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The logo of Russian technology giant Yandex is on display at the company's headquarters in Moscow, Russia December 9, 2022. Moscow already demands a 50% discount on all foreign deals after consultants selected by the Russian government have valued the business. But three people familiar with the exit process for foreign companies said that some deals are facing demands for additional discounts before the government gives a green light. Another person, who works on M&A transactions and with foreign companies, said deals exceeding $100 million were at particular risk of being denied. In its biannual financial stability review, the central bank said foreign companies under pressure to leave Russia were doing so on "unfavourable" terms.

Persons: Evgenia, Carlsberg's, Intesa, Vladimir Putin's, Suren Gortsunyan, Rybalkin, Gortsunyan, Alexey Kupriyanov, Elena Fabrichnaya, Alexander Marrow, Victor Goury, Josephine Mason, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Heineken, Arnest, Companies, Nasdaq, Russia, Dyakin, Partners, Aspring, Nato, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, MOSCOW, Russian, London, Laffont, Gdansk

☆ Heineken exits Russia with one-euro sale of operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Dutch brewer Heineken (HEIN.AS) said on Friday it had completed its exit from Russia by selling its operations there to Russia's Arnest Group for a symbolic one euro. Heineken announced its intention to exit Russia in March 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, acknowledging that the process had taken longer than expected. Many multinational companies flocked to leave Russia after the West imposed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow, but the Kremlin has retaliated by seizing some assets. Heineken had seven breweries in Russia and 1,800 employees, who will receive employment guarantees for the next three years. The Dutch brewer removed its Heineken brand from Russia last year and production of Amstel is to be phased out within six months.

Persons: de, Dolf van den Brink, Vladimir Putin, Turkey's, Heineken, Philip Blenkinsop, Jane Merriman Organizations: Heineken, REUTERS, Rights, Arnest, Kremlin, Anheuser, Busch InBev, Arnest Group, Thomson Locations: Nijmegen, Netherlands, Dutch, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Amstel

Invesco, a minor shareholder in Swiggy, in May valued the Indian company at around $5.5 billion, it said in a filing. Swiggy had initially considered raising $800 million to $1 billion via the IPO, banking sources who worked on it in early 2022 have said. Swiggy, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley did not respond to requests for comment, while Bank of America declined to comment. The three sources said Swiggy is aiming to list between July-September 2024 which would be after national elections in India due by May. Swiggy in May said its core food delivery business had turned profitable, nine years after starting operations, even as its newer grocery delivery service, Instamart, continues to make losses.

Persons: Niharika Kulkarni, Swiggy, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, Zomato's, Sriram, Aditya Kalra, Jane Merriman Organizations: Bombay Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Bank of America, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, MUMBAI, Swiggy

The great destock has resulted in a significantly slimmed-down LME warehouse network. The number of exchange-registered warehouse units has fallen by 151 over the last two years. LME storage space at the latter has grown by 35,000 square metres to 249,000 since the end of September last year. LME warehouse operator Istim has been expanding its presence, listing 24 units over the last year. But it's decidedly good news for LME warehouse operators.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, It's, Kloosterboer, Istim, Jane Merriman Organizations: London, Halley Metals, Pac Global Services, Infinity Logistics, HK, Rotterdam, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Krasnoyarsk, Siberian, Detroit, COVID, Ukraine, Spain, Antwerp, Vlissingen, Rotterdam, KOREA, Singapore, Malaysia's Port Klang, Busan, Incheon, Gwangyang, LME, Port Klang, China, United States, Europe

REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko Acquire Licensing RightsABUJA/NIAMEY, Aug 19 (Reuters) - A delegation from West Africa's main regional bloc ECOWAS met Niger's ousted president Mohamed Bazoum and held talks with junta leader General Abdourahmane Tiani in the capital Niamey on Saturday, a Nigerian presidential spokesperson said. The group that flew in was led by Nigeria's former military leader Abdulsalami Abubakar and included ECOWAS commission president Omar Touray, the source said. "After meeting .... (junta leader) General Abdoulrahmane Tchiani, the ECOWAS delegation in Niger have also visited President Mohamed Bazoum this evening," he wrote on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter. There was no immediate comment from the junta, which has held president Mohamed Bazoum since seizing power despite international calls for his release. ECOWAS has taken a harder stance on the Niger coup, the wider region's seventh in three years, than it did on previous ones.

