China’s manufacturing sector improved in August, but the recovery remained too weak to pull factory activity back into expansion. The official manufacturing purchasing managers index rose to 49.8 from 49.2 in July, beating market expectations but remaining below the 50 threshold that separates expansion from contraction. The result marked a second consecutive month of contraction…
Aon is reportedly nearing an agreement to acquire USI Insurance Services from private equity firm KKR for about $17 billion including debt, in a transaction that would deepen Aon’s position in the highly fragmented insurance brokerage market. If completed, the acquisition would give Aon a much larger platform in the middle market, where businesses often…
The trade conflict between the United States and Canada is moving beyond a dispute over individual tariffs and into a broader test of one of the world’s most integrated economic relationships. Washington’s latest 50 percent duties on a range of Canadian goods have prompted Ottawa to respond with matching tariffs, while companies on both sides…
France is emerging as one of the clearest examples of how high public debt, weak growth and political fragmentation can reinforce one another in a major developed economy. Government borrowing costs have risen sharply, with the 10 year French government bond yield reaching around 4.1% in late August, while investors are becoming increasingly focused on…
BYD’s first-half results show how China’s increasingly crowded electric vehicle market is changing the economics of even its largest manufacturers. The company remains one of the world’s biggest electric vehicle producers, but intense competition in its home market has weakened sales and squeezed margins, forcing BYD to rely increasingly on overseas expansion to support earnings.…
The regulatory clearance for Jio Platforms to launch an initial public offering marks a significant step in Reliance Industries’ effort to bring its telecommunications and digital businesses into the public markets. India’s market regulator has cleared a proposed fresh issue of up to 270 million shares, potentially making the offering the largest initial public offering…
The disruption of energy supplies caused by the war involving Iran is giving governments in Europe and Asia a stronger economic reason to accelerate renewable energy investment. The immediate concern is not climate policy but energy security: dependence on imported oil and natural gas has exposed major economies to sharp price increases and supply risks…
Nvidia has paused some revenue-sharing arrangements with artificial intelligence cloud companies, according to reports, only weeks after introducing a financing model designed to help smaller providers obtain the expensive computing equipment needed to build large artificial intelligence systems. The reported pause does not amount to an abandonment of Nvidia’s broader financing strategy, but it highlights…
Meta’s settlement with almost all United States states over alleged harm to teenagers is becoming more than a costly legal resolution. It is emerging as a reference point for governments trying to determine how far social media companies should be required to go in protecting children from platform features that can encourage excessive use. Meta…
Best Buy’s decision to raise its annual sales and profit forecasts is providing an early indication that artificial intelligence is beginning to influence consumer electronics spending beyond the technology companies building AI itself. The US electronics retailer now expects annual revenue of $42.3 billion to $42.8 billion, compared with its previous range of $41.2 billion…
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