RBS SETS ASIDE $640 MILLION TO COVER FOREX PROBES

Royal Bank of Scotland says it set aside $640 million to cover potential fines for the alleged manipulation of foreign-exchange rates, as the British bank swung to a third-quarter net profit.

BNP PARIBAS PROFIT LIFTED BY INVESTMENT BANK

BNP Paribas reported an 11% jump in third-quarter net profit, buoyed by its investment banking business as the French bank climbs back from hefty losses caused by a U.S. fine in June for sanctions violations.

AB INBEV HIT BY WEAKNESS IN RUSSIA, UKRAINE

Anheuser-Busch InBev reports that weakness in Russia and Ukraine weighed on sales volumes in the third quarter, even as cost cuts and strong sales elsewhere boosted profit.

DBS GROUP'S 3RD QUARTER PROFIT RISES 17%

DBS Group Holdings reported a 17% rise in third-quarter net profit after Southeast Asia's biggest lender by assets saw its income from interest, fees and trading grow.

BOMBARDIER DROPS RUSSIAN ASSEMBLY LINE PLANS

Bombardier's chief executive said it has shelved plans to open a new assembly line in Russia to build commuter aircraft, amid economic tension between the West and Moscow over Russian military actions in Ukraine.

TRANSCANADA FILES APPLICATION FOR ENERGY EAST PIPELINE

TransCanada formally proposed to spend $10.7 billion to break a bottleneck plaguing many western Canadian oil producers and give them access to east coast and offshore refineries.

DANONE TO BUY STAKE IN CHINESE MILK POWDER MAKER

Danone has agreed to acquire a 25% stake in Chinese milk powder maker Yashili International Holdings for $566 million to bolster its presence in China.

SINOPEC TO BUY STAKE IN SAUDI ARABIAN PETROCHEMICAL FIRM

State-controlled China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., or Sinopec, said Thursday it agreed to acquire stake in a Saudi Arabian petrochemical company for $562 million to enhance its global network and international operation of the refining segment.

CITIGROUP CUTS THIRD-QUARTER RESULTS

Citigroup cut its third-quarter earnings by $600 million, citing "rapidly-evolving regulatory inquiries and investigations." Shares fell 2.0% in after-hours trading.

GROUPON LOSS WIDENS ON HIGHER EXPENSES

Groupon posted a wider third-quarter loss and signaled it may sell a stake in South Korean subsidiary Ticket Monster less than 10 months after buying it.

STARBUCKS SALES GROWTH DISAPPOINTS

Starbucks said revenue rose 10% in the fiscal fourth quarter, thanks to a steady increase in new stores and its continuing efforts to woo a growing crowd of coffee aficionados.

LINKEDIN'S REVENUE GROWS STRONGLY ACROSS THE BOARD

LinkedIn reported strong third-quarter revenue growth across its three main businesses, helping the professional social network post a smaller-than-expected loss.

CANADIAN OIL SANDS POSTS SHARP DECLINE IN PROFIT

Canadian Oil Sands Ltd., the largest owner of the Syncrude oil-sands joint venture said its third-quarter net profit fell 65% from a year earlier, citing lower revenue and foreign exchange-related losses.

SANOFI CEO ENTITLED TO NEARLY $7.6M SEVERANCE

Chris Viehbacher, who has lost his job as chief executive of French drug maker Sanofi, is entitled to receive a termination package of nearly $7.6 million, according to company legal filings.

MASTERCARD PROFIT RISES 15%

MasterCard reported a profit of $1.02 billion, or 87 cents a share, as the credit-card company posted higher revenue and payment volumes. The results topped analysts' expectations. Revenue rose 13% to $2.5 billion.