Persons: Francis Kokoroko, Niger's, Mohamed Bazoum, General Abdourahmane Tiani, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Omar Touray, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, General Abdoulrahmane Tchiani, Tiani, Alessandra Prentice, Toby Chopra, Jane Merriman Organizations: Chiefs, Defense, REUTERS, Rights, ECOWAS, West, Twitter, Islamic, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Republic of Niger, Accra, Ghana, Rights ABUJA, NIAMEY, West Africa's, Niamey, Niger, al Qaeda, Islamic State

☆ GQG Partners buys additional stake in Adani Ports
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Traffic moves past the logo of the Adani Group installed at a roundabout on the ring road in Ahmedabad, India, February 2, 2023. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 19 (Reuters) - Investment firm GQG Partners raised its stake in Adani Ports And Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSE.NS) on Aug. 17 to 5.03% after buying more shares, GQG said in a disclosure on Saturday. GQG Partners, which held a 4.93% stake in Adani Ports, acquired another 0.10% or 2.2 million shares of the company through a bulk deal, the disclosure made late on Saturday said. The investment comes after Deloitte quit as auditor for Adani Ports, in the first such move after U.S. short-seller Hindenburg Research's critical report on the Adani group that was published in January. Reuters reported last Wednesday that GQG partners bought an 8.1% stake in Adani Power for $1.1 billion via block deal.

Persons: Amit Dave, GQG, Hindenburg, Jose Joseph, Tomasz Janowski, Toby Chopra, Jane Merriman Organizations: Adani, REUTERS, GQG Partners, Deloitte, Adani Ports, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ahmedabad, India, Adani Ports, Power, Bengaluru

☆ Indian energy company ONGC Videsh secures 3-yr extension to explore South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Amit Dave/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsMUMBAI, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Indian energy company ONGC Videsh has secured a three-year extension from Vietnam to explore 'Block 128' in the South China Sea, it said in a post on social messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Conflicting territorial claims over South China Sea stretch back many decades but have intensified in recent years as China and its rivals have reinforced their positions on the rocks and reefs they hold. "India's strategic commitment stays strong as ONGC Videsh continues its exploration journey with its 8th extension till 15 June 2026," the company said in its post. ONGC Videsh is the overseas investment arm of India's top oil explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC.NS). China claims virtually the entire mineral-rich South China Sea and has stepped up its military presence there.

Persons: Amit Dave, Videsh, Swati Bhat, Jane Merriman Organizations: Gas, REUTERS, Rights, Twitter, Natural Gas Corp, Thomson Locations: Ahmedabad, India, Vietnam, South China, China, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan

☆ Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft produces first results, space agency says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A picture taken from the camera of the lunar landing spacecraft Luna-25 shows the Zeeman crater located on the far side of the moon, August 17, 2023. Roscosmos/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 19 (Reuters) - The Russian spacecraft on a mission to the moon's south pole has produced its first results and they are being analysed, Russia's national space agency Roskosmos said on Saturday. The agency also posted images of the moon's Zeeman crater taken from the Luna-25 spacecraft, which is scheduled to make a landing on the south pole on Monday after circling the Earth's only natural satellite for five days. The Zeeman crater is the third deepest in the moon's southern hemisphere, the agency said, measuring 190 km in diameter and eight km in depth. The Luna-25 entered the moon's orbit on Wednesday, the first Russian spacecraft to do so since 1976.

Persons: Roskosmos, Luna, Gareth Jones, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, NASA, Thomson Locations: Handout, Russian

An aerial view shows a crude oil tanker at an oil terminal off Waidiao island in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China January 4, 2023. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 86 cents, or 1.1%, to settle at $81.25 a barrel, and Brent crude futures rose 68 cents, or 0.8%, to settle at $84.80 a barrel. Those concerns, spurred on by output cuts from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, helped oil prices gain for seven straight weeks since June. Higher borrowing costs can impede economic growth and in turn reduce overall demand for oil. Hatfield said he expects demand to hold up in China despite its slowing economy and forecast oil prices would trade between $75 to $90 a barrel over the coming months.

