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☆ Roblox beta comes to Meta's Quest VR headsets
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

July 12 (Reuters) - Roblox Corp's (RBLX.N) eponymous online game will soon be available on Meta Platforms' (META.O) Quest virtual reality (VR) headsets, according to a blog post by Meta on Wednesday. The game will arrive as a beta version, initially on Quest 2 and Quest Pro, in the coming weeks. "The open beta is a great opportunity for the Roblox developer community to optimize their existing games for Quest and build new ones for VR while gathering input and feedback from the Quest community," Meta said. Roblox, which operates a metaverse – or a virtual place where people play and make transactions, gets 66 million daily users and is available on mobile devices, desktops, and Microsoft's (MSFT.O) Xbox. Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Meta, Yuvraj Malik, Shailesh Organizations: Meta, Quest Pro, Quest, VR, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

HOUSTON, July 10 (Reuters) - A coming wave of North American liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects faces staffing challenges that are prompting some of the biggest developers to expand training and coordinate projects to keep construction workers. WORKERS NEEDEDAt present Bechtel has more than 3,000 professionals working on its LNG projects. Two other projects - Golden Pass LNG and Plaquemines LNG - have added workers and are moving to 24-hour work schedules. Cheniere and Bechtel are training workers using virtual simulations or via partnerships with local schools. Venture Global LNG stitched together 18 liquefaction units in its highly modular Calcasieu Pass LNG plant, allowing it to open the facility in what it said was record time.

Persons: Paul Marsden, Marsden, Alex Munton, Bechtel, Corey Grindal, Grindal, Cheniere, Jason Klein, Klein, Paul Varello, Curtis Williams, Nia Williams, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Bechtel Corp's Energy, Labor, Rapidan Energy, Bechtel, Cheniere Energy, Corpus, Plaquemines, Canada, Reuters, Commonwealth LNG, Venture, Columbia, Thomson Locations: U.S, Port Arthur, Christi, Kitimat, British Columbia, China, Calcasieu, Houston

☆ Southeast Asia's IPO market is an investor favorite amid global headwinds, Deloitte says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Firdaus Wajidi | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesSoutheast Asia's initial public offering market is showing promising signs despite a global IPO slowdown in the first half of 2023, according to a new Deloitte report. In the last six months, Southeast Asia's market saw 85 IPOs raising $3.3 billion in proceeds, versus the 73 IPOs in the same period last year which raised $3.1 billion. That's a 16% increase in the number of IPOs and a 5% increase in proceeds for the first half of 2023. Indonesia's rising starIndonesia raised 70% of the total IPO proceeds in Southeast Asia for the first half of 2023. Indonesia "looks set to have its best year ever in terms of listing proceeds with 44 IPOs in 2023 H1," said Deloitte.

Persons: Firdaus, — GoTo, Joko Widodo, Harita Nickel Organizations: Anadolu Agency, Getty, Deloitte, Nasdaq, EV, PT Merdeka Battery Materials, Pertamina Geothermal, Indonesia, Harita Locations: JAKARTA, INDONESIA, Jakarta, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, China

Management at Deutsche Boerse has touted the acquisition announced in April as key to its future strategy, combining SimCorp's investment management software with Deutsche Boerse's data. "The chemistry is right," Deutsche Boerse Chief Executive Officer Theodor Weimer told its investors in May. Deutsche Boerse hopes to take "significantly" more than 50% of the company. Deutsche Boerse said it had received approval from authorities in the United States, Denmark and Italy. "The remaining filing process with the EU commission is on track," Deutsche Boerse said.

Persons: Theodor Weimer, SimCorp's, Deutsche Boerse, Tom Sims, Friederike Heine, Rachel More Organizations: Denmark Deal, Deutsche, European, Management, Deutsche Boerse, Thomson Locations: U.S, Italy, Denmark, FRANKFURT, United States

NEW YORK, July 7 (Reuters) - Private equity firms Blackstone Inc (BX.N) and Veritas Capital Fund Management LLC are competing against large defense companies to acquire the aerospace business of Ball Corp (BALL.N), according to people familiar with the matter. The unit, which accounted for 13% of Ball's consolidated net sales in 2022, provides aerospace and national defense hardware, such as sensors and antennas. In June, Ball said it was considering options for its aerospace unit, after Reuters reported on the sale process. Blackstone owns Arka Group, an aerospace and defense technologies firm whose clients include the U.S. military, while Veritas owns companies including CAES Space Systems, which is a supplier of advanced electronic systems for aerospace and defense. Ball could incur a hefty tax bill of over $1 billion if the aerospace unit is sold for $5 billion or more, according to analysts at Jefferies.

