Reuters - Before the Bell

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Friday, December 22, 2017

Deutsche Telekom buys Austrian cable unit from Liberty Global

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom is buying Austrian cable provider UPC from Liberty Global for 1.9 billion euros ($2.25 billion) including debt as it adds broadband services to countries where it only offers mobile operations.

Catalan vote batters Spanish stocks, euro dips

LONDON (Reuters) - Spanish stocks and the euro fell while Spanish government bond yields hit one-month highs on Friday, after Catalan separatists won a regional election, likely prolonging political tensions that may hurt the euro zone's fourth-largest economy.

Two final bidders chosen for Austrian airline Niki

BERLIN (Reuters) - The administrators of insolvent Austrian airline Niki have picked two strategic bidders for final-stage talks over its assets, one administrator said on Friday.

Futures point to positive session on Wall Street

(Reuters) - U.S. stock futures pointed to slight gains for Wall Street in what could be a quiet session on Friday as investors prepare for the Christmas holiday.

In Silicon Valley, much-feared tax bill pays dividends for workers

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The U.S. tax overhaul is a boon to Silicon Valley technology companies like Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc , which will enjoy big tax cuts and the chance to bring back billions of dollars from overseas at a reduced rate.

Russia backs gradual, managed exit from oil cuts with OPEC

MOSCOW (Reuters) - OPEC and Russia will exit from oil production cuts very smoothly, possibly extending the curbs in some form to avoid creating any new surplus in the market, the Russian energy minister told Reuters.

U.S. experts resign from monitoring China’s ZTE Corp: sources

(Reuters) - Two consulting firms hired to help the United States police ZTE Corp’s compliance with trade sanctions have resigned, according to four people familiar with the matter.

U.S. tax break could push startups to share the wealth

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Startup companies came away with a significant victory in the U.S. tax overhaul -- a chance to defer the often-onerous tax bill that is attached to company stock options.

Volkswagen cuts works council pay as prosecutors probe overpayment

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Volkswagen has cut the salaries and suspended the bonuses of 14 members of its works council, including the council's head Bernd Osterloh, as public prosecutors investigate alleged earlier overpayment.

Largest equities outflows since Brexit as investors 'sell the fact' on U.S. tax reform - BAML

LONDON (Reuters) - The passage of a sweeping U.S. tax reform bill investors have been anxiously anticipating for months caused large redemptions in equities and bonds this week as a building consensus in the market suggested any benefits had already been priced in.