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INGELHEIM, Germany - Friday, April 8th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

• New post-hoc analysis shows routine eosinophil blood test could help identify the small group of severe/very severe patients who may benefit from addition of ICS*

• Only 20 percent of patients in WISDOM† study1 benefited from addition of ICS on top of Spiriva®‡ and a LABA§ with regards to exacerbation risk reduction

• Data, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, adds to current debate about appropriate selection of patients for ICS treatment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Boehringer Ingelheim today announced a new publication showing that levels of white blood cells called eosinophils can help identify patients with COPD who may and may not benefit from the addition of ICS treatment.1 In WISDOM, for 80 percent of patients, the use of ICS on top of Spiriva®‡ and a LABA** had no additional benefit in redu ... Read more »

MILWAUKEE - Wednesday, April 6th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Board of Directors of Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK) today authorized the company to expend up to an additional $1 billion to repurchase shares of Rockwell Automation common stock. This is in addition to the authorization on June 4, 2014 to repurchase $1 billion worth of common stock, of which approximately $197 million was remaining as of April 5, 2016.

The Board also declared a quarterly dividend of 72.5 cents per share on its common stock, payable on June 10, 2016 to shareowners of record at the close of business on May 16, 2016.

“In the prior six fiscal years, we have returned more than $3.7 billion, or 84 percent of free cash flow, to shareowners through dividends and share repurchases,” said Keith D. Nosbusch, chairman and chief executive officer. “Our solid financial position and sustainable cash generation enable us to continue our strong track record of ... Read more »

OSAKA, Japan - Thursday, April 7th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Panasonic Corporation today announced that it has developed a light diffusion type polypropylene (PP) resin molding compound, called “FULL BRIGHT”*1 PP, which can extend the operating life of LEDs. The industry’s first*2 introduction of a material applicable for injection stretch blow molding enables the formation of complex shapes and contributes to greater product design freedom for customers.

This material has the following advantages.

    In addition to injection molding, this material can also be used for injection stretch blow molding process that was previously believed to be difficult using conventional light diffusion PP resin molding compounds, enabling customers to form complex shapes with greater freedom based on individual customer applications.
    • Ability to produce 0.5-mm thin molding, which was previously unachievable; ac ... Read more »

Fendt and Valtra Tractors Recognized for Outstanding Design

DULUTH, Ga - Thursday, April 7th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AGCO's attention to design was recognized recently when Fendt and Valtra, two of its leading brands, won the prestigious Red Dot Design Award 2016. The Red Dot Design competition is one of the largest and most respected design competitions in the world. More than 5,200 products from 57 countries entered this year’s contest. The jury consisted of 41 independent design experts from around the globe.

“We are honored to receive this recognition,” said Martin Richenhagen, Chairman, President & CEO, AGCO Corporation. “This recognition is a testament to AGCO’s commitment to design, innovation and quality.”

The Fendt 1000 Vario and the Valtra T234 were both recognized in the Red Dot Award category ‘Product Design.’ The Fendt 1000 Vario is a newly developed standard high-horsep ... Read more »

INGELHEIM, Germany - Thursday, April 7th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

    Approval provides a new oral treatment option for patients with the second largest sub-type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), representing approximately 20-30% of NSCLC cases
    Approval of Giotrif® is based on results of the LUX-Lung 8 study, which showed significantly improved overall survival and progression-free survival compared to Tarceva® (erlotinib) in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung
    Afatinib is already approved in more than 60 countries for the treatment of patients with EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC*

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Boehringer Ingelheim today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorisation for Giotrif® (afatinib) for the treatment of patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) of the lung whose disease has progressed on or after treatment with platinum-base ... Read more »

HOUSTON - Wednesday, April 6th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Schlumberger Holdings Corporation (“SHC” or the “Company”) today announced the early tender results in its previously announced cash tender offer for up to an aggregate principal amount of $1,200,000,000 of the outstanding senior notes of Cameron International Corporation specified in the table below (collectively, the “Notes”). The terms and conditions of the tender offer are described in the Offer to Purchase, dated March 22, 2016 (the “Offer to Purchase”) and the related Letter of Transmittal. SHC also announced today that it has increased the Maximum Tender Amount for the Notes in the tender offer from $1,200,000,000 to $1,243,157,000, and this announcement amends the Offer to Purchase and the related tender offer materials to change the Maximum Tender Amount to $1,243,157,000. All other terms and conditions of the tender offer described in the Offer to Pur ... Read more »

NEW YORK - Friday, April 8th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Fitch Solutions announces Fitch Connect, a powerful integrated information platform, delivering Fitch Ratings and Research along with Fundamental Financials, economic data and analytics. Fitch Connect enables credit professionals to make risk management decisions with efficiency and ease.

‘Fitch is committed to providing credit professionals with transparent, timely and insightful information,’ said Paul Taylor, President and CEO, Fitch Group. ‘We are strengthening our information business with Fitch Connect, which delivers high quality research and data through a sophisticated and flexible platform.’

Analysis conducted by financial professionals receives more scrutiny today than ever before. Demands from new regulations and internal and external compliance audits are adding pressure on risk managers and IT departments to do more with less. The Fitch Connect platform off ... Read more »

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Monday, April 4th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

A total of 27 staff members from Abu Dhabi acquired new skills for safe handling of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) during a specialized security training course. The course was organized by the Training Department at the Directorate General of Human Resources at Abu Dhabi Police, in cooperation with the US Embassy in the UAE.

