Shell, Equinor profits beat forecasts as trading offsets lower energy prices

By Ron Bousso, Shadia Nasralla and Nerijus Adomaitis LONDON/OSLO (Reuters) – Energy giants Shell and Equinor reported higher-than-expected first-quarter profits on Thursday, using the heft of their trading desks to offset lower oil and gas prices. The stronger-than-expected profits from the two companies follow forecast beating results from rivals Exxon Mobil, Chevron and BP over…

Read More

Russia to launch Friendship Games after 40-year gap – sports minister

(Reuters) – Russia plans to relaunch the multi-sport Friendship Games next year, 40 years after its first edition, Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin has told President Vladimir Putin. Matytsin said the event would be held after the Paris Olympics, which will run from July 26-Aug. 11 next year. “We propose to intensify the practice of holding…

Read More

Staging partial recovery, Russia’s April car sales leap 170.4% y/y – Autostat

(Reuters) – Car sales in Russia leapt by 170.4% year-on-year in April, analytical agency Autostat said on Thursday, with the country’s bruised car market staging a partial recovery from the soaring prices and reduced deliveries of the same month last year. Russia’s auto industry had been heavily reliant on investment, equipment and parts from overseas…

Read More

German exports fall significantly more than expected in March

By Maria Martinez (Reuters) – German exports fell significantly more than expected in March, as deliveries to the United States and China sharply declined, data showed on Thursday. Exports decreased by 5.2% on the previous month, with exports to European Union countries falling 6.2%, to the United States declining 10.9% and to China dropping 9.3%,…

Read More

Euro zone April business activity grows on strong services demand – PMI

By Indradip Ghosh BENGALURU (Reuters) – Growth in euro zone business activity sped up in April, though less than initially indicated, as robust services more than offset a downturn in manufacturing, according to a survey that also showed inflation was at its lowest in over two years. HCOB’s Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), seen as…

Read More