ADRs End Lower; Credit Suisse Rises

International stocks trading in New York closed lower on Thursday.

The BNY Mellon index of American depositary receipts edged down 0.35% to 143.44. The European index eased 0.25% to 143.63, the Asian index fell 0.15% to 149.55, the Latin American index dropped 2.3% to 194.53 and the emerging markets index declined 0.84% to 245.03. Credit Suisse Group AG (CS, CSGN.VX) was among the companies with ADRs that traded actively.

Credit Suisse notched a better-than-expected second-quarter profit, cheering investors and providing the Zurich-based bank's chief executive, Tidjane Thiam, with momentum in his first month on the job. ADRs rose 5.7% to $29.69.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether Diageo PLC (DEO, DGE.LN) has been shipping excess inventory to distributors in an effort to boost the liquor company's results, The Wall Street Journal reported. Diageo on Thursday confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that it received an inquiry from the SEC regarding its distribution in the U.S. ADRs fell nearly 4% to $114.91.

LG Display Co. (LPL, 034220.SE) said it would build a new plant in South Korea to produce flexible displays, citing the need to prepare for an expected rise in demand from smartphone makers. LG Display, a key screen supplier to Apple Inc. and LG Electronics Inc., said in a regulatory filing it will invest 1.05 trillion Korean won ($907 million) in the new facility over a two-year period starting in the third quarter. ADRs fell 2.6% to $9.81.

Pearson PLC (PSO, PSON.LN) said it would sell FT Group, which includes the Financial Times newspaper, to Nihon Keizei Shimbun Inc. of Japan for 844 million British pounds ($1.32 billion). The cash sale to the business publisher better known as Nikkei means London-based Pearson is jettisoning one of its flagship media assets to sharpen its focus on its key education businesses. Pearson ADRs rose 1.1% to $19.10.

Drug-maker Shire PLC (SHPG, SHP.LN) reported a 69% decline in second-quarter earnings after booking higher costs. However the Dublin-based company raised its full-year guidance citing its confidence in the underlying business. ADRs rose $1.78 to $261.24.

STMicroelectronics NV (STM, STM.MI, STM.FR), Europe's largest semiconductor maker, gave a cautious sales outlook for the third quarter, partly as the result of uncertainties in China. Jefferies said margins and revenue were in line with expectations, though the results "may be a bit of a relief for some." ADRs rose 7.7% to $7.99.

Syngenta AG (SYT, SYNN.VX) Chief Executive Mike Mack rolled out his most definitive rejection of Monsanto Co.'s $45 billion takeover overtures, saying a tie-up was too risky, the offer on the table inadequate, and the pesticide and seed maker's recent performance shows it is better off going it alone. Syngenta ADRs fell 50 cents to $83.13.

Unilever PLC (UL, ULVR.LN) said its profit slumped 18% for the first half of the year as sales growth slowed and the consumer-goods giant came up against a tough comparison with a year-earlier period helped by gains on a sale. ADRs rose 18 cents to $44.97.

Wipro Ltd. (WIT, 507685.BY) said its earnings rose 4% for the quarter ended in June as revenue grew, though the Bangalore-based company's employee costs also increased. ADRs fell 1.3% to $12.59.

Write to Tess Stynes at [e-mail]

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires