Reuters - Before the Bell

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Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Investors swoop on stocks as geopolitical strains simmer

LONDON (Reuters) - A break in alarming political news lifted European stocks on Wednesday and cooled a safe-haven rally that saw the yen and gold at five-month highs and top-rated government bond yields at their lowest this year.

Daimler shares rise after results boosted by Mercedes sales and one-off gains

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Daimler AG shares rose more than 3 percent in early trade on Wednesday after the Mercedes maker reported higher than expected first-quarter earnings, boosted by one-off gains and a rise in sales of luxury cars.

Cyber breaches have cost shareholders billions since 2013: report

LONDON (Reuters) - Cyber security breaches erode companies' share prices permanently, with financials the worst hit, a study issued by IT consultant CGI and Oxford Economics has found.

Western Digital says Toshiba chip unit sale violates joint venture contract

TOKYO (Reuters) - Western Digital Corp has warned Toshiba Corp that splitting off its chip unit prior to a planned sale of the business violates their joint chip venture contract and that it wouldn't sit idly by while Toshiba runs roughshod over its rights.

Akzo Nobel receives request from Elliott for shareholder meeting

(Reuters) - Dutch paint maker Akzo Nobel said on Wednesday that it had received a request from a group of shareholders led by Elliott Advisors to hold a special shareholder meeting to dismiss Chairman Antony Burgmans.

Akzo Nobel reports Elliott, PPG for allegedly sharing 'sensitive' information

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Akzo Nobel said it had reported one of its own biggest shareholders, Elliott Advisors, and its suitor PPG Industries to regulators for possibly sharing "sensitive" information about shareholders' intentions to call an extraordinary meeting to replace Chairman Antony Burgmans.

Exclusive: Inside edge - Trump advisor Icahn's big bet against biofuels credits

(Reuters) - Billionaire investor Carl Icahn's oil refining company, CVR Energy, made a massive bet in 2016 that prices for U.S. government biofuels credits would fall - just before Icahn started advising President Donald Trump on regulations driving that market.

Trump's message to bankers: Wall Street reform rules may be eliminated

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump told a group of chief executives on Tuesday that his administration was revamping the Wall Street reform law known as Dodd-Frank and might eliminate the rules and replace them with "something else."

United Airlines faces mounting pressure over hospitalized passenger

(Reuters) - United Airlines and its chief executive faced mounting pressure on Tuesday from a worldwide backlash over its treatment of a passenger who was dragged from his seat on a plane on Sunday to make room for four employees on the overbooked flight.

Wal-Mart offers discounts for online orders picked up in store

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc will offer 'pickup discounts' to U.S. shoppers on items they order online and pick up in-store, as it revamps its e-commerce offerings at a faster pace to close the gap with larger rival Amazon.com Inc.