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Sluggish Indian GDP slows to three-year low

Sluggish Indian GDP slows to three-year low

India’s economic growth in the three months to December was at its weakest in over three years due to a slowdown in agriculture, mining and manufacturing, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, higher interest rates, a decline in domestic demand and an increase in input costs hampered investment, […]
Greece in selective default in spite of German bailout approval

Greece in selective default in spite of German bailout approval

Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s late on Monday declared Greece in “selective default” following its private sector involvement deal which will see bondholders take a 70 percent haircut on the net value of their bonds. As part of the agreement an estimated €100bn will be wiped off Greece’s debt. The average maturity of creditors […]
Essar posts 10 percent loss as FTSE 100 down

Essar posts 10 percent loss as FTSE 100 down

Indian refiner and power generator Essar Energy on Monday said core earnings had fallen by 10 percent in 2011 due to weaker refining margins and the depreciation of the Rupee in the latter part of the year. Full year earnings before EBITDA stood at $624.8m compared with $696.5 the year before. Shares in Essar are […]
Spain unemployment leads to Telefonica profit fall

Spain unemployment leads to Telefonica profit fall

Spain’s largest phone company, Telefonica,  announced on Friday that its full year operating profit had decreased to €20.2bn from €25.8bn year-on-year. Net profits were down to €5.4bn from €10.1bn in 2010. The fall was caused by lower domestic revenue and costs of cutting jobs amid rising unemployment, which saw customers switch to cheaper rivals, Telefonica […]
BP and Anadarko found liable for US oil spill damages

BP and Anadarko found liable for US oil spill damages

A Chicago court found on Wednesday that BP and its minority partner Anadarko Petroleum will be liable under federal pollution laws for civil damages and their roles in the Macondo 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The New Orleans judge ruled that the companies are liable under the Clean Water Act and the Oil Pollution […]
Walmex quarter profits up 26 percent

Walmex quarter profits up 26 percent

Mexico’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart de Mexico or Walmex, late on Monday announced a 26 percent rise in fourth quarter profits to MXN$8.23bn compared to MEX$6.54bn during the final quarter of 2010. Results were achieved through an aggressive expansion and a major holiday sales event in the last months of 2011. Revenues according to retailer climbed […]
Vista commences takeover battle with Tenemos over Misys

Vista commences takeover battle with Tenemos over Misys

US buyout firm Vista Equity Partners announced late on Monday that it has made an approach to buy British banking software company Misys. Although no price was mentioned analysts value the deal at an estimated £1.2bn or 360p a share. Vista’s move comes just two weeks after Misys confirmed that it was approached by Swiss-based […]
Crude at nine month high after Iran halts supply

Crude at nine month high after Iran halts supply

Oil prices on Monday climbed to a nine month high, close to $105 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after Iran’s oil ministry said late on Sunday that it had halted crude exports to both France and Britain. The move comes in retaliation to the EU’s imposed sanctions on Iran’s fuel exports, which […]
Rio bosses axe bonus on aluminium loss

Rio bosses axe bonus on aluminium loss

Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto said on Thursday that its top executives will not take a bonus this year following an $8.8bn hit on its aluminium business Alcan. The mining giant reported a 50 percent drop in annual net profits to $5.8bn compared to $14.32 the year before. Rio CEO Tom Albanese took full responsibility and […]
UBS joins Deutsche in 76 percent net profit loss

UBS joins Deutsche in 76 percent net profit loss

Switzerland’s biggest lender by assets, UBS AG, announced on Tuesday a 76 percent fall year-on-year in net profits for the fourth quarter of 2011 in the wake of its $2bn rogue trading scandal last year. Figures fell to SFr393m for the quarter compared to a SFR1.66bn a year earlier, and were below analyst’s average estimates […]