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☆ Novo Nordisk's Wegovy bonanza looms large in Denmark
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

COPENHAGEN, Oct 5 (Reuters) - The whirlwind success of weight-loss treatment Wegovy is providing a bonanza not just for its developer, Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO), but also for its home country of Denmark. Interviews with Danish economists, analysts, and executives at the Novo Nordisk Foundation which controls Novo highlight the benefits to the economy from jobs to private wealth - but also the potential pitfalls of relying on a single, outsized company. Record profits for Novo are projected to generate returns for the Foundation of more than $12 billion in coming years. Novo Nordisk added 3,500 jobs in Denmark in 2022, bringing the total in the country to 21,000 employees, out of 59,000 worldwide, a company spokesperson said. Before Wegovy, "we used to be kind of, 'Isn't Denmark the place where Stockholm is the capital?'"

Persons: Danes, Lars Skovgaard Andersen, Lars Christensen, Wegovy, Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, " Thomsen, Moller, Thomsen, Melinda Gates, Rasmus Kristian Feldthusen, Maggie Fick, Jacob Gronholt, Alexander Smith, Josephine Mason, Michele Gershberg, Catherine Evans Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Danske Bank, Copenhagen Business School, Novo, Foundation, Reuters, Novo Holdings, Carlsberg, Maersk, U.S, Melinda Gates Foundation, UK's Wellcome Trust, Wegovy, University of Copenhagen, Nokia, Pedersen, Thomson Locations: COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Danish, Novo, Europe, North America, Asia, OUTGROWING DENMARK, Finland

COPENHAGEN, Sept 29 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday said he was confident that both Poland and Slovakia would continue to support Ukraine in its war with Russia after imminent elections, despite recent harsh rhetoric towards Kyiv. Poland, which elects a new parliament on Oct. 15, said last week it would no longer agree to new arms deliveries to Ukraine but instead focus on rebuilding its own stocks. "I'm expecting and I'm confident that Ukraine and Poland will find a way to address those issues without that impacting in a negative way the military support to Ukraine," Stoltenberg told Reuters in an interview in Copenhagen. NATO-member Slovakia has also been a staunch ally of Ukraine, sending its eastern neighbour military equipment including MiG-29 fighter jets and an S-300 air defence system. But opposition leader and former prime minister Robert Fico, who leads polls ahead of Saturday' election, has pledged to end that military support.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Ukraine's, I'm, Stoltenberg, Robert Fico, Jacob Gronholt, Pedersen, Alison Williams, Kevin Liffey Organizations: NATO, Reuters, Thomson Locations: COPENHAGEN, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Copenhagen

[1/2] A bartender pours a drink at a Campari inauguration of a new brand house for Aperol, its best-selling beverage, in Venice. Shares in Campari fell by more than 5% in Milan after the departure of Kunze-Concewitz, who is 56, was announced. Under Kunze-Concewitz, Campari roughly tripled its net sales and profitability, investing around 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) on acquisitions. Sales of Aperol have increased by 12 times since 2007 and it has become the group's largest brand. Kunze-Concewitz, an Austrian citizen who was born in Istanbul, will remain as a non-executive director at Campari.

Persons: Manuel Silvestri, Bob Kunze, Matteo Fantacchiotti, Kunze Concewitz, Fantacchiotti, Italy's, Cristina Carlevaro, Elisa Anzolin, Keith Weir, Jason Neely, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Asia Pacific, Nestle, Diageo, Carlsberg, Jefferies, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Aperol, Venice . Italy, Italian, Campari, Milan, Asia, Austrian, Istanbul

☆ For Western firms, the risk of leaving Russia could be higher than staying
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Greg Kennedy | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesA wave of Western companies exited Russia promptly after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. For firms wishing to quit, amid heavy reputational and financial damage, the prospect of leaving is becoming harder with time. Nabi Abdullaev, a partner at Control Risks and former editor of the Moscow Times, told CNBC: "Some companies decide to stay because the risk of leaving Russia, at this moment at least, is higher than the risk of staying." Western companies that remain in the country are able to continue doing business because, despite sanctions, numerous transactions and activities are still authorized. In comparison, sanctions on Iran and North Korea are a far more severe environment for Western companies to operate within.

