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☆ US Steel to explore strategic alternatives after unsolicited bids
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: Steel workers at U.S. Steel Granite City Works in Granite City, Illinois, U.S., May 24, 2018. REUTERS/Lawrence Bryant/File Photo(Reuters) -United States Steel said on Sunday it is initiating a formal review to evaluate strategic alternatives for the steel producer after receiving multiple unsolicited bids for part or all of its business. The review was begun after the steel producer received “multiple unsolicited proposals that ranged from the acquisition of certain production assets to consideration for the whole company,” CEO David Burritt said in a statement, without disclosing details about the strategic alternatives. Barclays Capital and Goldman Sachs are serving as financial advisors to U.S. Steel, while Milbank LLP and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz are acting as legal advisors, the steel producer said. U.S. Steel also expects to complete about $75 million of repurchases of common stock in the second quarter under its existing $500 million stock buyback authorization.

Persons: Lawrence Bryant, David Burritt, Goldman Sachs, Milbank, Lipton, Katz Organizations: U.S . Steel, U.S . Steel Granite City, REUTERS, United States Steel, Barclays Capital, Milbank LLP, Wachtell, Rosen, . Steel Locations: U.S . Steel Granite, Granite City , Illinois, U.S

☆ Apple has plowed over $500 billion into stock buybacks since 2012 — more than Visa, JPMorgan, or Exxon are worth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple has spent over $500 billion on stock buybacks since 2012, a Markets Insider analysis shows. Warren Buffett has welcomed Apple's buybacks as they've boosted his ownership at no cost to him. It splurged $90 billion on buybacks in its last financial year, and has repurchased $56 billion worth of its shares in the last nine months alone. His Berkshire Hathaway empire owns nearly 6% of Apple, and the position accounts for almost half of its roughly $350 billion stock portfolio. "Much of what the company retained was used to repurchase Apple shares, an act we applaud," Buffett wrote in his 2021 letter to shareholders.

Persons: Apple, Warren Buffett, Apple's buybacks, Charlie Bilello, Bilello, Apple's repurchases, Buffett, Tim Cook, Apple's Organizations: Service, Visa, JPMorgan, Exxon Mobil, Apple, Citigroup, Berkshire Hathaway Locations: Wall, Silicon, buybacks, Berkshire

☆ Ant group quarterly profit rises 17.5% on year to 13.37 bln yuan - Alibaba filing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A booth of Ant Group is pictured at the Singapore FinTech Festival, Singapore, November 4, 2022. REUTERS/Anshuman DagaSHANGHAI, Aug 10 (Reuters) - China's Ant Group made net profit of 13.37 billion yuan ($1.85 billion) in the three months to March 31, up 17.5% from a year earlier, according to Reuters calculations from Alibaba Group Holding's (9988.HK) earnings report released Thursday. The e-commerce giant reports profit from Ant one quarter in arrears. Chinese authorities in July announced a fine of 7.12 billion yuan ($984 million) for Ant Group for violating laws concerning consumer protection and corporate governance, ending a years-long regulatory overhaul of the fintech company. ($1 = 7.2097 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Casey Hall Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ant's, Casey Hall, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Ant, Singapore FinTech Festival, REUTERS, Alibaba, HK, Ant Group, Thomson Locations: Singapore, SHANGHAI

Banks now must sacrifice profit to keep customers who are struggling to make repayments on time. Cash profit for the year ended June 30 rose 6% to A$10.16 billion, slightly ahead of analyst forecasts, but CBA put aside $A1.47 billion more in provisions due to "ongoing cost of living pressures and rising interest rates". CBA stopped offering cash payments for mortgage refinancings to lure new borrowers in June, which CEO Matt Comyn said had "weighed on our market share". CBA's mortgage book grew in line with the total market in 2023. The number of borrowers struggling to repay loans, while rising, remained below pre-pandemic levels "but these figures will rise", Comyn said.

