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☆ Cancer drugmakers rise as industry meet fuels investor interest
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 5 (Reuters) - Shares of several cancer drug firms surged on Monday after the companies reported positive clinical trial data from their therapies at an ongoing industry conference in Chicago. ImmunoGen Inc's experimental drug, Elahere, to treat a type of ovarian cancer showed 35% reduction in the risk of tumor progression or death compared to chemotherapy in a late-stage study. Shares of Evaxion rose 5.4% to $1.55 after the smaller drug developer said its vaccine to prevent a type of skin cancer met safety goals in an early-stage study. Shares of Blueprint Medicines Corp (BPMC.O) fell 9.4% to $52.76 after analysts flagged potential safety issues about its experimental drug to treat a type of lung cancer. Reporting by Manas Mishra and Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: William Blair, Manas Mishra, Mariam Sunny, Shailesh Organizations: Immunogen Inc, Evaxion, Therapeutics, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Arcus, Medicines Corp, Thomson Locations: Chicago, Bengaluru

☆ FedEx reaches tentative deal with pilot union
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 30 (Reuters) - FedEx Corp (FDX.N) has reached a tentative agreement with pilots of its air delivery unit who had voted in favor of a strike earlier this month seeking higher pay, the package delivery company said in a statement on Tuesday. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) had voted "overwhelmingly" in favor of a strike if needed, when it had entered the final stages of a contract negotiation with the company. FedEx did not provide any further details on the agreement. The agreement prevents a possible strike after 99% of about 6,000 FedEx Express pilots that ALPA represents voted in favor of one, as they asked the company to meet recently improved industry standards for pilot pay. Reporting by Bharat Govind Gautam and Priyamvada C in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: ALPA, Bharat Govind Gautam, Priyamvada, Shailesh Kuber, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: FedEx Corp, Air Line Pilots Association, FedEx, FedEx Express, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ India poised to deny funding for Vedanta-Foxconn chip venture - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A man walks past the logo of Vedanta outside its headquarters in Mumbai, India January 31, 2018. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui//File Photo/File PhotoMay 31 (Reuters) - The Indian government is poised to deny crucial funding for Anil Agarwal's chip venture, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, a setback to the billionaire's ambition to build India's 'own Silicon Valley.' The venture's application seeking billions in government assistance hasn't met the criteria set by the government, the report said. Foxconn declined to comment on the report, while India's technology ministry and Vedanta did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. "India's own Silicon Valley is a step closer now," Agarwal had said last year after the announcement.

Persons: Danish Siddiqui, Anil Agarwal's, Taiwan's Foxconn, hasn't, Foxconn, Foxconn –, –, Agarwal, Anusha, Shailesh Organizations: Vedanta, REUTERS, Danish, Bloomberg, Hai Precision Industry Co, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Gujarat, Bengaluru

☆ Gold set for monthly drop as US debt agreement saps appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Arundhati Sarkar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Gold set for first monthly fall in threeSilver, platinum, palladium face monthly lossGold defended support confluence zone at $1,940 level - analystMay 31 (Reuters) - Gold prices eased on Wednesday, set for a monthly drop, as progress in the U.S. debt ceiling deal and expectations that the Federal Reserve will likely raise interest rates further eroded bullion's safe-haven status. Spot gold fell 0.2% to $1,955.28 per ounce by 0243 GMT, and lost 1.7% so far this month. Gold prices have come off their recent near-record highs reached early in May. Higher interest rates dull the appeal for zero-yield bullion. A hawkish build in rate expectations has translated to some resilience in place, and until that reverses, upside for gold prices may continue to remain capped, Jun Rong added.

Persons: Gold, Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, Yeap Jun Rong, Jun Rong, Arundhati Sarkar, Shailesh Kuber, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: Federal Reserve, U.S, IG, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

May 30 (Reuters) - Unilever Plc (ULVR.L) said on Tuesday Chief Financial Officer Graeme Pitkethly would leave the consumer goods giant by the end of May 2024 after more than two decades. Pitkethly, who has been with the maker of Dove soap since 2002, succeeded Jean-Marc Huët as finance chief in 2015. The 56-year-old previously served as executive vice president of Unilever's UK and Ireland business, including head of M&A and head of treasury. Unilever, which did not say why Pitkethly planned to "retire from the company", said it would proceed with a formal internal and external search for his successor. "Eight years as CFO of a multinational is a decent time and retiring in May 2024 should enable a useful handover to a new CFO."

