Thanks for becoming a member of us. Competition regulators have given their assent to Microsoft’s revised $69bn (£54bn) merger with Activision Blizzard after the US tech large agreed to revise the plans.
The Competition and Markets Authority gave its assent to the plans supplied that Microsoft offloads Activision’s cloud streaming rights for PC and console video games.
5 issues to start out your day
1) ‘New cloud darkening’ over international financial system after Hamas assault on Israel, says IMF | Recovery is ‘limping along’ amid the specter of a brand new Middle East conflict
2) How the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein chased Jes Staley out of the City | American banker’s fall from grace seems to have been as brutal because it has been swift
3) Boss of world’s largest cinema chain sufferer of catfish blackmail rip-off | Outspoken chief government revealed particulars of the case after scammer’s sentencing
4) Microsoft pays HMRC £136m amid US tax row | Software large made the fee in the final 15 months beneath a ‘bilateral agreement’
5) Dyson’s family-owned father or mother firm paid £1.2bn dividend | Sir James steadily will increase money funds to Weybourne Holdings
What occurred in a single day
Asian markets slipped following a decline on Wall Street pushed by mounting stress from rising bond market yields.
China’s client costs in September remained flat in comparison with the identical interval final yr, the National Bureau of Statistics reported, indicating persistent deflationary pressures and weak home demand.
Meanwhile, China’s producer value index, which measures costs that factories cost wholesalers for his or her merchandise, declined for the 12th straight month.
The Hang Seng in Hong Kong slipped 2pc to 17,875.33 from a five-week excessive, and the Shanghai Composite index fell 0.6pc to 3,087.88.
Singapore’s financial system expanded sooner than anticipated in the third quarter, in line with the preliminary authorities knowledge. The central financial institution determined to take care of its present financial coverage settings for the second consecutive assembly, as core inflation stays low and issues about financial development persist.
In South Korea, the Kospi misplaced 0.9pc, to 2,458.05 after official figures confirmed unemployment rose to 2.6pc in September from a historic low of 2.4pc in August.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index fell 0.6pc to 32,293.69. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 misplaced 0.5pc to 7,053.80. Taiwan’s Taiex slipped 0.4pc, and the SET in Bangkok gave up 0.7pc.
On Thursday, the S&P 500 fell 0.6pc to 4,349.61. It was the primary drop for the index in 5 days, breaking its longest profitable streak since August.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.5pc to 33,631.14, and the Nasdaq Composite sank 0.6pc, to 13,574.22.
