MELBOURNE, April 10 (Reuters) - U.S. rare-earths producer MP Materials ( MP ) said Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart's mining firm had taken a 5.3% stake in the company, expanding her investments in the mineral ore sector. In a regulatory filing last week, the Nevada-based miner said Hancock Prospecting, owned by Australia's richest person Rinehart, holds about 8.8 million shares of...

TOKYO (Reuters) - The Japanese operator of global clothing heavyweight Uniqlo is expected to post a stronger quarterly profit on Thursday as its overseas units make up for slowing growth at home. Fast Retailing's ( FRCOF ) operating profit in the three months through February likely rose 11% from a year earlier to 114.3 billion yen ($753.4 million), based on...

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Alibaba ( BABA ) co-founder Jack Ma has penned a rare lengthy memo to employees that expresses support for the internet giant's restructuring efforts, a sign that he may be willing to take a more active role after spending the last few years out of the spotlight. Alibaba's ( BABA ) Hong Kong-listed shares surged 5.5% in...

(Reuters) -Oil prices were little changed on Wednesday after two straight days of losses, as the deadlock in Gaza ceasefire talks renewed uncertainty about the security of supplies from the Middle East, offsetting a bigger-than-expected build in U.S. crude inventories. Brent crude futures were up marginally at $89.49 per barrel at 0330 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude...