AstraZeneca COVID-19 sales jump as drugmaker navigates vaccine challenges

Second-quarter sales of AstraZeneca’s (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine more than tripled to $894 million from the first quarter, but the drugmaker on Thursday again delayed its U.S. application for approval as it gathers more data for submissions.
Chinese stocks in tentative bounce, Fed in no hurry to taper

Asian shares managed a semblance of calm on Thursday as the U.S. Federal Reserve signalled it was in no rush to taper stimulus, though the mood was fragile as investors waited to see if Beijing could stem the recent bloodletting in Chinese shares.
Facebook’s slowdown warning hangs over strong ad sales, while Zuckerberg talks ‘metaverse’

Facebook Inc (FB.O) said on Wednesday it expects revenue growth to “decelerate significantly,” sending the social media giant’s shares down 3.5% in extended trading even as it reported strong ad sales.
Airbus challenges Boeing cargo dominance with A350 freighter

Europe’s Airbus (AIR.PA) took aim at one of Boeing’s (BA.N) most profitable strongholds on Thursday with plans for a freighter version of its A350 passenger jet, gambling that a pandemic boom in Internet shopping will outlast the global health crisis.
Samsung Elec sees strong chip demand, mobile recovery as Q2 profit jumps

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) on Thursday forecast strong demand for memory chips in the second half and a recovery in the mobile market to 2019 levels, in a sign the global economy is getting back on track from the coronavirus pandemic.
Gloomy outlook dulls PayPal’s quarterly profit beat

Shares of PayPal Holdings Inc(PYPL.O) fell 8% on the payment company’s downbeat current-quarter profit outlook that outweighed a better-than-expected profit in the second quarter from a pandemic-driven shift to digital spending.
Duolingo enters ‘major leagues’ with $6.5 bln valuation in strong debut

Language learning app Duolingo Inc (DUOL.O) notched a valuation of $6.5 billion after its shares surged nearly 40% in the company’s Nasdaq debut on Wednesday, becoming the latest education technology startup to impress Wall Street.
US dollar, stocks dip as Fed keeps taper timing close to chest

U.S. stocks and the dollar slipped on Wednesday in listless trade after the Federal Reserve gave no clue about when it might start reducing its purchases of government bonds, even as it said the economic recovery is on track.
Google parent Alphabet reaches record quarterly revenue, profit in ad boom

Google parent Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) quarterly revenue and profit surged to record highs, the company reported on Tuesday, powered by a rise in advertising spending as more consumers shopped online.
Santander profit beats forecasts on strong UK, U.S. performance

Spain’s Santander (SAN.MC) beat forecasts with a 35% jump in second-quarter underlying profit on the back of lower loan loss provisions, strong U.S. consumer business and a rise in mortgage lending in the UK market.