ROUNDUP: Commerzbank may start second share buyback program - share at top of Dax

FRANKFURT - Commerzbank can get started with its second share buyback program. With the approval of the European Central Bank (ECB), all requirements have now been met, the company announced late Wednesday evening. The program has a volume of 600 million euros and is thus almost five times as large as the first one, which was completed in June. The Executive Board is to decide on the launch at the beginning of January. The repurchased shares are to be retired. The news was well received on the stock market on Thursday.

Circles: Adnoc offers Covestro 60 euros per share - Covestro: no new stand

NEW YORK - According to insiders, the state-owned oil company Abu Dhabi National Oil (Adnoc) has approached the chemicals group Covestro with an offer of 60 euros per share. With this and a number of concessions, the Arabs wanted to clear the way for Covestro's books to be officially audited as part of a so-called due diligence, wrote the Bloomberg news agency on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The offer would value Covestro at around 11.3 billion euros. Just two days ago, Bloomberg reported that such a move was being planned. However, should Adnoc submit an official offer for the DAX-listed company, this would probably be subject to reporting requirements. When asked on Thursday, a Covestro spokesperson emphasized that the status regarding Adnoc remains unchanged: As has been known since September, talks are being held without any result. The Covestro share price only briefly rose more sharply on Thursday.

ROUNDUP/Reports: Boeing may deliver 737 Max and 'Dreamliner' to China again

ARLINGTON/PEKING - A ray of hope for the aircraft manufacturer Boeing: According to a media report, the US company may once again deliver medium-haul jets of the 737 Max series to China after years of being halted. The Chinese Civil Aviation Administration CAAC has granted the corresponding approval, reported the specialist portal "The Air Current" on Thursday night, citing two people familiar with the matter. According to the news agency Bloomberg, China has also approved the delivery of the first 787 Dreamliner wide-body jet in more than two and a half years.

ROUNDUP: GDL union to strike for up to five days at Deutsche Bahn

DÜSSELDORF - Rail travelers must be prepared for three to five days of strikes on the railways from January. "Calling an indefinite strike would not be right in view of the customers and the economic consequences," said the chairman of the train drivers' union GDL, Claus Weselsky, to the "Rheinische Post" (Thursday). "We will go on strike for three to a maximum of five days," said the 64-year-old.

New trouble in the USA: Philips recalls MRI devices

NEW YORK/AMSTERDAM - The medical technology manufacturer Philips is in trouble again in the USA. The company is therefore recalling a certain series of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned of possible problems. This could lead to an excessive build-up of helium pressure, which in the worst case could lead to an explosion. The FDA has classified the recall as a "Class 1" case, the highest warning level. There are currently 340 of these systems in circulation, 150 of which are in the USA. The Dutch company's shares fell by more than two percent in early trading in Amsterdam.

PCA: China's passenger car market will continue to grow in 2023 - alternative drive systems strong

PEKING - Sales of passenger cars with alternative drive systems are growing strongly in China this year. Deliveries are expected to increase by 36.5 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the industry association PCA in Beijing on Thursday. In December, growth is even expected to reach 46.6 percent. Overall, car sales are likely to have risen by 5.2 percent in the past year. This means that growth picked up slightly compared to the sluggish previous year.

TOTAL-ROUNDUP: In doubt for the Super League - EU judges weaken UEFA

BERLIN - The Super League ruling from Luxembourg, delivered in a calm voice in Spanish, shocked the long-established forces in European soccer. With unexpected clarity, the judges of the European Court of Justice on Thursday punished the international associations UEFA and FIFA for their monopoly position. According to EU law, a competing product to the Champions League must be possible in principle - even if there was strong resistance immediately after the announcement.

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Further news

-'WSJ': US examining higher tariffs on electric cars and solar products from China

-ROUNDUP/Study: Electricity demand for e-mobility is rising rapidly

-Toyota recalls one million vehicles in the USA

-Verdi: Warning strikes in retail despite new negotiation date

-Circles: Swisscom could bid for Vodafone Italia early next year

-ROUNDUP: Disruption at Elon Musk's Twitter successor X

-Siemens Energy brings 'economist' onto the supervisory board

-Allgaier insolvency: Group buys process technology division

-Logistics group Dachser takes over Frigoscandia

-ROUNDUP/UEFA: ECJ ruling not an endorsement of the Super League

-ROUNDUP/Following ECJ ruling: DFL stands by previous sports model

-Manchester United commits to UEFA competitions

-No noticeable increase in theft in supermarkets due to self-service checkouts

-ROUNDUP: Survey: Trend back from online retail to brick-and-mortar stores

-ROUNDUP: Pilot round in retail sector to resolve months-long wage dispute

-Class action against Vodafone: OLG examines jurisdiction

-Consultations at BVB: What's next for Dortmund?

-Strike at Spanish airline Iberia canceled

-District of Stendal continues to recognize 49-euro ticket after all

-Swiss tutoring for the railroads: Germany is a 'problem child'

-DF1 launches on January 1: New channel collaborates with DAZN

-Christmas carp sales in the Czech Republic increasingly criticized

-DEL games to be shown on new TV channel

-Travel industry: Increasing the ticket tax would make vacations more expensive

-ARD Mediathek was the most successful streaming platform of a TV channel in 2023

-Ryanair stations third aircraft at Hahn° for summer flight schedule

Customer tip:

ROUNDUP: You can read a summary in the company overview. There are several reports on this topic on the dpa-AFX news service.

/jha