ABBVIE TO BUY PHARMACYCLICS IN $21 BILLION DEAL -- 2ND UPDATE 

AbbVie Inc. said late Wednesday it will buy cancer biotech Pharmacyclics Inc. in a $21 billion deal that returns the North Chicago, Ill., drug company to deal-making after backing away from a big tax-lowering takeover last year. (published 0447 GMT)

 
 
HKBN RAISES $750 MILLION IN HONG KONG'S BIGGEST IPO THIS YEAR -- UPDATE 

Broadband-services provider HKBN Ltd. raised US$750 million after pricing its Hong Kong initial public offering at the top end of the price range, people familiar with the situation said Thursday, making it the second-largest IPO in Asia Pacific this year. (published 0254 GMT)

 
 
CHINA RONGSHENG WON'T PROCEED WITH WARRANT ISSUE -- 2ND UPDATE 

Chinese shipbuilder China Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Holdings said it wouldn't go ahead with a planned warrant issue following the reported arrest of a key investor. (published 0454 GMT)

 
 
APPLE SUPPLIERS TOLD TO MASS PRODUCE LARGER IPAD IN SECOND HALF -- UPDATE 

Apple Inc. suppliers have been told to start production of a larger-screen iPad in the second half of this year as the U.S. tech giant wrestles with new designs and features for the enterprise market, people familiar with the matter say. (published 0445 GMT)

 
 
XIAOMI EXPECTS SALES TO SURGE IN 2015 

Xiaomi Corp. expects sales and smartphone shipments to each rise by more than 30% this year, its chief executive said, as the Chinese smartphone maker looks to overseas markets to keep up its growth. (published 0519 GMT)

 
 
HONG KONG EXCHANGE PROFITS BOOSTED BY STOCK CONNECT, LME CLEAR 

Hong Kong's stock exchange operator reported a jump in trading activity in 2014 as the launch of a mutual market access program with Shanghai proved a draw for mainland investors, while a new clearing unit boosted revenue from its ownership of London Metals Exchange. (published 0520 GMT)

 
 
ETSY, AN ONLINE CRAFTS MARKETPLACE, FILES FOR IPO -- 4TH UPDATE 

Etsy Inc., an online marketplace for crafts and vintage goods, filed for an initial public offering on Wednesday, further testing investors' appetite for e-commerce companies. (published 0132 GMT)

 
 
SIMON PROPERTY GROUP MAKES TAKEOVER APPROACHES TO MACERICH -- UPDATE 

Simon Property Group Inc. has made takeover approaches for rival Macerich Co., seeking to combine two of the largest shopping-mall owners in the U.S. (published 0025 GMT)

 
 
MCDONALD'S TO CURB USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN CHICKEN --2ND UPDATE 

McDonald's Corp. plans to curtail antibiotics use in its U.S. chicken, a move that could help kick-start a broader food-industry response to growing public-health alarm around drug-resistant bacteria. (published 0033 GMT)

 
 
FORMER XSTRATA CHIEF RAISES $5.6 BILLION FOR MINING DEALS 

Mining veteran Mick Davis looks poised to pull the trigger on some big deals at a time of inexpensive mineral prices and willing sellers. (published 0001 GMT)

 
 
GOOGLE, WAL-MART PART WAYS OVER ADS 

The relationship between Google Inc., the world's largest Internet search provider, and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the biggest retailer, has frayed over the data used to lure shoppers into stores. (published 0043 GMT)

 
 
NOBLE GROUP DEFENDS ITS IMPAIRMENT CALCULATIONS ON YANCOAL 

Noble Group Ltd. has defended its impairment calculations on an Australian associate and said the commodities supplier acted in a "prudent" way when making its calculations. (published 0156 GMT)

 
 
NATIONAL UNITED RESOURCES TO POST 2014 NET LOSS OF AT LEAST HK$58 MILLION 

National United Resources Holdings Ltd. is expected to post a net loss of at least 58 million Hong Kong dollars in 2014. (published 0136 GMT)

 
 
BAIOO FAMILY INTERACTIVE NAMES XU GANG AS NEW CEO, REPLACING WU LILI 

Baioo Family Interactive Ltd., a Chinese children's online game operator, said Thursday it has appointed Xu Gang, 43, as the company's chief executive with immediate effect, replacing Wu Lili. (published 0449 GMT)