DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ BBVA, Santander, Bank of America want to back Mexico's $6 billion power deal, Bloomberg reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of Spanish utility company Iberdrola is seen outside its headquarters in Madrid, Spain, May 23, 2018. REUTERS/Sergio Perez/File PhotoApril 13 (Reuters) - Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA.MC), Banco Santander SA (SAN.MC) and Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) together plan to fund Mexico's $6 billion deal to purchase power plants from Spain's Iberdrola (IBE.MC), Bloomberg News reported on Thursday citing people familiar with the talks. The three lenders are among a consortium looking to finance the deal, the report said, with local banks such as Grupo Financiero Banorte and billionaire Carlos Slim's Grupo Financiero Inbursa also interested. The Bank of America declined to comment on the report, while Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, Banco Santander SA and Iberdrola did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Top banking analyst Mike Mayo just made two regional banks his prime picks to buy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Regional banks PNC and U.S. Bancorp could prove smart picks in the sector while it's still feeling pressure from the latest crisis, Wells Fargo said. Investors have zeroed in on regional bank stocks in recent days while trying to decipher whether plans to help First Republic shore up liquidity are enough to keep the bank afloat. The SPDR S & P Regional Bank ETF (KRE) has risen 6% this week, regaining some of the ground lost last week, when it slid 14%. U.S. Bancorp, the parent of U.S. Bank, completed its acquisition of Union Bank's regional franchise near the end of 2022. 'Highest quality banks' Mayo called both among the "highest quality banks," noting a strong history of underwriting.

☆ Courts Side With Big Companies Including Amazon and Experian in Privacy Appeals
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Catherine Stupp | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Big companies are winning appeals to overturn regulatory decisions that allege they violated European privacy rules, potentially carving out a path for more businesses to challenge similar sanctions. Courts in the U.K., Spain, Italy and Germany sided with companies including Experian PLC, Amazon. The court rejected the regulator’s argument that collecting personal data to create profiles for marketing purposes intrudes on privacy rights. The court said the regulator had “fundamentally misunderstood” the implications of how Experian used data, and that there were no negative effects for individuals. These recent wins will likely embolden other companies to appeal GDPR violations, said Mr. Machin of Ropes & Gray.

☆ Vinícius Jr. is being racially abused during LaLiga matches. Why is nobody being punished?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

It has been updated to reflect the persistent racist abuse that Vinicius Jr. was subjected to during Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat by Valencia on May 21, 2023. ‘Racist campaign against Vinícius’Incidents of players being racially abused by fans have tarred numerous LaLiga matches this season. On May 21, Vinícius was again subjected to racist abuse from the stands, this time during Real’s match against Valencia at the Mestalla stadium. Most cases of racist abuse which LaLiga has referred to local prosecutors have involved Vinícius. The local prosecutor in Mallorca said it is investigating a number of cases of racist abuse at matches.

"If we talk about the war through the means of art, this wound will be able to heal much faster. Theatre allowed people to experience trauma in "a non-traumatic way," added Borovenskiy, whose troupe performs in English. A bomb shelter in World War Two, it is now an "art shelter," Borovenskiy says. In the early days of the Ukraine war, 40 people and seven cats lived there to stay safe, and actors rehearsed among them for "The Book of Sirens". Borovenskiy said Milward's visit was "an example of international theatre support and solidarity" that he hopes will be cemented by Ukraine's first fringe theatre festival.

☆ Owner of Spain's Cosentino admits negligence over silicosis in workers - documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The logo of Spain's kitchen worktop manufacturer Cosentino is seen outside its showroom in Madrid, Spain, February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Violeta Santos MouraMADRID, Feb 7 (Reuters) - A Spanish businessman has admitted in court that he covered up the dangers of his company's star product, which allegedly led to nearly 1,900 workers contracting the occupational lung disease silicosis, court documents showed on Tuesday. Cosentino, based in the southern province of Almeria, is planning an IPO that could be worth more than 3 billion euros. Cosentino said managers at stone-cutting workshops "are responsible for ensuring that their workers have the necessary means of protection and that they implement them appropriately". "It is entirely incorrect that Cosentino has admitted to having concealed the fact that the handling of Silestone has caused the majority of cases of silicosis that have affected 1,856 workers," it added.