Persons: Nabi Abdullaev, Abdullaev, Vladimir Putin, Maria Shagina, Philip Morris, Heineken, Shagina Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Moscow Times, CNBC, Companies, Carlsberg, Danone, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Unilever, Nestle, PepsiCo, Research, Heineken, Russian Arnest, Kyiv School of Economics Locations: Moskva, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, UniCredit, Raiffeisen, Ukrainian, Iran, North Korea

☆ A timeline of 5 major hurdles Russia's imposed on Western firms trying to exit the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Russian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours. Some companies trying to exit Russia recently are facing demands of even steeper discounts, Reuters reported on August 25, citing three persons familiar with exit processes for foreign companies. Both firms had been trying to exit Russia for months before the seizures, before the sudden takeover. In July, Moscow targeted the Russian assets of food and beverage giants Danone and Carlsberg for seizures. A month later, in September, Russia demanded foreign banks unfreeze Russian assets if they wanted to exit the market.

Persons: Linklaters, —, Vladimir Putin's, Germany's, Fortum —, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Alexei Moiseev Organizations: Service, Yale University, Russia, Russian, Novaya Gazeta, Companies, Kremlin, Investors, Danone, Carlsberg, Financial Times, UBS, Credit Suisse —, Zenit Bank, Reuters, Raiffeisen Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, London, Russian, Moscow

COPENHAGEN, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Lego continued to take market share in the first six months of the year even as the toy market declined and Chinese consumers returned to stores at a slower pace than expected, the Denmark-based toymaker said on Wednesday. By comparison, Lego grew sales 17% last year and 27% the year before. "But we've taken market share and have grown 10% faster than the market." The company's consumer sales grew 3% in a market that declined by 7%, meaning it grabbed market share from competitors like Hasbro (HAS.O) and Barbie-maker Mattel (MAT.O). He said he believes Lego can continue opening stores at the same pace for another five to 10 years.

Persons: toymaker, Niels Christiansen, Christiansen, Jacob Gronholt, Pedersen, David Holmes Organizations: Reuters, Hasbro, Mattel, Eiffel, Thomson Locations: COPENHAGEN, Denmark, China

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

☆ Domino's Pizza will close in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Domino’s Pizza will close all its outlets in Russia, becoming one of the first major Western fast-food chains to exit the country since McDonald’s and Starbucks left more than a year ago. DP Eurasia — the company that owns franchise rights for the Domino’s Pizza brand in Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia — said Monday that it would file for bankruptcy for its Russian unit, DPRussia. The move highlights the increasingly hard choices facing Western firms that stayed in Russia after the start of the Ukraine war. The Kremlin has made it vastly more difficult and more costly for Western companies to sell their Russian businesses. Starbucks became Stars Coffee and McDonald’s is now “Vkusno i tochka,” which translates to “Tasty, period.”In a statement, New York-listed Domino’s Pizza Inc (DPZ).

Persons: Georgia —, “ Organizations: London CNN, Starbucks, Eurasia —, Carlsberg, Danone, ” DP Eurasia, DP, Yale University, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, ”, New York

☆ Moscow banned 2 major Swiss banks from selling shares in its subsidiaries after a Russian bank said it would lose money from their exit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Moscow court has banned UBS and Credit Suisse from disposing of shares in their Russian subsidiaries. Russia witnessed an exodus of Western companies after it invaded Ukraine. A Moscow court has banned two major Swiss banks — UBS and Credit Suisse — from trying to wriggle their way out of their Russian subsidiaries, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing court documents. Moscow-based Zenit Bank requested the ban, citing concerns about losing money should the two Swiss banks exit, per the news agency. Zenit also requested the court to seize funds belonging to UBS and Credit Suisse, but the application was not granted, per Reuters.

Persons: UBS —, Vladimir Putin, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld Organizations: UBS, Credit Suisse, Zenit Bank ., Service, Credit Suisse —, Reuters, Zenit Bank, Zenit, Carlsberg, Danone, Yale School of Management Locations: Moscow, Zenit Bank . Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Intergrain, Luxembourg, Russian

COPENHAGEN, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Denmark's Orsted (ORSTED.CO), the world's No. 1 offshore wind farm developer, on Thursday reported second-quarter operating profit below expectations and confirmed its full-year guidance. Orsted kept its 2023 forecast for EBITDA excluding new partnerships unchanged at between 20 billion and 23 billion crowns. "However, compared to the guidance provided in our annual report for 2022, we now expect higher earnings in Offshore than initially announced," Chief Executive Mads Nipper said in a statement. ($1 = 6.7816 Danish crowns)Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, editing by Terje SolsvikOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Orsted, Mads Nipper, Jacob Gronholt, Pedersen, Terje Solsvik Organizations: Thomson Locations: COPENHAGEN

☆ Europe's biggest companies reported a combined €100 billion loss from leaving Russia, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Joseph Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Since the invasion of Ukraine last year, companies have been scrambling to cut ties with Russia. An FT survey found that companies lost €100 billion attempting to leave the state. European companies have lost more than €100 billion in Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, according to the Financial Times. If energy and utilities were excluded from the survey, the largest writedowns come from Germany's chemical and automotive industries. In December 2022, Russia started forcing those companies selling their assets to dispose of them at a 50% discount, leading to a scramble among domestic businessmen for bargain-bin assets.

