 | | | | A near $20 billion takeover approach for European retailer Carrefour SA by Canadian convenience-store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard ran into early opposition as the French government raised concerns about food sovereignty and job security at one of its largest employers. | | | | | | Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 index closed slightly higher on Wednesday with defensive sectors leading gains as investors waited for details of the next U.S. fiscal stimulus plan and Congress began President Donald Trump's impeachment hearings. | | | | | | The Trump administration has scrapped plans to blacklist Chinese tech giants Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu, four people familiar with the matter said, providing a brief reprieve to Beijing's top corporates amid a broader crackdown by Washington. | | | | | | Oil prices fell on Wednesday, pulling back from recent gains, on concerns that rising global COVID-19 will hamper global fuel demand. | | | | | | Treasury yields fell on Wednesday after Federal Reserve officials steered clear of tightening monetary conditions any time soon despite expectations of higher inflation, while stocks and the dollar edged higher. | | | | | | U.S. consumer prices increased solidly in December amid a surge in the cost of gasoline, though underlying inflation remained tame as the economy battled a raging COVID-19 pandemic that has weighed on the labor market and services industry. | | | | | | The judge overseeing separate lawsuits against Facebook by the Federal Trade Commission and a big group of states set a March deadline for the social media company to respond, according to a court filing on Wednesday. | | | | | | Emirates Airline President Tim Clark on Wednesday said Boeing Co's 777X might not enter into service with airlines until 2023 or even later, amid uncertainty over the development timeline of Boeing's biggest twin-engine jet and when it will be certified. | | | | | | The U.S. government posted a December budget deficit of $144 billion - a record for the month - due to far higher outlays with coronavirus relief spending and unemployment benefits, while revenues ticked slightly higher, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday. | | | | | | A major chunk of the global recovery in companies' earnings expected in the first quarter is at risk of being pushed back further as lockdowns and mobility restrictions in several countries cloud hopes of a swifter economic rebound, investment banks said. | | | | | |
