Unilever to split off its ice cream unit including Ben & Jerry’s; shares pop 5%

Unilever to split off its ice cream unit including Ben & Jerry’s; shares pop 5%

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream on May 24, 2022. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images Shares of consumer goods giant Unilever rose more than 5% Tuesday after the company announced plans to separate its ice cream unit, which includes Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum, as part of a restructuring that will impact 7,500 jobs. “The … Read more

European lawmakers approve world’s first major act to regulate AI

European lawmakers approve world’s first major act to regulate AI

Surasak Suwanmake | Moment | Getty Images The European Union Parliament on Wednesday endorsed the world’s first major set of regulatory ground rules to govern the mediatized artificial intelligence at the forefront of tech investment. The EU brokered provisional political consensus in early December, and it was then endorsed in the Parliament’s Wednesday session, with … Read more

European Central Bank holds interest rates, cuts inflation and growth forecasts

European Central Bank holds interest rates, cuts inflation and growth forecasts

European Central Bank policymakers on Thursday lowered their annual inflation and growth forecasts, as they confirmed a widely expected hold of interest rates. Staff projections now see economic growth of 0.6% in 2024, from a previous forecast of 0.8%. They presented a more positive picture on inflation, with the forecast for the year brought to … Read more

Apple hit with more than $1.95 billion EU antitrust fine over music streaming

Apple hit with more than .95 billion EU antitrust fine over music streaming

The Apple logo. Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images The European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, on Monday hit Apple with a 1.8 billion euro ($1.95 billion) antitrust fine for abusing its dominant position on the market for the distribution of music streaming apps. The Commission said it found that Apple had applied restrictions … Read more

Hungary votes to approve Sweden’s NATO membership

Hungary votes to approve Sweden’s NATO membership

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, as Hungary remains the last NATO member to not ratify Sweden’s bid to join NATO, on (Photo by Balint Szentgallay/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images Hungary on Monday voted to approve Sweden’s NATO accession bid, ending … Read more

HSBC pre-tax annual profit jumps 78%, misses market estimates

HSBC pre-tax annual profit jumps 78%, misses market estimates

Customers use automated teller machines (ATM) at an HSBC Holdings Plc bank branch at night in Hong Kong, China, on Saturday, Feb 16, 2019. Anthony Kwan | Bloomberg | Getty Images HSBC reported on Wednesday its full year 2023 pre-tax profit climbed about 78% to $30.3 billion from a year ago, missing median estimates of … Read more

Barclays jumps 6% after announcing major strategic overhaul

Barclays jumps 6% after announcing major strategic overhaul

LONDON – Nov. 5, 2020: Fog shrouds the Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions Citigroup Inc., State Street Corp., Barclays Plc, HSBC Holdings Plc and the commercial office block No. 1 Canada Square. Dan Kitwood | Getty Images News | Getty Images LONDON — Barclays on Tuesday reported a fourth-quarter net loss of … Read more

UK economy slipped into technical recession at the end of 2023

UK economy slipped into technical recession at the end of 2023

Skyline view of the City of London financial district. Mike Kemp | In Pictures | Getty Images LONDON — The U.K. economy slipped into a technical recession in the final quarter of last year, initial figures showed Thursday. The Office for National Statistics said U.K. gross domestic product shrank by 0.3% in the final three … Read more

UK inflation holds steady at 4%, lower than expected

UK inflation holds steady at 4%, lower than expected

London was the No. 2 most-visited city in the world for 2023, according to Euromonitor International. Karl Hendon | Moment | Getty Images LONDON — U.K. inflation held steady at 4% year-on-year in January on the back of easing prices for furniture and household goods, food and non-alcoholic beverages. Month-on-month, the headline consumer price index … Read more