Persons: Putin, TotalEnergies –, Yale, Nabi Abdullaev, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Kremlin, Morning, Financial, BP, Shell, Danone Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Danone's

Moller-Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) warned on Friday of a steeper decline in global demand for shipping containers by sea this year prompted by muted economic growth and customers reducing inventories. The company, one of the world's biggest container shippers with a market share of around 17%, said it expects container volumes to fall by as much as 4%. Maersk, one of the world's biggest container shippers with a market share of around 17%, transports goods for retailers and consumer companies such as Walmart, Nike and Unilever. Maersk posted record earnings last year due to high freight rates caused by high consumer demand and pandemic-related log jams at ports. But freight rates have tumbled this year amid a global economic slowdown.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Moller, destocking, Vincent Clerc, Jacob Gronholt, Pedersen, Terje Solsvik, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Maersk, REUTERS, Shipping, Walmart, Nike, Unilever, Thomson Locations: Copenhagen, Denmark, Europe, United States

☆ Heineken’s pricing goof has a strategic spillover
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 31 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Dolf van den Brink has had a six-month-long happy hour. Heineken’s misstep occurred even though the company increased prices for its beers by an average of 13% from a year earlier. While consumer goods groups like Unilever (ULVR.L) managed to hike without losing much business, Heineken’s 6% hit to beer sales in the first half suggests van den Brink has not. In Vietnam, which analysts at Bernstein estimate accounts for nearly half of that region’s sales, Heineken admitted its pricing was mistimed. Van den Brink seems confident the worst is over for 2023, because all his price hikes have already happened.

Persons: van den Brink, misstep, Bernstein, Van den Brink, Yawen Chen, ’, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Heineken, Unilever, Walmart, BT boss’s, of Japan, Thomson Locations: Vietnam, United States

☆ Factbox: Moscow takes control over assets of Western companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 27 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has signed decrees to take temporary control of assets belonging to some Western companies in Russia, in retaliation against foreign moves against Russian companies abroad, and warned in April the Kremlin could seize more. CARLSBERG (CARLb.CO)The Russian state took control of Danish beer company Carlsberg's stake in local brewer Baltika Breweries on July 16, putting it under "temporary management" of government property agency Rosimushchestvo, according to a decree signed by Putin. DANONE (DANO.PA)The Russian state took control of the French yoghurt maker Danone's Russian subsidiary Danone Russia on July 16, according to a decree signed by Putin, and brought it under temporary control of the government property agency. FORTUM (FORTUM.HE)On April 25, Putin signed a decree that established control over the Russian subsidiary of the Finnish utility company Fortum, which operates power plants in Russia. Compiled by Agata Rybska, Greta Rosen Fondahn; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Agata Rybska, Greta Rosen Fondahn, Nick Macfie Organizations: CARLSBERG, Baltika Breweries, Putin, DANONE, Danone Russia, Unipro, Thomson Locations: Russia, Russian, Finnish

☆ Live updates: Russia's war in Ukraine, losses in Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Catherine Ivill/Getty Images/FILEWhen Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a slew of Western companies left in protest. But some of the world’s biggest firms — including Nestlé, Heineken and snack maker Mondelez — stayed put. Companies now find themselves caught between Western sanctions and public outrage on the one hand, and an increasingly hostile Russian government on the other. The Kremlin is making it more difficult for Western firms to sell their Russian assets — and imposing steep discounts and punitive taxes when they do. “Western companies are now caught between a rock and a hard place.”Read the full story here.

Persons: Telia Parken, Catherine Ivill, —, Vladimir Putin, Carlsberg, Maria Shagina, ” Organizations: Carlsberg, UEFA Europa, FC Kobenhavn, Celtic FC, Telia, Nestlé, Heineken, Companies, Danone, Breweries, International Institute for Strategic Studies, CNN Locations: Copenhagen, Denmark, Russia, Ukraine