Persons: Banks, Matt Comyn, Comyn, Australia's, Byron Kaye, Sameer Manekar, Anil D'Silva, Stephen Coates, Jamie Freed Organizations: CBA, SYDNEY, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Citi, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ Group, Thomson Locations: COVID, Sydney, Bengaluru

☆ Companies are spending less on buybacks and investing more. How the trend is playing out for our stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Meanwhile, S & P 500 companies are spending more and more on capital expenditures (CapEx). Certainly, some companies execute wise buybacks, while others are not as ideal. Humana repurchased $529 million worth of common stock in the second quarter, after spending only $4 million in the year-ago period. Of course, companies also must consider their spending on buybacks versus investments back in the business in order to support growth, such as new manufacturing equipment or data centers. But less spending on buybacks is not necessarily something to worry about.

Persons: BofA, Savita Subramanian, Wells, Wells Fargo, Caterpillar Morgan Stanley, Halliburton Emerson, Eli Lilly, Emerson, we've, It's, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Spencer Platt Organizations: of America, GE Healthcare, Caterpillar, Humana, Halliburton, HAL, Humana . Halliburton, Bank, Microsoft, Linde, LIN, Natural Resources, Honeywell, Halliburton Emerson Electric, Ford, Procter, Gamble, Coterra, Bank of America, Bank of, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Getty Locations: U.S, Wells Fargo, Wells

An employee of a private security company stands in front of the logo of commodities trader Glencore during the company's annual shareholder meeting in Cham, Switzerland May 24, 2017. Analysts at Deutsche Bank had expected half-year earnings of $9.9 billion, while Citi's estimate was $11.4 billion. The company announced additional returns of around $2.2 billion, including a $1 billion special dividend and a $1.2 billion share buyback programme that will run until February 2024. Glencore in June offered to buy Teck's coal business as a standalone unit, having been rebuffed twice in its $22.5 billon bid to combine the two companies. As part of the deal, Glencore would spin-off and merge its thermal coal business with Teck's steelmaking coal one to form a separate New York-listed company.

Persons: Arnd, Glencore, Gary Nagle, Nagle, MARA, didn't, Bunge, Clara Denina, Pratima Desai, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Canada's, Canada's Teck Resources, Tinto, Teck Resources, Deutsche Bank, Citi, U.S, Thomson Locations: Cham, Switzerland, Canada's Teck, Teck, China, New York, London, U.S

☆ Global investors skip Ant’s buyback after valuation slumps 70% - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A sign of Antchain, the blockchain technology branch under Ant Group, is seen at Ant Group's booth during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China, July 8, 2021. REUTERS/Yilei Sun/File PhotoAug 7 (Reuters) - A number of global investors are opting out of Ant Group's (688688.SS) proposed share buyback after the Chinese fintech's valuation was slashed by more than 70%, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. However, a few money managers, including Fidelity Investments and T. Rowe Price Group, have agreed to sell their shares, the report added. In July, Ant Group announced a surprise share buyback of up to 7.6% of its equity interest at a price that represents a group valuation of about 567.1 billion yuan ($78.68 billion). Ant Group, Warburg Pincus, GIC, Fidelity Investments and T. Rowe Price Group did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Persons: Ant Group's, Warburg Pincus, Rowe Price, Nilutpal, Varun Organizations: Ant, Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, Yilei, Bloomberg, Plan Investment, Carlyle Group, Fidelity Investments, Rowe Price Group, Ant Group, GIC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Canada, Bengaluru

☆ Here's why we're reviewing our price target on an oil stock after quarterly results and guidance
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Oil and natural gas producer Coterra Energy (CTRA) delivered mixed results after the closing bell Monday, with second-quarter sales missing expectations and profit outpacing estimates. However, natural gas liquid prices missed estimates. While management did raise their outlook for total production along with their production targets for oil and natural gas, they left capital expenditure expectations alone. Given the pressure seen on commodity prices, particularly in natural gas, management was forced to lower their outlook for operating cash flow and free cash flow. Guidance Forward guidance for both the third quarter and full year 2023 was mixed — and unfortunately, the full-year misses were on management's cash flow forecasts.

