Asian factory activity contracted further in July, fuelling worries that a Sino-U.S. trade war and a slowdown in China could tilt the world toward a global recession, which central banks will have to fight with depleted ammunition.
Amazon.com Inc is in exploratory talks with Reliance Industries Ltd-owned Reliance Retail for buying up to 26% stake in India's biggest brick-and-mortar retailer, the Economic Times (ET) reported (https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/retail/amazon-may-shop-for-stake-in-reliance-retail/articleshow/70474456.cms) on Thursday.
Asian shares fell to six-week lows on Thursday while the dollar jumped to two-year highs as the U.S. Federal Reserve poured cold water on market expectations of a lengthy easing cycle following a 25 basis-point rate cut.
Airbus on Wednesday posted stronger-than-expected core second-quarter earnings, led by the switch to efficient new single-aisle jets, and maintained its profit forecast for the year while warning of delivery challenges in the second half.
Fast-growing insurer FWD is seeking to launch operations in China ahead of any public offering and plans to bolster its non-life business in Asia, its chief executive said, as a potential shake-up looms in the region's insurance sector.
Samsung Electronics warned on Wednesday that Japanese curbs on the export of chip-making materials was blurring its outlook and said it would delay a plan to return money to shareholders due to "significant new challenges."
Airbus on Wednesday posted stronger-than-expected core second-quarter earnings, led by the switch to efficient new single-aisle jets, and maintained its profit forecast for the year while warning of delivery challenges in the second half.
Factory activity in China is expected to have contracted for the third month in a row in July, a Reuters poll showed, underlining the intensifying strains on the world's second-biggest economy from a protracted trade war with the United States.
Oil prices rose for a fourth day on Tuesday on optimism the U.S. Federal Reserve will this week cut interest rates for the first time in more than ten years, which should support economic and fuel demand growth in the world's biggest oil user.
Germany's Bayer became the latest agricultural supplies company to be affected by flooded farms in the United States and by trade disputes, saying its full-year earnings target has become harder to reach.
German airline Lufthansa on Tuesday posted a decline in second-quarter earnings, hurt by price competition on short-haul routes in Germany and Austria as well as rising fuel costs.
BP reported $2.8 billion in second-quarter profit on Tuesday, unchanged from a year earlier, held back by lower oil prices.
Japan's Sony Corp on Tuesday reported an 18.4% increase in first-quarter operating profit, beating market expectations thanks to a strong performance in the image sensor business.
German airline Lufthansa on Tuesday posted a decline in second-quarter earnings, hurt by price competition on short-haul routes and rising fuel costs, adding the European market would likely remain challenging until at least the year's end.
China's Huawei Technologies said on Tuesday revenue in the first half of the year grew 23.2% - faster than a year ago - despite an intense U.S. campaign against it that ultimately became a trade ban from mid-May.