. Another Houthi official, Abdulmalik Alejri, said on Twitter that "with determination and honest intentions remaining difficulties can be resolved". STICKING POINTSTwo Yemeni sources, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the parties could agree on an extended truce deal as they work out remaining differences. The United Nations and the PLC are not directly part of the Saudi-Houthi talks. The PLC was created to solidify the anti-Houthi bloc but has been beset by differences among Yemeni factions.

For the first quarter, China's refined product exports were up 59.8% to 18.2 million tonnes, equivalent to about 1.62 million bpd. For the first quarter in 2022, refined fuel exports were 1.01 million bpd, meaning they have risen by 610,000 bpd in the same period this year. IMPACT OF FUEL EXPORTSThere are also several other questions for the market to ponder, such as do strong Chinese refined fuel exports, while increasing China's crude imports, actually result in lower demand elsewhere as China's products displace supplies from other exporters? It's likely that China's refined product exports will remain elevated in April as refiners use up their quotas and Beijing encourages exports as part of efforts to boost economic activity. Overall, the current picture in China is one of strong crude imports and even stronger refined product exports.

NEW YORK, April 12 (Reuters) - A new version of a lawsuit accusing JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) of aiding in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking includes claims that the bank ignored pleas to cut ties with the financier, and that someone joked about whether Epstein knew Miley Cyrus. In a complaint made public on Wednesday, the U.S. Virgin Islands said JPMorgan compliance officials urged the bank to sever ties with Epstein years before it did so in 2013. The cases in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York are: Jane Doe 1 v JPMorgan Chase & Co, No. 22-10019; Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, No. 22-10904; and JPMorgan Chase Bank NA v Staley, in Nos.

Oxford scientist Adrian Hill said Ghana's drug regulator has approved the vaccine domestically for the age group at highest risk of death from malaria - children aged 5 months to 36 months. Oxford has a deal with Serum Institute of India to produce up to 200 million doses of the vaccine - known as R21 - annually. "This shows how close the world is to having a second approved vaccine to fight malaria," he said. MEETING THE NEEDThe first malaria vaccine, Mosquirix from British drugmaker GSK (GSK.L), was endorsed by the WHO last year after decades of work. Since it began in 2019, 1.2 million children across the three countries have received at least one dose of the Mosquirix vaccine.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) rose 0.5%, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 (.FTMC) lost 0.1% as of 0807 GMT. Oil and gas (.FTNMX601010) added 0.8% as crude prices gained against the dollar, lifting oil giants BP Plc (BP.L) and Shell Plc (SHEL.L) 0.6% and 1.0%, respectively. "The FTSE 100 is falling in line with the positive sentiment we saw at the start of the week, overlooking the China-Taiwan tensions," said Giles Coghlan, chief market analyst at HYCM. While concerns over a potential recession in the U.S. amid persistent inflation have weighed on sentiment recently, the FTSE 100 has been on a positive streak, helped by commodity stocks and defensives including pharmaceuticals. Shares of West Africa-focused oil producer Tullow Oil (TLW.L) slid 2.9% on Jefferies' downgrade to "underperform" from "hold."

☆ Britain's De La Rue warns on profit as demand for cash tumbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 12 (Reuters) - Struggling British banknote printer De La Rue Plc (DLAR.L) warned its fiscal 2023 profit was set to miss market expectations and next year's outlook was uncertain, as demand for cash hit its lowest in over two decades, sending shares to a record low. De La Rue shares, which have lost more than half of their value so far this year, fell more than 30% to 33 pence on Wednesday to a record low. The company said it expected adjusted operating profit for the year ended on March 25 to undershoot market expectations by a mid-single digit percentage. It expected adjusted operating profit to be in the low 20 million pound ($24.84 million) range for its fiscal 2024. The banknote printer said the downturn in demand for currency was also causing significant uncertainty in its outlook for 2024.

Glencore latest offer is for Teck's shareholders to receive 24% of the combined metals group and up to $8.2 billion in cash for those who may not want exposure to thermal coal, which is the most polluting fossil fuel. Teck said its board will review and evaluate the offer, but nevertheless believes it is "largely unchanged" from the original bid. "The revised proposal does not provide an increase in the overall value to be received by Teck shareholders or appear to address material risks previously raised," Teck said in a Tuesday statement. "Getting Teck's Class A shareholders on board is a separate, more substantial challenge," LaFemina added. Reuters on Monday reported that Glencore Chief Executive Gary Nagle plans to meet with some of Teck's Canadian shareholders in Toronto on Thursday to personally lobby them for support.

☆ HSBC hires Silicon Valley Bank bankers to focus on tech, healthcare
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NEW YORK, April 11 (Reuters) - HSBC Holdings plc's (HSBA.L) U.S. unit has hired dozens of Silicon Valley Bank bankers led by David Sabow, who most recently led the technology and healthcare banking segment for the California-based bank that collapsed last month. HSBC USA said in a statement the hiring will help the bank establish a dedicated banking practice focused on serving companies in technology and healthcare, as well as investors who support them. HSBC has initially assembled a team of more than 40 bankers in the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston and New York City as part of this initiative, it said. Reporting by Saeed AzharOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NEW YORK, April 11 (Reuters) - Private equity firm KKR & Co Inc (KKR.N) has agreed to buy a significant stake in FGS Global in a deal that values the financial communications group at about $1.4 billion. As part of the deal, KKR will buy up a 30% stake from senior employees at FGS Global and its largest investors, including London-based advertising giant WPP Plc (WPP.L). WPP, which was founded by Martin Sorrell, will retain a majority stake in FGS Global. Existing investor Golden Gate Capital is selling its entire stake to KKR, which is investing in FGS Global through its $8-billion European Fund VI. FGS Global currently employs more than 1,200 people across 27 offices globally.