May 30 (Reuters) - Crown Resorts, the Australian casino operator bought by Blackstone Inc (BX.N) after three damaging inquiries, agreed to pay a A$450 million ($294 million) fine for breaking anti-money laundering laws, a step toward ending its darkest chapter. "We are pleased to have reached this agreement with AUSTRAC," said Crown Resorts CEO Ciarán Carruthers, who started in the role in September. "The company that committed these unacceptable, historic breaches is far removed from the company that exists today." Australian regulators over the recent years have penalised a slew of companies over breaches and non-compliances, with the country's "Big Four" banks fined the most. ($1 = 1.4743 Australian dollars)Reporting by Byron Kaye in Sydney and Harish Sridharan in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Factbox: Penalties imposed on Australian companies over the recent years
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Here are some of the major penalties imposed by the regulators:AMP LTD (AMP.AX)Troubled Australian wealth manager AMP Ltd was fined a court-mandated penalty of A$24 million in May for billing dead clients for insurance and financial advice. In October 2022, ANZ was penalised A$25 million for failing to provide certain benefits it had agreed to give customers. In October 2022, CBA's trading unit was fined A$20 million for compliance failures in delivering financial services. NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK (NAB.AX)National Australia Bank, the country's second-largest bank, was charged A$18.5 million penalty in August 2021 by a court for issuing misleading fee disclosure statements or none at all. WESTPAC BANKING CORP (WBC.AX)Australia's third-biggest lender, Westpac Banking Corp was ordered to pay A$113 million in penalties in April 2022 for multiple compliance failures across its businesses.

☆ Qantas expects international unit to be twice as profitable as tourism rebounds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Qantas planes are seen at Kingsford Smith International Airport in Sydney, Australia, March 18, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File PhotoMay 30 (Reuters) - Qantas Airways (QAN.AX) on Tuesday forecast its international divisions to be twice as profitable in the post-COVID era on strong recovery in tourism, with earnings at domestic and loyalty divisions also projected to improve. Qantas also expects its Loyalty division to reach its fiscal 2024 earnings before interest and taxes target of A$500 -A$600 million, rising further to A$800 million to A$1 billion by fiscal 2030. Qantas reaffirmed its 2024 capital expenditure forecast provided in February of between A$3 billion and A$3.2 billion. Qantas shares were trading 1.8% higher as at 0300 GMT, marking their biggest intraday gain in nearly a week.

☆ Crown Resorts and Australian regulator agree to $294 mln penalty
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 30 (Reuters) - Crown Resorts has agreed to a A$450 million ($294 million) penalty after it failed to prevent money laundering and criminal activity at its casinos, Australia's financial crime regulator said on Tuesday. In reaching the agreement, Crown has admitted that it operated in breach of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (AML/CTF Act), AUSTRAC said. Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth casinos failed to appropriately assess the money laundering and terrorism financing risks they faced, and to identify and respond to changes in risk over time, the regulator added. "The company that committed these unacceptable, historic breaches is far removed from the company that exists today," Crown said in a statement. ($1 = 1.4743 Australian dollars)Reporting by Harish Sridharan in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ryanair posts near record FY profit, summer demand robust
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBLIN, May 22 (Reuters) - Ryanair (RYA.I) on Monday posted a near record profit of 1.43 billion euros ($1.57 billion) in the year to end-March and said it was cautiously optimistic that profits would rise modestly in the next 12 months, with summer demand notably robust. The low cost carrier flew a record 168.6 million passengers in the year through March 31, beating its previous annual record of 149 million reached before the pandemic. Ryanair hiked its after-tax profit forecast to 1.325 billion to 1.425 billion euros in January after stronger than expected Christmas traffic and fares. The final number compared with a forecast of 1.398 billion euros in a company poll of analysts. It made a loss of 355 million euros in the previous pandemic-hit financial year and the turnaround came close to topping the record 1.45 billion euro profit Ryanair made in the year to March 31, 2018.

☆ Instagram readies Twitter competitor for summer release - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 19 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms' (META.O) Instagram is planning to release a text-based app that will compete with Twitter and may debut as soon as June, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. FDA approves Krystal Biotech's skin-disorder gene therapy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Pratik Jain | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Krystal Biotech Inc's (KRYS.O) first-of-its kind topical gene therapy for patients with a genetic skin disorder, sending its shares up 7% in afternoon trading. Patients with the rare dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa disorder suffer from open wounds, causing skin infections and are at an increased risk of vision loss, scarring and skin cancer. The therapy, Vyjuvek, is expected to be available in the United States in the third quarter of 2023, Krystal Biotech CEO Krish Krishnan told Reuters ahead of the FDA decision. Our intent is to provide access to all the patients if possible in the United States," Krishnan said. About 9,000 to 10,000 people suffer from dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa globally, including a U.S. population of about 3,000 patients, according to Krystal Biotech.

