International News
US close: Stocks hit record highs on strong data; Fed divided over rate hikes
US stocks hit records highs on Wednesday following solid data on manufacturing and construction spending, as the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting showed officials were divided over the prospect of three rate hikes this year.
Asia close: Regional stocks continue upwards push, PBoC sets stronger fix
Asian stocks continued to push higher, tracking record closes on Wall Street overnight and amid a small bounce in the US dollar.
Europe close: German jobless data boosts stocks
European stocks held onto early gains on Wednesday, boosted by strength in the retail sector and good news regarding German unemployment, as investors looked to the latest Federal Reserve minutes for further insight into the US central bank's thinking.
US carmakers post mixed December sales figures
Ford saw sales rise 0. 9% across the US in December in comparison to a year ago, a figure principally driven by the 89,385 F-Series pickup trucks sold throughout the month, which was more than twice as the 44,871 total of all other Ford passenger cars sold throughout the month.
Intel shares dip after report of design flaw
A design flaw in Intel's processor chips could allow malware and hackers to more easily exploit other security bugs, according to a report overnight.
Ant Financial's acquisition of Moneygram blocked by White House
Donald Trump has rejected the $1. 2bn acquisition of Texan money transfer company Moneygram by China's Ant Financial citing national security concerns.
US open: Stocks in the black after strong data; Fed minutes eyed
US stocks rose in early trade on Wednesday, underpinned by solid data on manufacturing and construction spending, as investors eyed the latest minutes from the Federal Reserve.
Spotify files for IPO amid fresh songwriting lawsuit
Spotify has filed documents with the US financial regulator to begin the process of its initial public offer in New York, while management are still battling a lawsuit accusing the music streaming service of infringing upon the rights of songwriters and publishers.
ISM manufacturing PMI rises to 59.7 in December from 58.2
Growth in the US economy’s manufacturing sector unexpectedly improved in December, according to data from the US Institute for Supply Management.
Dominion Energy to buy Scana in $7.9bn deal
Dominion Energy has agreed to buy Scana in a deal that values the group at $7. 9bn.
Petrobras settles US class action suit for $2.95bn
Brazilian state-operated oil business Petroleo Brasileiro (Petrobras) agreed to pay $2. 95bn on Wednesday in order to settle a US class action lawsuit brought by investors seeking compensation after a corruption scandal.
Softbank eyes further Sprint shares after T-Mobile merger talks dissolve
Japanese telecommunications group Softbank has continued its aggressive purchases of Sprint stock that began after talks of the US cell phone network's merger T-Mobile and Sprint died in November.
US pre-open: Stocks to edge up ahead of FOMC minutes
US futures pointed to a firmer open on Wall Street on Wednesday, with the Dow on track to hit another record as investors eyed the latest minutes from the Federal Reserve.
German unemployment hits fresh post-reunification low in December
Germany's unemployment rate plumbed a fresh record low last month, falling to its least since the country's reunification in 1990.