Researchers said the findings support the practice of mixing vaccines in certain circumstances. The U.K.-funded study found that mixing the Pfizer and AstraZeneca doses improved on the immune response provided by a two-dose regimen of the AstraZeneca shot. Alternating the shots provided less of a key immune response, however, than that provided by two doses of the Pfizer shot.
UDG Healthcare Agrees to Increased GBP2.76B Takeover by Clayton Dubilier Affiliate
UDG Healthcare PLC said Tuesday it has agreed to an improved and final 2.76 billion pound ($3.83 billion) takeover by Clayton Dubilier & Rice LLC affiliate Nenelite Ltd. as indicated Friday.
Under the offer, accepting shareholders of the London-listed healthcare services provider will get 1,080 pence for each share held, a 5.6% increase to the 1,023 pence a share offer agreed to in May.
TUI AG Expects EUR200 Mln Funds Inflow From Tap Bond Offering
TUI AG said it has successfully completed its tap offering of convertible bonds and expects a funds inflow of around 200 million euros ($238.5 million).
The German travel operator said its offering had a principal amount of EUR190 million, issued at a price of 105.86% of their original amount, resulting in an inflow of around EUR200 million.
Novacyt to Launch Two New Covid-19 Antigen Tests
Novacyt S.A. said Tuesday that it will launch two PathFlow Covid-19 antigen lateral flow tests as it seeks to strengthen its Covid-19 portfolio and pursue new market opportunities, especially in point-of-care settings.
The clinical-diagnostics group, which is listed in London and Paris, said it will initially target private market opportunities through its existing distribution network.
Private-Equity Investor Bridgepoint Plans London IPO
Private-equity investor Bridgepoint on Tuesday outlined plans for a potential initial public offering on the main market of the London Stock Exchange, and said that it intends to raise around 300 million pounds ($416.5 million).
Bridgepoint had total assets under management of 27.4 billion euros ($32.67 billion) as of March 31 across Europe, North America and Asia. It is the owner of arts-and-crafts retailer Hobbycraft, online cycling retailer Wiggle and the U.K. and French franchises of Burger King.
Iran-Backed Militias Fire Rockets in New Attack Aimed at U.S. Forces
U.S. troops in northeast Syria came under rocket fire Monday night after Iran-backed militias vowed revenge for U.S. airstrikes earlier that day in Iraq and Syria, a sign that fighting may be evolving into sustained confrontation.
A spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, Col. Wayne Marotto, said that multiple rockets had been fired at U.S. troops and that American forces responded by firing artillery at the rocket launching positions. There were no U.S. injuries, he added.
Delta Variant of Covid-19 Surges Across Unvaccinated Africa
JOHANNESBURG-The more-transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus is surging across Africa, the continent with the least vaccines and weakest healthcare systems, feeding fears among epidemiologists and political leaders of a public-health disaster that could echo the tragedy that unfolded in India in the spring.
The speed of the takeover of the variant, which was first identified in India and is forcing governments around the globe to tighten restrictions on social and economic activities, has shocked health experts in Africa, a continent that-in part thanks to its younger population-has recorded fewer Covid-19 deaths than other regions. Some are warning that previous infection from another strain of the virus may not protect against Delta, leaving swaths of the population that were believed to be immune once again vulnerable.
GLOBAL NEWS
China PBOC to Make Monetary Policy More Targeted, Flexible
China's central bank said in its latest monetary policy meeting that it would make policy more targeted and flexible while keeping the economy's leverage ratio stable.
It comes after China reported a strong rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, giving Beijing room to address structural problems and mounting debt.
Eurozone Economic Sentiment Jumps
Eurozone business and household confidence increased again sharply in June, hitting a 21-year high.
The European Commission said Tuesday that its economic sentiment indicator, an aggregate measure of business and consumer confidence, rose to 117.9 in June from 114.5 in May. The reading is markedly above its long-term average for the fourth consecutive month.
U.S. Hog Prices Sink as China Rebuilds Herd
Prices for hogs in the U.S. are tumbling in the wake of China's announcement that the country's herds have recovered from the African swine fever.
