Henkel targets further takeovers

FRANKFURT - The consumer goods group Henkel wants to acquire further companies. "Although we are the world market leader in the adhesives sector, there are still many opportunities there," said company boss Carsten Knobel to the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung". The focus is primarily on technology-oriented companies. "We are already represented in all regions with our adhesives business. Sometimes it is quicker to buy an existing technology than to develop it ourselves," the manager continued.

Knorr-Bremse buys Alstom US division for rail signaling technology

MUNICH - Brake manufacturer Knorr-Bremse is entering the rail signaling technology business with a takeover. The company is buying the US conventional rail signaling business of French rail vehicle manufacturer Alstom, as announced in Munich on Friday evening. The purchase price is 630 million euros. Knorr-Bremse expects the takeover to open up prospects for profitable business growth, technical expertise and future digital business models.

Tui wants to forego dividends for the time being - No share buybacks

FRANKFURT - The travel group Tui does not intend to pay its shareholders a dividend for the foreseeable future. Before a payout is considered, it is important to "gain trust", CFO Mathias Kiep told the "Borsen-Zeitung" (Saturday edition). To this end, the company wanted to "do our homework, reduce debt and consistently exploit our growth opportunities", said Group CEO Sebastian Ebel. The manager ruled out the acquisition of own shares. "You consider share buybacks when you lack ideas where investments would otherwise be worthwhile. We currently have no shortage of good ideas."

US bill on Tiktok sale picks up speed

WASHINGTON - Things are getting serious for Tiktok: a US law aimed at forcing a change of ownership at the popular short video app could come into force in a few days. Tiktok then faces the threat of being banned from American app stores if the app continues to belong to its current owner Bytedance a year later.

German games demand: federal states criticize federal plans

BERLIN - There is growing concern in Germany's computer games industry that the gap to foreign competitors is widening due to a lack of state aid. After the German Games Association criticized the Federal Ministry of Economics' demands, representatives from the federal states also made their unease clear when asked by dpa.

Soder wants to stop combustion engine phase-out from 2035

BERLIN - CSU leader Markus Soder has once again criticized the planned phase-out of combustion engines in the EU ahead of the European elections. "The 2035 ban on combustion engines is wrong and must therefore be withdrawn," Soder told Bild am Sonntag (BamS). "Our car manufacturers are world leaders in the construction of combustion engines. It is therefore downright absurd to shut down a functioning technology and leave it to other countries in future." Soder also criticized the discontinuation of the purchase premium for electric cars: "Instead of banning and cutting back, we must allow and demand. The federal government must therefore reintroduce the premium for electric cars."

Puma wants to compete more with Adidas and Nike in the USA

BERLIN - The Franconian sporting goods manufacturer Puma wants to catch up in competition with industry giants Adidas and Nike - especially in the USA. "We are the global number three and the gap between us and the two big players is shrinking," Puma CEO Arne Freundt told "Welt am Sonntag" (WamS). "We had a difficult year in the USA and are currently number eight, which cannot and will not stay that way. The USA is not only a very important market, American athletes and artists influence people all over the world." Puma has therefore opened a design and development center in Hollywood.

VW workers in US plant organize themselves into a union

CHATTANOOGA - Workers at Volkswagen's US plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, have decided to unionize for the third time. This is a major victory for the US union UAW, which wants to extend its influence beyond the three American car giants. According to VW and the union, 73 percent of workers voted in favor of being represented by the UAW in the vote that ended on Friday. The result still has to be confirmed by the US NLRB. The ID.4 electric SUV and the seven-seater Atlas are among the vehicles produced at the plant, which employs around 5,500 people.

Tesla lowers prices for cars in China and the USA

AUSTIN - In the face of weakening demand, the US electric car manufacturer Tesla cut prices in its most important markets, China and the USA, at the weekend. As the company led by tech billionaire Elon Musk announced at the weekend, the price of the driver assistance software FSD in the USA is also to fall by a third to 8,000 US dollars. Disappointing sales had led to an increase in inventories in the first quarter.

Survey: majority in Germany have not yet used AI

BERLIN - According to a survey, one in three people in Germany see the risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI). 30 percent of the more than 2,000 respondents stated that the risks outweigh the opportunities for them personally. For 26%, on the other hand, the opportunities are more important, according to the YouGov survey for Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 39 percent were undecided or stated that they were unable to judge the question due to a lack of a clear understanding of AI.

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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