Persons: Ball, Blackstone, David Carnevali, Mike Stone, Daniel Wallis Organizations: YORK, Blackstone Inc, Veritas Capital Fund Management, Ball Corp, BAE Systems, General Dynamics Corp, Textron Inc, Reuters, Blackstone, Veritas, Arka Group, U.S ., CAES, Systems, Bae Systems, Textron, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin Corp, Rocketdyne Holdings, L3Harris Technologies, Jefferies, Thomson Locations: New York, Washington

☆ Beijing's curbs on niche metal exports threaten China supply glut
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Gallium prices in China have dropped 12% this year, pressured by its slowing economy. China's germanium ingot price has advanced only 1% to 7,250 yuan per kg since Monday. Overseas price offers are rising much faster, amid fears that Beijing may use the permitting system to restrict shipments. The Chinese government enforces export controls that do not target any particular country," spokesperson Shu Jueting told a weekly press conference. China produces around 60% of the world's germanium, and over 90% of the world's gallium.

Persons: Theo Ruas, Willis Thomas, Ruas, Shu Jueting, Amy Lv, Siyi Liu, Seher, Dominique Patton, Kim Coghill Organizations: China's Ministry of Commerce, Washington, Producers, Corporation, Shanghai Metal Exchange, CRU, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, U.S, London, Bangalore

☆ Bajaj Auto launches India-made Triumph bikes, shares jump to record high
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The launch of the two models, made in partnership with UK's Triumph Motorcycles, sent Bajaj Auto shares to a record high of 4,900 rupees. The Triumph Speed 400 will be priced at 233,000 rupees ($2,834), Bajaj Auto said, but did not disclose a price for the Scrambler 400X. Bajaj will oversee the production and distribution of these bikes as part of the partnership, the two companies had said in April. With the entry of Bajaj and Hero in the premium bike space, analysts see stiff competition, loss of market share and growth concerns for Eicher. Hero MotoCorp's shares closed up 4.2%, nearly matching their 4.5% jump on Tuesday, while Bajaj Auto's shares have gained roughly 6% in the past two days.

Persons: Hero MotoCorp, Harley, Davidson, Hero MotoCorp's, Nandan Mandayam, Savio D'Souza Organizations: India's Bajaj, Eicher Motors, UK's, Bajaj Auto, Meteor, Bajaj, Triumph, Hero, Eicher, Bajaj Auto's, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, India, Bengaluru

☆ Trans Mountain pipeline expansion likely to send more Canadian oil to US, not Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Western sanctions on Russian crude following its invasion of Ukraine have upended those plans. Canadian barrels will struggle to compete, analysts and traders said. Chinese oil refiners PetroChina (601857.SS) and Sinopec (600028.SS) have bought and processed Canadian heavy crude in the past. Russia's Urals crude produces higher volumes of fuel and is significantly cheaper than heavy Canadian barrels, said one Calgary-based crude trader. "Today every crude in Asia is having a hard time competing with Russian crude," York said.

Persons: crudes, TMX, John Coleman, Wood Mackenzie, Skip York, York, Nia Williams, Florence Tan, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S ., Canadian, Sinclair, Puget Sound, U.S . Energy, Administration, Turner, Mason & Company, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S . West Coast, Asia, Ukraine, Canada, United States, Russia, Alberta, British, Pacific Coast, North America, China, India, Calgary, Canadian, Iraq, California, York, Moscow, Basra, British Columbia, Singapore

NEW YORK/LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) - Global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity fell 36% year-on-year in the second quarter, but investment bankers and lawyers expressed optimism that the stock market's recovery will gradually restore chief executives' dealmaking confidence. "Global uncertainty is what is impacting M&A most - it just makes people uncomfortable. It's easier to say, I'll pass on a deal - nobody gets fired for passing on a deal. M&A volumes in the United States declined by 30% to $318.4 billion, while Europe and Asia Pacific volumes shrank 49% and 24% respectively. Not a single so-called mega-deal, which typically refers to transactions worth over $25 billion, was signed during the quarter.

