By Rithika Krishna and Liz Hampton (Reuters) – Top oilfield services firm Schlumberger reported a higher first-quarter profit on Friday and increased its dividend by 40%, as rising oil prices boosted demand for services and equipment. Oil prices climbe…
U.S. dollar hits more than 2-year high on aggressive Fed hike outlook
By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss and Stefano Rebaudo NEW YORK (Reuters) – The dollar surged to a more than two-year high on Friday, continuing to draw support from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s comments on Thursday that seemed to back a half a perce…
Exclusive – Germany cuts 2022 economic growth forecast to 2.2% – source
BERLIN (Reuters) – The German government will cut its growth forecast for Europe’s biggest economy for 2022 to 2.2% from 3.6% amid the war in Ukraine, a government source told Reuters on Friday. It expects growth to pick up slightly to 2.5% in 2023, th…
Verizon loses fewer-than-expected phone subscribers in first quarter
(Reuters) – Verizon Communications Inc lost fewer-than-expected monthly phone subscribers in the first quarter, a sign the wireless carrier is benefiting from its hefty investments in expanding 5G services and new broadband networks. The company on Fri…
UK stocks fall on hawkish cenbanks, weak retail sales data
By Devik Jain (Reuters) -UK shares fell on Friday as the growing prospect of aggressive monetary policy tightening coupled with a sharp drop in retail sales in the country prompted concerns about economic growth. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index closed 1.4…
UK consumers slash spending in face of soaring living costs
By Andy Bruce and William Schomberg LONDON (Reuters) -British consumers are feeling the strain of a tightening cost-of-living squeeze with retail sales sliding fast and consumer confidence approaching all-time lows, according to data that sent a fresh …
Defence manufacturer Saab to boost capacity as profit climbs
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Swedish defence products company Saab will boost capacity to meet rising demand, it said on Friday after posting an increase in first-quarter profit and strong order intake. Shares in Saab have soared 65% this year as a growing num…
Holcim raises full-year sales outlook after Q1 beats forecasts
ZURICH (Reuters) -Holcim raised its full-year sales outlook on Friday after the world’s biggest cement maker beat analyst forecasts for sales and profit during the first quarter. The Swiss company said it now expects sales growth of 8% on a like-for-li…
Oil falls, posts nearly 5% weekly loss on growth concerns
By Arathy Somasekhar HOUSTON (Reuters) -Oil slipped on Friday, posting a weekly loss of nearly 5%, on the prospect of weaker global growth, higher interest rates and COVID-19 lockdowns in China hurting demand even as the European Union considers a ban …
Ukrainian fighters hold on as Putin claims victory in Mariupol
By Pavel Polityuk KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian fighters were clinging to their last redoubt in Mariupol on Friday after Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in the biggest battle of the war, declaring the port city “liberated” following weeks …