Financial News

Spain’s Socialist government on Friday bowed to an ultimatum from the European Union and agreed to scrap “golden shares” that protected four privatised companies from foreign takeovers. // Golden shares in Telefónica, the former telecommunications monopoly, Endesa, Spain’s largest utility, Repsol, an oil and gas group, and Iberia airlines, gave the Spanish government an effective veto over the sale of more than 10 per cent of these companies. Although the government never exercised this prerog ...

Video More video The European Union has struck a deal to overhaul its sugar policy. CNN's Andrea Sanke reports. (November 24) Play video PARIS/EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Stable oil prices and more gains in pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca helped European shares end higher Friday, but a dip in British American Tobacco stock capped the market's advance. BAT shares fell 3.6 percent, hit by a broker's downgrade, talk that future earnings might not meet analysts' expectations, ...

LONDON (Dow Jones) -- European shares sounded a slight up note Friday as resource stocks provided support and U.S. markets opened higher, while heavyweight retailer Tesco slipped on its sales. The German DAX 30 index finished up 0.1%at 5,194 France's CAC 40 added 0.3% at 4,600, while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 gained 0.2% at 5,523. The pan-European Dow Jones Stoxx 600 added 0.3% at 302.24 in a qu ...

European stocks hit 3½-year highs this week, helped by strong corporate results and gains in utilities and the heavyweight oil sector. // The FTSE Eurofirst 300 gained 0.3 per cent on Friday, to 1,248.20, a rise of 1.4 per cent on the week. The approach of winter meant that oil companies dominated the leader board, with Neste Oil of Finland, up 8.9 per cent over the week to €25.49 and Austria’s  ...

LONDON (Dow Jones) -- Aegis shares declined Friday after advertising agency WPP and private-equity bid partner Hellman & Friedman said they wouldn't bid for the company. WPP said it decided against a bid for Aegis after putting forward two potential cash offers -- one by WPP and Hellman & Friedman and one by WPP, Hellman & Friedman and possibly one other party. Aegis rejected both ...

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- European shares sounded a slight up note Friday as resource stocks provided support and U.S. markets opened higher, while heavyweight retailer Tesco slipped on its sales.   MARKETWATCH TOP NEWS Shop before you drop..and then some U.S. stocks off highs; retailers in focus Web site marketing scheme promises trouble European shares end higher on reso ...

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Aegis shares declined Friday after advertising agency WPP and private-equity bid partner Hellman & Friedman said they wouldn't bid for the company. document.write('');   MARKETWATCH TOP NEWS Shop before you drop..and then some U.S. stocks off highs; retailers in focus Web site marketing scheme promises trouble European shares end higher on res ...

LONDON (Dow Jones) -- European markets traded higher on Wednesday as investors played off some strong earnings reports, while renewed bid activity also provided a favorable backdrop. The German DAX 30 index rose 0.3% at 5,188, France's CAC 40 added 0.5% at 4, 602 and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 edged up 0.1% at 5,524, while the pan-European Dow Jones Stoxx 600 added 0.3% at 301.84. U.S. markets c ...

NEW YORK -- Mexican stocks fell Wednesday after reaching a new intraday high, ending a string of five record closes as investors locked in profits ahead of the long U.S. holiday weekend. The market's key IPC index fell 0.9% to 16713.91. The index briefly rose above 17000 points before the week-long rally ran out of steam. After gaining early on a dividend announcement, shares of wireless pho ...

LONDON (Dow Jones) -- Aegis shares were in focus in London on Friday, as the midday deadline for advertising agency WPP and private equity partner Hellman & Friedman to make a bid for the company looms. The U.K. mergers and acquisitions watchdog - the Takeover Panel - said that the companies must make a bid for Aegis by noon or withdraw from bidding for the company for six months. Aegis  ...