This brings the total impairments related to Russia to almost 700 million euros, Danone said. The adjustment on the balance sheet of 500 million euros to reflect the negative currency transaction difference will also be recognized by Dec. 31, it added. Danone also reported a better-than-expected rise in quarterly like-for-like sales, as it increased prices again to make up for rising costs. Like-for-like sales rose 6.4% in the second quarter, beating expectations for 5.6% growth in a company-compiled consensus of 18 analysts. ($1 = 0.9047 euros)Reporting by Richa Naidu; Editing by Edmund Klamann, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Danone, Richa Naidu, Edmund Klamann, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Conor Humphries Organizations: France's Danone, Danone, Evian, Nestle, Thomson Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine

☆ Why are so many Western firms staying put in Russia, despite the rising risks?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

London CNN —When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a slew of Western companies left in protest. Companies now find themselves caught between Western sanctions and public outrage on the one hand, and an increasingly hostile Russian government on the other. The Kremlin is making it more difficult for Western firms to sell their Russian assets — and imposing steep discounts and punitive taxes when they do. Both companies had been finalizing sales to local buyers when President Vladimir Putin signed an order nationalizing their local assets earlier this month. Spurred by sweeping Western sanctions, oil companies, automakers, technology firms, consultancies and banks led the initial wave of departures.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Carlsberg, Maria Shagina, Andrey Rudakov, Konstantin Zavrazhin, Hein Schumacher, Schumacher, ”, ” Procter, Gamble, ” Mondelez, Fortum Oyj, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, ” Sonnenfeld, — Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: London CNN, Nestlé, Heineken, Companies, Danone, Carlsberg, Breweries, International Institute for Strategic Studies, CNN, Bloomberg, Getty, Yale University, Yale, Unilever, UL, Procter, Gamble, Treasury, Foreign, Control, Carlsberg — Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Lyubuchany, Rosneft, Moscow, Russian

Moscow's actions highlight the vulnerability of other consumer products companies that still have operations in Russia, some of which have announced plans to leave. "The second option is to sell the business, but the reality is, we have not found a viable solution that meets our stated objectives." The company, which owns the Knorr soup and Dove soap brands, employs over 3,000 people in Russia. In March 2022 Unilever became the first major European food company to stop imports into and exports out of Russia after the country's invasion of Ukraine. Former CEO Alan Jope said at the time "volumes in our Russian business are down significantly, by double digits".

Persons: Hein Schumacher, Schumacher, Knorr, Alan Jope, Richa Naidu, Jason Neely Organizations: Unilever, Danone, Carlsberg, Thomson Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine seeks to lure global firms from Moscow as Danone and Carlsberg assets seized
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Alexander Demianchuk | RussiaUkraine is urging global companies to divest from Russia and relocate to its war-stricken neighbor, as Moscow continues to seize the assets of foreign companies. Sergiy Tsivkach is the CEO of UkraineInvest, a government agency tasked with attracting foreign direct investment to Ukraine and promoting the country as a secure long-term investment option for international business. "It is important to show that the aggressor cannot receive any investments or any operations from international companies." 28, 2022 that it would seek a full disposal of its business in Russia, and signed an agreement on Jun. 'Your war investment could be wiped out'Ukraine's allies pledged nearly $60 billion toward the country's recovery and reconstruction at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London in June.

Persons: Alexander Demianchuk, Vladimir Putin, Danone, Tsivkach, Carlsberg, UkraineInvest, David Roche Organizations: Carlsberg, CNBC, videolink, Yale School of Management, Danone, Baltika Breweries, Danone Russia, Russian Federal Agency, Rosimushchestvo, Mar, Initiative, Conference, Independent, NATO Locations: Carlsberg, St . Petersburg, Russia, Russia Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Ukraine, Uniper, Kyiv, London

☆ Putin ordered 2 Western corporate giants to be seized after Kremlin-friendly businessmen expressed an interest in them: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Putin ordered Danone and Carlsberg seized after Kremlin-friendly businessmen expressed interest, per the FT.A Chechen leader and a businessman close to Putin have taken over the companies' assets in Russia. Russia seizing the local operations of Danone and Carlsberg was not the first time the country took control of Western firms. Managers from Rosneft, a state energy company headed by Putin ally Igor Sechin, took over both energy companies. Independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported on Thursday, Russian businessmen bought the assets of 110 Western companies "that have fully or partially left Russia" at bargain-bin prices. Danone said in a Sunday statement it was "preparing to take all necessary measures to protect its rights as shareholder."

