Bloomberg European Central Bank (ECB) Vice President Luis de Guindos said interest-rate hikes like half-point move seen at this month’s meeting may become the standard as officials maintain their fight with soaring inflation. Despite forecasts for a winter recession in the 19-nation euro zone, monetary-policy tightening must continue, Guindos told France’s Le Monde in an interview published on the ECB’s …

  Bloomberg A former senior trader at Credit Agricole in New York sued the bank alleging he was subject to “stereotypically offensive, overtly racist, and degrading comments” as a Latinx person and denied career advancement and monetary rewards. Jose Ruiz, onetime head of emerging-markets foreign-exchange trading at Credit Agricole, filed suit in federal court in Manhattan. The complaint named as …

  Bloomberg JPMorgan Chase & Co is upping its climate ambitions, announcing a slew of new emissions reductions targets for its financing to carbon-intensive businesses, including airlines and cement manufacturers. The largest US bank said in this year’s climate report that it plans to reduce the carbon intensity of its aviation financing portfolio by 36% by 2030 from a 2021 …

  Bloomberg US equity futures faltered, struggling to hold the momentum that propelled the S&P 500 to its best daily gain in three weeks, as investors assessed whether the world’s biggest economy can skirt worst-case recession scenarios. Futures contracts on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 index flat-lined after Wednesday’s 1.5% boost for the underlying indexes as US consumer …

  Bloomberg After two straight years of big gains, energy stocks could outperform the market again in 2023, but this time it will be higher dividends rather than oil that will spur appetite for the sector. In an effort to lure income investors, energy firms have aggressively boosted dividends over the last 12 months. Diamondback Energy Inc increased its payout …

Bloomberg Oil rallied to the highest since early December as US crude inventories decline more than anticipated. West Texas Intermediate futures for February delivery edged above $78 a barrel. US crude stockpiles fall 5.90 million barrels last week, according to an Energy Information Administration (EIA) report on Wednesday. Trading volumes have generally been below average this week ahead of the …

  Bloomberg Companies from Procter & Gamble Co to Walmart Inc are lagging in efforts to mitigate environmental impact from the paper products they make and sell, according to a new report from an advocacy group. Environment America assessed the progress of six companies on their use of virgin fibres and indirect greenhouse-gas emissions. The group also looked at whether …

  Bloomberg Mondelez International Inc agreed to sell its gum business in some of its major markets to European rival Perfetti Van Melle SpA. The deal values the business at about $1.35 billion, the companies announced. The sale includes brands such as Trident, Bubblicious, Chiclets, Dentyne and some European candy. Perfetti will own the portfolio in the US, Canada and …

  Bloomberg Swatch Group AG Chief Executive Officer Nick Hayek said he doesn’t see the need to regulate the $20 billion market for second-hand luxury watches, contradicting moves by Rolex SA and H Moser & Cie. “Why should we mix ourselves into the market of used watches,” Hayek said in a Bloomberg TV interview. “This is a market that is …

  Bloomberg Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) says it’s ready to use driverless buses, confident it can shuttle passengers around the aerodrome from next year after extensive trials years in the making. By bolting on cameras, sensors and tracking devices, the Asian financial hub’s main airport has adapted and kitted out an electric bus from Chinese carmaker BYD Co and …