Standard Chartered said Thursday it would close a swathe of its global equities business and axe 2,000 jobs around the world this year as it tries to make savings of $400 million as part of a structural overhaul.

The Asia-focused British bank said it had already announced or completed 2,000 job cuts in its retail clients business in the past three months, but 2,000 more were "expected during 2015" in the same segment.

Samsung Electronics, the world's largest smartphone maker, flagged a lighter than expected profit decline in the fourth quarter Thursday, with memory chip sales cushioning a continued slump in mobile revenue.

Operating profit for the October-December period was estimated at 5.2 trillion won ($4.7 billion), down 37.4 percent from the fourth quarter of 2013, the company said.

The euro slid in Asia Thursday as falling prices in the eurozone boosted the prospect of European Central Bank (ECB) stimulus, while the Fed appears on track to hike interest rates by mid-year.

The single currency slipped to $1.1820 and 141.51 yen in Tokyo afternoon trade, from $1.1842 and 141.70 yen in New York. The euro dropped to 1.1802 at one point on Wednesday, its lowest since January 2006.

German industrial orders, a key measure of demand for German-made goods both at home and abroad, fell sharply in November, weighed down by falling domestic orders, data showed on Thursday.

Industrial orders dropped by 2.4 percent in November compared with the previous month, the economy ministry said in a statement.

Eurozone consumer prices fell 0.2 percent in December, entering negative territory for the first time since financial crisis in October 2009 and raising fears of deflation, EU data showed Wednesday.

The drop was brought on by plummeting oil prices and will heap pressure on the European Central Bank to take bold action to stimulate price rises in the now 19-nation single currency zone.

European benchmark Brent oil sank under $50 per barrel on Wednesday for the first time since 2009, hit by OPEC's production stance, oversupply, weak demand and the strong dollar.

In morning London deals, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in February dived to a 5.5-year low at $49.81 a barrel. New York crude had already slumped under $50 on Monday.

Budget airline Ryanair wants to take on Lufthansa in Germany, its chief executive said in a newspaper interview Wednesday and predicted the German airline would fail in its bid to build a low cost business.

"We currently have market share of around 4.0 percent in Germany. In the next three to four years, we're aiming to increase it to 15-20 percent," Michael O'Leary told the business daily Handelsblatt.

The euro edged up from a nine-year low against the dollar on Wednesday in Asia, but it remained under pressure owing to fears of a possible Greek exit from the eurozone.

The single currency fell to $1.1839 in early Tokyo trade -- its lowest level since February 2006 -- before recovering to $1.1875. It ended at $1.1892 in New York on Tuesday.

Oil prices slid Tuesday to the lowest points for more than five and a half years, plagued once again by a global supply glut, demand fears and the soaring dollar.

U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate for February tanked to $48.49 a barrel, touching a low last witnessed in late April 2009.

Stock markets in the energy-rich Gulf states nosedived on Tuesday as oil prices slumped and global markets were dragged down by a gloomy outlook for crude. 

U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate for February delivery dropped below the $50 a barrel mark for the first time in more than five and a half years while Brent crude was hovering around $52 a barrel.