ADRs End Mostly Higher; WPP Trades Actively

International stocks trading in New York closed mostly up on Thursday.

The BNY Mellon index of American depositary receipts improved 0.37% to 144.88. The European index increased 0.65% to 136.82. And the Latin American index edged up 0.08% to 233.39.

Meanwhile, the Asian index eased 0.08% to 165.51, and the emerging-markets index declined 0.22% to 302.83.

WPP PLC (WPPGY, WPP.LN) was among those with ADRs that traded actively.

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV (BUD, ABI.BT), the world's largest brewer, on Thursday said it is acquiring Hiball Inc., a San Francisco-based company that makes organic energy drinks and carbonated juices and water. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. The acquisition fits into AB InBev's planned nonalcoholic beverage expansion. "We're looking for high growth, high margins," said Joao Castro Neves, chief executive of AB InBev's U.S. subsidiary Anheuser-Busch. ADRs rose 0.61% to $115.51.

BP PLC (BP, BP.LN) has approached potential buyers of its oil-and-gas fields in the North Sea, people familiar with the matter said, a half-century after the company helped pioneer deepwater extraction there. BP said it remained "committed to the U.K. North Sea," which the British company sometimes calls its "heartland." The company said it planned to ramp up its U.K. North Sea production to 200,000 barrels a day and pointed to important new developments there west of the Shetland Islands. ADRs rose 0.20% to $35.10.

Unilever PLC (UL, ULVR.LN) on Thursday reported a sharp rise in first-half profit and forecast better-than-expected margins for the full year, making good for now on its promise to improve its performance after fending off a $143 billion takeover approach from Kraft Heinz Co. this year. ADRs rose 1.7% to $56.86.

Advertising firm WPP said Thursday its global marketing communications agency Grey has acquired a majority stake in Extreme-Sensio in France, for an undisclosed sum. WPP said it is placing a greater emphasis on growth in Western Continental Europe as a result of UK's referendum decision to leave the European Union. ADRs rose 2% to $103.31.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 20, 2017 17:37 ET (21:37 GMT)

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