Brigadier Eng. Hussein Ahmed Al Harithi, Director General of Central Operations at Abu Dhabi Police GHQ, attended the ceremony to celebrate the graduation of staff members who completed the course. He stressed the importance of the course in raising staff members’ capabilities and readiness while dealing with chemical substances.

It is worth mentioning that the course included practical exercises to enhance participants’ skills and abilities for the safe handling of the hazardous biological, radiological, and nuclear we ... Read more »

AllianceBernstein, Babson Capital Management, Bank of America, Crédit Agricole CIB, European Investment Bank, HSBC, International Finance Corporation, Mirova and the Aligned Intermediary to Fund Clean Energy Solutions

NEW YORK - Thursday, April 7th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- A consortium of leading financial institutions and investors today announced a new partnership under the Catalytic Finance Initiative (CFI) to direct $8 billion in total commitments toward high-impact sustainable investments. Partners joining the CFI include AllianceBernstein (AB); Babson Capital Management LLC, a subsidiary of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual); Crédit Agricole CIB; European Investment Bank (EIB); HSBC Group; International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group; and Mirova, a subsidiary of Natixis Group, all of which have pledged capital and expertise to develop and advance innovative financing structures for investments in cl ... Read more »

Operating cash flow and cash dividend hit historic highs

SHENZHEN, China - Thursday, April 7th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ZTE Corporation (“ZTE” or the “Group”) (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ) today announced overall operating revenues of RMB100.19 billion for the year ended 31 December 2015, while operating cash flow and cash dividend hit historic highs as sales in 4G products, smart city and emerging ICT technologies pushed operating revenues up 23% compared to 2014.

The Group reported net profit attributable to holders of ordinary shares of the listed company of RMB3.21 billion for 2015, with basic earnings per share amounting to RMB0.78. The Group’s operating cash flow was RMB7.405 billion according to PRC ASBEs, was an all-time record for the Group. While the cash dividend totaled RMB1.038 billion was the highest ever in the history of the Group.

The growth in revenue reflected ... Read more »

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Monday, April 4th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

Top journalists and bloggers from the UAE gathered at the J.W. Marriott Marquis Hotel in Dubai on March 14th for a breathtaking event hosted by Co-guardians of the Mouawad diamond house, Fred, Alain and Pascal Mouawad. The occasion showcased the brand’s prestigious new collections of luxurious Swiss-made watches and stunning high jewellery.

 “We are delighted to introduce our outstanding new watch collections at this special event. This gives us the opportunity to highlight the many focal points of our new ranges, such as the high-end movements, intricate complications and impeccable standards in quality, as well as allowing us to showcase a selection of our one-of-a-kind jewellery suites,” observed Pascal Mouawad.

One of the highlights of the latest Swiss-made timepieces is the introduction of the first chronograph movement manufactured by Mouawad ... Read more »

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Monday, April 4th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

2016 has gotten off to a fairly slow start in terms of M&A activity targeting companies based in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Compared with Q4 2015, value has declined against a slight increase in volume, according to Zephyr, the M&A database published by Bureau van Dijk. In total, some USD 6,998 million was invested across 163 deals in Q1 2016, compared to the 161 deals worth USD 10,238 million announced in the final quarter of 2015. Despite the fairly low aggregate value figure, the result compares more favorably with the same period in previous years. If the last couple of years are any indication, many will be expecting to see an upturn in aggregate values throughout the rest of 2016.

The relatively disappointing value can be blamed on a lack of high value deals; only two transactions broke the all-important USD 1,000 million barrier between January and the end of March. Nevert ... Read more »

LUXEMBOURG - Wednesday, April 6th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SES S.A. (NYSE Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) announced today that the Netherlands-based TV Entertainment Reality Network (TERN) has contracted additional SES capacity under a long-term agreement to launch its HD channel INSIGHT on the SKY digital platform via SES satellites at Astra 28.2 degrees East.

INSIGHT TV -- which is already broadcasting in HD and Ultra HD via Astra 19.2 degrees East -- will be available in HD for subscribers of Europe's leading entertainment company in the UK and Ireland from 5 April onwards.

Mariam Zamaray, Chief Executive Officer at TERN, said, “Riding on our successful launch of INSIGHT UHD and HD at Astra 19.2 six months ago, we are looking forward to entering new markets and reaching many more viewers across Europe and worldwide. Thanks to SES satellites and services, we are now expanding on the SKY digital platform, and are planning to launch INSIGHT with ... Read more »

 New Fleets Could Generate 98 Million Terabytes of Data Annually by 2026 According to Oliver Wyman’s MRO Survey

DALLAS - Wednesday, April 6th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The latest aircraft designs now entering fleets are equipped with technologies that can deliver unprecedented collection and transmission of data at the system and part level according to Oliver Wyman’s annual MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) Survey. The global fleet could generate upwards of 98 million terabytes of data annually by 2026 according to forecast estimates creating new opportunities for more prognostic maintenance.

The survey, which was released at Aviation Week’s MRO Americas Conference, examines a variety of technology and innovation themes, including how operators, MROs, and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) are adopting, utilizing, and investing in big data capabilities – particularly relating to aircraft health monitoring (A ... Read more »