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☆ Meta strikes deal to sell VR headset in China - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 9 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) has struck a deal with Tencent Holdings (0700.HK) to sell a new, lower-priced version of its virtual-reality (VR) headset in China, a return to the country 14 years after Facebook was shut out, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The preliminary deal will make Tencent the exclusive seller of Meta's headsets in China, the Journal said, citing sources. Meta and Tencent did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Mrigank DhaniwalaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yves Herman, Tencent, Shubham, Rashmi Aich Organizations: REUTERS, Tencent Holdings, HK, Facebook, Wall Street, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, China, Bengaluru

☆ British homebuilder Taylor Wimpey flags market uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A builder working for Taylor Wimpey builds a roof on an estate in Aylesbury, Britain, February 7, 2017. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 9 (Reuters) - UK homebuilder Taylor Wimpey (TW.L) on Thursday flagged "significant market uncertainty" as high mortgage rates dent demand, but forecast annual operating profit at the top end of its previous outlook range. Taylor Wimpey's trading update echoed sector peer Persimmon's (PSN.L), which on Tuesday marginally lifted its annual home-build targets while pointing to "highly uncertain" market conditions in 2024. Taylor Wimpey said year-to-date cancellation rate improved to 18%, compared with 24% during the four weeks to July 30, while its total order book excluding joint ventures as at Nov. 5stood at about 1.9 billion pounds ($2.33 billion), down 27% from a year earlier. ($1 = 0.8143 pounds)Reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Taylor Wimpey, Eddie Keogh, Taylor Wimpey's, Aby Jose Koilparambil, Rashmi Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of, FTSE, Thomson Locations: Aylesbury, Britain, Bank of England, Bengaluru

☆ Aussie 'big four' banks hike home loan rates after RBA decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People use Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) bank ATMs in Sydney, Australia May 3, 2018. The National Australia Bank (NAB.AX), ANZ Group Holdings (ANZ.AX) and Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AX), the other three of Australia's "big four", had hiked their home loan rates on Wednesday by 0.25%. The rate hike by the National Australia Bank (NAB.AX) and ANZ Group Holdings (ANZ.AX) would be effective from Nov. 17, while Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AX) would raise rates from Nov. 21, the lenders said in separate statements on Wednesday. CBA said its home loan variable rate change would be effective from Nov. 17. Reporting by Rishav Chatterjee and Upasana Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Edgar Su, Rishav Chatterjee, Upasana Singh, Savio D'Souza, Rashmi Organizations: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, REUTERS, Thursday, National Australia Bank, ANZ Group Holdings, Westpac Banking Corp, Reserve Bank of Australia, Wednesday, CBA, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Corteva posts smaller quarterly loss on higher seed prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo and trading info for Corteva Agriscience, a former division of DowDuPont, is displayed on a screen at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., June 3, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsNov 8 (Reuters) - U.S. agricultural chemical and seed company Corteva (CTVA.N) on Wednesday reported a smaller third-quarter loss, helped by higher prices for its seeds. Corteva's third-quarter seed net sales rose to $878 million from $862 million a year earlier. However, sales volumes declined as a result of its exit from Russia and lower-than-expected corn planted area in Brazil. Corteva posted a net loss of $321 million, or 45 cents per share, in the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with a loss of $331 million, or 46 cents per share, a year earlier.

Persons: Agriscience, Brendan McDermid, Corteva, Sourasis Bose, Shounak Dasgupta, Shilpi Majumdar, Rashmi Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, FMC Corp, Thomson Locations: DowDuPont, New York, U.S, Russia, Brazil, Indianapolis, South America, Bengaluru

☆ SoftBank's WeWork, once most valuable US startup, succumbs to bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

WeWork had office space available at 777 locations worldwide as of the end of June. In a filing with the New Jersey bankruptcy court, WeWork listed assets of $15.06 billion and liabilities of $18.66 billion as of June 30. Under its founder Adam Neumann, WeWork grew to be the most valuable U.S. startup worth $47 billion. WeWork engaged in debt restructurings, yet this was not enough to stave off its bankruptcy. Shortly before WeWork filed for bankruptcy, Neumann said in a statement, "I believe that, with the right strategy and team, a reorganization will enable WeWork to emerge successfully."

