Asian stocks started the week on a brighter note on Monday, after solid U.S. data and earnings calmed tumult in global financial markets and reassured investors worried about the health of the world economy.
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Shire CFO to leave drugmaker as AbbVie drops bid
British drugmaker Shire (SHP.L) will lose its interim chief financial officer early next year to water supplier Severn Trent (SVT.L), the latest blow for Shire, whose proposed $55-billion acquisition by U.S. rival AbbVie (ABBV.N) was aborted last week.
Virgin Money postpones London stock market listing
UK lender Virgin Money has postponed its London stock market listing, the company said on Friday, delaying plans to raise around 150 million pounds ($241.5 million) in a float that could have valued the firm at 1.5-2 billion pounds ($2.4-3.2 billion).
Yahoo set to outline cost-cutting efforts
Yahoo Inc is expected on Tuesday to outline cost-cutting efforts and give details of how it is evaluating possible acquisitions as it faces pressure from an activist investor, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person who was briefed on the plan.
Spirit Pub in talks with Greene King on revised $1.16 billion offer
British pub chain Spirit Pub Company Plc (SPRTC.L) said its board was in talks with ale maker Greene King Plc (GNK.L) on a revised 109.5 pence-per-share takeover offer, valuing Spirit Pub at 723.3 million pounds ($1.16 billion).
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Sovereign wealth fund Qatar Holding LLC has agreed to buy a HK$4.78 billion ($616 million) stake in Lifestyle International Holdings (1212.HK), operator of the SOGO department stores in Hong Kong and mainland China, Lifestyle said on Monday.
An investor group that includes Jynwel Capital and funds affiliated with the Abu Dhabi government is launching a bid to buy Reebok from Adidas AG for about $2.2 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
French foods group Danone SA said on Sunday it was not conducting a strategic review of assets and had not decided on any priority in terms of possible external growth possibilities.
Spanish builder and services company FCC (FCC.MC) said on Sunday its board had approved a well-flagged capital increase of 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) which it will use to pay down debt.
Standard Chartered (STAN.L) has notified thousands of UAE small and medium enterprise customers it is closing their accounts as it responds to pressure from US regulators to cut its risks following an anti-money laundering settlement.
When Europe announced its latest health check of top banks early last year it promised a "comprehensive assessment" of how well prepared they were to withstand another financial crisis.
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O) is preparing to launch a smartwatch within the next few weeks that will passively track a user's heart rate and work across different mobile platforms, Forbes reported on Sunday.
German airline Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) canceled 1,450 flights after a pilots union called for a strike on Monday and Tuesday, adding to travelers' misery after millions were left stranded by a weekend-long train drivers' stoppage.
Cliffs Natural Resources Inc (CLF.N) said it would write down the value of its coal and iron ore assets by $6 billion due to weak prices, putting it in breach of debt covenants and sending its shares down as much as 6.8 percent.