☆ Afghan women prosecutors once seen as symbols of democracy find asylum in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Afghan prosecutor S.M., who left her 4 years old daughter with her grandmother in Afghanistan while escaping to Peshawar, looks down in Islamabad, Pakistan, September 22, 2022. "Most Afghan women and girls that remain in Afghanistan don't have the right to study, to have a social life or even go to a beauty salon," Sharar said. due to fears over her safety and who specialised in gender violence and violence against children said, "I was the only female prosecutor in the province... The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it was not in a position to comment on specific cases. "The Government of Pakistan has not agreed to recognise newly arriving Afghans as refugees," UNHCR said in a statement.

☆ Morning Bid: Lights, camera, action
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Investors are pricing in a quarter-of-a-percentage-point increase in the Fed's benchmark interest rate, which would mark the smallest hike since U.S. central bankers kicked off their tightening cycle 10 months ago with one the same size. But the forecasts still risk lagging behind policymakers' guidance on how high rates will go. The Bank of England is also expected to raise its interest rates by half a percentage point to 4% on Thursday. For today, European markets will focus on euro zone January flash PMI data, while results are due from Vodafone (VOD.L), GSK (GSK.L) and Novartis (NOVN.S). Germany and Italy figured among the biggest euro zone countries that recorded negative growth rates for the quarter but France and Spain expanded.

☆ Spain's Iberdrola sounds out sale of $700 million wind, gas portfolio -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Andres Gonzalez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The logo of Spanish utility company Iberdrola is seen on its headquarters in Bilbao, Spain, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Vincent West/File PhotoLONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Iberdrola (IBE.MC) is looking to sell a portfolio of gas, wind and solar assets in Spain which could raise more than $700 million, three sources with knowledge of the plans told Reuters. Iberdrola is working with Deutsche Bank on the sale of the 2.4-gigawatt (GW) portfolio, the sources said. The final price for the Iberdrola portfolio will depend on the valuation of the gas assets, which were underused in Spain until last year when production increased, the sources said. The sale is still at an early stage and Iberdrola could decide to delay or abandon the disposals, the people said.

☆ Euro-banks have done their time in valuation jail
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Major euro zone and UK banks are trading at a 40% discount to the region’s wider benchmark index, using price to forward earnings multiples tracked by Refinitiv. The subsequent euro zone crisis in 2012 prompted a wave of bad debt that weighed down earnings. More recently, though, euro zone lenders have been facing up to their past sins, and offloading non-performing loans. There’s no evidence of a bank lending splurge, despite years of rock-bottom interest rates. Between November 2012 and November 2022, euro zone banks’ total lending to households and companies grew at an annual clip of under 2%, a fraction of its pre-2008 pace.

"It always rains a lot here, it's very cold and it's January and it feels like summer," said Bilbao resident Eusebio Folgeira, 81. French tourist Joana Host said: "It's like nice weather for biking but we know it's like the planet is burning. Scientists have not yet analysed the specific ways in which climate change affected the recent high temperatures, but January's warm weather spell fits into the longer-term trend of rising temperatures due to human-caused climate change. "The record-breaking heat across Europe over the new year was made more likely to happen by human-caused climate change, just as climate change is now making every heatwave more likely and hotter," said Dr Friederike Otto, climate scientist at Imperial College London. French national weather agency Meteo France attributed the anomalous temperatures to a mass of warm air moving to Europe from subtropical zones.

☆ Europe starts 2023 with historic winter heatwave; snow shortage forces ski resorts to close
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Poland's capital of Warsaw recorded temperatures of 18.9 degrees Celsius on Jan. 1; more than 5 degrees Celsius above the previous record set 30 years ago. A winter heatwave smashed several national temperature records across Europe over the New Year's weekend, prompting meteorologists to sound the alarm, while some ski resorts were forced to close due to an absence of snow. January temperatures reached an all-time high in several European states, with national records set in at least seven countries. Polish capital Warsaw recorded temperatures of 18.9 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) on Jan. 1 — more than 5 degrees Celsius above the previous record set 30 years ago. Warm weather and low snowfall forced some low-altitude ski resorts in the northern Alps and French Pyrenees to close a few weeks after opening.