Persons: Michael Aiello, Weil, Raymond McGuire, Steve Baronoff, Bunge, John Collins, Morgan Stanley, there’ll, Ethan Klingsberg, Deringer, Manolo Falco, Scott Miller, Sullivan, Cromwell, Howard Ellin, Flom, Dwayne Lysaght, Eric Schiele, Kirkland, Ellis, Anirban Sen, Andres Gonzalez, Stephen Coates Organizations: Manges LLP, Lazard Ltd, Bank of America, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Magellan Midstream Partners, Viterra Ltd, Carrier Global, Investment, Citigroup Inc, JPMorgan Chase, Antitrust, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Horizon Therapeutics, Thomson Locations: United, Europe, Asia, Skadden, Slate, New York, London

☆ Bayer claims early lead in Parkinson's stem cell therapy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Ludwig Burger | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Some of this work is done by Britain's' Cambridge University, South Korea's Bundang CHA Hospital, International Stem Cell Corp's (ISCO.PK) Cyto Therapeutics in Australia, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harvard University and Japan's Kyoto University Hospital. For BlueRock's experimental therapy, researchers took induced pluripotent stem cells, which are modified to regain the ability to form any type of specialised tissue, and transformed them into dopamine-producing nerve cells. When surgically implanted into the brain of a person with Parkinson's disease, the therapeutic cells are designed to restore neural networks destroyed by the disease. Initial trial results showed the cells multiplied and started making dopamine, an important brain signalling molecule which is lacking in Parkinson's patients. Parkinson's, for which there is no cure and which affects more than 10 million people worldwide, causes progressive brain damage.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Bayer, BlueRock, Britain's, Jennifer Doudna, Ludwig Burger, Miranda Murray, Mark Potter Organizations: Bayer AG, REUTERS, Bayer, Cambridge University, South Korea's, CHA Hospital, Cyto Therapeutics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harvard University, Japan's Kyoto University Hospital, BlueRock Therapeutics, Mammoth Biosciences, Thomson Locations: Leverkusen, Germany, FRANKFURT, Australia, San Francisco Bay

SL Green announced on Monday that it had sold the building at 245 Park Avenue to a U.S. subsidiary of Japanese real estate developer Mori Trust Co Ltd at a $2 billion valuation, sending its stock up nearly 20%. The transaction is a "significant milestone" for SL Green given that it represents nearly half of the planned asset sales for 2023 and more than covers the company's share of redevelopment costs, said BTIG analysts, who reiterated their "buy" rating. Analysts at Scotiabank, who rate SLG a "sector underperform", hiked their price target for the company's shares, calling the transaction "positive." SL Green's stock jumped 11% on Tuesday to a high of $31.35 per share. SL Green took control of 245 Park Avenue last year after lenders seized the building from HNA Group.

Persons: Angelo Gordon, Chibuike Oguh, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: YORK, Green Realty, SL Green, Mori Trust, Barclays, Green, Scotiabank, Grand, Ares Management, Societe Generale, HNA Group, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Manhattan, New York

☆ Factbox: Japan ramps up efforts to strengthen its chip industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Below are investments in Japan announced by chipmakers and measures the government is taking to revive its semiconductor industry. Sony Group (6758.T) and auto parts maker Denso (6902.T), which will use the chips TSMC makes, are also investors. It said it would be the first chipmaker to bring EUV technology to Japan for production. It has offered TSMC a 476 billion yen subsidy, or about half the expected cost of the factory. Rapidus secured an initial 70 billion yen of funding from the government, and local media reported in April that the government was finalising a plan to provide an additional 300 billion yen.

