SoftBank logs second-best annual profit, talks up T-Mobile deal potential
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp said it had notched up its second-best annual profit on cost cuts and a rise in subscribers at Sprint Corp , adding that it was eager to discuss potential M&A for the loss-making U.S. wireless unit.
SAP chairman defends executive pay system
MANNHEIM, Germany (Reuters) – SAP said on Wednesday its executive pay system was reasonable, defending management bonuses against the criticism of some shareholders.
Linde CEO defends Praxair merger at shareholder meeting
MUNICH (Reuters) – The chief executive of German industrial gases group Linde defended a planned $70 billion merger with U.S. peer Praxair at the company’s annual shareholder meeting, despite fierce trade union opposition that has raised investor conc…
Quebec says Bombardier must listen to pension fund concerns on governance
MONTREAL/TORONTO (Reuters) – Bombardier Inc faced fresh pension fund opposition to the re-election of its executive chairman and the Quebec government said the plane and train maker should listen to the growing number of institutional shareholders cit…
Apple buys Finnish sleep tracking app maker Beddit
HELSINKI (Reuters) – Apple has acquired a sleep tracking app and hardware maker Beddit, the Finnish startup said on its website.
Austria’s Voestalpine says Texas plant cost more than $1 billion
VIENNA (Reuters) – Steelmaker Voestalpine said on Wednesday the final cost of its direct reduction plant in the United States amounted to $1.012 billion (929 million euros), more than the $990 million estimated at the beginning of the year.
Toyota forecasts 20 percent profit drop on higher U.S. sales cost, yen gain
TOKYO (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp forecast operating profit for the current year to slide by a fifth as Japan’s biggest automaker expects a hit from increased spending to push sales in its key U.S. market and from a stronger yen.
ChemChina gets around 82 percent of Syngenta in $43 billion deal
ZURICH (Reuters) – ChemChina [CNCC.UL] has won around 82 percent support from Syngenta shareholders for its $43 billion takeover of the Swiss pesticides and seeds group, China’s biggest foreign acquisition to date, the two companies said on Wednesday.
Amazon trounces rivals in battle of the shopping ‘bots’
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Earlier this year, engineers at Wal-Mart Stores Inc who track rivals’ prices online got a rude surprise: the technology they were using to check Amazon.com several million times a day suddenly stopped working.
Detroit revival spurs JPMorgan to make fresh $50 million pledge
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – JPMorgan Chase & Co is investing another $50 million in Detroit amid what city officials and bank executives describe as encouraging signs for urban renewal through public-private partnerships.