Persons: WeWork, SoftBank, Cadwalader, Taft, Kate Munsch, Adam Neumann, Sandeep Mathrani, Mathrani, David Tolley, Neumann, Greg Roumeliotis, Mrinmay Dey, Arun Koyyur, Rashmi Aich, Jamie Freed, Edmund Klamann Organizations: SoftBank, New, REUTERS, JPMorgan Chase, Intelsat, Thomson Locations: Canada, New Jersey, Wickersham, San Francisco , California, U.S, WeWork, SoftBank, Tokyo, New York, Bengaluru

☆ GM to halt production of Cruise driverless van
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] FILE PHOTO: A Cruise self-driving car, which is owned by General Motors Corp, is seen outside the company’s headquarters in San Francisco, California, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Heather Somerville/File Photo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 6 (Reuters) - General Motors (GM.N) is finishing production on a small number of its pre-commercial fully autonomous van the Cruise Origin, after which the automaker plans to temporarily pause its production, a company spokesperson told Reuters on Monday. The Cruise Origin vehicle was jointly developed by GM, Cruise and Honda. The move comes after Cruise, the driverless car unit of General Motors, suspended all operations nationwide after California regulators ordered the robotaxi operator to remove its driverless cars from state roads. California regulators suspended the company's license to operate driverless vehicles last month, saying self-driving vehicles were a risk to the public.

Persons: Heather Somerville, Forbes, Kyle Vogt's, Vogt, Cruise, Akanksha Khushi, Mrinmay Dey, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: General Motors Corp, REUTERS, General Motors, GM, Cruise, Honda, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S, Japan, Tokyo, California, Bengaluru

☆ SoftBank's WeWork, once most valuable U.S. startup, succumbs to bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Profitability has remained elusive, as WeWork grapples with its expensive leases and corporate clients cancelling because some employees work from home. In a filing with the New Jersey bankruptcy court, WeWork listed estimated assets and liabilities in the range of $10 billon to $50 billion. Under its founder Adam Neumann, WeWork grew to be the most valuable U.S. startup worth $47 billion. WeWork engaged in debt restructurings, yet this was not enough to stave off its bankruptcy. Shortly before WeWork filed for bankruptcy, Neumann said in a statement, "I believe that, with the right strategy and team, a reorganization will enable WeWork to emerge successfully."

Persons: Kate Munsch, WeWork, Cadwalader, Taft, Adam Neumann, SoftBank, Sandeep Mathrani, Mathrani, David Tolley, Neumann, Greg Roumeliotis, Mrinmay Dey, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, SoftBank, New, JPMorgan Chase, Intelsat, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S, Canada, New Jersey, Wickersham, WeWork, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Music royalty fund Hipgnosis to halt dividends till new fiscal year
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A headset is seen in front of displayed Hipgnosis logo in this illustration taken, June 28, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 6 (Reuters) - Hipgnosis Songs Fund Ltd (SONG.L), which had been undertaking a review of its financial position, said on Monday it would not declare dividends before its new fiscal year to ensure sufficient cash resources. The music royalty fund said catalogue bonus provision was expected to increase by about $23 million to $68 million as at Sept. 30, adding that operating cash flow would be used to fund the payment of catalogue bonuses. It added that 10 out of the company's 146 catalogues were likely to meet "performance hurdles" now according to the respective acquisition agreements. Reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Hipgnosis, Aby Jose Koilparambil, Nivedita Bhattacharjee Organizations: REUTERS, Fund, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Bain close to buying consulting firm Guidehouse in $5 bln deal- WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Bain Capital is displayed on the screen during a news conference in Tokyo, Japan October 5, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 5 (Reuters) - Bain Capital is close to acquiring Guidehouse, a consulting firm that advises government organizations and businesses, in a deal valuing it at $5.3 billion including debt, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. Bain Capital declined to comment when contacted by Reuters, while Guidehouse did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Private equity firm Veritas Capital acquired the U.S. public sector business of accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2018 and rebranded it as Guidehouse. Reporting by Devika Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Subhranshu SahuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Guidehouse, Devika Nair, Rashmi Aich, Subhranshu Organizations: Bain Capital, REUTERS, Wall Street, Reuters, Veritas Capital, U.S, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Bengaluru

