Bloomberg Home Depot Inc surged the most since the early days of the pandemic after posting stronger-than-expected results, a sign that increased North American spending on home improvement continues to stretch through the pandemic. Comparable-store sales, a key metric for retailers, increased 6.1% in the third quarter, according to a statement. That’s well above the 1.5% average estimate of analysts …

Bloomberg While many other technology giants embrace the metaverse as the next frontier of growth, Sundar Pichai sees Google’s future in its oldest offering: internet search. “I feel fortunate our mission is timeless,” Pichai, who is chief executive officer of Google and its parent, Alphabet Inc, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s Emily Chang for the Bloomberg New Economy …

Bloomberg Microsoft Corp has turned on a series of data centers at three sites in Sweden that run entirely on green energy through a partnership with state-owned utility Vattenfall AB. The Swedish computer halls, covering a total area of nearly 900 acres, are the latest in the company’s expansion to meet the huge appetite from businesses for secure cloud services. …

Bloomberg Audi is exploring deals with British sports car-maker McLaren Group as the German manufacturer looks for ways to enter Formula 1 racing and promote its electric-car technology. The manufacturer plans to study the financials of McLaren in the coming weeks to help decide on potential transactions, according to people familiar with the matter. Volkswagen AG’s premium brand previously floated …

Bloomberg After seven years of false starts, delays and management changes, Apple is going full throttle on developing an electric car. Under its new leader, Apple Watch software chief Kevin Lynch, the team behind the car project is now pushing hard to debut a product by 2025. It’s trying to build a vehicle that, without a steering wheel and pedals, …

Bloomberg Real estate investors acquired a record 18% of US homes sold in the third quarter of 2021, wagering $64 billion that home prices and rents will continue to surge. Investors bought more than 90,000 homes in three months through September, up 10% from the prior quarter and 80% from a year earlier, according to a report by Redfin Corp. …

Bloomberg Most Asian stocks fall on Wednesday as the dollar held around a one-year high, bolstered by robust US economic data that highlighted the case for tighter monetary policy and pushed up Treasury yields. MSCI Inc’s Asia-Pacific stock index snapped a four-day climb, with Japan lower amid slower export gains. US and European futures fluctuated. The S&P 500 extended a …

Bloomberg The post-pandemic retail trading frenzy has drawn a lot of credit for driving stock prices to a series of record highs. Yet overlooked is the return of an even bigger force in the equity market: corporate America. From Apple Inc to Bed Bath & Beyond Inc, US companies have announced plans to buy $1.06 trillion of their own shares …

Bloomberg Saudi Arabian Airlines is contemplating an aircraft order from Airbus SE or Boeing Co that could total well above 100 jets as part of a push to lure more tourists. The carrier is targeting a fleet of 250 aircraft by 2030, adding around 100 for growth while renewing a significant chunk of an existing 150-plane fleet, Chief Executive Officer …

Bloomberg Singapore Airlines Ltd will start flying freshly fitted Boeing Co 737 Max jets to countries including Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand in the coming weeks, the company said on Tuesday. The carrier is absorbing six of the 154-seat narrow-body planes into its fleet with the integration of its SilkAir unit. Another is expected to enter service before March, and then …