If the coronavirus-battered US economy doesn't reopen like Trump wants in May, stocks could be creamed

Nokia shares surge on report of takeover bid

"Nokia does not comment on market rumours," said a spokesman for the company. Earlier on Thursday shares in Nokia surged 12.5%, with traders pointing to a report by online newspaper TMT Finance that said the group was working to defend itself from a hostile takeover bid for parts or all of its business. The TMT Finance report said Nokia had hired Citi, a regular investment banking partner of the Finnish firm, for the deal which could be worth $17.4 billion....

Airlines Plunge After United Warns of ‘Essentially Zero’ Demand

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. airlines sank after United Airlines Holdings Inc. said travel demand was “essentially zero,” with no sign of improvement in the near term.United’s dire tone underscored the depth of the crisis for the nation’s carriers despite billions of dollars in assistance from U.S. taxpayers. With the Covid-19 pandemic and government travel restrictions forcing people to stay home, United predicted it would fly fewer people during all of next month than on a single day in May 2019.The airline will further reduce its flight schedule in May to roughly 10% of what it had planned at the start of 2020, and similar cuts are in store for June, said Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby. The U.S. rescue package signed into law last month will help airlines pay employees while obliging the companies not to cut jobs through Sept. 30. But in the longer term, United signaled...