REUTERS/Amira Karaoud/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Wildcat Capital Management, a top shareholder in Consolidated Communications Holdings (CNSL.O), said on Friday it plans to vote against its $3.1 billion takeover by an investor consortium, as it undervalues the broadband services provider. In October, Consolidated Communications agreed to be bought by an investor group comprising Searchlight Capital Partners And British Columbia Investment Management Corp, months after the group had first submitted an offer to buy the company. Reuters reported in July that Wildcat asked Consolidated Communications to reject the offer. Consolidated Communications did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Wildcat argued that mature fiber and cable operators have historically been valued at 10 to 15 times earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) by acquirers, whereas Consolidated Communications' take-private deal valued the company at about six times of cash flow.

Persons: Amira Karaoud, Wildcat, CNSL, Tom McConnon, McConnon, Anirban Sen, Rashmi Organizations: REUTERS, Wildcat Capital Management, Consolidated Communications Holdings, Consolidated Communications, Reuters, Searchlight, Partners, Columbia Investment Management Corp, Wildcat, acquirers, Frontier Communications, Thomson Locations: Oldham county, Louisville , Kentucky, U.S, , Illinois, New York

☆ Lendlease, Google end development deals for $15 bln San Francisco Bay Area projects
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Himanshi Akhand | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FILE PHOTO: A sign is pictured outside a Google office near the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California, U.S., May 8, 2019. Under the project, Lendlease was to develop up to 15 million square feet of residential, retail and hospitality space and Google would develop office space. As of June-end, 12,900 of the planned housing units were approved for development in San Jose and Mountain View, according to Google. Lendlease said it will remove the San Francisco Bay project, which was expected to commence construction in fiscal 2026, from its development pipeline. Lendlease retained its forecast for fiscal 2024, with core operating return on equity at the lower end of its 8%-10% range.

Persons: Paresh Dave, Lendlease, Himanshi, Ayushman Ojha, Sonia Cheema, Rashmi, Sohini Organizations: REUTERS, Lendlease, Google, San Francisco Bay Area, Francisco's, Alexa Arena, San, UBS, Thomson Locations: Mountain View , California, U.S, San Francisco Bay, Sunnyvale, San Jose, Mountain, Westfield, Bay, Hayes, San Francisco, Americas, Bengaluru

REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Santos (STO.AX) said on Thursday an Australian court has granted an interim injunction preventing it from starting work on laying undersea pipelines on its $3.6 billion Barossa gas project off northern Australia. Australia's offshore regulator ordered Santos in January to evaluate the environmental risks to underwater indigenous cultural heritage before starting pipeline work though it did not prohibit the start of work. Santos has said, citing an independent expert, that there were no specific underwater cultural heritage sites along the planned route of the pipeline. A Santos ship was hours away from beginning work on the pipeline, lawyers for Munkara told the court. Santos said the vessel will remain at its current location but no pipeline works will be conducted during the interim injunction.

Persons: Santos, Chris Helgren, Simon Munkara, Munkara, Renju Jose, Ayushman, Mrigank Dhaniwala, Rashmi Aich, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Federal, Environmental, Office, EDO, Woodside, Thomson Locations: Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, Australia, Tiwi, Munkara, Barossa, Scarborough, Sydney, Bengaluru

☆ Advil maker Haleon misses revenue estimates as North America demand drags
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Haleon Plc FollowGSK plc FollowNov 2 (Reuters) - Haleon (HLN.L) missed market estimates for third-quarter revenue on Thursday, as the world's largest consumer healthcare firm grappled with weak demand for its painkillers, digestive health and vitamin supplements in North America. For the three months ended Sept. 30, Haleon reported a 5% organic increase in revenue to 2.79 billion pounds ($3.40 billion), but it came slightly below analysts' expectations of 2.83 billion pounds, according to a company-compiled consensus. The company said overall volumes for the quarter declined by 1.6%, while North America revenues fell 7.5% on a reported basis. Haleon, which was carved out of British drugmaker GSK (GSK.L) last year, has been raising prices to offset high costs. ($1 = 0.8215 pounds)Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Haleon, Eva Mathews, Rashmi Aich, Gerry Doyle Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, GSK, Consumer, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, North America, British, Bengaluru