☆ Goldman Sachs names 4 inflation-busting high-dividend stocks for next year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Given some analysts' expectations of steep declines in share prices next year, Goldman Sachs has put together a basket of high-dividend stocks that could help investors hide from any potential carnage. Goldman Sachs analysts said that only companies making "sustainable" dividend payouts are included in their list. Goldman expects Madrid-headquartered Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria to increase its dividends to 8.2% next year from its current 6.48%. The median analyst price target on the stock also gives it 30% upside from current levels, according to FactSet. Along with a big dividend, the median analyst price target gives the stock 22% upside from current levels, Factset data shows.

☆ Germany salvages draw against Spain but World Cup hopes still hang in the balance
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Niclas Füllkrug’s late strike was enough to salvage a point for Germany against Spain as qualification from Group E goes down to the wire. Germany needs to beat Costa Rica and hope Spain defeats Japan or, if Japan earns a draw, ensure it has a superior goal difference. Álvaro Morata celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Germany. But just when it looked as though Germany was growing into the match, Spain found the breakthrough thanks to substitute Morata, who ran onto Jordi Alba’s low cross and poked the ball past Neuer. Germany will know only a victory against Costa Rica will do – but even that might not be enough.

☆ Portugal ready to let their football do the talking against Ghana
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DOHA, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Portugal will be keen to let their football do the talking when they face Ghana in their World Cup opener on Thursday amid controversy over Cristiano Ronaldo's comments about Manchester United and tensions between the squad and the media. But Ghana - who reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2016 - arrived on the Arabian Peninsula with wind their sails too after beating Switzerland 2-0 in a friendly. No problems," five-times Ballon D'Or winner Ronaldo said on Monday. read moreHe led Portugal to triumph at Euro 2016 but World Cup glory has eluded him and Qatar represents his last chance. The teams met at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil when Portugal won 2-1 thanks to a late winner by Ronaldo.

☆ Spain at the 2022 World Cup: who is in Luis Enrique's 26-man squad?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nov 14 (Reuters) - Spain are looking to win their second World Cup title at the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 tournament in Qatar. WHO IS IN SPAIN'S WORLD CUP 2022 SQUAD? * Defenders: Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Nacho Monreal (Arsenal), Alvaro Odriozola (Real Sociedad), Nacho Fernandez (Real Madrid), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea). * Midfielders: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Isco (Real Madrid), Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich), David Silva (Manchester City), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Saul Niguez (Atletico Madrid), Koke (Atletico Madrid). * Forwards: Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), Iago Aspas (Celta Vigo), Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid), Rodrigo Moreno (Valencia), Lucas Vazquez (Real Madrid).

☆ Ghana name uncapped pair who have impressed in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 14 (Reuters) - Kamal Sowah’s form for Club Brugge in the Champions League has won him a World Cup call-up for Ghana after the uncapped striker was on Monday included in the country’s squad for Qatar. The 22-year-old was a surprise selection as coach Otto Addo named his 26-man squad for the tournament, where the Black Stars face Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay in Group H.Sowah has impressed as the Belgian club reached the last 16 of the Champions League, knocking out Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen in the process. There was also a first call up for midfielder Salis Abdul Samed, 22, who has been a regular for Racing Lens this season as they have moved to second in the French Ligue 1 standings. The squad will be captained by Dede Ayew, who was part of the team that reached the quarter-finals in South Africa in 2010 – only the third time an African nation has reached the last eight of a World Cup. Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fati in but Thiago and De Gea left out of Spain World Cup squad
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MADRID, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Spain included Barcelona's Ansu Fati but left out Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara and Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea from their 26-man World Cup squad on Friday. But the forward is fighting his way back from four surgeries to repair an injury to his left knee, suffered in November 2020. "Youth gives you freedom because you are not yet aware of the consequences," Luis Enrique said. "There's no one outside of Spain who rules out Spain as a candidate to be among the best. Midfielders: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri Hernandez (Manchester City), Gavi (Barcelona), Carlos Soler (Paris St Germain), Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid), Pedri Gonzalez (Barcelona), Koke Resurreccion (Atletico Madrid).

☆ Remaking the River That Remade L.A.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Michael Kimmelman | Photographs Adali Schell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +33 min

Remaking the River That Remade L.A.February 1938 was a wet month in Los Angeles. Reservoirs overflowed, dams topped out and floodwaters careered down Pacoima Wash and Tujunga Wash toward the Los Angeles River. The Los Angeles River was never a storybook river of the kind that, like the Hudson or the Seine, we associate with great cities. Among the naysayers is a venerable organization called Friends of the Los Angeles River, founded by the Texas-born poet and performance artist Lewis MacAdams. “With all the problems L.A. is facing,” he said, “even if it costs $50 billion to fix the river, we should just effing do it.”The headwaters of the Los Angeles River aren’t easy to find.

