Reuters - Before the Bell

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Friday, January 25, 2019

Exclusive: Kazakhstan urgently looking for bank to take over Tsesnabank - sources

The Kazakh authorities are urgently looking for a bank to take over no. 2 lender Tsesnabank as they believe it needs new financing to prevent a collapse, three sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters.

Global stocks gain on earnings, euro rebounds after dovish ECB

Global stocks rose on Friday, as strong earnings helped to underpin investor sentiment in the face of growing signs that the global economy is slowing and a still unresolved trade dispute between the United States and China.

Oil edges down as U.S. supplies, economic worries eclipse Venezuela turmoil

Oil prices fell slightly on Friday as concerns about U.S.-China trade talks and fresh data on surging U.S. fuel stocks sent a chill through markets.

U.S. fund managers play defense during shutdown

U.S. fund managers are retreating from consumer-related stocks and increasing exposure to loan-focused companies as investors worry the U.S. government shutdown - now the longest in U.S. history - may leave some deep scars on the economy.

Subaru probe finds 3,400 staff were not paid for overtime work

Subaru Corp on Friday said it did not pay overtime wages over a two-year period to some 3,400 employees who under-reported their hours, a revelation that surfaced in an internal probe following the 2016 suicide of an overworked employee.

Nestle chairman defends long-term strategy in face of shareholder activist

Nestle SA chairman Paul Bulcke said on Friday he would not pursue short-term efforts at the expense of long-term success, in the face of scrutiny from shareholder activists who know how to "pressure-point you and tease."

Exclusive: Etihad hires turnaround expert Alvarez & Marsal as it weighs Jet Airways bailout

Etihad Airways has appointed turnaround specialist Alvarez & Marsal to conduct due diligence on Jet Airways Ltd as it weighs bailing out the cash-strapped Indian carrier, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

U.S. bank trade group, Accenture and others back fintech startup Finxact

Accenture Plc, SunTrust Banks Inc and the American Bankers Association, a trade group for U.S. banks, said on Friday that they had joined a $30 million investment round in Finxact, a startup that develops the back-end technology used by banks to process some transactions.

Market rout overshadows business growth for U.S. life insurers

U.S. life insurers are expected to report messy fourth-quarter results starting next week, with their massive investment portfolios getting hit by tumultuous markets.

D.R. Horton quarterly profit misses on higher home prices

U.S. homebuilder D.R. Horton Inc missed analysts' estimates for first-quarter profit on Friday, as higher home prices made buyers delay purchases.