US housing market stabilizing as single-family homebuilding, permits surge

By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. single-family homebuilding increased for a second straight month in March, while permits for future construction surged, offering some glimmers of hope for the depressed housing market ahead of the busy spring selling season. The improvement in the single-family housing market segment, which was reported by the Commerce Department…

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Goldman Sachs considers sale of fintech unit GreenSky, pulling back from retail business

By Niket Nishant and Tatiana Bautzer (Reuters) -Goldman Sachs Group Inc is exploring the sale of its Greensky fintech business, the bank’s CEO said on Tuesday, its latest move to scale down its retail ambitions. Greensky, which facilitates home improvement loans to consumers, was acquired by Goldman in September 2021 in a $2.24 billion stock…

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AstraZeneca confident new COVID antibody protects against known variants

By Maggie Fick BARCELONA (Reuters) – AstraZeneca is confident that its new version of COVID-19 antibody treatment could protect immunocompromised patients against all known virus variants, its vaccines head said. Laboratory studies show the antibody, called AZD3152, neutralizes all known variants of COVID-19 and AstraZeneca has support from regulators to make the treatment available by…

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Once-dominant foreign auto brands pledge comeback in China

SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Global automakers, including Toyota and Volkswagen, took the stage at the Shanghai auto show on Tuesday with built-for-China and electric-drive products to compete for a high-stakes comeback in the world’s largest market. But after a year when trends have shifted sharply against the established foreign brands that once dominated in China, executives from…

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Lockheed Martin taps strong defense demand to beat results estimates

By Mike Stone and Shivansh Tiwary (Reuters) -U.S. weapons maker Lockheed Martin Corp’s first-quarter results surpassed Wall Street targets on Tuesday despite parts and labor shortages, as simmering geopolitical tensions fueled demand from both U.S. and international customers. Shares of the company rose as much as 3.8% to hit a record high of $508.1 in…

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GSK bets $2 billion on Bellus cough drug to soothe pipeline fears

By Natalie Grover and Aby Jose Koilparambil (Reuters) -GSK plans to buy Canada-based drug developer Bellus Health Inc in an all-cash deal for $2 billion as the British drugmaker expands its bet on respiratory therapies. The move to replenish its pipeline comes as GSK investors fret about whether there is enough in the medicine cabinet…

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