Company briefs: Microsoft

Technology giant Microsoft is in advanced discussions to buy Nuance Communications, the American group which specialises in artificial intelligence, for US$16 billion (S$21 billion), according to media reports on Sunday.

In its report citing a source close to the case, CNBC said Microsoft made an initial offer in December and is willing to pay US$56 per share for Nuance. The figure represents a premium of 23 per cent compared with the group's closing stock price last Friday.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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Heathrow Airport

London's Heathrow Airport faces opposition from some board members to its plan to raise £2.8 billion (S$5 billion) from airlines and customers by hiking airport prices, the Telegraph newspaper reported.

State-backed Qatar Airways, whose owner is also Heathrow's second-biggest shareholder, said the plan is "unreasonable, not in the consumer interest and should be rejected", according to the report.

Heathrow's demands to change a complex regulatory framework to let it recoup losses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic have been rejected by the Civil Aviation Authority, the newspaper said.

BLOOMBERG

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Credit Suisse

The head of Switzerland's financial regulator Finma questioned Credit Suisse Group over risks in its dealings with now-insolvent finance firm Greensill Capital "months" before the bank was forced to close US$10 billion (S$13.4 billion) of funds linked to Greensill, Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung reported on Sunday.

Alongside formal talks between the bank and Finma, the watchdog's head Mark Branson had personally discussed the risks with outgoing Credit Suisse chairman Urs Rohner and CEO Thomas Gottstein, the newspaper reported.

REUTERS