TORONTO, April 10 (Reuters) - Glencore Plc (GLEN.L) Chief Executive Gary Nagle plans to meet with some of Teck Resources Ltd's (TECKb.TO) Canadian shareholders in Toronto this Thursday to personally lobby them for support of Glencore's proposed takeover of the copper and zinc miner, according to a source who was invited. Royal Bank of Canada's (RY.TO) RBC Capital Markets will host the Toronto lunch meeting, according to Jonathan Case of CI Global Asset Management, a Teck shareholder who was invited. RBC has been one of Glencore's bankers in the past. Teck's executives on Monday reinforced their rejection of Glencore's unsolicited $22.5 billion takeover offer. Reporting by Divya Rajagopal in Toronto; Editing by Ernest Scheyder and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

JPMorgan sued Staley last month to have him cover its losses in both lawsuits and forfeit eight years of compensation. Epstein killed himself at age 66 in August 2019 in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. The cases in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York are: Jane Doe 1 v JPMorgan Chase & Co, No. 22-10019; Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, No. 22-10904; and JPMorgan Chase Bank NA v Staley, in Nos.

☆ Canadian miner Teck Resources pushes for restructuring, says Glencore bid 'flawed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 10 (Reuters) - Canada's Teck Resources (TECKb.TO) on Monday doubled down on its push to reject an unsolicited $22.5 billion bid from Glencore Plc (GLEN.L) citing "fundamental flaws" in the offer and urged shareholders to instead vote for a restructuring. The Swiss miner's buyout bid, which was made public last week, includes a plan to simultaneously spin off the thermal and steelmaking coal businesses and rebrand the remaining company as GlenTeck. read moreTeck said its board has rejected the offer as Glencore did not present a coherent plan for its proposed coal company, adding that the deal would expose its shareholders to thermal coal, oil, LNG and related sectors. The company once again said more value could be unlocked through a proposed restructuring in which the Vancouver-based miner would spin off its steelmaking coal unit to focus on copper and other industrial metals. Reporting by Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Canadian entrepreneur Lassonde plans to buy blocking stake in Teck's Elk Valley, Globe and Mail reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 8 (Reuters) - Canadian entrepreneur Pierre Lassonde is planning to buy a blocking stake in Elk Valley Resources, the steel-making coal unit to be spun off by Teck Resources Ltd (TECKb.TO), the Globe and Mail reported. In an interview with the Canadian newspaper published on Friday, Lassonde expressed his interest in the soon-to-be divested unit of Teck, saying he wanted the company's assets to "remain Canadian." Teck Resources could not be reached immediately for comment. Under terms of a deal offered previously by minority shareholder Nippon Steel, the Elk Valley unit will have an enterprise value of C$11.5 billion. Teck Resources in February said it will receive an 87.5% interest in gross revenue royalty from the steel-making coal business through the transition period.

☆ Uranium is having a 'renaissance.' What to know about it, and how to play it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

But despite the strong outlook for the commodity price, stocks and funds related to the commodity have not risen in lock step. The Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (URNM) and Sprott Physical Uranium Trust (SRUFF) are down about 7% and 4% so far this year, underperforming the broad S & P 500 , which has gained 6.5% . He said the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust is a smart play because it has the best risk-to-reward ratio in his eyes and has the benefit of holding actual uranium as opposed to just mining stocks. The company also manages the Sprott Uranium Miners ETF, which Huhn said has a larger emphasis on the mining stocks than the commodity price. Zuri-Invest's option is unique because it has a shorter settlement time and can be redeemed for either money or physical uranium, Huhn said.

☆ Unstable markets drag Canadian M&A, debt issuance to four-year low
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Maiya Keidan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The collapse of regional banks Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the U.S. tightened credit market making funding difficult for deals. As the banking crisis abate and many global central banks move to the sidelines to assess the impact of rapid interest rates hikes, bankers are, however, betting that appetite for dealmaking would return. Canadian M&A volumes totalled $34.7 billion in the first quarter, down 52.3% from a year ago, with dealmaking off to the worst start since the same period in 2020. Some market participants noted the second quarter is already off to a stronger start, with the mining sector gathering momentum. Abeed Ramji, head of Canadian Debt Capital Markets at TD, said the lack of issuance from banks impacted the corporate debt market, adding that global markets had become more expensive for financing.

☆ Shell sees stronger LNG volumes and oil product performance in Q1
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Shell PLC FollowApril 6 (Reuters) - Shell (SHEL.L) expects higher liquefied natural gas (LNG) output in the first quarter after outages at its Australian plants last year as well as stable earnings from LNG trading, it said on Thursday. Shell, which recorded a record $40 billion profit last year, said In an update ahead of results due on May 4 that it expected first-quarter liquefaction volumes of 7 to 7.4 million tonnes, up from 6.8 million tonnes in the previous quarter. Its oil products division also likely boosted earnings through a "significantly higher" trading performance, the world's biggest fuel retailer said. It expects to have paid between $2.6 and $3.4 billion in tax for the first quarter, down from $4.4 billion. Its renewables unit is set to contribute $100 to $700 million to adjusted earnings, compared with $300 million in the last quarter of 2022.

"Jane Doe herself has directly accused him of horrific sexual misconduct and, if true, he must be held accountable." In a separate letter, lawyers for the Epstein accusers also supported severing the Staley case, but for a different reason. 22-10018; Jane Doe 1 v JPMorgan Chase & Co, No. 22-10019; Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, No. 22-10904; and JPMorgan Chase Bank NA v Staley, in Nos.

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