Luxottica and Essilor in 46 billion euro merger to create eyewear giant
MILAN/PARIS (Reuters) – Italy’s Luxottica and France’s Essilor have agreed a 46 billion euro ($49 billion) merger to create a global eyewear powerhouse with annual revenue of more than 15 billion euros.
Bankrupt U.S. retailer American Apparel starts layoffs
(Reuters) – American Apparel LLC said it had started to lay off staff on Monday, after Canadian apparel maker Gildan Activewear Inc withdrew its initial plan to acquire some of the bankrupt U.S. fashion retailer’s manufacturing operations.
OPEC sees market stability in 2017, Venezuela aims for $70 price
CARACAS (Reuters) – OPEC Secretary-General Mohammed Barkindo forecast on Monday that stability would return to oil markets this year while price hawk Venezuela said it hoped its crude basket would rise to $70 in coming months.
Davos CEOs more bullish in short-term, politics clouds future
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – Global chief executives are more confident about the economy and the near-term prospects for their companies than they were a year ago, although the impact of recent political upheavals tops their list of longer-term conc…
Italy rejects Germany’s emissions allegations against Fiat Chrysler
MILAN (Reuters) – Tests conducted on Fiat Chrysler vehicles show they are compliant with regulations and contain no emissions defeat devices as alleged by Germany, Italy’s transport ministry said in a statement on Monday.
Rolls-Royce settles bribery probes in UK, U.S. and Brazil
(Reuters) – British engineering group Rolls-Royce Plc said on Monday that it had reached settlements with authorities in Britain, the United States and Brazil relating to bribery and corruption involving intermediaries, which would result in a series …
VW charges in U.S. breach German constitution, says defendant’s lawyer
BERLIN (Reuters) – A lawyer for one of the Volkswagen executives charged last week by U.S. prosecutors over the company’s diesel emissions scandal said the way they handled the legal process would have been unconstitutional under German law.
Hard Brexit fears hit pound ahead of May speech
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s pound fell on Monday as concern rose that the country is heading for a “hard” Brexit from the European Union and its single market, a day before a speech by Prime Minister Theresa May on the government’s plans.
IMF boosts U.S. growth forecasts on Trump spending, tax plans
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund on Monday said the U.S. economy would grow faster than previously expected in 2017 and 2018 based on the incoming Trump administration’s tax and spending plans, but it kept its global growth foreca…
Investors turn wary as Brexit, Trump uncertainty grows
LONDON (Reuters) – Investors sold sterling and stocks on Monday, seeking shelter in gold and the Japanese yen as uncertainty over Britain’s departure from the European Union and the policies of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump curbed appetite for risk…




