Microsoft-Activision deal back in hands of UK regulator after court pauses appeal

LONDON (Reuters) -Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal is back in the hands of Britain’s antitrust regulator after an appeals court granted an adjournment, and the grounds for why the UK should reconsider its block on the U.S. software giant’s takeover were published. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) set out on Friday Microsoft’s arguments for the…

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Chinese cities brace for floods as heat scorches inland regions

By Ryan Woo and Liz Lee BEIJING (Reuters) – Several Chinese cities including Shanghai and Beijing braced for flooding on Friday while inland regions baked in heat threatening to shrink the country’s biggest freshwater lake. Wild weather swings have gripped China since April, causing deaths, damaging infrastructure, wilting crops, and raising fears over its ability…

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Huntington Bancshares beats Q2 profit estimates on interest income strength

(Reuters) -Huntington Bancshares beat Wall Street estimates for second-quarter profit on Friday, as it earned more from rising interest rates and saw strong demand for its commercial loans. Largely positive reports from big U.S. banks this week have helped restore investor confidence in the sector following the collapse of three banks in the country earlier…

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U.S. banks warn of interest income weakness after upbeat quarter

By Niket Nishant and Jaiveer Shekhawat (Reuters) -Comerica and Huntington Bancshares on Friday sharply cut their interest income growth forecasts for 2023, the latest U.S. banks to sound the alarm over faltering loan demand and a rise in deposit costs. The Federal Reserve’s fastest monetary tightening cycle since the 1980s helped lift lenders’ net interest…

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