Reuters - Business Today

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Monday, July 24, 2017

High-flying euro lays European shares low as oil picks up

LONDON (Reuters) - The euro hit an almost two-year high against an ailing dollar on Monday, largely shrugging off data showing euro zone business growth slowed last month and weighing on exporters' shares.

Exclusive: Spotify, Warner hope to clinch royalty deal by September - sources

LONDON (Reuters) - Music streaming company Spotify is close to agreeing a new licensing pact with Warner Music Inc, the last big music royalty deal it needs before pushing ahead with a U.S. stock market listing, four sources familiar with the situation said.

U.S. venture capital's digital coin quandary: cash-rich startups

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. venture capital firms lining up for a slice of the burgeoning digital currency market are grappling with a novel challenge - some of the hottest tech startups that sell the coins just don't need their money.

KKR to buy WebMD in $2.8 billion deal

(Reuters) - Private equity firm KKR & Co has agreed to buy WebMD Health Corp in a deal valued at about $2.8 billion, bringing a slew of popular online health information websites under one umbrella.

North American strength helps Halliburton smash profit view

(Reuters) - Halliburton Co swung to a quarterly profit and handily beat analysts' expectations on higher demand in North America, sending the world's No.3 oilfield services provider's shares up 2.5 percent.

Samsung takes aim at TSMC with plans to triple chip foundry market share

YONGIN, SOUTH KOREA (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics plans to triple the market share of its contract chip manufacturing business within the next five years by aggressively adding clients, a senior company executive said, as it targets new growth drivers for the chips business.

Democrats take aim at big companies in economic blueprint

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Democrats are unveiling an economic platform on Monday that they call "A Better Deal" for working Americans by announcing plans to address unfair market competition, rising pharmaceutical costs and stagnant wages.

Rebuffed Elliott wants 'urgent' Akzo response on new CEO

LONDON (Reuters) - Hedge fund firm Elliott Management on Monday asked the board of Dutch paintmaker Akzo Nobel to urgently respond to its concerns about the nomination of a new chief executive.

VEON names former Xerox CEO Ursula Burns as chairwoman

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - VEON named former Xerox chief Ursula Burns as its chairwoman on Monday, as the telecoms operator undertakes corporate governance reforms and a makeover as a global online services company.

VW calls crisis meeting to discuss EU cartel probe: source

BERLIN/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Volkswagen will hold a special supervisory board meeting on Wednesday to discuss allegations that German carmakers operated a wide-ranging cartel, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.