MORNING BID A new sunny day, with the same old clouds

It’s a new week, a new month and time for a fresh start – but the problems niggling at markets this morning are still the same.
France’s Axa rebounds from pandemic as XL unit swings to profit

Axa (AXAF.PA) posted a 180% surge in first-half net income on Monday as the French insurer rebounded from a spike in pandemic-related claims that led to a 1.5 billion euro ($1.8 billion) charge last year.
India’s factory growth rebounded in July, hiring resumed after 15 months

Factory activity in India bounced back in July as demand surged both at home and abroad, prompting companies to create new jobs for the first time since the onset of the pandemic, a private sector survey showed on Monday.
Allianz cooperating as DOJ probes Structured Alpha Funds

The U.S. Department of Justice has begun an investigation relating to Allianz Global Investors’ Structured Alpha Funds, following litigation pending in U.S. courts on the matter, German insurer Allianz (ALVG.DE) said on Sunday.
UK mortgage lending booms but consumers stay wary about debt

British mortgage lending showed a record surge in June as home-buyers rushed to qualify for a tax break before it was scaled back, but other data added to signs that a rise in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks slowed the broader economic recovery from lockdown.
Fed says economic recovery remains on track despite COVID-19 surge

The U.S. economic recovery is still on track despite a rise in coronavirus infections, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday in a new policy statement that remained upbeat and flagged ongoing talks around the eventual withdrawal of monetary policy support.
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.