Building materials group CRH raised €1.6bn through an equity placement yesterday to part-fund the biggest acquisition in the company’s history.

FRENCH President François Hollande has won cautious backing from Berlin, Brussels, and financial markets for a centrist reform push that could be his last chance to get the eurozone’s second largest economy motoring.

European network carriers including Air France-KLM Group and Deutsche Lufthansa face a heightened challenge from Ryanair-led discount airlines and Gulf operators serving routes to Asia, analysis by Amadeus IT Holding SA shows.