Persons: Brent, WTI, Rob Haworth, Haworth, Jay Hatfield, Hatfield, Shariq Khan, Natalie Grover, Paul Carsten, Sudarshan, Shri Navaratnam, Jamie Freed, Conor Humphries, Jane Merriman, Barbara Lewis, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, West Texas, Brent, Organization of, Petroleum, U.S, Bank Asset Management, U.S . Federal Reserve, Infrastructure Capital Management, Thomson Locations: Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China, BENGALURU

An aerial view shows a crude oil tanker at an oil terminal off Waidiao island in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China January 4, 2023. "Prices are likely to remain range-bound for now," Haworth said, adding that demand is in question for investors worried by the weak data from China. Higher borrowing costs can impede economic growth and in turn reduce overall demand for oil. Oil benchmarks were further depressed by seasonal demand weakness heading into the autumn, said Jay Hatfield, CEO of Infrastructure Capital Management. Hatfield said he expects demand to hold up in China despite its slowing economy and forecast oil prices would trade between $75 to $90 a barrel over the coming months.

Persons: Brent, Rob Haworth, Haworth, Jay Hatfield, Hatfield, WTI, Natalie Grover, Paul Carsten, Sudarshan, Shri Navaratnam, Jamie Freed, Conor Humphries, Jane Merriman, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . West Texas, U.S, Bank Asset Management, U.S . Federal Reserve, Infrastructure Capital Management, Organization of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China, BENGALURU, U.S, London, Singapore

The company established the Allianz Global Diversified Private Debt Fund (AGDPDF) II in Luxembourg in mid-June, company filings show. Money managers are vying for a slice of the growing private credit market, which emerged in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and is currently estimated to have assets of $1.5 trillion. Private credit funds are increasingly competing with banks, including for financing large company buyouts. The fastest escalation in borrowing costs in decades has posed a test for private credit but so far defaults by borrowers have been limited. Rather than lending directly, the Allianz Global Diversified Private Debt Fund invests in other credit funds and also makes co-investments.

Persons: Michaela Rehle, Proskauer, Pablo Mayo, Elisa Martinuzzi, Jane Merriman Organizations: Allianz, REUTERS, Allianz Global Investors, Allianz Global, Debt Fund, Fund, Reuters, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Thomson Locations: Unterfoehring, Munich, Luxembourg, London

The fund is one of a growing number investors and policymakers pushing to put more women in company boardrooms. Its latest move comes as the fund takes stock of its ESG engagement with companies so far this year. This year for the first time the fund analysed the structure of all U.S. pay packages above $20 million to see if they aligned with long-term value creation. As a result of its analysis, the fund voted against more than half of pay packages above this level, the report showed. The fund voted against the pay of Coca-Cola's (KO.N) James Quincey, Apple's (AAPL.O) Tim Cook and PepsiCo's (PEP.O) Ramon Laguarta, the fund's voting record showed.

Persons: Carine Smith Ihenacho, Smith, Smith Ihenacho, James Quincey, Apple's, Tim Cook, Ramon Laguarta, Gwladys, Jane Merriman Organizations: ARENDAL, Reuters, Coca, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Norway, boardrooms, United States, Europe, Japan, Arendal

☆ Ford, partners pick Canada for $900 mln battery materials plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Ford logo is seen on the grill of an E-transit concept vehicle at the Ford Halewood transmissions plant in Liverpool, Britain, December 1, 2022. The consortium includes South Korean partners EcoProBM (247540.KQ) and SK On Co Ltd, according a statement from the ministry. The factory will eventually produce 45,000 tonnes of cathode active materials (CAM) per year for Ford EVs. Ford in a separate statement described the materials as high-quality Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) for rechargeable batteries that are targeting greater performance and improved EV range. Germany's BASF SE (BASFn.DE) is also building a battery materials factory there.

