Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway buys stake in Verizon, adds to Wal-Mart
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc bought a new stake of 11 million shares in Verizon Communications Inc in the first quarter and added to its holding in Wal-Mart Stores Inc , according to a regulatory filing on Thursday.
FCC votes to restrict AT&T, Verizon in 2015 spectrum auction
(Reuters) – U.S. telecom regulators on Thursday voted to limit how much spectrum Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc will be able to buy in next year’s auction of highly valuable wireless airwaves.
Top SEC official raps U.S. risk council for seeking to grab power
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A top U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission official on Thursday railed against the U.S. regulatory risk council for trying to grab the SEC’s power in a “dangerous” quest to impose tougher rules on large asset managers.
Wall St. falls for second day; small caps slide again
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stocks fell on Thursday, giving the Dow and the S&P 500 their worst declines in more than a month, as small-cap shares extended their retreat and Wal-Mart results disappointed.
Now the hard part: Microsoft CEO touts new Surface tablets
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Satya Nadella has enjoyed a fairly smooth ride in his first 100 days as Microsoft Corp chief executive, but he risks hitting a rough patch next week when he unveils the latest models of the tepidly received Surface tablet.
Credit Suisse nears $2.5 billion deal to end U.S. tax-evasion probe: sources
(Reuters) – Credit Suisse Group AG is expected to plead guilty and pay more than $2.5 billion to U.S. authorities to resolve charges that the Swiss bank helped Americans evade U.S. taxes, people familiar with the discussions said on Thursday.
France grabs for power over Alstom future with new takeover law
PARIS (Reuters) – The French government gave itself the power to block foreign corporate takeovers in “strategic” sectors on Thursday, throwing up a potential roadblock to General Electric’s $16.9 billion bid for Alstom’s energy assets.
Italy signs deal to save Electrolux sites, protect jobs
ROME (Reuters) – Italian government signed an agreement with Electrolux on Thursday to preserve the Swedish white goods multinational’s four sites in northern Italy and protect the 6,000-strong local workforce, in exchange for tax breaks and union conc…
SAP to cut between 1,500-2,500 jobs as cloud takes over
STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) – German software company SAP is planning to cut between 1,500 and 2,500 jobs as software programmes switch to the cloud, meaning fewer onsite staff are required, a source said on Thursday.
Jobless claims hit seven-year low, inflation ticks up
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – New applications for U.S. unemployment benefits hit a seven-year low last week while consumer prices recorded their largest increase in 10 months in April, pointing to a firming economy.