Persons: We'll, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Pavlo Gonchar Organizations: Coterra Energy, Revenue, Refinitiv, Natural Resources, Management, West Texas, CNBC, Energy Inc, Getty

☆ Palantir reports 13% revenue growth, issues guidance that tops estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Palantir reported a 13% increase in second-quarter revenue on Monday and issued a forecast for the current period that topped analysts' estimates. Here's how the company did:Earnings: 5 cents per share, adjusted, vs. 5 cents per share as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv. 5 cents per share, adjusted, vs. 5 cents per share as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv. Revenue: $533 million, vs. $533 million as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv. The data analytics company said third-quarter revenue will likely be between $553 million and $557 million, ahead of the $552 million expected by analysts.

Persons: Alex Karp, Palantir, Refinitiv, Asset's Gene Munster Organizations: Palantir Technologies, Allen & Company Sun Valley, Analysts, U.S . Special Operations Command, Asset's Gene Locations: Sun Valley , Idaho, Refinitiv

A general view shows parts of the structure of flight terminal at an abandoned construction site of a Mexico City airport that was scrapped at Texcoco on the outskirts of Mexico City, Mexico September 3, 2020. "The finance ministry asked for everything to stay the same, so that's what's going to happen," Deputy Transportation Minister Rogelio Jimenez Pons told reporters. Jimenez had previously said that the finance ministry was considering an earlier payback schedule, as the funds used to pay off the bonds for the canceled airport currently come from a usage tax generated by the existing Mexico City International Airport (AICM). Once the Navy runs the AICM, which Jimenez said he expects to happen later this year, it may decide to renegotiate a buyback with the finance ministry, he added. Lopez Obrador opened the farther-away Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA) last year as an alternative to the Texcoco airport on an active military base.

Persons: Henry Romero, Andres Manuel Lopez, Rogelio Jimenez Pons, Jimenez, Lopez Obrador, Felipe, Kylie Madry, David Alire Garcia, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Mexico City International, Navy, Felipe Angeles International Airport, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Texcoco, Mexico, MEXICO

☆ European markets choppy after downbeat week; Commerzbank down 5%
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Commerzbank shares were down 5% in the first hour of trading, despite announcing strong half-year results, with net profits up by almost 50% to 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion). Commerzbank completed its first share buyback program in June, in which it purchased more than 12 million of its own shares, with a value of 122 million euros at an average price of around 10.05 euros per share. The bank's CFO Bettina Orlopp told CNBC's Silvia Amaro that Commerzbank was "satisfied" with the strong results, in an interview that took place before European markets opened. Commerzbank also raised its outlook for net income interest from 7 billion euros to 7.8 billion euros, well above the net income for 2022, and showed optimism for the upcoming year. "We are very confident that we will reach our 2024 targets, so there are no worries here," Orlopp said.

Persons: Commerzbank, Bettina Orlopp, CNBC's Silvia Amaro, Orlopp, — Hannah Ward, Glenton

The beat was underpinned by much lower-than-expected "cost of risk" - money set aside for failing loans - of 166 million euros. Analysts had expected 430 million euros. Dubbed a "year of transition" by Krupa's predecessor Frederic Oudea, 2023 is also marked by a severe downturn at SocGen's French retail banking division, fresh from a merger of its two local networks. The second quarter was also affected by negative exceptional items of 240 million euros, which Credit Suisse analysts said were tied to "legacy legal disputes". Retail banking outside France fared better, as did SocGen's car leasing division ALD Automotive (ALDA.PA), whose sales jumped by more than 17% thanks to the acquisition of rival LeasePlan.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Krupa, Slawomir Krupa, France's, Jefferies, Frederic Oudea, Intesa, LeasePlan, SocGen, Mathieu Rosemain, Augustin Turpin, Ingrid Melander, Mark Potter Organizations: Societe Generale, La Defense, REUTERS, Royal Bank of Canada, European Central Bank, Credit Suisse, Retail, ALD Automotive, Thomson Locations: French, Courbevoie, Paris, France, PARIS, Russia

☆ Societe Generale returns to profit, but comes under pressure in its home market
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Societe Generale returned to profit in the second quarter of this year, but lower revenues in France and broader global banking challenges dragged down its performance. However, revenues in French retail banking dropped by 13.6% from a year ago, off the back of lower net interest margins — a crucial indicator of banks' profitability. Revenues in the global banking division fell by 7.3% on lower volumes and weaker volatility. Fixed income and currencies (FIC) activities were down by 18.4%, "amid less conducive market conditions due to weaker interest rate and currency volatility," the bank sad in a statement. Group revenues contracted due to the decline in the net interest margin in France and in market activities' revenues against a backdrop of gradual normalisation after some particularly favourable years."

