ADR Shares End Higher; Aviva Shares Active

International stocks trading in New York closed higher Friday, with the Bank of New York index of American depositary receipts rising 0.8% to 149.67. The European index added 0.7% to 149.81, the Asian index climbed 1% to 141.19, the Latin American index edged up 0.4% to 276.09 and the emerging markets index rose 0.6% to 271.19. Among the companies with shares that actively traded are Aviva PLC (AV, AV.LN).

Shares of U.K. insurers and pension managers fell sharply Friday after the Financial Conduct Authority confirmed it would launch an inquiry into charges and restrictions on old policies worth billions of pounds. Separately, Aviva said it is selling its U.S. equity manager River Road Asset Management LLC to Affiliated Managers Group Inc. (AMG) in a deal it said will boost its solvency surplus and economic capital surplus by 0.1 billion pounds ($0.14 billion). Aviva shares fell 3.2% to $15.60.

China Southern Airlines Co. (ZNH, 1055.HK, 600029.SH, K3TD.SG) said its 2013 net profit was 1.99 billion yuan (US$323 million), according to international accounting standards, down 24% from a net profit of 2.62 billion yuan a year earlier. Its revenue fell 1% to 98.55 billion yuan. Despite the disappointing results, shares edged up 0.6% to $16.27.

Diageo PLC (DEO, DGE.LN) Chief Executive Ivan Menezes on Friday moved to shake up his senior management team and stamp his authority on the drinks giant, less than a year after taking the top job from longtime CEO Paul Walsh. Shares edged up 0.6% to $124.79.

China's largest offshore oil and gas producer, state-controlled Cnooc Ltd. (CEO, 0883.HK), is planning a big rise in capital spending in the year ahead as it shifts its focus to deep-water and overseas projects. "We now face new challenges in various areas including production growth and cost structure," Cnooc Chairman Wang Yilin said. "In 2014, the company will further strive to control costs and enhance efficiency," he added. Shares slipped 3.4% to $153.11.

African gold miner Randgold Resources Ltd. (GOLD, RRS.LN) is targeting over one million ounces of gold production this year and said it is getting close to its long-term goal of 1.2 million ounces by 2015. Shares edged up 0.6% to $75.73.

Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (RBS, RBS.LN) on Friday priced two note issues worth $1 billion, which it will use for general corporate purposes. Shares rose 0.9% to $10.19.

India has ordered a special audit of Nokia Corp.'s (NOK, NOK1V.HE) accounts in a move that could affect the Finnish company's plans to sell its devices and services business to Microsoft Corp. (MSFT). Till, Nokia shares added 1% to $7.34.

GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK, GSK.LN) is taking full control of its Indonesian Consumer Healthcare business in a deal which includes selling a non-core brand and a manufacturing facility in the country. Shares of the pharmaceutical company were essentially flat at $53.90.

Write to Anna Prior at [e-mail]

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