Persons: Phil Noble, EcoProBM, Ford, Lisa Drake, EVs, Francois, Philippe Champagne, Steve Scherer, Jane Merriman, Mark Porter Organizations: Ford, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, Ford Motor, South, SK, Co, Ford EVs, Reuters, General Motors Co, BASF, Volkswagen, Fiat, Chrysler, Detroit, Thomson Locations: Liverpool, Britain, Becancour, Quebec, North America, Ontario, St, Lawrence, Canada

At current prices shares are now down about 16% in the year to date, surrendering gains up to Wednesday's close. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were 320 million euros ($348 million), down 10% from a year earlier and below analyst forecasts of 386 million euros, Refinitiv data showed. Revenue rose 21% to 739 million euros, against Adyen's mid-term forecasts of more than 25% growth. He said the economy overall is slowing and online payments growth may not be quite as fast as it was in the pre-COVID era. A similar margin decline led to a sell-off in Adyen shares when the company reported full-year earnings in February.

Persons: Eva Plevier, Hannes Leitner, Adyen, Toby Sterling, Sinead Cruise, David Goodman, Barbara Lewis, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, Company, Netflix, Microsoft, Spotify, JPMorgan, Revenue, Adyen's, PayPal, Jefferies, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, AMSTERDAM, North America, Stripe, Braintree, Fiserv

☆ Payments company Adyen's shares drop more than 20% after earnings miss
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were 320 million euros ($348 million), down 10% from a year earlier and below analyst forecasts of 386 million euros, Refinitiv data shows. Revenue rose 21% to 739 million euros, against Adyen's mid-term forecasts of more than 25% growth. Adyen's EBITDA margin fell to 43% from 59%, which the company said was mostly because of higher wage costs as it takes on more staff. A similar margin decline led to a sell-off in Adyen shares when the company reported full-year earnings in February. Adyen maintained its medium-term targets for revenue growth above 25% and an improving EBITDA margin that it expects to reach 65% in the long term.

Persons: Eva Plevier, Adyen, Toby Sterling, David Goodman, Barbara Lewis, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Netflix, Microsoft, Spotify, JPMorgan, Revenue, Adyen's, North, PayPal, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, North America, United States

AMSTERDAM, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Investment company Exor (EXOR.AS) was able to build a 15% stake in Dutch healthcare group Philips (PHG.AS) without triggering the usual disclosures thanks to derivatives deals through Goldman Sachs, regulatory filings show. Exor's investment was seen as a vote of confidence in Philips and boosted the Dutch company's shares. Filings by the Dutch Financial Market Authority AFM dated Aug. 14 but published late on Wednesday showed Goldman Sachs had taken an 12.11% stake in Philips using a derivatives structure that included 95 million call options. Sources confirmed to Reuters earlier this week that Goldman Sachs acted on behalf of Exor but could not give more details. Exor and Goldman Sachs (GS.N) declined to comment.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Italy's Agnelli, Roy Jakobs, Exor, Allen, Overy, De Brauw, Philips, Toby Sterling, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Andres Gonzalez, Valentina Za, Victoria Farr, Jane Merriman Organizations: Investment, Philips, Dutch, US Securities and Exchange, Reuters, Overy, Thomson Locations: Philips, Dutch

☆ Safaricom launches M-Pesa mobile money service in Ethiopia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Dawit Endeshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A customer displays the package of a Safaricom Ethiopia sim card during the service launch in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, October 6, 2022. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsADDIS ABABA, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Safaricom's (SCOM.NR) M-Pesa mobile money service went live in Ethiopia on Wednesday, in a boost to the Kenyan telecoms operator as it seeks to kickstart growth in one of Africa's biggest economies. The company also faces stiff competition from Ethio Telecom, whose profits more than doubled in its latest financial year. In July, Ethio Telecom reported having more than 34 million subscribers to its mobile money service Telebirr. Mobile money services are common in East Africa, allowing customers to send and receive money and pay for goods and services.

