Career News 24/7: Before the Bell: U.S. durable goods orders rise on defense, but business spending plans weak

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Before the Bell: U.S. durable goods orders rise on defense, but business spending plans weak

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05/27/2014

Reuters Election 2012 Daily round-up of the day's top news from the campaign trail, the White House and all the politics in between

U.S. durable goods orders rise on defense, but business spending plans weak

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods unexpectedly rose in April, but a drop in a measure of business capital spending plans could temper expectations for a sharp rebound in economic growth this quarter.

World shares hover near all-time high

LONDON (Reuters) - World shares hovered just off an all-time high and the euro was steady on Tuesday, as the European Central Bank made sure there was little doubt in investors minds that global liquidity will continue.

Euro zone inflation seen well below 2 percent in 2014-15: Nowotny

VIENNA (Reuters) - Inflation in the euro zone will likely stay "significantly" below the European Central Bank's target this year and next, ECB Governing Council member Ewald Nowotny said in the Austrian National Bank's annual report.

Pilgrim's Pride offers to buy Hillshire in $6.4 billion deal

(Reuters) - Pilgrim's Pride Corp, the world's second largest chicken producer, said it offered to buy packaged food company Hillshire Brands Co in a $6.4 billion deal as it looks to add pork and beef products to its portfolio.

IMF's Lagarde says bank reforms slowed by fierce industry pushback

LONDON (Reuters) - Progress in completing banking reforms to plug gaps highlighted by the 2007-09 financial crisis is too slow and is being hampered by fierce industry lobbying, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.

China President stresses market forces in reforms: media

BEIJING (Reuters) - China President Xi Jinping has emphasized the importance of free markets in the country's economic reforms, state media said on Tuesday, another indication that the government is persevering with plans to bring about sweeping changes.

Euro zone's Dijsselbloem says taxes on labor too high

BERLIN (Reuters) - The chairman of the Eurogroup of euro zone finance ministers Jeroen Dijsselbloem said on Tuesday the euro zone must "jointly reform" and added that high taxes on labor are an obstacle to growth.

Three former U.S.-based Barclays traders appear in UK court

LONDON (Reuters) - Three former Barclays traders appeared in a London court on Tuesday as Britain formally began its first criminal proceedings against U.S.-based Libor traders, part of a global investigation into alleged rigging of benchmark interest rates.

AstraZeneca shares fall after Pfizer walks away

LONDON (Reuters) - Shares in AstraZeneca fell 2.3 percent on Tuesday after U.S. drugmaker Pfizer said it would not make a formal bid to acquire its smaller British rival.

Britain tops foreign investment ranking, France lags: study

PARIS (Reuters) - Britain and Germany topped an annual ranking of foreign investment projects in Europe while France lagged behind though its numbers were on rise, a study showed on Tuesday.