News from the world of finance

U.S. stock index futures were mixed on Wednesday after the Dow and the S&P 500 indexes suffered their sharpest four-day percentage fall in more than a year on fears of the economic damage from the global spread of the coronavirus.

Ford Motor Co's incoming chief operating officer outlined his priorities for the company's turnaround on Wednesday, including cost cuts and more efficient new-vehicle launches in a year in which it will introduce a redesigned F-150 full-sized pickup truck.

Shares of Walt Disney Co fell 2% on Wednesday after the media giant's surprise move to replace top boss Bob Iger raised questions on Wall Street if his successor Bob Chapek had sufficient experience in the entertainment business.

BP will leave the main U.S. refining lobby and two other trade groups as new CEO Bernard Looney spurs some of the oil sector's most ambitious targets for curbing carbon emissions.

The jury in the London trial of three former Barclays bankers accused of funneling secret fees to Qatar in return for emergency funding during the financial crisis in 2008, retired to consider its verdict on Wednesday.

U.S. crude dropped below $50 on Wednesday to its lowest since January 2019, as Asia, Europe and oil-producing countries in the Middle East reported hundreds of new coronavirus cases and the United States warned of an inevitable pandemic.

BlackRock Inc's vice chairman and co-founder, Barbara Novick, will step down from her day-to-day duties at the asset manager, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters.

World stocks tumbled for the fifth straight day on Wednesday, while safe-haven gold rose back towards seven-year highs after health authorities warned of a possible coronavirus pandemic and markets stepped up bets on interest rate cuts.

BlackRock Inc Vice Chairman Barbara Novick will step down from her day-to-day duties at the asset manager, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing an internal memo.

BP said it will leave three U.S. petroleum trade groups, including the country's main refining lobby, due to misaligned views over the energy transition to battle climate change.