Through last week, the most-active hog futures contract trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange has fallen nearly 17%, bringing the price down to 99 cents a pound-the first time it has fallen under a dollar since March. Futures posted a slight rebound Monday, rising 3% to $1.03 a pound.
Biden to Highlight Infrastructure Deal's Roads and Bridges, Not Legislative Path
WASHINGTON-President Biden plans to open a sales pitch this week for the roads, bridges and broadband at the center of the bipartisan infrastructure deal, seeking to shift the focus away from its complicated legislative path in Congress and his own messaging stumbles.
Mr. Biden will travel to La Crosse, Wis., on Tuesday to highlight ways he believes the plan negotiated with Republicans and Democrats would bolster the economy and help families and small businesses. Wisconsin is a top presidential battleground and was narrowly carried by Mr. Biden in 2020. It is also home to Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.), one of the most vulnerable Republican senators seeking re-election next year.
Raees Cajee, Blamed by Investors for Billions of Dollars in Crypto Losses, Says Fraction Is Missing
A South African cryptocurrency entrepreneur, pursued by investors who allege that billions of dollars of their digital assets have vanished, says that less than $5 million is missing.
Raees Cajee, 21, and his 18-year old brother Ameer founded Africrypt in 2019, setting it up as a fund that invested in bitcoin and other crypto-tokens. But in April, Africyrpt said its systems were hacked and tokens were stolen. Lawyers hired by disgruntled investors say as much as $3.6 billion may be missing.
Clean Energy ETFs Take a Hit, but Money Keeps Flowing In
Investors have lost a bundle this year betting on solar-panel and wind-turbine makers. Their response: to double down.
A year ago, green stocks and the funds that track them rallied tremendously after the market's recovery from a pandemic-induced swoon.
Bitcoin Price Climbs After Mexican Billionaire Urges People to Buy
Bitcoin's price rose after billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego said his bank was working toward becoming the first Mexican lender to accept the cryptocurrency.
The price of bitcoin climbed to $34,805.19 Monday, up 8% from where it stood at 5 p.m. ET Friday, according to CoinDesk. The digital currency has lost almost half its value since it hit an all-time high of over $63,381.20 in mid April, during a wave of speculation spurred on by celebrity advocates including Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Elon Musk.
Persistent Advance in Stocks and Commodities Shows Investor Confidence
Stocks and commodities are surging together in a way few on Wall Street have ever seen, a sign that demand for riskier investments remains robust.
The S&P 500 and S&P GSCI gauge of commodities enter the last few days of the second quarter up about 8% and 13% for the period, respectively. This would mark the first time that both indexes climbed at least 5% in five consecutive quarters, according to a Dow Jones Market Data analysis of figures going back 50 years.
Americans' Hunger for the World's Goods Drives Global Recovery
A gusher of money is spilling out from the U.S. economy and rippling around the world, driving the global recovery to an extent it hasn't in decades and giving confidence to businesses to invest in meeting the huge American demand.
The U.S. economy, turbocharged by stimulus worth almost $6 trillion and hungry for the world's goods, is playing the role China played in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, economists say.
House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Boost Scientific Competitiveness, Following Senate
WASHINGTON-The House on Monday approved its version of a legislative package aimed at boosting U.S. scientific competitiveness to keep pace with China, setting the stage for final negotiations with the Senate, which passed its own $250 billion bill earlier this month.
The House approved the main piece of its package by a vote of 345-67. That bill, known as the National Science Foundation for the Future Act, provides major increases for federally-funded science and technology research, and establishes a new division within the NSF for advanced technologies and other cutting-edge research.
Pelosi Discloses Details of Planned Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Committee
WASHINGTON-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) on Monday introduced the legislative text needed to establish a select committee with subpoena power to investigate the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, in advance of an expected vote in the House on Wednesday.
The resolution, which mirrors the language used to create the GOP-led select committee on the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, gives Mrs. Pelosi the ability to appoint the chair and 13 members-five of them "after consultation with the minority leader," a reference to Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.).
Singapore Shows the Way Out of Pandemic Policies for Asia
As the West begins to peel back restrictions on movement and travel, many Asian governments that successfully prevented massive outbreaks of Covid-19 last year seem content to keep restrictions for the long haul. But in Singapore, that may be about to change.
(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires
06-29-21 0623ET
