International stocks trading in New York closed higher Monday,
with the Bank of New York index of American depositary receipts
adding 0.9% to 150.97. The European index rose 0.9% to 151.12, the
Asian index climbed 1% to 142.53, the Latin American index added
0.8% to 278.23 and the emerging-markets index rose 0.7% to 273.12.
Among the companies with shares that actively traded were ING Groep
NV (ING, INGA.AE) and Novartis AG (NVS, NOVN.VX).
ING said Monday it will resume dividend payments next year as
the bailed-out Dutch bank seeks to move on from years of
restructuring prompted by the financial crisis. Shares added 3.9%
to $14.25.
Novartis said Monday it would seek approval for an experimental
heart-failure treatment sooner than it had expected, bolstering the
prospects of the Swiss company's cardiovascular franchise. Shares
added 4.2% to $85.02.
Drug company GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK, GSK.LN) on Monday said it
has withdrawn an application to the European Medicines Agency
related to ovarian-cancer treatment Votrient after analyzing data
from a Phase III study. The application was for a variation to
marketing authorization for Votrient in the European Union, Glaxo
said. Separately, the company on Sunday presented detailed results
from a late-stage study of darapladib, a new heart-disease drug,
that failed to show any meaningful effects in November. Shares
slipped 0.9% to $53.43.
Brazilian state-run energy company Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PBR,
PETR3.BR, PETR4.BR) said Monday an internal probe into allegations
that company officials accepted bribes from Netherlands-based SBM
Offshore NV turned up no evidence of suspect payments. Shares edged
down 0.2% to $13.15.
HSBC Holdings PLC (HSBC, HSBA.LN) said Monday an agreement to
sell its business in Uruguay to Banco GNB Sudameris has fallen
through. "HSBC is exploring alternative options for the sale of its
banking business in Uruguay," the lender said. The U.K.-based
bank's shares edged down 0.1% to $50.83.
Write to Anna Prior at anna.prior@wsj.com
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