Persons: Slawomir Krupa Organizations: Generale Locations: France, Russia

☆ Humana calms Wall Street's jitters with quarterly results, clearing way for stock to run higher
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Humana (HUM) reported second-quarter results Wednesday that were much better than feared, sending its stock price soaring and giving us the confidence to stick with the jilted health insurer. Not only did second-quarter numbers top expectations, but management offered assuring commentary on the worrisome medical-cost trends that torpedoed its stock price in mid-June . That one-two punch explains the more-than-5% jump in Humana shares, pushing the stock to its highest levels since June 14. Outlook Humana raised its outlook for 2023 individual Medicare Advantage membership growth by 50,000 to roughly 825,000 members, representing an 18% increase compared with enrollment levels at the end of 2022. Capital allocation Humana CFO Susan Diamond said the company has capitalized on the "recent dislocation" in its stock price — i.e.

Persons: MLR —, Wall, Bruce Broussard, —, Broussard, Susan Diamond, Humana, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Ty Wright Organizations: Revenue, Humana, Club, UnitedHealth, Management, Insurance, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: Louisville , Kentucky

FILE PHOTO-People gather at the BAE Systems' booth during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. March 28, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney Orr/File PhotoSummaryCompanies First-half EPS up 17%Sees full-year EPS 10%-12% higher, previous forecast 5%-7%Lifts interim dividend by 11%Shares up 5%LONDON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Britain's biggest defence company BAE Systems (BAES.L) upgraded its guidance for 2023, forecasting annual earnings growth of 10%-12%, as governments spend more on military equipment in "an increasingly uncertain world". BAE Systems said its good operational performance plus the demand from its customers, the biggest of which are the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia and Australia, meant its full-year results would be better than expected across the board. Shares in BAE Systems jumped 5% in early deals. For 2023, BAE said earnings per share would grow 10%-12%, compared to the 5%-7% increase it had forecast in February, while it also lifted sales guidance to 5%-7% growth from 3%-5%.

Persons: Cheney Orr, Charles Woodburn, Woodburn, Hargreaves, Aarin, Sarah Young, Paul Sandle, Kate Holton Organizations: BAE Systems, Association of, United States Army, Global, REUTERS, BAE, Thomson Locations: Huntsville , Alabama, U.S, United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Russia, Ukraine, Asia, Pacific, Europe, Czech Republic, Poland, Qatar, Christian

☆ UK lender Virgin Money sticks to annual outlook despite mortgage pressures
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Signage on display outside of a Virgin Money store in central London, Britain, July 27, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File PhotoAug 2 (Reuters) - British challenger bank Virgin Money UK (VMUK.L) on Wednesday maintained its full-year outlook and reported stable net interest margin (NIM) in the third quarter despite pressure from its mortgages business. Virgin Money has been restructuring itself as it grapples with a drop in footfall and transaction volumes. Virgin Money said higher interest rates were offset by spread pressure in mortgages and continued deposit migration. The London-listed lender also announced its plans to buyback shares worth 175 million pounds ($159.58 million) in fiscal year 2023 and more in 2024.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, Yadarisa, Rashmi Organizations: Virgin, REUTERS, British, Virgin Money, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Bengaluru