Persons: TW, Rapidus, JIC, Makiko Yamazaki, Sam Nussey, Tim Kelly, Miho Uranaka, Miyoung Kim, Jamie Freed Organizations: Semiconductor, chipmakers, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Sony Group, Micron Technology, Samsung Electronics, Reuters, Business Machines, IBM, Samsung, Nikon, Tokyo, Japan Investment Corp, Innovation Network Corp of Japan, Toshiba, Japan Industrial Partners, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Kyushu, Denso, KS, Yokohama, Japan's, Chitose, Hokkaido, Rapidus, U.S, China, State

☆ Celebrity investment brings a lot of attention to F1 racing, says Sportcorp's Marc Ganis
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCelebrity investment brings a lot of attention to F1 racing, says Sportcorp's Marc GanisMarc Ganis, Sportcorp founder and CEO, joins 'Last Call' to talk Hollywood stars entering the F1 circuit.

Persons: Sportcorp's Marc Ganis Marc Ganis Organizations: Hollywood

☆ Reformer fire quickly put out at Exxon Baytown, Texas, refinery -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

HOUSTON, June 21 (Reuters) - A fire on a reformer at Exxon Mobil Corp's (XOM.N) 564,440 barrel-per-day (bpd) Baytown, Texas, refinery was quickly extinguished on Wednesday, said people familiar with plant operations. The fire was put out a few minutes after it began on Wednesday afternoon on the 65,000-bpd Hydroformer 4, the sources said. Exxon spokesperson Lauren Kight said the company does not comment on the status of specific refinery units. "We're continuing to meet our contractual commitments," Kight said. Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lauren Kight, We're, Kight, Erwin Seba, Jacqueline Wong, Tom Hogue Organizations: Exxon Mobil Corp's, Exxon, Thomson Locations: Baytown , Texas

☆ FTC to argue Microsoft's deal to buy Activision should be paused
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, June 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Thursday will argue in federal court for a preliminary injunction to temporarily block Microsoft's acquisition of videogame maker Activision Blizzard, stopping the deal from closing before the government's case against the deal is heard. But if the court pauses the deal, Microsoft and Activision will have to agree to extend it past a July 18 termination date built into their original agreement. The FTC fears that without action by the federal court, the combined firm "could alter Activision's operations and business plans" and could allow Microsoft to access sensitive business information. Resolving the U.S. lawsuit is one of several key antitrust battles Microsoft and Activision have fought around the world to get the deal finalized. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Activision CEO Bobby Kotick are among the witnesses planned for a five-day evidentiary hearing.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Bobby Kotick, Chris Sanders, Leslie Adler Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Activision, Microsoft, Microsoft Corp, Activision Blizzard Inc, FTC, EU, Nintendo, Sony Group, Sony, Thomson Locations: San Francisco

☆ Vans sneakers maker VF taps Logitech's Bracken Darrell as CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

June 20 (Reuters) - VF Corp (VFC.N) has appointed Bracken Darrell, who last week stepped down as head of computer accessories maker Logitech (LOGN.S) after a 10-year stint, as its new CEO, the apparel and footwear maker said on Tuesday. VF Corp's CEO Steve Rendle retired in December 2022, after 25 years with the company, with lead independent director Benno Dorer named interim CEO. Darrell, who will take charge on July 17, has previously worked at Procter & Gamble (PG.N), Whirlpool Corp (WHR.N) and General Electric (GE.N). Dorer will remain a board member, VF Corp said. Reporting by Deborah Sophia and Juveria Tabassum in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bracken Darrell, Steve Rendle, Benno Dorer, Darrell, Dorer, Deborah Sophia, Juveria, Sriraj Organizations: VF, Logitech, Procter & Gamble, Whirlpool Corp, General Electric, Corp, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Teleperformance signs $185 million deal with Microsoft to launch GenAI tool
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 20 (Reuters) - France's Teleperformance (TEPRF.PA) signed a $185 million deal with Microsoft (MSFT.O) to launch its proprietary TP GenAI, the outsourcing group said on Tuesday, ahead of its artificial intelligence investor day. Teleperformance SE will host on Wednesday a virtual meeting with its AI experts to let investors peek behind the curtains of its efforts in the AI race. Teleperformance, which employs 410,000 staff in 170 countries, hosts conference calls, maintains pay and salary accounts, and provides automated translations to clients. Teleperformance said at the time that it predicts that 20% to 30% of its processes will be automated within the next three years. ($1 = 0.9163 euro)Reporting by Alessandro Parodi and Victor Goury-Laffont; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Teleperformance, Bhupender Singh, Alessandro Parodi, Victor Goury, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Microsoft, Thomson

