Market News News Page 9

As reported by the BBC, Blackberry maker Research in Motion (RIM) has annouced a quarterly loss, blaming it in part to lower revenues from weak smartphone shipments. The Canadian firm made a $125 million (£78 million) lossfor the three months leading up to March 3, compared to a profit of $934 million one year earlier. Revenues have...

As reported by the BBC, the owner Foxconn, Hon Hai Group, has announced plans to invest 133 billion yen ($1.6 billipn; £1 billion) in electronics maker Sharp. The deal is expected to boost Sharp's LCD sector, which has been experiencing losses. The tie-in comes as the firm confronts stiff competition from Taiwanese and Chinese companies....

As reported by the BBC, heating and building materials firm Wolseley has watched profits rise by 28%. The company announced pre-tax profits of £250 million for the six months leading to January 31, a jump from £195 million during the same period the year before. The firm, which owns Bathstore and Plumb Center in Britain and Ferguson in...

As reported by the BBC, Randgold Resources shares have dropped nearly 13 percent following Mali’s military coup. The firm has three gold mines in the country, which account for the majority of its gold production. The firm says operations at Gounkoto and Loulo, as well as its Morila joint venture, are running normally. Renegade soldiers...

As reported by the BBC, Gem Diamonds announced that strong demand and production rises helped triple profits, making 2011 an "exceptional year". The London-based diamond producer said manufacturing at its Letseng mine, located in Lesotho, aided the increase. The firm said it was still working on expanding its mining operations in...

As reported by the BBC, German retail giant Metro has announced a sharp drop in profits, as European consumers cut back on spending in the thick of the economic crisis. Net profits dropped 26% to 631 million euros ($833 million; £525 million) in 2011. No improvement is expected this year, said Metro. The firm had previously hoped to...

As reported by the BBC, Apple has announced its plans to start paying shareholders a dividend to buy back many of its shares. The tech giant stated that it would offer a quarterly dividend to investors of $2.65 per share. The firm will purchase up to $10 billion (£6.3 billion) of its own shares during the next financial year, starting on...

As reported by the BBC, Germany's second biggest airline, Air Berlin, reported bigger-than-expected losses in 2011 as it maintains its efforts to downsize. The budget airline revealed a net loss of 271.8 million euros ($322 million; £205 million) for 2011. The carrier saw a loss of 97.2 million euros in 2010. Air Berlin has blamed its...

As reported by the BBC, Libya has re-launched its stock exchange for the first time since Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's regime fell. The exchange includes 10 firms, while the first day of trade was worth 3.9 billion Libyan dinars ($3 billion; £2 billion), said its general manager. Nearly all the nation’s publicly traded companies are...

As reported by the BBC, Cathay Pacific’s profits have dropped 61% from one year earlier, as world economic uncertainty has hit cargo shipment and passenger travel demands. The airline generated 5.5 billion Hong Kong dollars ($700 million; £450 million) in 2011, compared to HK$14 billion in 2010, the year when the firm was one of the...