☆ Gloomy data makes investors more cautious on world economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Lawrence Delevingne | Thomson Reuters | Delevingne Works Primarily On Enterprise Stories Related To Finance. He Joined Reuters In | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. European stocks (.STOXX) fell 0.9%, stepping back from a 2% increase in July, the index's second month of gains. UK stocks (.FTSE) also fell 0.4%, though HSBC (HSBA.L) climbed 1.3% after announcing a $2 billion share buyback and raising its key profitability target. U.S. Treasury yields rose on Tuesday with 30-year paper touching a new year-high as investors expected an increase in government debt issuance and anticipated more signs of economic resilience, despite data showing a slowdown in activity. China's stumbling post-pandemic recovery remained in focus, for instance, after a surprise contraction in manufacturing in a private-sector survey released Tuesday.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Michael Hewson, Ronald Temple, Brent, Lawrence Delevingne, Tom Wilson, Kevin Buckland, Angus MacSwan, Susan Fenton, Deepa Babington Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Treasury, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Merck & Co, Pfizer, Caterpillar Inc, HSBC, . Federal, CMC Markets, U.S, Lazard, Fed, Energy, BP, Bank of, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, China, Asia, Boston, London, Tokyo

European stocks (.STOXX) fell 0.2%, stepping back from a 2% gain in July, its second month of gains. UK stocks (.FTSE) edged up 0.1%, however, with HSBC (HSBA.L) climbing 2.6% after announcing a $2 billion share buyback and raising its key profitability target. Oil prices traded near a three-month high hit on Monday amid signs of tightening global supply. Also buoying prices were producers cutting output and demand in the United States, the world's biggest fuel consumer, remaining resilient. The U.S. dollar index - which measures the currency against six major peers - rose as high as 102.07 for the first time since July 10.

Persons: Sandrine Perret, Hong, HSI, Alec Jin, Tom Wilson, Kevin Buckland, Ankur Banerjee, Lincoln, Bernadette Baum Organizations: HSBC, LONDON, . Federal, Fed, Brent, Energy, BP, Bank of, Japan's Nikkei, Reserve Bank of Australia, U.S, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Unigestion, United States, London, Asia, Tokyo

HSBC (0005.HK) raised its near-term return on tangible equity goal to at least mid-teens for 2023 and 2024, from a previous target of at least 12% from 2023 onwards. It reported return on tangible equity of 9.9% for 2022. That reflected an environment where rising interest rates around the world are boosting lending income, while a global deal drought and volatile markets suppress revenues from investment banking and trading. The lender lifted its forecast for net interest income this year to be above $35 billion instead of $34 billion, although some analysts had looked for an upgrade nearer to $36 billion. ($1 = 7.7969 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by Selena Li and Lawrence White; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Noel Quinn, Quinn, Selena Li, Lawrence White, Himani Sarkar Organizations: HSBC, Hong, HSBC Holdings, HK, Nationwide, Reuters, Sohar International Bank, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, HONG KONG, London, Britain, China, Asia, Oman, Russia, New Zealand

☆ UK's Domino's Pizza unveils $90 mln share buyback, raises profit forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 1 (Reuters) - Britain's Domino's Pizza Group (DOM.L) announced a 70 million pound ($89.78 million) share buyback programme on Tuesday and raised its annual profit forecast range helped by higher orders and sales in the first half of the year. Resilient customer spending has helped the UK hospitality slowly recover from pandemic lows amid pressures from high costs. In the first half of the year, total orders increased 2.8% to 35.4 million, helping the company to post an 8.2% rise in underlying core profit. The company, a franchisee of U.S.-based Domino's Pizza Inc (DPZ.N), said it now expects an underlying core profit of about 132 million pounds - 138 million pounds for the year. Analysts on average had expected 127.6 million pounds, according to a company-compiled consensus.

Persons: Elias Diaz Sese, Radhika Anilkumar, Subhranshu Sahu Organizations: Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

☆ HSBC launches up to $2 bln buyback on 235% first-half profit jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG, Aug 1 (Reuters) - HSBC Holdings (HSBA.L) reported a 235% increase in first-half profit on Tuesday, as it benefited from rising interest rates around the world and the positive effects of its planned French unit sale. Europe's largest bank with a market value of $162 billion posted a pretax profit of $21.7 billion for the first six months this year, versus $9.2 billion a year earlier. The results were better than the $20.9 billion mean average estimate of brokers compiled by HSBC. The London-headquartered bank announced the second of a new cycle of buybacks, along with the results, of up to $2 billion, which starts immediately. Reporting by Selena Li and Lawrence White; Editing by Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Selena Li, Lawrence White, Edmund Klamann Organizations: HSBC Holdings, HSBC, The, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, The London