☆ Pilots at Qantas' unit halt planned two-day strike ahead of further talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Rishav Chatterjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AFAP on Friday said that Network Aviation pilots will stop work on Wednesday and Thursday in a bid to negotiate wages. Australia's industrial relations tribunal, the Fair Works Commission (FWC), presided over a series of talks between pilots and the airline on Monday. AFAP members – who make up 90% of the pilot group at Network Aviation – won't be engaging in protected action until next week's bargaining sessions are completed, the pilots' union said. Meanwhile, Qantas expressed disappointment over the union choosing to "cause disruption and uncertainty" by threatening the strike, a few days before a meeting with the FWC. The airline will continue to work with the FWC over coming weeks to seek a resolution, it added.

Persons: Loren Elliott, AFAP, –, Tim Waterer, FWC, Rishav Chatterjee, Ayushman Ojha, Mrigank Dhaniwala Organizations: Qantas, Kingsford Smith International Airport, REUTERS, Pilots, Network Aviation, Qantas Airways, Australian Federation of Pilots, Qantas Group, Fair Works Commission, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ UK's Ascential to sell digital commerce, product design units in $1.70 bln deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 30 (Reuters) - Information and analytics firm Ascential (ASCL.L) said on Monday it would sell its digital commerce and consumer research units for a combined enterprise value of 1.4 billion pounds ($1.70 billion) as the UK-based company focuses on its events business. London-listed Ascential said it intended to distribute about 850 million pounds to shareholders following the completion of the transactions. The digital commerce business would be sold to U.S.-listed Omnicom Group (OMC.N) for a total enterprise value of $900 million, it said. Ascential said its CEO Duncan Painter would join Omnicom to take on a new role as chief of Flywheel Digital, a newly formed part of the U.S.-based company which will operate the digital commerce business. The WGSN divestment is part of a break-up plan announced in January which originally included separation and a U.S. listing of its digital commerce assets.

Persons: Ascential, Duncan Painter, Philip Thomas, Aby Jose Koilparambil, Rashmi Aich, Jason Neely Organizations: Apax Partners, Thomson Locations: London, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ ASML warns of flat 2024 sales as chipmakers slow orders
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The company reported net profit of 1.9 billion euros ($2.01 billion) for the three months ended Sept. 30, in line with analyst expectations. Net bookings were 2.6 billion euros, compared with third quarter sales of 6.7 billion euros. "Consensus expectations still call for 7% sales growth next year, which should come down today," Stifel analysts said in a note. Dassen said ASML still had an order backlog of 35 billion euros and a strong 2025 would follow an uncertain 2024, given its customers' expansion plans in Asia, the United States and Europe. Dassen said the company did not expect any financial impact from an updated U.S. policy announced Tuesday restricting sales of semiconductor equipment to China.

Persons: they're, Roger Dassen, Dassen, ASML, Toby Sterling, Victor Goury, Rashmi Aich, Mark Potter Organizations: Jefferies, Semiconductor, ASML, Samsung, Intel, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Amsterdam, Asia, United States, Europe, China, Taiwan, South Korea

☆ X social media to test $1 annual subscription for basic features
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of social media platform X, formerly Twitter, is seen alongside the former logo in this illustration taken, July 24, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 17 (Reuters) - Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, said on Tuesday it will test a new subscription model under which it will charge $1 annual fee for basic features. The purpose of introducing the new subscription model is to combat bots and spammers, X said, adding that the fee will vary from country to country based on the exchange rate. X said the new method will be first available for users in New Zealand and Philippines. In July, X had introduced a limit on viewing tweets, "to ensure the authenticity" of its user base.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, X, Elon Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Shubhendu Deshmukh, Subhranshu Sahu, Rashmi Organizations: REUTERS, Twitter, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Philippines, Bengaluru

☆ Drug retailer Rite Aid files for bankruptcy, gets $3.45 bln commitment
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A woman shops inside a Rite Aid store underneath a DeepCam security camera in New York City, New York, U.S., June 25, 2020. The bankruptcy process will allow Rite Aid to resolve litigation claims in an "equitable manner", the company said. Rite Aid has appointed Jeffrey Stein as its new CEO and chief restructuring officer, replacing interim CEO Elizabeth Burr. Rite Aid has also reached an in-principle agreement with some of its senior secured noteholders that would significantly reduce its debt. MedImpact will serve as the 'stalking horse bidder' in a court-supervised sale process, Rite Aid said.

