Apple Boosts Buyback, Splits Stock
Apple Inc., in a nod to restive shareholders, added $30 billion
to its stock-buyback plan, raised its dividend about 8% and
declared an unusually large 7-for-1 stock split Wednesday as it
reported strong iPhone sales that defied expectations of a
slowdown.
Facebook Net Triples, Sales Up 72%
Facebook Inc. proved its recent advertising windfalls were no
fluke, nearly tripling profit on a 72% increase in revenue in its
first quarter, surpassing Wall Street expectations.
Barclays Warns of Lower First-Quarter Profit
Barclays said that a continuing slowdown in fixed-income trading
would push adjusted first-quarter profit lower than in the same
quarter last year.
Alstom Denies GE Takeover Bid
Alstom said it wasn't aware of any potential takeover bid for
the company from General Electric. Alstom was responding to a
report by Bloomberg, which said the U.S. firm was in takeover talks
with the French engineer.
Unilever First-Quarter Sales Fall
The consumer-products giant Unilever reported a fall in
first-quarter sales as currency weakness across emerging markets
continued to weigh on its performance.
AstraZeneca Dented by Generic Competition
AstraZeneca posted a 67% fall in first-quarter profit, below
analyst expectations, as sales of its best-selling drugs continued
to be dented by generic competition.
Heineken's 1Q Profit Hit by Currency Losses
Heineken reported a 37% drop in first-quarter net profit as
revenue fell on divestments and currency losses.
MOL to Spend $1 Billion on Acquisitions This Year
Hungary's largest firm MOL) is set to spend $1 billion in
acquisitions with an upstream focus this year, its chief executive
said.
Argentina Approves Repsol Compensation Deal
Argentina's parliament approved a deal that would compensate
Spain's Repsol for the expropriation of its local unit two years
ago, according to Argentine press reports.
Pernod Ricard Seeks U.S. Aquisitions
France's Pernod Ricard said it is looking to bolster its
presence in the U.S. with further acquisitions to make up for
faltering growth in some emerging markets.
Schneider Electric Confirms 2014 Target
France's Schneider Electric said sales rose during the first
quarter boosted by revenue from recently acquired Invensys and
despite the negative effect of currency swings.
Novartis 1Q Profit Rises About 23%
Novartis said sales of newly-launched drugs helped push 1Q net
profit about 23% higher, as the pharmaceutical giant embarks on an
overhaul of its product portfolio.
Anglo American Output Up, Except Platinum
Globally diversified miner Anglo American reported higher output
in the first quarter, boosted by iron ore and copper production,
but warned its platinum unit continues to suffer from industrial
action in South Africa.
Barrick Sends Revised Terms to Newmont
Barrick Gold has sent an email outlining revised terms to
Newmont Mining for a deal between the two gold mining giants,
according to people familiar with the matter.
Lenovo to Raise $1 Billion Via USD Bond Issue
Lenovo Group plans to raise $1 billion by issuing U.S. dollar
bonds, according to a person familiar with the matter, after the
Chinese personal-computer maker announced multi-billion-dollar
acquisitions of U.S. technology businesses earlier this year.
Emirates NBD 1st Quarter Profit Rises 25%
Dubai's economic rebound helped its largest lender, Emirates
NBD, post a 25% jump in first-quarter net profit, and become the
latest Emirati bank to report a sharp increase in earnings after
the financial crisis dented profits in previous years.
Japan Tobacco Net Profit Slides 14%
Japan Tobacco said its net profit slid 14% in the January-March
quarter from a year earlier, partly because of a higher corporate
tax burden.