Coronavirus: Quebec MNAs make virtual return to National Assembly to question ministers
US Congress approves $484bn economic rescue bill
Latest rescue package to help small businesses and hospitals struggling due to coronavirus pandemic
The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a new $484bn relief bill to aid small businesses and the healthcare system hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Senate also approved the legislation and now the bill will head over to President Donald Trump.
Jobless claims in the United States have now reached 26 million.
Al Jazeera’s Rosalind Jordan reports.
Melania Trump’s Coronavirus Lockdown Puzzle Goes Viral For All The Wrong Reasons
First lady Melania Trump tweeted a second puzzle for children who are locked down amid the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday.
And it was as badly received as the White House-themed one that she posted online last week.
Trump’s latest word search centered around her “Be Best” campaign to improve the lives of children. It featured words such as “thoughtful,” “kind” and “loyal.”
Tweeters noted the irony of the words in the puzzle, given President Donald Trump’s penchant for vitriolic attacks on people he doesn’t agree with.
“Somebody asked her to make a list of words that don’t describe her husband,” replied the team from the late night TV show “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.”
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American Express profit sinks 76%
Earnings season ‘all about balance sheets’: UBS senior portfolio manager
UBS Senior Portfolio Manager Jason Katz says business leaders want to see the economy turned back on in a slow and thoughtful way.
American Express Co.’s first-quarter profit plunged 76 percent from a year ago after the credit-card giant set side $2.6 billion to provide a cushion for losses caused by COVID-19.
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The New York-based financial-services provider earned $367 million, or 41 cents a share, as revenue slipped 1 percent to $10.31 billion. Adjusted earnings were $1.98 a share, topping estimates of $1.48 from Wall Street.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AXP | AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY | 82.46 | -0.08 | -0.10% |
“The first two months of 2020 continued the strong momentum we have delivered over the past two years, but we’re now in a different world,” American Express CEO Stephen Squeri said in a statement. “The deterioration in the economy due to COVID-19 impacts that began in the first quarter and accelerated in April has dramatically impacted our volumes.”
Shares were down 34 percent year-to-date through Thursday, lagging the S&P 500’s 13 percent decline.
Stock Alert: Pluristem Therapeutics Stock Up 16% In Premarket
Shares of Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (PSTI) are rising over 16% in pre-market today, after the company announced that the European Investment Bank has approved a €50 million non-dilutive financing for the company.
This Approved Financing, once received, would support Pluristem’s research and development in the EU to further advance its regenerative cell therapy platform, and to assist moving the products in its pipeline to market, with a special focus on clinical development of PLX cells as a treatment for complications associated with COVID-19.
The Approved Financing would be deployed in three tranches, subject to the achievement of certain clinical, regulatory and scaling up milestones, with the first tranche consisting of €20 million. The expected signing date of the financing agreement relating to the Approved Financing is April 30, 2020.
The stock has been trading in the range of $2.82 – $10.88 for the past one year, and closed Thursday’s trade at $10.36, up $1.37 or 15.24%. PSTI is currently trading at $12.08, up $1.72 or 16.60% in the pre-market trading session.
Verizon Communications Q1 adjusted earnings Beat Estimates
Verizon Communications (VZ) announced a profit for first quarter that fell from last year.
The company’s profit came in at $4.16 billion, or $1.00 per share. This compares with $5.03 billion, or $1.22 per share, in last year’s first quarter.
Analysts had expected the company to earn $1.23 per share, according to figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts’ estimates typically exclude special items.
The company’s revenue for the quarter fell 1.6% to $31.61 billion from $32.13 billion last year.
Verizon Communications earnings at a glance:
-EPS (Q1): $1.26 vs. $1.20 last year.
-Analysts Estimate: $1.23
-Revenue (Q1): $31.61 Bln vs. $32.13 Bln last year.
Coronavirus: Quebec MNAs make virtual return to National Assembly to question ministers
In Quebec, opposition MNAs plan to delve into COVID-19-related topics with the province’s economy and labour ministers on Friday during the first two virtual debates organized by the National Assembly.
