Bhinneka News Online: Reuters Business Today: March 31, 2017

Friday, 31 March 2017

Reuters Business Today: March 31, 2017

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Friday, March 31, 2017

Consumer spending posts smallest gain in six months

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - U.S. consumer spending barely rose in February amid delays in the payment of income tax refunds, but the biggest annual increase in inflation in nearly five years supported expectations of further interest rate hikes this year.

Global shares lock in bumper first quarter, dollar eyes best week of year

LONDON (Reuters) - World stocks dipped on Friday as investors locked in some of the more than 6 percent gain that has given them their best start to a year since 2012, while the dollar inched toward what could be its strongest week of 2017 so far.

EU offers Brexit trade talks, sets tough transition terms

VALLETTA/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union offered Britain talks this year on a future free trade pact but made clear in negotiating guidelines issued on Friday that London must first agree to EU demands on the terms of Brexit.

J&J declares Actelion tender offer a success, sees closing in second quarter

ZURICH (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson declared its $30 billion tender offer for Swiss biotechnology company Actelion successful on Friday, reporting it controlled 77.2 percent of the voting rights after the main offer period.

Germany urges EU to file WTO complaint against U.S. in steel row

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany urged the European Union on Friday to consider filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the United States over its plan to impose duties on imports of steel plate from five EU member states.

VW has fixed fewer than half of UK cars hit by diesel scandal

LONDON (Reuters) - Volkswagen said it has so far fixed fewer than half of the 1.2 million cars affected by the diesel emissions scandal in Britain, 18 months after the revelations first came to light.

Big in Japan? Hope at home for Toshiba's nuclear arm after U.S. debacle

TOKYO (Reuters) - The bankruptcy of Westinghouse Electric Co may be a blow to Toshiba Corp's international nuclear ambitions, but the Japanese conglomerate still has a profitable business at home.

Verizon creates new operating structure, hires former Ericsson CEO

(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc said on Friday it would change its operating structure to focus on three areas, and named former Ericsson Chief Executive Officer Hans Vestberg to lead its newly created network and technology team.

Dutch-led tax probes anger Swiss, Credit Suisse says cooperating

AMSTERDAM/ZURICH (Reuters) - Credit Suisse has been dragged into yet another investigation into whether clients used the Swiss bank to evade taxes, after a tip-off to Dutch prosecutors about tens of thousands of suspect accounts triggered an international probe.

BlackBerry's profit beats expectations

(Reuters) - Canada's BlackBerry Ltd, reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings on Friday, as operating costs nearly halved, and said it expects to be profitable on an adjusted basis in 2018.