☆ Factbox: Pilots, airlines seek to strike new contracts ahead of peak travel season
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO (LUV.N):The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) in May said its members at the company approved a strike mandate. It added that 98% of its members participated in the vote and 99% voted in favor of authorizing a strike. UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS INC (UAL.O):Last year, ALPA said 94% of the nearly 10,000 United Airlines pilots voted to reject a contract offer. SPIRIT AIRLINES INC (SAVE.N):In January, ALPA said pilots at Spirit Airlines voted to ratify a new contract. More than 97% of the union members took part in the vote and 99% of them authorized union leaders to call a strike, if needed.

REUTERS/Dado RuvicMay 17 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) is set to face a record European Union privacy fine related to data transfer of Facebook's EU users to U.S. servers for failing to comply with a warning by a top EU court, two sources familiar with the matter said. The penalty will be higher than the previous record 746 million euros ($821.20 million) fine for Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), according to the sources. Meta declined to comment, while the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) and the European Commission did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. EU regulators led by Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon have been finalising a ban on the legal tool used by Facebook to transfer European user data because of concerns U.S. intelligence agencies could access the information. Europe's highest court ruled in 2020 that an EU-U.S. data transfer agreement was invalid, citing surveillance concerns.

☆ California's cannabis firms band together to address credit woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 16 (Reuters) - A coalition of cannabis firms, representing about 45% sales volume in California, on Tuesday started an effort to address credit issues that have plagued the state's legal cannabis market. Cannabis operators including Kiva Sales & Service, Lowell Farms, Nabis, Sunderstorm launched Financial Stability for California Cannabis (FSCC) and issued a public letter in support of Assembly Bill 766. The bill, dubbed "The Cannabis Credit Protection Act", seeks to establish regulatory safeguards around cannabis sales made on credit. Most U.S. banks do not service cannabis companies as marijuana remains federally illegal, despite several states like California legalizing its medicinal and recreational use, leaving the industry largely cash-based and capital-limited. The lack of capital means that the cannabis sales across the supply chain are largely made on credit terms with license holders agreeing to pay for goods and services at a specified later date.

☆ Zoom invests in AI startup Anthropic in latest effort to spruce up offerings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 16 (Reuters) - Zoom Video Communications Inc (ZM.O) said on Tuesday it has invested an undisclosed sum in Anthropic and will integrate the artificial intelligence start-up's technology into its video-conferencing platform. The move marks the latest effort by Zoom to spruce up its offerings with AI as it competes against Microsoft Teams, the dominant video-conferencing tool for enterprises. Under the collaboration, Anthropic's Claude - a large language model that competes directly with offerings from Microsoft-backed OpenAI - will be integrated with Zoom's platform. In March, Zoom had announced a partnership with OpenAI to add AI-driven capabilities such as conversation summaries and message drafts to its Zoom IQ assistant. Reporting by Akshita Toshniwal in Bengaluru and Krystal Hu; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK nanotech firm Nanosynth proposes to enter voluntary liquidation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 16 (Reuters) - Nanosynth Group (NNNN.L) said on Tuesday it has proposed to enter into creditors' voluntary liquidation, after an unsuccessful attempt to procure necessary funding. The company had flagged the lack of cash resources last month, saying it was evaluating potential funding options. Creditors' voluntary liquidation - the most common type of insolvency - is a liquidation procedure that enables a company to be wound up by resolution of its members instead of a court order. The AIM-listed firm, which specializes in the synthesis and application of nanoparticles to create products, had a market capitalization of 1.76 million pounds ($2.22 million), according to Refinitiv data. ($1 = 0.7923 pounds)Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tellurian appoints Barclays' Simon Oxley as CFO
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Tellurian Inc FollowMay 10 (Reuters) - U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer Tellurian Inc <TELL.A> said on Wednesday it has appointed Simon Oxley as chief financial officer, effective June 1. Oxley, who worked at Barclays Investment Bank as co-head of Oil & Gas Investment Banking for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, will take over from Khaled Sharafeldin, who had been serving as the interim finance chief after Kian Granmayeh resigned from the CFO position in March. Oxley joins Tellurian after its Driftwood project has seen many setbacks including the cancellation of some LNG supply deals after two major potential customers last year raised concerns around the company's ability to finish the project. Reporting by Arshreet Singh; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Investment consortium to buy Syneos Health in $7.1 bln deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 10 (Reuters) - An investment consortium, comprising of Elliott Investment Management, Patient Square Capital and Veritas Capital, has agreed to buy Syneos Health Inc (SYNH.O), in a deal valued at $7.1 billion, including debt, the contract research firm said on Wednesday. Syneos said the consortium will pay about $43 per share in cash, which represents a premium of about 12% to the company's last close of $38.45. The deal comes at a time when Syneos faces challenges in winning new business, as many of its clients, which includes medium-sized biotechs, have cut spending as they have found it difficult to raise funding in a post-COVID-19 market downturn. Deal comes days after a private-equity groups including Warburg Pincus and Advent International agreed to buy Baxter International (BAX.N) biopharma solutions unit for $4.25 billion. Reporting by Bhanvi Satija and Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Investment consortium to take Syneos private for $4.46 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 10 (Reuters) - An investment consortium, comprising of Elliott Investment Management, Patient Square Capital and Veritas Capital, has agreed to take Syneos Health Inc (SYNH.O) private for $4.46 billion, the contract research firm said on Wednesday. Syneos said the consortium will pay about $43 per share in cash, which represents a premium of about 12% to the company's last close of $38.45. The acquisition is valued at $7.1 billion including debt. Syneos, which helps pharmaceutical companies with clinical trials and marketing their drugs, currently carries a debt of nearly $3 billion. The company reported a total backlog of contracts of $9.83 billion, as of March 31, 2023, down from $11.63 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2022.

