Tesco credit rating under threat: S&P
LONDON (Reuters) – Tesco , Britain’s biggest retailer, was dealt a fresh blow on Tuesday after another ratings agency warned of a possible cut to its credit rating in the wake of its recent poor performance.
Last Nokia phones sell sluggishly as loss widens
HELSINKI (Reuters) – Nokia said on Tuesday its phone sales fell 30 percent in the last quarter they belonged to the previous world-market leader and the unit’s loss widened.
European Union moves to end smartphone patent wars
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission moved on Tuesday to stem aggressive patent lawsuits by smartphone and tablet makers against rivals, ruling that Motorola Mobility had broken EU law by taking such action against Apple.
ECB fails to fully offset bond buys again as money markets tighten
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The European Central Bank failed to fully offset its past purchases of government bonds on Tuesday, missing its target for the third week running as spare cash in the banking system falls to critical levels.
Euro zone sentiment, inflation expectations dip in April
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Euro zone economic sentiment deteriorated slightly in April, defying forecasts of further improvement, while inflation expectations continued to fall, European Commission data showed on Tuesday.
Goodyear posts quarterly loss
(Reuters) – Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co reported a quarterly loss compared with a profit a year earlier as it booked a one-time charge related to a drop in the value of the Venezuelan bolivar.
China’s big four banks’ profits surprise as reforms gather pace
HONG KONG/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC) beat estimates with a near 7 percent rise in first-quarter net profit, the fourth of China’s biggest lenders to show more resilient profits than expected as interest inco…
Santander launches 4.7 billion euro Brazil buyout as Europe rebounds
MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish bank Santander launched a buyout offer for the remaining 25 percent of its Brazilian unit, cementing its grip on one of its top profit drivers in a deal worth up to 4.7 billion euros ($6.5 billion).
China provincial GDP data adds to slowdown concerns
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s resource-dependent and manufacturing-heavy provinces suffered the sharpest growth slowdown in the first quarter as the government pushed to reduce overcapacity and pollution, adding to signs of protracted weakness in the eco…
States data suggests German inflation, perhaps euro zone, picked up in April
BERLIN (Reuters) – The annual inflation rate in Europe’s largest economy probably picked up in April, potentially raising the euro zone figure and reducing pressure on the European Central Bank to act, data suggested on Tuesday.
