Financial News

European markets closed sharply higher Friday in the last session of the second quarter, with gains inspired by the U.S. Federal Reserve intimating that it may be near the end of its rate-tightening cycle and by Bayer's sale of a diagnostics unit. The U.K. FTSE 100 indexincreased 0.7% to 5,833, the German DAX Xetra 30 indexrose 1.8% to 5,683 and the French CAC-40 indexadvanced 1.9% to 4,965.  ...

HONG KONG (Dow Jones) -- Business deals are often portraits of their times. What could have been more 2000 than the AOL-Time Warner merger, with its blend of dot-com hubris and ill-fated synergistic zeal; a transaction that some initially valued at $350 billion but which, when it closed months later was worth $102.5 billion. More recently, Chinese computer maker Lenovo's acquisition of IBM's ...

By Friedel Rother LONDON (Reuters) - The FTSE 100 ended higher on Friday, giving the index its biggest weekly gain in nearly eight months as miners put their weight behind the market, while bid talk rushed through several sectors, sending Centrica up sharply. Shares in the utility finished with a 4.1 percent gain after the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom said it was interested in buying Centrica, but was not in talks with shareholders or management. Steelmaker Corus also rose on renewed bid hope ...

By Friedel Rother LONDON (Reuters) - The FTSE 100 ended higher on Friday, giving the index its biggest weekly gain in nearly eight months as miners put their weight behind the market, while bid talk rushed through several sectors, sending Centrica (CNA.L: Quote, Profile, Research) up sharply. Shares in the utility finished with a 4.1 percent gain after the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.MM: Quote, Profile, Research) said it was interested in buying Centrica, but was not in talks with sh ...

Eric BarkasCity Editornatural chemicals company Croda International moved up a giant step yesterday when it bought ICI's Uniqema for £410m.The deal gives Goole-based Croda claim to the title of the biggest oleochemicals company in the world.Oleochemicals are based on natural oils and fats, rather than petrochemicals, and are much sought after for their "green" credentials in areas like personal ca ...

LONDON (Dow Jones) -- A consortium led by Australia's Macquarie Bank has pulled out of the running to buy Associated British Ports, effectively handing control of the U.K.'s largest port operator to Goldman Sachs. The consortium, which also includes Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Industry Funds Management and two Macquarie infrastructure funds, said it does not intend to make a formal of ...

Evening Standard30 June 2006 THE London airports monopoly of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted could be forcibly split up after a full-blown investigation into the market was ordered by the Office of Fair Trading. OTHER STORIES Apple in stock options probe Market report: Friday preview Macquarie leaves ABP to Goldman Cleanaway UK in £595m sale Fed's rate noise is music to market ea ...

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - Arcelor (CELR.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) shareholders gathered on Friday amid mounting signs that they will reject a proposed merger with Russian steel group Severstal (CHMF.MM: Quote, Profile, Research) after the European steel group succumbed to Mittal Steel's (ISPA.AS: Quote, Profile, Research) offer. Arcelor's defensive merger agreement with Severstal will fall th ...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Canadian miner Falconbridge Ltd. (FAL.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said it will oppose a court application by fellow miner and shareholder Xstrata (XTA.L: Quote, Profile, Research) that demands Falconbridge call an early annual shareholders meeting. Xstrata demanded the early meeting on the basis of alleged violations by Falconbridge of the Ontario Business Cor ...

By Friedel Rother LONDON (Reuters)- Stocks rushed higher on Thursday, with robust banking, energy and mining stocks leading the FTSE 100 share index to its highest close in just over six weeks as investor sentiment was reinvigorated by optimism on company earnings and a rally on Wall Street. Telecoms group BT added weight to the market's advance, rising 3 percent as dealers reported positive feedback from meetings between the company and investors as well as ongoing speculation of a bid for th ...