International stocks trading in New York closed higher on
Tuesday, with the Bank of New York index of American depositary
receipts adding 0.8% to 152.91. The European index rose 0.9% to
154.14, the Asian index rose 0.5% to 140.77, the Latin American
index added 0.7% to 286.05 and the emerging markets index rose 0.8%
to 276.99. Among the companies with shares that actively traded
were ABB Ltd. (ABB, ABBN.VX, ABB.SK), Deutsche Bank AG (DB, DBK.XE)
and Banco Santander (Brasil) SA (BSBR, SANB3.BR, SANB4.BR).
Power-and-technology group ABB on Tuesday reported an 18% drop
in first-quarter profit as the company presses ahead with a sale of
fringe businesses. Revenue also dropped, and missed analysts'
expectations. Meanwhile, the company said it was closely following
the unfolding bidding war for the energy assets of French rival
Alstom SA (ALO.FR) after the Swiss company posted
lower-than-expected results. ABB shares fell 8.2% to $24.12.
Deutsche Bank on Tuesday pledged to take all possible measures
to bolster its capital as first quarter profit tumbled 34%. The
company's profit was pressured by falling revenue at its flagship
fixed-income unit and regulatory costs. Shares of Germany's largest
lender rose 2% to $44.45.
Banco Santander SA (SAN, SAN.MC) said Tuesday that it will offer
to buy out the 25% of its Brazil unit it doesn't currently own, in
a deal that could be worth up to EUR4.7 billion ($6.5 billion).
Spain's biggest bank and the euro zone's biggest lender by market
value said it would offer a 20% premium over the last closing
market price and expects to close the deal by October. Shares of
Banco Santander edged up 0.2% to $9.82, while shares of Banco
Santander (Brasil) jumped 14% to $6.58.
Nokia Corp. (NOK, NOK1V.HE) unwrapped a new era on Tuesday,
naming a company insider as chief executive and pledging to
distribute more than $4 billion to investors from the proceeds of
the sale of its tarnished handset business. The Finnish company
said Rajeev Suri will take the helm of the company, charging him
with accelerating another transformation of a business with a
history of reinvention. Meanwhile, revenue of Nokia's network arm
continued to slip in the first quarter, underscoring the challenges
facing Mr. Suri to get the business growing. Shares still rose 5.7%
to $7.43.
Eni SpA's (E, ENI.MI) first-quarter net profit slid by 14% on
the year, with the Italian energy company expecting a challenging
2014 due to weak European demand for natural gas and refined
products, such as gasoline and diesel, just as it undergoes a
change in its top management. Shares rose 1.9% to $51.66.
A series of strategic decisions and a boost from Mother Nature
played a significant role in a near-quadrupling of Statoil ASA's
(STO, STL.OS) first-quarter net profit, dwarfing Wall Street's
expectations for the period. Shares of the Norwegian oil company
rose 4% to $29.97.
Sanofi SA (SNY, SAN.FR) Chief Executive Christopher Viehbacher
said Tuesday the French drug maker would continue to focus on
targeted acquisitions despite the recent resurgence in megadeals in
the pharmaceutical sector. Sanofi also reported a 9.6% rise in
first-quarter net profit, helped by lower costs related to earlier
acquisitions. Shares slipped 0.8% to $53.33.
Barclays PLC (BCS, BARC.LN) said Tuesday that Skip McGee, chief
executive of its U.S. unit, will leave the bank at the end of April
and be replaced by Joe Gold, marking the latest shake-up at the
lender as it shrinks its investment bank and pulls back in some
geographies. Shares rose 1.4% to $16.91.
Italian eyewear maker Luxottica Group SpA (LUX, LUX.MI) saw net
sales slide 1.2% in the first quarter, dragged down by the strength
of the euro and harsh weather in North America that put shoppers
off buying new glasses. Shares added 1% to $56.57.
BP PLC (BP, BP.LN) on Tuesday reported a decline in
first-quarter profit of more than 20% after factoring out a cash
windfall from a Russian transaction last year. But the U.K. oil
giant's shares rose as investors appeared encouraged by an 8.3%
dividend increase and BP's ongoing overhaul since the 2010
Deepwater Horizon explosion--and unfazed by U.S. sanctions against
the head of Russia's OAO Rosneft, in which BP has a nearly 20%
stake. Shares rose 2.6% to $50.29.
Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (RYCEY, RR.LN) said it is in talks with
Siemens over the sale of its commercial energy production assets.
"These talks have not concluded and we will make a further
announcement in due course," the London-based company said in a
statement. The transaction involves gas turbine and compressor
activities in Rolls-Royce's energy unit, which also includes civil
nuclear activities. Siemens shares edged down 0.3% to $128.95.
Write to Anna Prior at anna.prior@wsj.com
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