Persons: Putin, Vladimir Putin, Moscow, Yakub Zakriev, Ramzan Kadyrov —, Taimuraz, Igor Sechin, Ekaterina Kurbangaleeva, Kurbangaleeva, Hassan Malik, Loomis Sayles, Danone, Carlsberg Organizations: Danone, Carlsberg, Kremlin, Observers, Service, Financial Times, Vedomosti, Rosneft, Analysts, Russia's, Independent Russian, Novaya Gazeta, Carnegie Endowment, International, Boston Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine

According to a decree signed by Putin on Sunday, the Russian state had taken control of Danone's Russian subsidiary along with beer company Carlsberg's (CARLb.CO) stake in a brewer. Yakub Zakriev, 32, a deputy prime minister of Chechnya and the republic's agriculture minister, took the post of general director of Danone Russia on Tuesday, Interfax's SPARK database of company disclosure documents in Russia showed. "Choosing him as general director of Danone Russia shows that representatives of the team of Chechen President and Hero of Russia Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov are talented and successful managers," Dudayev said on his Telegram messaging app. Kadyrov, a close ally of Putin, has referred on social media to Zakriev as his "dear nephew". Danone sought alliances with big local players during the boom years, eventually gaining at least a fifth of Russia's dairy market.

Persons: Kadyrov, Danone Russia Kovalchuk, Carlsberg, Ramzan Kadyrov, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Yakub Zakriev, Akhmed Dudayev, of Russia Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov, Dudayev, Zakriev, Zulai, Akhmad Kadyrov, Kadyrov's, Danone, Yuri, Mikhail Kovalchuk, Bolloev, Guy Faulconbridge, Lidia Kelly, Shubhendu, Stephen Coates, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Danone Russia, Danone, Kremlin, Sunday, Chechen, Moscow State University, Cuban Missile, Soviet, Financial Times, Shubhendu Deshmukh, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Chechnya, Grozny, Paris, Red, Soviet Union, United States, China, Baltika, St Petersburg, Moscow, Melbourne, Bengaluru

☆ Russia ramps up its economic war with the West as it seizes local operations of 2 corporate giants
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia escalated its economic war with the West by seizing local operations of Carlsberg and Danone. They marked the second seizures of Western assets since the Kremlin unveiled a decree in April. To slow the exodus of Western firms out of Russia, the Kremlin previously mandated a steep discount for any firms trying to sell their local operations as well as an exit tax. But the recent seizures of Western assets signal a continued escalation in Russia's economic war with the West, which imposed punishing sanctions on Moscow in 2022 for its war on Ukraine. Meanwhile, 523 of the major firms in the study have permanently withdrawn from Russia, while 503 firms have temporarily suspended operations.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Germany's Uniper, Danone Organizations: Carlsberg, Danone, Kremlin, Service, Russian, Carlsberg Group, Danone Russia, Yale School of Management Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Danish, Moscow, Ukraine

London/Atlanta CNN —Moscow has seized control of the Russian subsidiaries of French yogurt maker Danone and Danish brewer Carlsberg, highlighting risks facing foreign firms that continue to do business in the country. The decision follows a decree Putin signed in April that allows the government to place foreign assets in the country under its temporary control if Russian assets abroad are seized or threatened. At the time, the Russian government took control of utilities owned by German energy company Uniper and Finland’s Fortum Oyj. Baltika is one of the largest consumer goods companies in Russia and employs 8,400 people, according to Carlsberg’s website. Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg/Getty Images/FileDanone (DANOY) is also in the process of selling its Russian business.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Baltika, Putin, Russia —, ”, Andrey Rudakov Organizations: London, Atlanta CNN —, Danone, Carlsberg, Russian, Heineken, Nestlé, Unilever, UL, Companies, Baltika Breweries, Breweries, Bloomberg, Getty, Danone Russia Locations: Atlanta, Atlanta CNN — Moscow, Russian, Russia, Ukraine, St . Petersburg

☆ Moscow takes control of Russian subsidiary of Danone and Carlsberg's stake in brewer
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, July 16 (Reuters) - The Russian state has taken control of French yoghurt maker Danone's (DANO.PA) Russian subsidiary along with beer company Carlsberg's (CARLb.CO) stake in a local brewer, according to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin on Sunday. The decree said that foreign-owned stakes in Danone Russia and Baltika Breweries were being put under the "temporary management" of government property agency Rosimushchestvo. The move comes after the Russian subsidiaries of Germany's Uniper (UN01.DE) and Finland's Fortum (FORTUM.HE) were taken under state control in April. The decree published on Sunday also said that Danish brewer Carlsberg's stake in Russian-based Baltika Breweries had been put under state management. Carlsberg said in June it had signed an agreement to sell its Russian business, subject to regulatory approvals.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Finland's, Danone, Carlsberg's, Carlsberg, Caleb Davis, Darya, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Sunday, Danone Russia, Baltika Breweries, Danone, Carlsberg, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Russia

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