Senate passes North America trade deal, Canada still to approve
The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved a revamp of the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement that includes tougher rules on labor and automotive content but leaves $1.2 trillion in annual U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade flows largely unchanged.
Oil steady ahead of data seen confirming sluggish China growth
Oil prices were steady on Friday as investors braced for data expected to show China’s economic growth last year slid to its slowest pace in 29 years, holding on to gains for now after Washington and Beijing inked a long-awaited trade deal.
Asian shares firm after Wall Street records; China GDP awaited
Asian shares inched higher on Friday after global stock indexes and Wall Street posted more records, with strong corporate earnings and upbeat U.S. economic data adding to optimism after China and the U.S. signed a partial trade deal.
Facebook sued in U.S. federal court for alleged anticompetitive conduct
Four companies sued Facebook Inc in U.S. federal court on Thursday for alleged anticompetitive conduct, saying the social network inappropriately revoked developer access to its platform in order to harm prospective competitors.
Comcast bets ads work on streaming TV, plans NBC Peacock debut for April
NBCUniversal’s new Peacock streaming service will offer free and $5-per-month options with advertising to try to win customers for its belated entry into the online video wars, the company announced on Thursday.
Gap pulls plug on Old Navy spinoff to focus on turning around sales
Gap Inc on Thursday scrapped its plan to spin-off Old Navy and said it would instead work to stem dropping sales, while fewer discounts during the holiday season helped full-year earnings, sending its shares up about 4%.
Eli Lilly targets quarterly deals of $1 billion-$5 billion in 2020: CFO
Eli Lilly and Co aims to announce roughly one $1 billion to $5 billion deal every quarter in 2020, its chief financial officer told Reuters, as the U.S. drugmaker looks to build up its pipeline of future products.
China set to post weakest growth in 29 years as trade war bites, investment sputters
China is expected to report on Friday that economic growth slowed to its weakest in nearly three decades in 2019 amid a bruising trade war with the United States, and more stimulus steps are expected this year to help avert sharper slowdown.
Comcast bets ads work on streaming TV, plans Peacock debut for April
Comcast Corp-owned NBCUniversal’s new Peacock service will offer free and $5-per-month options that include advertising to try to win customers for its belated entry into the streaming video wars, the company announced on Thursday.
S&P 500 blasts through 3,300 as tech stocks surge
The S&P 500 rallied through the 3,300 mark for the first time on Thursday and the other main U.S. indexes also surged to record highs, fueled by tech stocks, solid retail sales data and upbeat quarterly earnings from Morgan Stanley.
