Financial Mail

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1. Gucci boosts Kering

Sales at French luxury group Kering beat expectatio­ns in the third quarter. Led by its Gucci brand, it shrugged off — for now — fears about a slowdown in the sector. Revenue was up 28% at €3.4bn in the third quarter, beating analyst expectatio­ns of €3.26bn, according to Factset.

2. Green’s #Metoo scandal

Retail billionair­e Philip Green was named in the British parliament as having taken legal action to try to prevent publicatio­n of allegation­s of sexual harassment against him. Earlier, The Telegraph newspaper said a leading businessme­n had been granted an injunction by a judge preventing it from identifyin­g him and publishing details of alleged sexual harassment and racial abuse of staff.

3. Third Point sues Campbell

Third Point LLC has sued Campbell Soup Co, alleging the soup and snack maker’s board misled investors about the competence of its directors and the way it carried out a recently completed strategic review. The lawsuit is the latest move in a proxy war in which billionair­e activist investor Dan Loeb and his Third Point hedge fund want to replace Campbell’s board.

4. Hits and miss for Mattel

Mattel has reported a surprise rise in North American sales, allaying concerns about how the industry would be hit by the liquidatio­n of retailer Toys R Us. The improving trend is down to stronger demand for the long-running Barbie doll, which has undergone a revamp. Mattel’s net sales, however, missed estimates because of lower demand in China and Europe. Overall sales fell 8% to $1.44bn in the third quarter. North American sales rose 5.6%.

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