UN Unilever NV

International stocks trading in New York closed mostly higher Tuesday.

Unilever PLC (UL, ULVR.LN) was among the companies with ADRs that traded actively.

The BNY Mellon index of American depositary receipts rose 0.7% to 115.98. The European index increased 0.6% to 116.05, the Asian index improved 1.2 % to 125.69, the Latin American index fell 1% to 127.75 and the emerging markets index declined 1% to 194.37.

Unilever reported little progress in its margarine business and confirmed that the division's chief executive had resigned, raising questions about the unit's future at the consumer-goods giant. However, the company reported otherwise-strong earnings for 2015, with sales buoyed by currency gains. ADRs rose 3.9% to $41.67.

Barclays PLC (BCS, BARC.LN), a leader among Western banks in sub-Saharan Africa, is drawing up plans to retreat, as its new chief tries to slim down the bank and lenders world-wide dial back their ambitions in risky emerging markets. The decision is part of a plan by new Chief Executive Jes Staley to refocus the bank on a narrower range of profitable activities. Executives have concluded that being the majority owner of a sprawling African business no longer fits with the bank's strategy, The Wall Street Journal reported. ADRs fell 1.9% to $10.75.

Cnooc Ltd. (CEO, 0883.HK) said it would slash capital expenditures this year by at least 44% compared with 2014 levels, as low oil prices take a heavy toll on the nation's state-controlled energy companies. In a yearly strategy preview, the Chinese offshore oil-and-gas producer also said it was cutting its 2016 production target to 470 million-485 million barrels of oil equivalent, or mmboe, compared with an estimated 495 mmboe last year. ADRs fell 65 cents to $88.52.

Norway's Statoil ASA (STO, STL.OS) said it had almost halved the planned capital expenditure at the delayed Johan Castberg oil field in the Barents Sea to around $6 billion, as oil companies scramble to simplify projects and cut costs amid tanking prices. The company also confirmed that it has been awarded interest in 24 licenses on the Norwegian continental shelf, 13 of those as operator and 11 as partner. ADRs fell four cents to $11.79.

French oil major Total SA (TOT, FP.FR) is likely to report a 20% fall in adjusted net profit for 2015 because of the collapse in oil prices, Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne said Tuesday. However, the projected decline wasn't as low as analysts had feared. ADRs rose 1.3% to $41.72.

Write to Tess Stynes at tess.stynes@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 19, 2016 17:50 ET (22:50 GMT)

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