☆ Passengers on a plane could not use the toilets because the tank was full, forcing it to make an unscheduled stopover
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A passenger jet was force to divert so its toilet tank could be emptied, Sky News reported. The Jet2 flight from Spain to the UK had to stop in Bilbao on Thursday due to the tank trouble. The plane was on the ground for more than two hours while the problem was resolved. A Jet2 spokesperson told the broadcaster that flight LS782 was diverted to Bilbao on Thursday so the toilet tank could be emptied. It is unclear whether the tank on the Jet2 plane was not emptied in Gran Canaria.

☆ The new European vacation? Travelers are returning for trips that are all about food and wine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Last year, the couple set up a tour company called Stay Awhile, which organizes trips "designed around food," according to the company's website. Guests taking part in Stay Awhile's French baking course visit the area to sample gourmet delicacies. A food tour of San SebastianPintxos are a staple in San Sebastian, one of the most popular places for foodies in Spain's Basque Country. It's not just doing a wine tour … it's a gourmet getaway," Stebbings told CNBC by phone. On a tour of the French Languedoc-Roussillon region, travelers can take a boat trip to an oyster farm off the coast of Montpellier.

☆ Antoine Griezmann scores ‘Olimpico’ goal as Atlético Madrid beats Real Betis 2-1
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Antoine Griezmann scored twice, including directly from a corner, as Atlético Madrid defeated Real Betis 2-1 on Sunday to move up to third in Spain’s La Liga. The French international scored his second through the legs of Silva after neat interplay with Ángel Correa and substitute Matheus Cunha. It was a frustrating end to the game for the home side, which is now fifth in La Liga – three points behind Atlético and 11 behind leader Real Madrid. Lewandowski’s first-half effort, which came after a brilliant run from Dembélé, took the Polish striker to 12 goals in La Liga this season – five more than any other player. Barça is now three points behind Real Madrid, its only defeat in the league coming in El Clásico earlier this month.

☆ Griezmann scores twice as Atletico Madrid win at Real Betis
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 23 (Reuters) - Two second-half goals from Antoine Griezmann, one scored directly from a corner kick, gave Atletico Madrid a 2-1 win at Real Betis on Sunday, extending their unbeaten run in LaLiga to five games. Substitute Victor Luiz saved Betis from conceding six minutes later, throwing himself in front of an Angel Correa bullet strike that cannoned off him for a corner. That was when Griezmann opened the scoring in the 54th minute, scoring directly from a perfectly placed corner kick past Rui Silva. Fifteen minutes later, substitute Matheus Cunha passed to Griezmann whose right-footed shot on goal went through Silva's legs and into the bottom right corner. Betis rallied to score with a Nabil Fekir free kick from the edge of the box into Jan Oblak's top left corner in the 84th minute.

☆ What it takes to get a job at Netflix according to its chief talent officer, who explains the company's grueling 10-interview process and 'shocking' feedback
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Netflix chief talent officer Sergio Ezama said Netflix sometimes conducts 10 or more interviews with a candidate. As Netflix's chief talent officer Sergio Ezama told "Power of Why" podcast host Naomi Haile in February, hiring well is paramount to sustaining the company's culture. he told Haile. Ezama also spoke to Haile about his childhood in Bilbao, Spain, and the career journey that led him to Netflix. "It's hard work" jumping into a C-suite role at a new company after decades at another, he told Haile.

☆ Spain's startup scene has gone from a desert crossing to a $4 billion burgeoning industry. Now, it plans to cut red tape to birth a new batch of unicorns.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Spanish startups lured a record $4.1 billion from investors in 2021, according to PitchBook. The government hopes its new Startup Law will help birth an array of new unicorns. In 2016, Lucas Carné sold his fashion marketplace startup Privalia for around 500 million euros (around $495 million) in a landmark deal for the Spanish tech ecosystem. Privalia's sale to its enlarged French counterpart Ventee-Privee – since rebranded as VeePee – illustrated just how far the Spanish startup scene had changed in the space of 10 years. Spanish startups secured a record $4.1 billion in 2021 – more than double that of 2020 –, according to PitchBook data.

Search resuls for: "bilbao"

25 mentions found