08 Jun
Moody’s warns of broader eurozone country downgrades
|
Original post by AFP and software by Elliott Back Not What You Needed? Check Out These Related Sites... |
Breaking News- Jobs, housing data show economy has some muscleBy Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, pointing to resilience in the labor market despite belt-tightening by Washington. The improving employment picture is helping to prop up housing, with rising home prices keeping domestic consumption supported, limiting the drag from tighter fiscal policy that is dampening factory activity. "All the eggs are in housing and the consumers' baskets this quarter. ...
- EU wants big companies to reveal national tax billsBy John O'Donnell BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe's top regulatory official is seeking to force large companies to disclose how much tax they pay in each country where they operate, a measure some politicians say could curb tax avoidance. Michel Barnier, the European commissioner in charge of drafting business regulation, said in a speech in Amsterdam that rules which will force banks to report their profits, taxes and subsidies by country from 2015 should be extended to cover other companies. "We will expand these reporting obligations to large companies and groups," he said on Thursday. ...
- Wall St. dips as data, HP offset stimulus fearsBy Leah Schnurr NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks slipped on Thursday, recovering from session lows as encouraging domestic economic data and a rally in Hewlett-Packard's shares offset concerns about the timing of any reduction in the Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus. Hewlett-Packard jumped nearly 14 percent and helped support the Dow a day after the world's largest PC maker raised its outlook. HP's sharp gains had briefly helped the Dow edge into positive territory at midday. Signs of improvement in the housing and labor markets also helped indexes come off their lows by midday. ...
- Apple enjoyed Irish tax holiday from the startBy Poornima Gupta and Padraic Halpin SAN FRANCISCO/DUBLIN (Reuters) - Apple has operated almost tax-free in Ireland since 1980, welcomed by a government keen to bring jobs to what was then one of Europe's poorest countries, former company executives and Irish officials have said. Chief Executive Tim Cook faced criticism from a Senate subcommittee in Washington on Tuesday over the iPad and iPhone maker's tax practices, which had been shrouded from full view behind secretive tax-exempt Irish-based corporate entities. ...
- New car sales seen up 6-8 percent in May: analystsDETROIT (Reuters) - Auto sales in May are expected to rise 6 percent to 8 percent and the annual sales pace should rebound back above 15 million vehicles after a disappointing result in the prior month, two research reports said on Thursday. Sales of new cars and trucks in May are expected to top 1.43 million vehicles, while the annual sales pace is forecast to hit 15.2 million vehicles, according to a report by J.D. Power and Associates and LMC Automotive, as well as one by TrueCar.com. Kelley Blue Book's forecast is slightly more conservative, as it sees sales rising 6 percent to almost 1. ...
- U.S., China factories struggle; Fed hints at less stimulusBy Andy Bruce and Steven C. Johnson LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chinese factory activity declined in May for the first time in seven months and U.S. manufacturing grew at its slowest pace since October, suggesting it may take a while before the global economy starts to pick up steam. Thursday's downbeat business surveys from the world's two largest economies came a day after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke spooked markets by hinting that the U.S. central bank could soon scale back monthly bond purchases, provided the economy maintained its recent momentum. ...
- Glencore says Iran metals swap deals did not violate sanctionsBy Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Swiss-based commodities giant Glencore Xstrata said on Thursday that it had done nothing wrong when it engaged in metal swaps with Iran, rejecting a suggestion by U.N. experts that such bartering could have been a way of evading sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear program. A confidential U.N. Panel of Experts report seen by Reuters on Wednesday said alumina-for-aluminum swap deals with Iran by Switzerland-based commodities giants Glencore and Trafigura could have been a way to bypass international sanctions. ...
- Large U.S. retailers sue Visa, MasterCard over card fees(Reuters) - A group of U.S. retailers including Macy's Inc and Target Corp sued Visa Inc and MasterCard Inc on Thursday, breaking off from a proposed $7.2 billion settlement reached last year over fees to process credit card transactions. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan on behalf of many retailers that opted out of receiving proposed damages from the settlement. That settlement, pending in federal court in Brooklyn, would end litigation on behalf of merchants that accused Visa and MasterCard of inflating so-called interchange, or swipe, fees. ...
- Ally to pay $2.1 billion to settle ResCap litigationBy Tom Hals (Reuters) - Ally Financial Inc agreed to pay $2.1 billion to Residential Capital LLC to settle claims that it stripped the bankrupt mortgage subsidiary of choice assets. The deal will allow Ally to put behind it problems tied to mortgage lending so it can focus on its U.S. auto financing business and its online bank. The settlement also paves the way for ResCap to repay its creditors. Under the deal, detailed in a court filing on Thursday, Ally will pay $1.95 billion in cash and expects $150 million more to come from its insurers. ...
- Former Chrysler, Fisker CEO launches venture fund with PenskeBy Deepa Seetharaman DETROIT (Reuters) - Tom LaSorda, the former chief executive of Chrysler Group LLC and Fisker Automotive, is launching a venture capital fund with racing magnate Roger Penske to invest in technology startups. The fund, IncWell LP, will provide initial investments ranging from $50,000 and $250,000. IncWell has "strong interests" in the areas of clean energy, medical, healthcare, transportation and information applications. LaSorda, who was also a key manufacturing executive at General Motors Co, left Chrysler in 2009 just after the automaker filed for bankruptcy. ...
- Jobs, housing data show economy has some muscle