☆ Bahrain's Investcorp seeks to raise up to $600 mln from investment vehicle IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, June 20 (Reuters) - Middle East alternative asset manager Investcorp Holding is seeking to raise up to $600 million from the listing of an investment vehicle in Abu Dhabi this year, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Bahrain-based Investcorp is making preparations for a potential public share sale of Investcorp Capital, registered in the Abu Dhabi Global Market, the international financial centre in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Investcorp is working with Goldman Sachs (GS.N), First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) (FAB.AD), Emirates NBD (ENBD.DU) and HSBC (HSBA.L) on the plan, the people said. Bloomberg in March reported Investcorp was putting together a plan to list the vehicle. Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala Investment Company acquired 20% of the firm in 2017.

Persons: Investcorp Holding, Goldman Sachs, Investcorp, Emirates NBD, Gucci, Mohammed Al Ardhi, Hadeel Al Sayegh, Jason Neely Organizations: Reuters, Investcorp, Abu Dhabi Global Market, United, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi Bank, Emirates, HSBC, Moelis, Bloomberg, FAB, Tiffany, Nasdaq, Mubadala Investment Company, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, United Arab, Abu, Emirates, U.S, Europe, India, Singapore, Beijing, Mumbai, Delhi

☆ Microsoft, Activision CEOs on witness list for hearing on FTC bid to block merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The FTC is seeking a preliminary injunction to block Microsoft from completing its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The FTC has argued the transaction would give Microsoft's video game console Xbox exclusive access to Activision games, leaving Nintendo (7974.T) consoles and Sony Group Corp's (6758.T) PlayStation out in the cold. Microsoft's bid to acquire the "Call of Duty" video game maker was approved by the EU in May, but British competition authorities blocked the takeover in April. The FTC is calling Nadella to testify about the video game industry, Microsoft Gaming’s strategy and business and the planned Activision acquisition, while Microsoft is calling him to testify about similar topics. Also testifying are two executives from Nvidia Corp.Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and Microsoft Gaming CFO Tim Stuart are also scheduled to testify, as are a number of expert witnesses.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Bobby Kotick, Nadella, James Ryan, Dov Zimring, Amy Hood, Phil Spencer, Tim Stuart, David Shepardson, Chris Reese Organizations: Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Federal Trade, FTC, Activision, Nintendo, Sony Group, EU, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Google, Nvidia Corp, Thomson

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.16 to $71.78. Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov said it was "realistic" to reach oil prices of around $80 per barrel, Russian state news agencies reported. Capping oil price gains was the prospect of rising interest rates, which could slow economic growth. The Bank of England is set to raise interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point next week. Investors have been closely watching interest rates and commentary from Fed members.

Persons: Brent, Nikolai Shulginov, Shulginov, Baker Hughes, Phil Flynn, Stephanie Kelly, Alex Lawler, Sudarshan, David Goodman, Louise Heavens, David Evans, David Gregorio, Nick Macfie Organizations: bbl Bank of England, . West Texas, Oil, Kuwait Petroleum, Organization of, Petroleum, Russian Energy, Bank of England, European Central Bank, U.S . Federal, Price Futures, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Thomson Locations: Russia, U.S, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Russian, Iran

June 16 (Reuters) - Customers Bancorp (CUBI.N) said on Friday it acquired a $631 million venture banking loan portfolio from U.S. regulator Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) at about 85% of the book value. The portfolio belonged to failed lender Signature Bank, which was put under FDIC receivership in March, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Customers Bancorp shares rose on the news to their highest level since early March, and were up 3.3% at $30.23 at midday. On March 12, state regulators closed New York-based Signature Bank, marking this year's second high-profile bank collapse sparked by an exodus of depositors seeking higher returns and safer institutions. Following the bank's closure, the FDIC had announced in April the marketing process for the roughly $60-billion loan portfolio retained in receivership from Signature Bank.

