BUSINESS

Stock markets and the dollar rose Thursday as US President Donald Trump touted plans to unveil a "major trade deal" with Britain, boosting hopes for other countries' tariff negotiations.

Japanese auto giant Toyota forecast on Thursday a 35 percent year-on-year drop in net profit for the current financial year, citing Donald Trump's vehicle tariffs among other factors.

Japanese gaming giant Nintendo forecast Thursday that it would sell 15 million units of its hotly awaited Switch 2 console in the current financial year but warned US tariffs could hit its bottom line.

Dubai's Emirates Group, which includes the Middle East's biggest airline, announced on Thursday gross annual profit of $6.2 billion, its third record in three years.

Canadian tech firm Telus International, tasked by Meta to moderate content on its social media networks Facebook and Instagram, will slash over 2,000 jobs in Barcelona, a Spanish union said Monday.

Ford reported a 65 percent drop in first-quarter profits Monday, citing a near-term drag on auto sales from new vehicle launches, as it withdrew its forecast amid tariff uncertainty.

Stock markets diverged Tuesday as investors awaited a US Federal Reserve interest-rate meeting for signs of the outlook for the tariffs-hit economy.

US delivery service DoorDash has agreed to take over UK peer Deliveroo in a deal worth GBP2.9 billion ($3.9 billion), according to a joint statement on Tuesday.

Apple on Thursday reported first-quarter profit above expectations but warned that US tariffs could cost the company and were disrupting its supply chain.

European and Asian markets rose on Friday, tracking Wall Street gains, as China said it was considering a US offer to negotiate steep tariffs.

Hong Kong's economy grew by 3.1 percent in the first quarter of the year, the city's government said Friday, though it warned US tariffs had heightened "downside risks" in the global economy.

TikTok was hit with a massive EU fine of 530 million euros ($600 million) Friday, accused of sending personal data of Europeans to China and failing to guarantee it was shielded from access by Chinese authorities.

Sales of Tesla cars in France plunged 59 percent in April, piling on more bad news for the electric vehicle company run by Elon Musk, the billionaire advisor to US President Donald Trump.

Oil prices fell and stocks were mixed on Thursday in thin holiday trading, following weak US economic data that added to growth concerns.

United States officials have reached out to their Chinese counterparts for talks on vast tariffs that have hammered markets and global supply chains, a Beijing-backed outlet said on Thursday citing sources.

The eurozone economy expanded more than expected at the start of the year, official data showed on Wednesday, despite US President Donald Trump's tariffs but global trade tensions threaten more pain and near stagnation in 2025.

Germany's Mercedes-Benz and US-European group Stellantis, whose brands include Jeep, Peugeot and Fiat, joined other automakers Wednesday in suspending their annual financial guidance because of uncertainty over US tariffs.

Despite the more cautious consumer behavior, Coles Group posted a rise in overall sales revenue, reaching AU$10.4 billion for the third quarter -- an increase of AU$400 million compared to the same period last year, largely driven by its supermarket operations.

OpenAI announced Monday that ChatGPT is now helping users find products online, enhancing its challenge to Google amid regulatory pressure on the search giant's market dominance.

German sportswear giant Adidas on Tuesday warned that US President Donald Trump's tariffs will increase prices for its products in the United States, and the hardline trade policies could dent its ongoing recovery.

Music streaming giant Spotify on Tuesday reported a 12-percent rise in paying subscribers in the first quarter to 268 million, along with a record operating profit.

Italian bank Mediobanca, itself battling to fend off a hostile takeover by a rival, announced on Monday a 6.3-billion-euro ($7.2 billion) bid to buy wealth management firm Banca Generali.

Stocks mostly rose on Monday as investors welcomed the absence of further trade war escalation over the weekend and as countries seek to temper US President Donald Trump's tariffs.

American Airlines withdrew its full-year profit forecast Thursday, citing economic uncertainty that has clouded its outlook for hiring and capacity additions.

New Intel chief executive Lip-Bu Tan on Thursday announced upcoming layoffs at the struggling US chip maker as White House tariffs and export restrictions muddy the market.

Asian and European stocks climbed on Friday, buoyed by a rally on Wall Street, strong earnings from Google parent Alphabet, and hopes of diffusing tensions in US President Donald Trump's trade war.

China's top leaders pledged on Friday to step up support for the economy and oppose "unilateral bullying" in global trade in a veiled rebuke of hefty tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.

Russia's central bank kept borrowing costs at a two-decade high of 21 percent on Friday to combat rampant inflation, despite banks and businesses warning the economy was headed for a slowdown.

Claire DeCarteret, Gallup's Managing Director, said that while many companies touted perks such as ping pong tables and yoga mats, they wee missing the mark on what employees really needed -- recognition and meaningful engagement.