Persons: Lucas Jackson, Jeffrey Stein, Elizabeth Burr, Stein, Burr, noteholders, Abinaya Vijayaraghavan, Mariam Sunny, Sriparna Roy, Shweta Agarwal, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, Rite Aid Corp, U.S, Aid, Walgreens Boots Alliance, CVS Health, MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Solutions, Rite Aid, Bankruptcy, District of, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, District of New Jersey, Bengaluru

☆ Aussie lender ANZ loses case over troubled 2015 share placement worth $1.6 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The landmark case reaffirms the importance of the continuous disclosure rules to maintain market integrity," the ASIC said in a statement on Friday. "The decision also confirms that a significant take-up of shares by underwriters in a capital raising may be considered price sensitive information requiring market disclosure." The maximum penalty under the court decision is A$1 million, ANZ said. The bank is reviewing the court judgement, it said, while the securities regulator said it would now make submissions on appropriate penalties. ($1 = 1.5838 Australian dollars)Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Steven Saphore, Sameer Manekar, Rashmi Organizations: New Zealand Banking Group, ANZ, REUTERS, Australia's ANZ, underwriters, Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Citigroup Inc, Deutsche Bank AG, Australian Competition, Consumer Commission, Thomson Locations: Australia, Sydney, Bengaluru

The deal, valued at $253 a share, would be Exxon's biggest since its $81 billion purchase of Mobil Oil in 1998, years before the shale boom began. It combines the largest U.S. oil company with one of the most successful names to emerge from the shale revolution that turned the country into the world's largest oil producer in little more than a decade. Pioneer is the Permian's largest operator accounting for 9% of gross production, while Exxon occupies the No. "The combination of ExxonMobil and Pioneer creates a diversified energy company with the largest footprint of high-return wells in the Permian Basin," said Pioneer CEO Scott Sheffield. Under Sheffield, Pioneer grew through rapid-fire purchases, including multi-billion dollar deals in 2021 for DoublePoint Energy and Parsley Energy.

Persons: Darren Woods, ” Woods, Scott Sheffield, Shubhendu, Anirban Sen, Sabrina Valle, Gary McWilliams, Rashmi Aich, Jamie Freed, Sriraj Organizations: Exxon Mobil, Natural Resources, Mobil Oil, Exxon, Reuters, Pioneer, RBC Capital Markets, ExxonMobil, DoublePoint Energy, Parsley Energy, BG Group, Denbury, Shubhendu Deshmukh, Thomson Locations: HOUSTON, Ukraine, U.S, Sheffield, Bengaluru, New York, Houston

☆ US pharmacy chain Walgreens names Tim Wentworth as CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pigeons are seen resting on signage for Walgreens, owned by the Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 26, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 10 (Reuters) - U.S. pharmacy chain operator Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O) on Tuesday said it has appointed Tim Wentworth as its new chief executive and he will assume the role on Oct. 23. Last month, Rosalind Brewer had abruptly stepped down as CEO of the company after less than three years at the top job. Wentworth, who was CEO of Cigna's (CI.N) Evernorth unit till he retired in 2021, will also join the WBA Board of Directors. Walgreens has been looking to expand beyond its core business, with acquisitions of healthcare services operator VillageMD and urgent-care provider Summit Health.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Tim Wentworth, Rosalind Brewer, Wentworth, Urvi, Rashmi Organizations: Walgreens, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc, REUTERS, WBA, Rite Aid, CVS Health, Summit Health, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

