International stocks trading in New York closed lower on
Thursday. The BNY Mellon index of American depositary receipts fell
1.6% to 151.18. The European index decreased 1.4% to 149.05, the
Asian index dropped 2% to 147.66, the Latin American index fell
2.2% to 286.02 and the emerging markets index declined 2.3% to
293.98. Among the companies with shares that actively traded was
Orange SA (ORAN, ORA.FR).
France's competition authority declined Orange's request to
suspend a mobile-network-sharing deal between the company's rivals
Bouygues Telecom and SFR. Orange in April had filed the complaint
in a bid to get an emergency ruling until a detailed decision is
made regarding the deal's impact on France's telecom sector. Orange
plans to appeal the decision. Orange shares fell 2% to $14.67.
BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP, BHP.AU) paid its Chief Executive
considerably less last fiscal year and said it would freeze pay at
its top ranks this year, as the mining company looks to show it is
serious about controlling costs. Shares fell 3.6% to $59.97.
GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK, GSK.LN) named Philip Hampton as its
next chairman, a move that while expected comes as the
pharmaceutical giant struggles to right itself amid a series of
probes of alleged overseas bribery. Mr. Hampton, currently chairman
of Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC, will succeed longtime Glaxo
Chairman Christopher Gent. The transition is planned for next year.
GlaxoSmithKline shares fell 35 cents to $46.68.
Ryanair Holdings PLC (RYAAY, RYA.DB, RYA.LN) raised its
full-year passenger guidance and said profit would come in toward
the top end of its previously guided range after customers had
responded well to the Irish budget airline's customer-service
efforts, better digital platform and Business Plus service. Shares
rose 2% to $55.78.
Write to Tess Stynes at tess.stynes@wsj.com
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