Persons: Safaricom, Stanley Njoroge, Dawit, Elias Biryabarema, Aaron Ross, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, Tiksa, South Africa’s Vodacom, Britain’s Vodafone, Democratic, Ethio Telecom, Thomson Locations: Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, ADDIS ABABA, Horn of Africa, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Mobile, East Africa

☆ Country Garden restructuring fears deepen China property concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The company logo of Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured at the Shanghai Country Garden Center in Shanghai, China August 9, 2023. The regulator also asked the property developers about their financing needs and sought suggestions, according to Cailianshe. China International Capital Corporation (CICC) has been hired as a financial adviser to Country Garden, the Yicai and Caixin reports said. Country Garden shares ended down 5.8% on Friday, having fallen as much as 14.4% during the day to a record low of HK$0.89. "It is likely to further weaken market sentiment and delay the recovery of China's property sector," it said.

Persons: Aly, Yicai, Cailianshe, CICC, John Lam, Clare Jim, Selena Li, Himani Sarkar, Jamie Freed, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Jane Merriman Organizations: Shanghai Country Garden, REUTERS, HK, China Evergrande, Sunac China Holdings, China's, Communist Party, China International Capital Corporation, Garden, UBS, China Aoyuan, Fantasia Holdings, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, Beijing, Hong Kong

NEW YORK/LONDON, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Lean times faced by many U.S. and European companies may last longer than expected as they try to sell off their bulging inventories in an economic climate where demand is stalling. Full-to-bursting warehouses means fewer orders for manufacturers, which translates into lower levels of business activity and, ultimately, weaker growth. Now, global demand is falling as borrowing costs have risen, so companies have started running down stocks. Maersk controls about one-sixth of global container trade, transporting goods for a host of major retailers and consumer goods companies. Refinitiv I/B/E/S data shows U.S. and European companies are expected to report their worst quarterly results in years.

Persons: Vincent Clerc, Hugo Boss, Moller, Stanley Black, Decker, destocking, Levi Strauss, Rajiv Sharma, Arun Sundaram, Guillermo Novo, Cyrus de la Rubia, Siddharth Cavale, David Gaffen, Josephine Mason, Mark John, Jonathan Cable, Helen Reid, Jane Merriman Organizations: U.S, Maersk, Heineken, 3M, . Bureau of Labor Statistics, CFRA Research, Retailers, BASF, London, Rutgers University, Hamburg Commercial Bank, doesn't, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, U.S, United States, Ashland, Hamburg, New York, London

☆ Russia says JPMorgan stops processing its grain payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Turkish-flagged bulker TQ Samsun, carrying grain under UN's Black Sea Grain Initiative, is pictured in the Black Sea, north of Bosphorus Strait, off Istanbul, Turkey July 17, 2023. REUTERS/Yoruk Isik/File PhotoUNITED NATIONS, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday that U.S. bank JPMorgan (JPM.N) had this week stopped processing payments for the Russian Agricultural Bank as Moscow demanded action, not promises, from Washington to help Russian grain and fertilizer reach global markets. Under a related pact - also brokered in July 2022 - U.N. officials agreed to help facilitate Russian food and fertilizer exports. As a workaround to that demand, JPMorgan had been processing some Russian grain export payments with reassurances from Washington. Russia may export at least 55 million tonnes of grain in the 2023/24 marketing season, slightly less than the estimated record-breaking 57 million tonnes in the 2022/23 season, Russia's Grain Union said last month.

Persons: Yoruk, Dmitry Peskov, Antony Blinken, Maria Zakharova, James O'Brien, O'Brien, Michelle Nichols, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, JPMorgan, Russian Agricultural Bank, SWIFT, European Union, United Nations, U.S . State Department, Russia's, Ministry, Thomson Locations: Samsun, Bosphorus, Istanbul, Turkey, Russia, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine

The logo of Swiss bank UBS is seen at its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland October 25, 2022. UBS was 8th in Refinitiv's global M&A league table in the first half of 2023, down from 6th a year earlier. Steve Pettigrew, who just joined UBS from Bank of America Corp (BAC.N), would be leading software M&A under Braham, according to the sources. Some Credit Suisse technology bankers may lose their jobs as part of the shake-up, while others may be retained or also be promoted, the sources said. Reuters reported on Wednesday that Credit Suisse had initiated broad layoffs in New York.

