Corporate results:

  • EssilorLuxottica reports Q1 revenues up 5.5% organically. Long-term forecasts confirmed.
  • L'Oréal posted Q1 like-for-like growth of 8.1%, up from 6%, driven by Europe.
  • Netflix - Shares in the American streaming giant fell by 6.2% in premarket trading after the company unexpectedly announced that it would no longer provide subscriber numbers, while its sales forecasts for the second quarter disappointed expectations.
  • 888 Holdings posts sales slightly ahead of expectations.
  • Infosys loses 2% after its quarterly results.
  • Intuitive Surgical gains 3.4% after its quarterly results.
  • Man Group announced an increase in assets under management for the first quarter.
  • Nissan cuts annual operating profit by 14.5% due to lower sales.
  • Procter & Gamble raised its annual profit forecast on Friday, thanks to price increases and strong demand for its cleaning and maintenance products in the US and Europe. The group now expects its core profit to grow by 10% to 11% during 2024, up from 8% to 9% previously.
  • American Express reported quarterly earnings of $3.33 per share on Friday, ahead of estimates, helped by an affluent customer base that increased spending as recession fears faded.

In other news:

  • Schneider Electric confirms preliminary discussions to acquire software publisher Bentley Systems.
  • Sanofi to restructure its U.S. vaccine business and cut jobs.
  • A U.S. judge ordered BNP Paribas to respond to a complaint accusing the French bank of helping the Sudanese government commit genocide between 1997 and 2011 by providing banking services in violation of U.S. sanctions.
  • Blackstone - The private equity firm is close to closing a deal to sell its majority stake in South Korean pharmaceutical wholesaler Geo-Young to Seoul-based fund MBK Partners for more than $1 billion, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
  • Chinese group Geely to sell SEK 14.5 billion worth of AB Volvo shares.
  • Apple has withdrawn WhatsApp and Threads (Meta Platforms) from its app store in China, following an injunction from Beijing.
  • Meta Platforms accelerates its move into generative artificial intelligence with the deployment of Llama 3 on its platforms.
    Jabil puts its CEO on paid leave as part of an investigation.
  • Alphabet - The UK's Data Protection Authority believes that Google's proposed cookie replacement technology is not sufficient to protect consumer privacy, the Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday, citing internal documents.
  • Tesla will recall 3,878 Cybertrucks, its electric pickup truck, due to a defect in the accelerator pedal cushion, which could detach and become lodged in the interior trim, increasing the risk of an accident, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Friday.
  • Paramount Global - The stock is up over 10% in pre-market trading after Reuters reported that Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management are discussing a joint bid to acquire the company. Paramount is currently in exclusive talks with independent studio Skydance Media, although some investors have urged it to consider other options.
  • Goldman Sachs - Norway's sovereign wealth fund said on Friday it would support a resolution calling on Goldman Sachs to separate the roles of chief executive and chairman of the board, two positions currently held by David Solomon, at the US bank's annual meeting scheduled for April 24.
  • Taiwan Semiconductor falls by 6% as market considers forecasts disappointing.
    Sony discusses a bid for Paramount with Apollo, according to the NYT.
  • Nordstrom said the department store chain's founding family had expressed interest in a possible delisting, prompting the company's board to form a special committee of independent directors to evaluate any proposal.

Today's main publications: Procter & Gamble, American Express, Schlumberger, Woodside Energy, Sodexo... The full earnings calendar is here.