☆ Oil major BP posts 70% drop in second-quarter profit, raises dividend by 10%
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — Oil major BP on Tuesday reported a nearly 70% year-on-year drop in second-quarter profits on the back of weaker fossil fuel prices, echoing a trend observed across the energy industry. The British energy major posted second-quarter underlying replacement cost profit, used as a proxy for net profit, of $2.6 billion. Analysts had expected BP to report second-quarter profit of $3.5 billion, according to estimates collated by Refinitiv. Oil majors have failed to match the bumper profits posted during the same period of last year amid weaker commodity prices. British rival Shell and French oil major TotalEnergies on Thursday reported a steep drop in second-quarter profit, while U.S.-based Exxon Mobil's second-quarter profit slumped 56% year-on-year.

Persons: Refinitiv, we've, Bernard Looney, CNBC's Organizations: Oil, BP, London, Shell, Exxon Mobil's Locations: U.S

☆ BP appeal requires more than short-term sweeteners
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Aug 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Bernard Looney is throwing cash at BP’s (BP.L) shortcomings. In the three months to the end of June the $109 billion European oil major missed expectations by a wide margin, with net income falling 70% to $2.6 billion year-on-year. Wael Sawan, his counterpart at rival Shell (SHEL.L) who only took the helm this year, has refocused his company on “molecules” – from oil and gas to low-carbon hydrogen and biofuels. But Shell has done better, and Bernstein analysts recently estimated BP was trading at a yawning 87% discount to the sum of its parts. The risk for Looney is that if investors want to own one European oil major, it won’t be his.

Persons: Bernard Looney, Looney, Wael Sawan, Shell, Bernstein, won’t, Yawen Chen, Steve Cohen, ’, George Hay, Pranav Kiran Organizations: Reuters, Shell, outperforming, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP, Twitter, Sequoia, Thomson Locations: outperforming U.S, India

SummaryCompanies BP hikes dividend by 10%Will repurchase $1.5 billion of sharesWeak refining, oil trading and high maintenance weighLONDON, Aug 1 (Reuters) - BP's (BP.L) second-quarter profit slumped 70% from a year earlier to $2.6 billion, missing forecasts, as refining margins and oil trading income fell, but still allowing the energy giant to boost its dividend by 10%. BP's underlying replacement cost profit, its definition of net income, missed expectations of $3.5 billion in a company-provided survey of analysts. It fell from $8.5 billion a year earlier and from $5 billion in the first quarter. BP's gearing, or debt-to-capital ratio, stood at 21.7% in the second quarter, compared with 19.6% in the first quarter and 21.9% a year earlier. For the third quarter, BP expects oil prices to be supported by OPEC supply cuts alongside above-historical-average refining margins helped by lower inventories and U.S. demand.

Persons: Bernard Looney, Looney, Biraj Borkhataria, Ron Bousso, Jason Neely Organizations: Rivals Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Reuters, RBC, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Germany

☆ HSBC net profit more than doubles in the first half, announces $2 billion share buyback
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Noel Quinn CEO of HSBC HoldingsNet interest income for the first half stood at $18.3 billion, 36% higher year-on-year, while net interest margin came in 46 basis points higher at 1.70%. Solid second quarterFor the second quarter alone, HSBC beat analysts' expectations to report an 89% jump in pre-tax profit in the second quarter. Pre-tax profit for the quarter ended in June was $8.77 billion, beating expectations of $7.96 billion. Net profit was $6.64 billion, beating the $6.35 billion expected in analysts' estimates compiled by the bank, jumping 27% compared to the same period a year before. Total revenue for the second quarter came in at $16.71 billion, 38% higher than the $12.1 billion seen in the same period a year ago.

Persons: Bertha Wang, Noel Quinn, CNBC's, Quinn, —, there's Organizations: Silicon Valley Bank, HSBC Holdings, Bloomberg, Getty, HSBC, HSBC —, Revenue Locations: France, Silicon, Hong Kong, U.K

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