Investors pour $6 bln into U.S.-based high-yield, investment-grade bond funds -Lipper

June 27 (Reuters) – Investors’ appetite for risk-taking was on display in the latest week, as U.S-based high-yield junk bond funds attracted more than $3 billion in the week ended Wednesday, their third consecutive week of inflows.

At the top of the credit spectrum, U.S.-based investment-grade corporate bond funds attracted over $3.2 billion in the same week, their fourth consecutive week of inflows, according to data released Thursday by Refinitiv’s Lipper. (Reporting by Jennifer Ablan Editing by James Dalgleish)

The human cost of Mexico-US migration agreement

Mexico agreed to introduce new measures to stop Central American migrants from reaching the US.

Even though the United States and Mexico have called the border agreement a success, those trying to reach the US see the deal very differently.

Washington has announced it will not impose punitive tariffs on Mexican goods after the southern neighbour agreed to introduce new measures to stop Central American migrants from reaching the US.

Al Jazeera’s John Holman reports from Tapachula, on Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala.

Malawi protests: Opposition demands president's resignation

Malawi police used tear gas on Thursday to disperse the supporters of the opposition party protesting against President Mutharika’s re-election.

Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika has accused the opposition of trying to overthrow his government.

However, the supporters of opposition party leader Lazarus Chakwera say he was robbed of victory in last month’s election.

At least 18 people have been arrested since protests began in the capital, Lilongwe, on Tuesday.

Al Jazeera’s Raheela Mahomed reports.

Uber closes above IPO price for the first time

More than a month after ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies Inc. UBER, +6.19% made its public debut, the company’s stock finally closed above its initial-public-offering price. Shares jumped 6.2% in Thursday’s session, ending at $45.13. Uber priced its offering at $45 a share in mid-May, raising $8.1 billion through the deal. Prior to Thursday, Uber’s highest close had been exactly at its IPO price, on June 5. The 6.2% gain in Thursday trading marked the second-largest single-day percentage increase for Uber’s stock since the IPO. The shares gained 7.7% back on May 14. Rival Lyft Inc. LYFT, +3.65% hasn’t fared as well as Uber in terms of price movement since its late-March IPO. Lyft shares haven’t closed above their IPO price of $72 since early April. Uber’s stock has risen 8.7% over the past month, while Lyft shares have gained 14% and the S&P 500 SPX, +0.38% has ticked up 3.5%.

S&P 500 closes higher Thursday as investors await U.S – China meeting on trade policy

S&P 500 index stocks rose on Thursday, after four days of declines, as investors await the outcome of an upcoming meeting on trade policy between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Friday’s G-20 meeting in Japan. An agreement between Trump and Xi at the G-20 summit on Friday or Saturday would avert the next round of tariffs on additional $300 billion worth of Chinese imports. On a preliminary basis, the S&P 500 index SPX, +0.38% rose 11 points, or 0.38%, to 2,924 and the Nasdaq composite index COMP, +0.73% rose 58 points, or 0.73% to 7,967 but the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.04% lost 10 points, or 0.04% to 26,526. The S&P 500 is headed for its best month since January, rebounding from a rout in May to leave it higher by 3% for the quarter. Bank stocks traded higher ahead of the Federal Reserve’s stress-test results release, which is scheduled for later on Thursday. Boeing BA, -2.91% fell 2.9% after the Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday that it has found an issue with the 737 Max that the manufacturer must address before it lifts the national grounding order.

How Much Was Jony Ive Worth to Apple? Market Says $9 Billion

In this article

Ever wondered how much Jony Ive and his design prowess was worth to Apple Inc.? The stock market rendered its verdict on Thursday: at least $9 billion.

That’s the market value that Apple lost when its shares sank more than 1% in extended trading after reporting the chief design officer was leaving to start his own firm that will count Apple among its customers.

Ive began leading Apple’s design team in 1996 and in 2012 was put in charge of software design as well.

European heatwave: Wildfires burn across Spain

Firefighters are warning the burning area could get five times as big, as they try to douse the flames.

Wildfires are burning across nearly 4,000 hectares in Catalonia in north-eastern Spain and there are fears they could get much worse.

Spain is baking under temperatures of 43 degrees Celsius.

France, Italy and Germany are also suffering unseasonably hot temperatures – as southern and Western Europe swelters under a heatwave

Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands reports.

ST Now, News As It Happens – June 28, 2019

Welcome to ST Now, News As It Happens. Recap of what happened earlier. Reach us at [email protected] or on Facebook and Twitter @STcom.

First Democratic debate drew healthy 15 million viewers

LOS ANGELES — The first of a pair of Democratic presidential primary debates drew a robust 15-plus million viewers.

Nielsen figures out Thursday show the event’s viewership topped every primary debate for the 2008 and 2012 elections.

But Wednesday’s debate, the first of the 2020 campaign, didn’t approach the numbers for the initial 2016 GOP primary debate.

Nearly 24 million viewers tuned in to see freshly minted candidate Donald Trump take the stage among other Republican contenders.

The first Democratic debate for the 2016 cycle, including eventual nominee Hillary Clinton, drew nearly 15.8 million viewers.

The combined viewership Wednesday for the 10-candidate debate on Comcast’s CMCSA, -0.26%  NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo was 15.3 million, Nielsen said.

Another 10 Democratic candidates, including early front-runners Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, were to take part in the Thursday debate.