U.S. housing permits breach 1 million mark, home prices surge
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Permits for future U.S. home construction rose to their highest in nearly 5-1/2 years in October and prices for single-family homes notched big gains in September, suggesting a run-up in mortgage interest rates has not derailed t…
German watchdog ends Amazon probe after pricing concession
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s antitrust watchdog has dropped an investigation into Amazon after the world’s biggest Internet retailer agreed to stop forcing third-party merchants to offer their cheapest price when selling products on its platform.
U.S. government plan adjusts 2014 risk payments for health insurers
(Reuters) – The U.S. government has issued a proposal that would likely increase risk payments in 2014 to health insurers offering plans on the Obamacare exchanges after the companies complained a recent policy change allowing people to keep their insu…
Bayer bids $2.4 billion for Norwegian cancer drug partner Algeta
OSLO/LONDON (Reuters) – Bayer has offered to pay $2.4 billion for Norway’s Algeta , its partner for a new prostrate cancer treatment, at a 27 percent premium to the stock’s last close, Algeta said on Tuesday.
Tiffany raises profit outlook; Asia fuels quarterly sales
(Reuters) – Tiffany & Co on Tuesday reported a higher quarterly profit, helped by stronger-than-expected sales in Asia, and the U.S. jeweler raised its full-year forecast.
Repsol board set to accept $5 billion YPF deal on Wednesday: sources
MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish oil major Repsol’s board is set to accept compensation of $5 billion in bonds for Argentina’s nationalization of its stake in YPF , less than half it had demanded, sources close to the board said.
China’s PetroChina receives notice from U.S. court on probe into executives
SINGAPORE/HONG KONG (Reuters) – China’s oil giant PetroChina Co Ltd has received a notice from a U.S. court related to a complaint involving its former and current chairmen on suspected violations of U.S. securities regulations.
RBS reports ‘deeply troubling’: Bank of England’s Carney
LONDON (Reuters) – Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said he was concerned by reports that Royal Bank of Scotland mistreated small businesses and said they needed to be investigated fully.
Exclusive: Ecobank in row over anonymous email, hacking allegations
ACCRA (Reuters) – Pan-African lender Ecobank has sued a top executive who left the company this month, naming him in a civil complaint in Togo as the author of an anonymous email accusing Chief Executive Thierry Tanoh of mismanagement.
Insight: A new wave of U.S. mortgage trouble threatens
(Reuters) – U.S. borrowers are increasingly missing payments on home equity lines of credit they took out during the housing bubble, a trend that could deal another blow to the country’s biggest banks.
