British retail tycoon Mike Ashley's Frasers Group has withdrawn its London lawsuit against Morgan Stanley over a nearly $1 billion margin call, a spokesperson for the Wall Street bank said on Friday. Frasers had sued Morgan Stanley for about 47 million euros ($50.5 million) after the bank imposed the margin call – security to cover possible losses – on the retailer's trading position in German fashion group Hugo Boss in May 2021. Ashley, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes to be worth $5.1 billion, gave evidence at the trial at London's High Court in February that the demand for collateral left him in "total shock".
The stock market rallied heading into Friday's key jobs report. Apple popped late on earnings and massive stock buyback.