Page 964 - Reuters

Chinese firms' $9 bn IPO plans stalled amid Covid outbreak, filings show

A wave of Chinese companies have halted domestic listing plans, filings show, as the country's biggest coronavirus outbreak in two years hampered due diligence and information gathering

Relentless rains submerge Australian towns for second time in a month

Heavy rains deluged Australia's east coast on Wednesday, submerging roads and bridges, while tens of thousands fled their homes for the second time within weeks

Australia PM Morrison seeks to sell voters $6.46 bn of budget giveaways

Trailing in the polls, Australia's Liberal National government on Wednesday sought to sell A$8.6 billion ($6.46 billion) of budget giveaways as necessary to meet a cost of living emergency

Gold up as dollar, yields weaken; progress in Russia-Ukraine talks weighs

Spot gold was up 0.3% to $1,923.95 per ounce by 0210 GMT. U.S. gold futures rose 0.5% at $1,927.70.

Ukraine isn't naive, says Zelenskyy as Russia pledges to scale down attack

Ukraine reacted with skepticism to Russia's promise in negotiations to scale down military operations around Kyiv and another city

Asian stock markets join global rally after Ukraine-Russia talks

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 1%, and touched its highest level since March 4, with most Asian stock markets in positive territory.

Dollar eases, euro rises on hopes of progress in Ukraine peace talk

The dollar fell against a basket of peer currencies on Tuesday as reports of progress in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine lifted the euro

Russia launches Eurobond rouble buyback offer on looming $2 bn bond payment

Russia has offered to buy back dollar bonds maturing next week in roubles in a move seen by analysts as helping local holders of the $2 billion sovereign issue receive payment

Oil rises on supply tightness despite 'constructive' Ukraine-Russia talks

Brent crude futures touched a high of $112.78 shortly after opening and were up $1.35, or 1.2%, at $111.58 at 0005 GMT, reversing a 2% loss in the previous session.

Sri Lanka avoids recession in Dec quarter, GDP grows 3.7% in 2021

Sri Lanka's economy grew at a slower-than-expected 1.8% in the 4th quarter of the 2021 financial year, taking its full year growth to 3.7 per cent, data from the govt's statistics department showed

Nielsen agrees to sweetened $10-bn offer from private equity group

Nielsen will go private for $10.06 billion in a sweetened deal with a consortium of private equity firms led by Brookfield Asset Management, days after the firm rejected a takeover bid from the group

FDA authorises second booster of Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna Covid shots

FDA authorises another booster dose of the Pfizer or Moderna Covid vaccine for people age 50 and up

Russia promises to scale down operations near Kyiv and north Ukraine

Russia has decided to drastically cut military activity around Kyiv and Chernihiv, its deputy defence minister said on Tuesday, after talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiating teams in Istanbul

Russia steps up economic retaliation with Eurobond rouble buyback offer

The Eurobonds would be bought at a price equivalent to 100% of their nominal value

Russia gas supply to Europe may see complete halt as ruble deadline nears

Vladimir Putin's recent order to charge "unfriendly" countries in rubles for Russian gas has boosted the currency after it fell to all-time lows when the West imposed sanctions against Moscow

Barclays shares fall after top investor offloads $1.2-billion stake

The sale deals a further blow to Barclays just a day after it disclosed a compliance blunder leading to an estimated 450-mn pound ($589 mn) loss for overseling structured products in the United States

Blockchain project Ronin hit by $615-million crypto heist

This makes it the second-largest crypto theft on record, according to blockchain analysis firm Elliptic

Buoyant bitcoin helps crypto market surge past $2 trillion barrier

Bitcoin's jumpiness has waned of late. Its 30-day volatility is around 4 per cent, about two-thirds the level it was in June 2021

Gold retreats, palladium sinks 9%, on progress in Russia-Ukraine talks

Gold is highly sensitive to rising U.S. interest rates, as they increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion

World shares surge after 'encouraging' Russia-Ukraine peace talks

The difference between 2- and 10-year Treasury yields seems well on the way to turning negative for the first time since 2019 as well