ExxonMobil and Pioneer Natural Resources logos are seen in this illustration taken, October 8, 2023. Pioneer shares closed at $237.41 on Tuesday, having risen 11% since the first reports of a deal surfaced last Thursday. Exxon declined to comment on "market speculation," while Pioneer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It is the third-largest oil producer in the Permian basin, after Chevron Corp (CVX.N) and ConocoPhillips (COP.N), with rock-bottom production costs averaging about $10.50 per barrel of oil and gas. Under CEO Scott Sheffield, the oil producer grew through rapid-fire purchases, including multi-billion dollar deals in 2021 for DoublePoint Energy and Parsley Energy.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Darren Woods, Scott Sheffield, Exxon's, Shubhendu, Anirban Sen, Sabrina Valle, Gary McWilliams, Rashmi Aich, Jamie Freed Organizations: ExxonMobil, Pioneer, REUTERS, Exxon Mobil, Natural Resources, Exxon, Mobil Oil, Antitrust, Reuters, Exxon socked, Chevron Corp, ConocoPhillips, DoublePoint Energy, Parsley Energy, BG Group, Bloomberg News, Denbury Inc, Denbury, Shubhendu Deshmukh, Thomson Locations: HOUSTON, Ukraine, U.S, Bengaluru, New York, Houston

☆ China's Big Tree Cloud in $500 mln SPAC deal for US listing
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Nasdaq logo is displayed at the Nasdaq Market site in Times Square in New York City, U.S., December 3, 2021. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon Acquire Licensing RightsOct 10 (Reuters) - U.S. blank-check firm Plutonian Acquisition Corp (PLTNU.O) agreed to merge with Big Tree Cloud International Group for the Chinese personal care products company to go public in a deal that will value the combined enterprise at about $500 million. After the completion of the merger with the special purpose acquisition company, Big Tree Cloud International Group will be operated under a holding entity named Big Tree Cloud Holdings Ltd and listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, according to the statement. Big Tree Cloud, based in the southern Chinese tech hub Shenzhen and founded in 2020, focuses on feminine hygiene products like sterilized feminine pads and menstrual pants. "The proposed business combination with Plutonian Acquisition will enable us to accelerate our effort of accomplishing our mission of offering premium personal care products to consumers and expanding our product portfolio beyond feminine care," said Big Tree Cloud founder Wenquan Zhu.

Persons: Wenquan Zhu, Rishabh, Roxanne Liu, Rashmi Aich, Subhranshu Organizations: Nasdaq, REUTERS, Plutonian, Cloud, Group, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Market, Cloud Holdings, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Shenzhen, Bengaluru, Beijing

☆ Luxury stocks drag European shares lower on LVMH disappointment
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of LVMH is seen at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 15, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 11 (Reuters) - European stocks slipped on Wednesday after sharp gains in the previous session, as luxury giant LVMH dragged the sector lower on disappointing sales, though Novo Nordisk jumped after positive update on its diabetes drug Ozempic. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) dipped 0.2% by 0707 GMT. Shares of other French luxury majors such as Hermes (HRMS.PA) and Kering (PRTP.PA) fell 2.5% and 2.7%, respectively. Swiss luxury firms Richemont (CFR.S) fell 5.3% and Swatch Group (UHR.S) dropped 2.9%.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Danish drugmaker, Sruthi Shankar, Rashmi Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Novo Nordisk, U.S . Federal Reserve, Swatch Group, Fresenius, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, U.S, Danish, Bengaluru

The company logo of Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured at the Shanghai Country Garden Center in Shanghai, China August 9, 2023. Country Garden, China's largest private property developer, has not defaulted so far, but has missed coupon payments on some dollar bonds since last month and faces the end of 30-day grace periods for making payments from next week. In a filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange on Tuesday, Country Garden said that its sales and financing were facing "significant challenges", and its available funds have continued to decrease. Country Garden was due on Monday to pay $66.8 million in coupons on 2024 and 2026 dollar bonds, although the payments have a 30-day grace period. ($1 = 7.8284 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney and Xie Yu in Hong Kong; additional reporting Rishav Chatterjee in Bengaluru and Clare Jim in Hong Kong; Editing by Rashmi Aich, Lincoln Feast, Jamie Freed and Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, homebuyers, Houlihan Lokey, Sidley Austin, Jeff Zhang, Sandra Chow, CreditSight's, Scott Murdoch, Xie Yu, Rishav Chatterjee, Clare Jim, Rashmi Aich, Lincoln, Jamie Freed, Kim Coghill Organizations: Shanghai Country Garden, REUTERS, HK, Hong, China International Capital Corporation, Asia, China Evergrande, Investment, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Beijing, Sydney, Bengaluru, Clare

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