Persons: Michael Perito, Keefe, Perito, Manya Saini, Saeed Azhar, Shailesh Kuber, Richard Chang Organizations: Customers Bancorp, Deposit Insurance Corporation, Signature Bank, Reuters, FDIC, Bancorp, Loans, Bank, New York Community Bancorp, Thomson Locations: Austin, Boston, Southern California, Chicago, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Oil heads for weekly gain as supply cuts balance demand concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Bank of England is set to raise interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point next week. Rising interest rates could slow economic growth and reduce oil demand. However, both oil benchmarks were heading for a small weekly gain after declines in the past two weeks. Oil gained about 3% on Thursday on hopes of increasing Chinese demand. China's refinery throughput rose in May to its second-highest total on record and Kuwait Petroleum Corp's CEO expects Chinese demand to keep climbing during the second half.

Persons: Ole Hansen, Alex Lawler, Sudarshan Varadhan, Stephanie Kelly, David Goodman Organizations: Bank of England, European Central Bank, U.S . Federal, Saxo Bank, Brent, West Texas, Oil, Kuwait Petroleum, Organization of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: Bank, OPEC, Brent, Saudi Arabia

Data on Thursday showed China's oil refinery throughput rose 15.4% in May from a year earlier, hitting its second-highest total on record. In the United States, data released on Thursday showed retail sales unexpectedly rose in May, along with higher-than-expected jobless claims last week. A weaker dollar makes oil cheaper for holders of other currencies, which could boost demand. Still, a weak economic outlook looms over market sentiment, as China's industrial output and retail sales growth in May missed forecasts. Higher interest rates ultimately increase borrowing costs for consumers, which could slow economic growth and reduce oil demand.

Persons: Edward Moya, OANDA, Stephanie Kelly, Leslie Adler, Jamie Freed Organizations: Brent, U.S, West Texas, Kuwait Petroleum, Organization of, Petroleum, European Central Bank, U.S . Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: China, Kuwait, United States, Saudi Arabia, New York, Singapore

CORPORATE DROPBOXESFTA, GoAnywhere MFT, and MOVEit Transfer are corporate versions of file sharing programs consumers use all the time, like Dropbox or WeTransfer. MFT software often promises the ability to automate the movement of data, transfer documents at scale and provide fine-grained control over who can access what. MFT PROGRAMS CAN BE TEMPTING TARGETSRunning an extortion operation against a well-defended corporation is reasonably difficult, said Recorded Future analyst Allan Liska. "If you can get to one of these file transfer points, all the data is right there. HACKER TACTICS ARE SHIFTINGScooping up data that way is becoming an increasingly important part of the way hackers operate.

Persons: Ransom, GoAnywhere MFT, James Lewis, WeTransfer, Allan Liska, Bam, Liska, Joe Slowik, Huntress, Raphael Satter, Grant McCool Organizations: Software, GoAnywhere, Thomson

[1/2] Customers look at a Hero MotoCorp Karizma motorbike at a Hero MotoCorp showroom in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad April 26, 2013. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File PhotoCompanies Hero MotoCorp Ltd FollowNEW DELHI, June 15 (Reuters) - India's Ministry of Corporate Affairs has ordered an investigation to assess Hero MotoCorp's (HROM.NS) relationship with a third-party vendor in a case related to alleged diversion of funds, two government sources told Reuters on Thursday. The investigation has been ordered in the "public interest" to probe the ownership structure of Hero MotoCorp and whether it controlled the third-party vendor, said the two sources, who are privy to the internal government directive. Hero MotoCorp, India's largest manufacturer of motorcycles, said in a statement to Reuters that it had not received any communication from the government and could not comment. Separately, Hero MotoCorp was under the scrutiny of India's income tax authorities last year.

Persons: Amit Dave, MotoCorp, Hero MotoCorp, Pawan Munjal, Nikunj Ohri, Aditya Kalra, Aditi Shah, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, NEW, India's Ministry, Corporate Affairs, Reuters, India's, Companies, Thomson Locations: Indian, Ahmedabad, NEW DELHI, New Delhi

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