United Micro Electronics Corp. Q3 Profit Climbs

United Micro Electronics Corp. (UMC) announced earnings for its third quarter that climbed from the same period last year.

The company’s bottom line came in at NT$2.93 billion, or NT$0.25 per share. This compares with NT$1.72 billion, or NT$0.14 per share, in last year’s third quarter.

The company’s revenue for the quarter fell 4.2% to NT$37.74 billion from NT$39.39 billion last year.

United Micro Electronics Corp. earnings at a glance:

-Earnings (Q3): NT$2.93 Bln. vs. NT$1.72 Bln. last year.
-EPS (Q3): NT$0.25 vs. NT$0.14 last year.
-Revenue (Q3): NT$37.74 Bln vs. NT$39.39 Bln last year.

Chung Hwa Telecom Co Ltd. Reveals Fall In Q3 Bottom Line

Chung Hwa Telecom Co Ltd. (CHT) reported a profit for third quarter that fell from last year.

The company’s profit totaled NT$8.45 billion, or NT$1.04 per share. This compares with NT$8.72 billion, or NT$1.10 per share, in last year’s third quarter.

The company’s revenue for the quarter fell 3.5% to NT$50.85 billion from NT$52.71 billion last year.

Chung Hwa Telecom Co Ltd. earnings at a glance:

-Earnings (Q3): NT$8.45 Bln. vs. NT$8.72 Bln. last year.
-EPS (Q3): NT$1.04 vs. NT$1.10 last year.
-Revenue (Q3): NT$50.85 Bln vs. NT$52.71 Bln last year.

Iberdrola 9-month Profit Climbs; Reaffirms FY19 Profit View – Quick Facts

Spanish utility Iberdrola S.A.(IBDSF.PK) reported Wednesday that its net profit in the first nine months of 2019 grew 20.4 percent from last year to 2.51 billion euros.

The results were benefited largely by the investments undertaken by the group that climbed 29.7 percent to 4.727 billion euros.

Gross operating profit or EBITDA reached 7.50 billion euros, up 11.6 percent, driven by the good performance of Networks, and Generation and Supply. These more than offset the impact of lower hydroelectric output in Spain in the Renewables business.

Chairman Ignacio Galán highlighted “the acceleration of investments and the early achievement of our efficiency and asset turnover targets for 2022.”

Looking ahead for fiscal 2019, the company continues to expect net profit to show double-digit growth.

Further, the company announced a new edition of its Iberdrola Flexible Remuneration programme, which involves a 10.6% increase in the interim dividend for 2019 to 0.167 euro gross per share to be paid on February 5, 2020.

Commerzbank Offers EUR 11.44/share In Cash To Buy Remaining Stake In Comdirect

German lender Commerzbank AG (CRZBY.PK) Wednesday said it has offered shareholders of comdirect bank AG 11.44 euros per share in cash.

This corresponds to a 25 percent premium on the Xetra closing share price of comdirect on September 19, the day before Commerzbank published the ad-hoc announcement on its draft strategy “Commerzbank 5.0”.

Commerzbank already holds around 82 percent of the shares in comdirect. The other 18 percent are in free float. The aim is to merge comdirect into Commerzbank.

The acquisition offer is valid until December 6 and completion is subject to a minimum acceptance threshold of 90 percent.

Once the acceptance threshold is reached, it would then be possible to integrate comdirect into Commerzbank by way of a squeeze-out under merger law. This is Commerzbank’s preferred option.

If this is not successful, Commerzbank intends to take the steps required for a direct merger of comdirect into Commerzbank.

3 killed, 9 injured in shooting at home in Long Beach, California

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Authorities say three people were fatally shot and nine others injured at a home in Long Beach, California.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Long Beach fire spokesman Jake Heflin says firefighters arrived at the home around 10:44 p.m. on Tuesday to a scene “filled with chaos.”

The department says three men were dead and the nine others were injured. Their conditions weren’t immediately available.

It was not immediately known if the shooter had been taken into police custody.

Some witnesses say there might have been a Halloween party going on at the house.

Forty-seven-year-old Oswaldo Morales told the Times he heard as many as 17 shots. Some residents say they heard up to 20 shots.

Morales says minutes later police and fire vehicles could be heard in the neighborhood.

Will a Central Asian border dispute be resolved soon?

A river canal network stretches across the Fergana Valley which is shared by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

A debate over who controls precious water resources has led to a 30-year-long border dispute between Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

A river canal network stretches across the Fergana Valley which is shared by all three countries.

Following a land-swap deal, the dispute is a step closer to being resolved.

Al Jazeera’s Hoda Abdel-Hamid reports from the Fergana Valley in southern Kyrgyzstan.

Iraq protests: Three days of mourning announced

Country in mourning as protesters say pledges to combat corruption do not go far enough.

Iraq’s prime minister has announced three days of mourning for the demonstrators killed in anti-government protests over corruption and unemployment.

At least 110 people were killed and thousands injured in Baghdad and other cities during days of unrest.

Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan reports from Baghdad.

Iran criticizes foreign interference in Lebanon and Iraq, calls for calm

DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran on Wednesday accused the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel of stoking unrest in Lebanon and Iraq, and called for calm in both countries.

“Our advice has always been to call for peace and (stopping) interference by foreign forces in these countries,” President Hassan Rouhani’s chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi was quoted as saying by state media.

The United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel were riding a wave of popular demands and providing those forces with financial support, he added.