ADRs End Mostly Lower; Royal Dutch Shell Declines

International stocks trading in New York closed mostly lower on Wednesday.

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA, RDSA.LN) was among the companies with ADRs that traded actively.

The BNY Mellon index of American depositary receipts fell 1.4% to 122.09. The European index declined 1.7% to 120.52, the Asian index eased 0.8% to 128.42, the Latin American index edged up 0.02% to 179.97 and the emerging markets index edged down 0.41% to 227.74.

Royal Dutch Shell said it plans to slash its capital spending by nearly 10% in 2016 as it contends with a nearly two-year slump in oil prices. The Anglo-Dutch oil giant also reported a sharp drop in quarterly profit. ADRs fell 2.5% to $50.22.

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV (BUD, ABI.BT), the world's largest brewer said first quarter profit fell 95%, reflecting nearly $2 billion in financing costs, much of it related to its pending acquisition of SABMiller PLC. ADRs fell 1.5% to $123.05.

Barclays PLC (BCS, BARC.LN) that it will sell a 12.2% stake in its African unit to an array of investors, as the British bank pushes ahead with its retreat from the continent. ADRs fell 2.1% to $9.45.

A unit of HSBC Holdings PLC (HSBC, 0005.HK, HSBA.LN) is appealing what would be the largest fine ever imposed by Hong Kong's securities regulator. Lawyers representing HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA on Wednesday began their appeal of the 605 million Hong Kong dollars (US$78 million) fine handed down in July of last year by the Hong Kong regulator related to alleged misconduct surrounding products sold to HSBC's private banking clients between 2003 and 2008. ADRs of HSBC Holdings fell 2.3% to $31.86.

Write to Tess Stynes at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 04, 2016 18:49 ET (22:49 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.