By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) – The maker of Evian spring water, Danone, won the dismissal of a lawsuit on Tuesday accusing it of defrauding consumers with labels that claim the water is “natural” even though it contains microplastics that seep from the bottle. U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin in Chicago said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation for spring water does not mention microplastics, preempting the plaintiffs’ claim that concealing their presence violates state … Read more…

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) – EU antitrust regulators are investigating whether the fees charged by Visa and Mastercard have a negative impact on retailers, an EU document seen by Reuters showed. The European Commission, which enforces EU competition rules, sent questionnaires about both Visa and Mastercard to retailers and payment service providers in September, giving them until October to respond. Visa and Mastercard have long dominated the market for payment cards, prompting complaints … Read more…

(Reuters) – Blackstone Real Estate on Wednesday entered into an agreement to take Retail Opportunity Investments Corp private in an all-cash transaction valued at about $4 billion, including debt. Reuters reported on Sunday that the alternative asset manager was in advanced talks for the acquisition of the company, which owns strip malls across the United States. Owners of strip malls, pharmacy chains and retail stores have managed to pass on increased costs from high inflation … Read more…

By Nate Raymond (Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday upheld a jury’s verdict clearing Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his company of liability over allegations they misled investors when the billionaire posted on social media in 2018 that he had “funding secured” to take the electric car company private. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments by lawyers for Tesla investors that the instructions jurors received on the law … Read more…

LONDON (Reuters) – Online fast-fashion platforms Shein and Temu are gearing up for a 2026 trial at London’s High Court, with the rivals trading allegations of copyright infringement and anti-competitive behaviour in competing lawsuits. Shein sued Temu in Britain last year, accusing Whaleco UK Limited – whose ultimate parent is Temu’s owner PDD Holdings – of breach of copyright in relation to photos of some products available on the Temu platform. Temu hit back with … Read more…

By Seher Dareen -DuPont de Nemours raised its full-year profit forecast after topping third-quarter estimates on Tuesday, as the industrial materials maker rides a recovery in demand from semiconductor makers looking to tap a boom in AI technology. Shares of the company, which makes chemicals and other components that are widely used to manufacture chip circuits, were up more than 5% in early morning trade. “We are on a larger footprint in China than some … Read more…

By Ananya Mariam Rajesh (Reuters) – Elf Beauty is likely to report revenue growth of nearly 33% for the second quarter, bucking weak demand in the industry as its inexpensive cosmetics edged out competition. Expectations of strong sales from Elf are in stark contrast with legacy industry players such as Estee Lauder and L’Oreal that have reported declining sales, as consumers are shying away from buying pricey makeup and cosmetics in major markets including the … Read more…