Persons: Sergio Ermotti, Laurence Braham, Lesueur, Steve Pettigrew, Braham, Neil Meyer, Milana Vinn, Amy, Jo Crowley, Jane Merriman Organizations: Swiss, UBS, REUTERS, UBS Group AG, Credit Suisse, Swiss Re AG, Barclays Plc, Bank of America Corp, Barclays, Reuters, Suisse, Credit Suisse's, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Swiss, dealmaking, United States, Americas, New York, London

FILE PHOTO-India's Deputy Minister for Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar speaks during the 'SemiconIndia 2023', India's annual semiconductor conference, in Gandhinagar, India, July 29, 2023. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File PhotoNEW DELHI, Aug 4 (Reuters) - India will delay its order of licensing requirement for imports of laptops, tablets and personal computers by at least a month, a senior government official said on Friday, just a day after the decision was announced. India on Thursday said it will impose a licensing requirement for imports of laptops, tablets and personal computers with immediate effect. The official was speaking to reporters in New Delhi. Reporting by Sarita Chaganti Singh; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Jane Merriman and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Amit Dave, Sarita Chaganti Singh, Jacqueline Wong, Jane Merriman, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Information Technology, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Gandhinagar, India, New Delhi

☆ Argentina agrees $775 million loan with Qatar to make IMF repayment
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File PhotoAug 4 (Reuters) - Argentina's government on Friday agreed with Qatar a $775 million loan to use to make an International Monetary Fund (IMF) repayment due this Friday. Argentina is grappling with a severe economic crisis with sky-high inflation and falling central bank reserves and is facing IMF repayments. The country's Economy Minister Sergio Massa said on Monday Argentina would not use "a single dollar of its own reserves" to make the IMF repayment. The Qatar loan will have the IMF's variable interest rate applicable to SDRs (IMF currency), which is currently 4.033% per annum, a presidential decree said.

Persons: Yuri Gripas, Sergio Massa, Massa, Nicolas Misculin, Natalia Siniawski, Jason Neely, Jane Merriman Organizations: Monetary Fund, REUTERS, Qatar, Argentina, IMF, CAF, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Argentina, Qatar, China

☆ Brazil's Ambev Q2 net profit falls 15%, misses estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Natalia Siniawski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Paulo WhitakerAug 3 (Reuters) - Brazilian brewer Ambev (ABEV3.SA) on Thursday reported a 15.2% decline in second-quarter net profit, narrowly missing market forecasts. The subsidiary of Belgium's Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI.BR) posted profit of 2.60 billion reais ($540.34 million), below the 2.68 billion reais average estimate of analysts polled by Refinitiv. Revenue rose 20% from the same period a year earlier to 18.9 billion reais, as cost pressures continued to ease but missing the 19.80 billion reais consensus view. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) grew in all business units, though sales volume declined 2.2%. "Our top-line performance remained resilient and cost pressures continued to decelerate leading to bottom-line growth," CEO Jean Jereissati said in a statement.

Persons: Paulo Whitaker, Ambev, Jean Jereissati, Itau, Natalia Siniawski, Jane Merriman, Christopher Cushing, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Bebidas, REUTERS, Belgium's Anheuser, Busch InBev, Refinitiv, Petrobras, PETR4, Thomson Locations: Companhia, Fortaleza, Brazil, Central America, Caribbean, Panama, Dominican Republic, Vale, VALE3

General view of Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia May 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File PhotoSummary Saudi Arabia flags possibility of 'deepening' cut in the futureRussia announces 300,000 bpd export cut in Sept.OPEC+ panel to meet FridayDUBAI, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will extend a voluntary oil output cut of one million barrels per day for another month to include September, it said on Thursday, adding it could be extended beyond that or deepened. The cut may be "extended, or extended and deepened", he added, flagging the possibility of further market tightening. Russia will also cut oil exports by 300,000 bpd in September, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said shortly after the Saudi announcement. Oil rose on Thursday, rebounding from an earlier decline after the Saudi announcement, with Brent crude futures up 42 cents to $83.62 a barrel by 1328 GMT.

Persons: Ahmed Jadallah, Alexander Novak, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Ahmed Elimam, El, Alex Lawler, Jane Merriman, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, Friday DUBAI, OPEC, Organization of, Petroleum, Ministerial, Brent, Saudi Energy, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC, Vienna, Riyadh, El Dahan, Dubai, London

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