☆ U.S. FDA advisers back OTC use of Perrigo's birth control pill
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 10 (Reuters) - A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Wednesday voted in favor of using Perrigo Co's (PRGO.N) contraceptive without a prescription, paving the way for the country's first approval for an over-the-counter birth control pill. The panel remained positive on the effectiveness of the pill, not only in the general population of women but also in adolescent populations and those with limited literacy. Perrigo's Opill, currently approved for prescription use, would be the first OTC non-estrogen contraceptive pill in the United States if approved by the regulator. The FDA generally follows the advise of its experts, though it is not bound to do so. Reporting by Sriparna Roy and Nandhini Srinivasan in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Duke Energy misses profit estimates as warm weather weighs on power usage
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 9 (Reuters) - Duke Energy Corp (DUK.N) on Tuesday missed Wall Street estimates for first-quarter profit, as the gas and electric utilities firm was hit by unfavorable weather, higher interest expenses, and lower volumes. Warmer-than-normal weather in the states serviced by the company weighed on customers' electricity needs for heating in colder months. Duke's electric utilities, which serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, saw income fall about 12% to $791 million from last year. Meanwhile for its gas utilities, which serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky, income rose about 13% to $287 million for the quarter, aided by better retail margins. Duke said it earned $1.20 per share, on an adjusted basis, in the January-March quarter.

☆ Canada's Cenovus Energy shuts down some production due to Alberta wildfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Cenovus Energy Inc FollowMay 8 (Reuters) - Canada's Cenovus Energy Inc (CVE.TO) said on Monday it has shut down production plants in some areas of its conventional business, due to wildfires in Alberta. The company added that production of about 85,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day has been impacted in Cenovus' Rainbow Lake, Kaybob-Edson, Elmworth-Wapiti and Clearwater operating areas. Cenovus, one of Canada's top energy producers, said it was working with provincial and municipal agencies to support efforts and staff in the area. The company added that its 2023 production outlook remains unchanged. Canada's main oil-producing province Alberta on Saturday declared a provincial state of emergency due to wildfires.

☆ Walmart names insider Latriece Watkins as US merchandising chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Walmart Inc (WMT.N) appointed Latriece Watkins as its U.S. chief merchandising officer, according to a memo seen by Reuters on Friday, days after Charles Redfield stepped down from the role. Watkins, who joined the company 24 years ago, has served in several roles across Walmart U.S. and Sam's Club. Last month, Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner wrote to associates that Redfield would step down and assume an advisory role supporting the U.S. business effective May 1. Watkins' appointment takes place at a time when consumer spending power has been reduced by high inflation, hurting Walmart's business and leading the company to adopt a cautious stance on 2023. "We have a rich history of strong leaders who embrace this constant change, set bold visions for our teams and best represent the humanity that is Walmart," Furner wrote in the memo.

☆ India's Go First cancels flights until May 12
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Indian airline Go First said on Friday it is cancelling its flights until May 12, days after the cash-strapped company filed for bankruptcy. Earlier on Tuesday, the airline blamed "faulty" Pratt & Whitney GTF engines for the grounding of about half its fleet leading to the bankruptcy filing. read moreThe owner of Go Airlines has no plans to exit the budget carrier, the airline's CEO told Reuters on Wednesday. read moreGo First, formerly known as GoAir, had abruptly cancelled its flights since the bankruptcy filing, earlier cancelling flights scheduled from May 3 to May 5, before announcing on Thursday that flights had been suspended until May 9. Reporting by Rahat Sandhu in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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